A
smooth landing from Los Angeles to Nadi: Thanks to Air Pacific
Thakur
Ranjit Singh
As the Boeing 737-800 of Delta Airlines, eased into
descent mode in a flight from Sacramento to Los Angeles on 16 August, 2012, it
was relieving to leave a burning and extremely hot Sacramento. Temperatures
here stood at above 38-41 deg C (over 100 F, climaxing at 107) some eight days
in a row, when our Fiji hardly heats above 32. Sacramento Airport has really
expanded to international level, in an expanding region with some 2.5 million
people. In case you did not know, Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state
of California.
In 1967, former president, Ronald Reagan became its governor, and actor of the
action movies Commando and the latest
one, Expendables 2, Arnold
Schwarzenegger was its last governor. Sacramento was cited by Time
magazine as America's most ethnically and racially integrated city in 2002.
Indeed, it is. You ask any Fijian in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Fiji,
somebody would have a relative in Sacramento- so great is Fijian (Indo Fijian)
population there, perhaps most for any US city. I have over 100 in-laws, and
many people are there through family sponsorships. They are doing well, they
have a Mandir, numerous mandalis, have many ritual activities, but social
issues and family problems, despite wealth of America, are always there.
Richness or being wealthy never solves any social problems. And, yes, they also
have English/ Hindi newspaper, Sanatan
Sandesh, run by a former Fijian, Kishore Gokul for I which I am a regular
writer.
So, on this clear
afternoon, as Delta flight 4502 glided over Los Angeles,
the huge city of Hollywood looked magnificent with tall buildings, and
mountains on one side leading on to a blue, deep port on the seaside. After glidingly
descending for another 25 kilometres, we approached Los Angeles International
Airport. The airport looked strange and unwelcome; there were airlines of many
rich developed and other Asian and South American nations. Air New Zealand and
Qantas gave us some familiarity and assurance of South Pacific connection. But
I was looking for that reassuring sign of our rainbow colour, and lo behold,
there it was. As we eased on the ground, near Tom Bradley International
Terminal (TBIT) I could see the tail of our island in the sky-yes, our Air Pacific.
It was so assuring to see this familiar Pacific sign on this international
airport where our part of the world was missing. In Los Angeles, just seeing you Air Pacific in our unique
colours is so reassuring that your friend and island in the sky is nearby. Other
countries in the Pacific, notably, Samoa, because of our problems, wanted to
replace Fiji as the hub and administration centre of Pacific. Even they,
including other rival Pacific neighbours have no capability to have their
airlines in Los Angles; hence Fiji really flies the flag of Pacific in Los
Angeles. It is so reassuring to know that from next year, it will be flying
Fiji’s flag, as Fiji Airways. And Tom Bradley terminal is so familiar to many
Fijians who have passed through LA. This
terminal opened for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games and is named in honor of Tom Bradley, the first African-American
and longest serving (20 years) mayor of Los Angeles, and champion of LAX.
Tom Bradley
International Terminal is just minutes walk if you are coming by Delta or
United, but there are good sign-posting for those who are confused, and free
buses. The ground staff are very friendly to advice on directions. It always
helps to arrive four to five hours before the flight to Nadi to avoid crowding;
check in open at 6.30 pm for the 11.30 flights; hence you have five hours
before flight time. Facilities in TBIT are good with many food outlets including
many types of pizzas and Mc Donald. For Fijians linking from Canada, San
Francisco or Sacramento, you can bring your roti parcels or sandwiches if you
do not like junk food. Make sure to bring in bottles of water if you have long
wait, as no drinking fountains are available at TBIT check in area, but discard
all liquids before going in for security check. However if you miss your meal
then air hostesses in the plane are very friendly and efficient and hot food
served is much enjoyable and better now than cold sandwich wrap that I received
in 2010. I experienced big improvements after two years.
If two of you are travelling then inside aisle
seats are recommended because then you will not be disturbed by anybody else to
stand up, with four seats, two exits on each side respectively. Choosing window
seats for two people would be uncomfortable, with three seats in window side
rows. One stranger would be disturbed every time you go out in the 10 hour
flight. The seat configuration in Air Pacific’s 747-400 is three- four- three
(3-4-3). Do not choose window seats if you do not have to, because you hardly
see much except for a few minutes light of LA as it is a night flight. Even
landing at Nadi is often in dark, in early hours of the morning.
The in flight service
was very good, meal and a breakfast plus drinks all throughout the night, and
good opportunity to sleep as well, after takeoff. Compared to my flight in 2010,
this flight was in a better-fitted aircraft with better seating space and other
facilities.
I must commend our captains
and accompanying offices, I found smooth landings in all Air Pacific flights
and at times you do not feel when you have already landed. When I disembarked
the flight after 10 hours flight, for somebody over mid-fifties, I still felt
fresh and energetic. The new arrival card is a welcome change where all racial
references are removed and you are only treated equally as a Fijian. The
welcome change is arrival at the arriving lounge where instead of a boiler room
as in the past, you are in an air-conditioned nicer area which could be further
improved. The immigration officers were helpful and smiling, unlike those
unfriendly zombies I found in Canadian Greyhound bus offices and grumpy
officers at American-Canadian border near Surrey. More often than not, the
visitors queue tends to be very long.
Thank God for the new
Government’s policy on dual citizenship, I checked in LA on NZ passport, but
used my Fiji passport to enter Fiji at Nadi Airport. I went in as a breeze in
the Fiji citizen counter and had done my duty –free shopping and was collecting
my baggage when my wife joined me downstairs from the long visitors queue with
an NZ passport. In fact the inbound duty-free shopping, taken for granted in
our part of the world is foreign to Vancouver. Never put off duty free-buying
to Vancouver in-bound as they do not have any. This plus duty free shops
allowance of only one bottle spirit is a
Canadian policy of reducing alcohol usage.
There is so much of
welcome change at Nadi Airport where the scanning of baggage has made customs
clearance so efficient and fast. I found myself outside the terminal just half
an hour after landing when as usual, I had allowed an hour for this. My trip
into Nadi from Los Angeles after two years was a complete contrast to 2010 when
I found that a burden. Now, it was a breeze and thanks Fiji for the progress
you have made.
For those critical of
Fiji, you need to make a trip to experience the change. And thanks to Air Pacific,
our international pride for spreading its wings with pride in parts of the world
most airlines from our part of the world does not fly to- that is our Air
Pacific, soon to be Fiji Airways.
[E-mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz
[Thakur Ranjit Singh was
on a trip to Canada and USA and notes his personal experience, services and
advice. He has been round the world twice, loves travelling and writing about
his experience. This is a travel segment that we will endeavor to bring on a
regular basis to assist and inform visitors in planning their trip. Further
information on flights can be obtained at Air Pacific website: www.airpacific.com]
