Air Vanuatu

[Pat2065]

We're flying Air Vanuatu from Sydney to Pt Vila in August using an Any Seat Award. It's a short weekend trip so going economy (yikes). Does anyone have any tips or warnings about this airline?

 

[Boris spatsky]

Good airline. Food nice, seating fine, aircraft new-ish. Nothing fantastic, just good.

Front row of economy has good leg room. But flights generally not very full anyway.

 

[Anna]

We're flying Air Vanuatu from Sydney to Pt Vila in August using an Any Seat Award. It's a short weekend trip so going economy (yikes). Does anyone have any tips or warnings about this airline?

Be prepared for potential lengthy delays as they only seem to have one plane so if it breaks down, you have to wait for it to be fixed as they can't substitute it with another aircraft.

Other than spending 8 hours waiting to take off, they were ok in my experience but I'm not rushing to repeat it. Vanuatu was very different from any other Pacific island country that I have been to, including very different from its relatively near neighbours Fiji and New Caledonia. The people in Vanuatu are much friendlier, and everything else is fairly third world. The roads and the driving habits are simply horrendous, and are the main reason I'm not keen to return.

 

[Trashy]

I flew with them last year and it was fine...food not overly crash hot, but for a short flight it didn't really matter too much.

There was no AVOD on our plane, just a few mini tvs scattered as drop downs throughout the cabin.

 

[yohy?!]

Be prepared for potential lengthy delays as they only seem to have one plane so if it breaks down, you have to wait for it to be fixed as they can't substitute it with another aircraft.

Other than spending 8 hours waiting to take off, they were ok in my experience but I'm not rushing to repeat it. Vanuatu was very different from any other Pacific island country that I have been to, including very different from its relatively near neighbours Fiji and New Caledonia. The people in Vanuatu are much friendlier, and everything else is fairly third world. The roads and the driving habits are simply horrendous, and are the main reason I'm not keen to return.

i visited vanuatu last year and would highly recommend it for a relaxing trip. agree that the people are very hospitable and friendly.

i did not find it to be third world, bear in mind I stayed only around Port Vila - our accomodation had all the mod cons including brand new wings of rooms, main roads in general are sealed (including a new highway that circles the entire main island). the airport was in process of being upgraded also (may be done by now).

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Be prepared for potential lengthy delays as they only seem to have one plane so if it breaks down, you have to wait for it to be fixed as they can't substitute it with another aircraft.

Other than spending 8 hours waiting to take off, they were ok in my experience but I'm not rushing to repeat it. Vanuatu was very different from any other Pacific island country that I have been to, including very different from its relatively near neighbours Fiji and New Caledonia. The people in Vanuatu are much friendlier, and everything else is fairly third world. The roads and the driving habits are simply horrendous, and are the main reason I'm not keen to return.

We had an 8 hour delay in BNE years ago while an engine was repaired.

As for Vanuatu itself, I love it. I agree the people are friendly and hospitable (like anywhere, there are the odd rogues though, so usual travel precautions apply) and to be honest, the only thing that I didn't like was the exhorbitant cost of groceries. Everything else was superb in my books (but I do like that laid back, "Island time" lifestyle)

 

[QF1]

I will be flying end of May so happy to be a come back with some more info.

 

[docjames]

Think of it as a "basic" Qantas and you'll be fine.

Concur with the issues re: fleet and if the aircraft goes u/s the delays can be lengthy.

Our return leg both of us (me + mrsdoc) felt a bit airsick / queasy - this never happens to either of us (only one other time when we circled JFK for 2 hrs, and then, only to mrsdoc). Fine as soon as we got off the aircraft. No idea why - it was a smooth, straightforward flight, so I assumed that there was either an airconditioning issue or similar.