Airline review: Excess baggage causes dramas on this flight

Economy

Flight time

3 hrs, 20 minutes. The 9.30am flight is delayed by 35 minutes due to a lack of parking bays at Brisbane Airport.

Checking in

I arrive bang on 6.30am for my 9.30am flight time. There are already groups of Solomon Islanders returning home after working in Australia and New Zealand under the Pacific Australia Labour (PALM) scheme. Check-in is complicated by their excess baggage, large boxes of electronics and the obligatory KFC for folks back home. This slows the process considerably. The gent behind me is even warned his baggage won’t make it, which is slightly disconcerting, but mine has been tagged priority.

Baggage

Economy passengers get 30 kilograms checked luggage and one cabin bag up to seven kilograms, plus an additional personal item (handbag, laptop etc).

The loyalty scheme

The Belama Club, which was suspended during the pandemic, is slated to reopen this winter. Members receive exclusive benefits including priority check-in and seating; express clearance (Brisbane) and additional baggage allowances; access to the Belama Club Lounge at Honiara International Airport; and access to partner lounges including Fiji Airways’ Tabua Lounge and the Qantas Club Lounge in Brisbane for Belama Plus Members.

Carbon emissions

0.385 tonnes for flying economy class. The airline does not offer an offset option but takes part in a number of community support programs such as a mass tree-planting exercise with the East Guadalcanal communities.

The seat

Economy seats are configured in a 3-3 layout. The seat pitch is larger than most airlines these days at 33 inches (83.8 cm) and width is 18.5 inches (46.9 cm).

Entertainment + Tech

There’s no Wi-Fi or onboard entertainment on this flight, but there is an inflight magazine.

Service

The crew is professional and polite, and lunch is served promptly, about 30 minutes after take-off. However, it takes almost two hours to clear the food trays.

Food

There’s a choice of chicken with rice and vegetables or beef with mashed potato. The beef stew is piping hot and full of flavour and the mashed potatoes are creamy. There’s also a cold breadroll (with spreadable butter), a Kit Kat and some cheese. Rothbury Estate red and white wines are available with lunch.

One more thing

In preparation for the Solomon Islands hosting the Pacific Games last November, in which Australia participated, Honiara International Airport opened its new multi-million-dollar departure terminal in March 2023. The existing airport terminal remains operational for arrival passengers with new passenger and bag screening technology installed.

The price

From about $450, economy one way.*

The verdict

Turns out the gent behind me at check-in has cause to be concerned, as did I, as upon arrival we are informed that 100 bags have been offloaded in Brisbane. Mine included. Had this been communicated in Brisbane, when it was clearly already known, I would have happily grabbed a few more essentials from my checked-in baggage. The next day, another 40 bags are offloaded from the next flight, with passengers advised their luggage won’t arrive for another three days.

Our rating out of five

★★½

The writer flew as a guest of Solomon Airlines.

*Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and are subject to change.

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