Sometimes small is best, especially in the case of Solomon Airlines, which ensures the archipelago’s warm welcome begins well before you even arrive, as Nick Walton discovers on a recent flight between Brisbane and Honiara.

Check-In/The Lounge

After a speedy check-in process at Brisbane’s international airport (the airline doesn’t offer online check-in yet), I made my way to the Qantas Club Lounge, to which Solomon Airlines’ business class passengers have access, thanks to a codeshare relationship. This is a great space; well-lit, with great, cheerful staff, modern shower suites, and a well-loved coffee machine. My only niggle would be how very busy it was, making finding a seat a little tricky. A little over an hour later I boarded the Solomon Airlines A320 from gate 75B.

The Flight

As the airline’s sole A320, the Airbus is the airline’s workhorse (the 20-year-old aircraft still has labels in both English and French), but the business class cabin, which seats 16, is spacious and elegant. Dressed in burgundy fabric and leather, the business class seats, in their 2-2 configuration, feature a four-way adjustable headrest, lumbar and recline features, and a small drinks tray atop an armrest between seats. The cabin was two-thirds full and beaming crew quickly offered glasses of juice and moist towels as they took brunch orders before the three-hour flight.

Dining

As soon as we had reached cruising altitude, the crew jumped into action with brunch service. We were offered the choice of pan-seared salmon or grilled beef, which I thought a little curious given neither were likely to come from our destination. While the beef was a little overdone, the potato gratin was silky and soul-soothing, especially when matched with a limited-edition beer from Solomon Breweries marking the 75th anniversary of the WWII-era Battle of Guadalcanal. Each business class guest was also given a keepsake bottle, which I thought was a nice touch. Passengers were also offered a range of Australian wines.

Entertainment

The A320 doesn’t offer an in-seat in-flight entertainment system, (although a movie was shown on drop-down screens), so be sure to pre-load your tablet or smartphone.

Service

Service is some of the best I’ve seen in the Pacific, with cabin crew always happy to chat, serve another glass of wine, or provide a blanket. As the airline develops they will do so with a great service ethos that truly makes passengers feel welcomed.

Summary

The perfect combination of hospitality and functionality, Solomon Airlines has a few lessons it could be teaching far larger carriers.

Business class Brisbane-Honiara from US$2,040 per person. www.flysolomons.com

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