qantas travel to bali

Simple Flying

Qantas to send its airbus a330s to bali.

The equipment change will happen at the end of October.

• Qantas is deploying its Airbus A330 aircraft to Bali to accommodate the high demand for travel to the popular Indonesian destination.
• The A330s are equipped with stunning business suites that feature fully flat beds.
• Passengers will have to pay a higher price for the premium inflight experience.

Qantas is gearing up to deploy its luxurious Airbus A330 aircraft to Bali in the coming months. It comes as the province of Indonesia is reportedly one of the world's most in-demand travel destinations.

The flag carrier of Australia's fleet of A330s are equipped with lavish business suites, which the airline calls the "standard of luxury." The aircraft will replace the Boeing 737-800 currently operating the route.

Increasing capacity

Qantas will upgrade service to Bali with the A330 on October 29th. QF43 is scheduled to depart Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) at 16:35 and arrive at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Bali at 20:00. For its return, the aircraft will operate as QF44, departing DPS at 21:20 and landing at SYD the next morning at 06:25.

According to The Bali Sun, Qantas is swapping out the 737 for the A330 to accommodate more travelers during the busy Australian springtime season and to prepare for Christmas and New Year's, the next peak season on the island. It also comes as officials at Bali Airport are working to introduce new routes from the airport.

Handy Heryudhitiawan, DPS General Manager, said the airport projects to see several million passengers pass through this year, according to The Bali Sun.

“We are intensively coordinating with relevant stakeholders in order to open new routes to Bali. So, we are optimistic that we can provide services to 20 million passengers in 2023.”

Get all the latest aviation news right here on Simple Flying.

Fully flat beds

Qantas said travelers can enjoy a "new standard of luxury" in the Business Suites on its A330s. The airline collaborated with Marc Newson to develop the suite, focusing on practicality, comfort, privacy, and style. Offering aisle access to every passenger, the suites are configured into a 1-2-1 layout throughout the cabin and feature innovative Vantage XL seats that recline into lie-flat beds.

The seats are manufactured by Thompson Aero Seating but have been customized extensively for Qantas following ergonomic trials and inflight monitoring with a panel of experts. The carrier also took ongoing feedback from customers into the development of the seats.

"The reclining seat can be fitted with a comfy mattress from take-off right through to landing - offering more time to rest and sleep before you arrive," the airline explained. "The new space means you can eat, work, enjoy the inflight entertainment options and store your luggage with unprecedented comfort."

A luxury price tag

Qantas flies its A330s on international flights between Australia, Asia, Hawaii, and New Zealand. The airline also reportedly deploys the jet on key Australian domestic routes. With the adjustment to a more premium inflight experience, passengers will have to pay up. According to The Bali Sun, the business class tickets on the flight in November start at $4,000.

But, the carrier is not the only airline operating the SYD-DPS route. Qantas' wholly-owned low-cost subsidiary Jetstar Airways also flies between the two destinations with the A321neo and was reportedly named the busiest international airline at DPS last month.

"The busiest airline serving international flights in July is Jetstar Airways with 724 aircraft movements serving 156,450 passengers," said Heryudhitiawan, according to The Bali Sun.

Source: The Bali Sun

tripAtrek Travel

Flight Review Qantas Sydney to Bali Denpasar A330-200 Economy Class

Airline : Qantas Flight no : QF43 Route : Sydney International Airport (SYD) to Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport (Denpasar DPS) Aircraft Type : Airbus A330-200 Flight time : 5 hours 30 minutes Travel Class : Economy Seat : 61A Window Seat Seat Width :  17.6 inches Seat Pitch : 31 inches

Check out the video for this Qantas flight QF43 from Sydney to Bali in Economy

Qantas fly from Sydney to Bali once a day, leaving Sydney at 4.50pm AEDT and arriving into Bali at 8pm.

There are plenty of options on this route between Sydney and Bali. As well as the Qantas flight, you can also to choose to fly with Jetstar, Virgin, Garuda and Malindo Air.

Flight time between Sydney and Bali is around 5.5 hours.

The particular Qantas A330-200 for my flight was the plane named ‘Savannah Way’ rego VH-EBK which is just on 12 years ago, joining the Qantas fleet in 2008.

At the airport

The Qantas Check-in area is at Row C of Sydney International Airport. The check-in process is fully automated with electronic kiosks which you insert your passport, confirm your flight and the machine prints out your boarding pass and luggage tags.

You attach the luggage tag to you bag and take it over to the automated bag drop, scan your boarding pass and off goes your luggage to be loaded onto the plane.

At the back of the check-in area is a service desk if you have any issues with checking in or have queries for the staff.

On-board  the plane

The Qantas A330-200 have 2 classes, with 28 Business Class seats and 243 Economy seats, so a total of 271 passengers. The Economy section has a configuration of 2-4-2. I had a window seat in seat 51A.

With a pitch of 31 inches, I had enough space between my knees and the seat in front. The seat pocket was loaded up with an iPad (entertainment unit) and the Qantas in flight magazine. Once you take the iPad out, this gives you a tad more leg room.

As this is mostly a day flight, leaving Sydney at 4.50pm and arriving into Bali at 8pm, I didn’t sleep so was generally comfortable on the flight. The seat reclines back only a few inches but enough to stretch out a bit and watch a couple of movies. I did nod off for a short while.

Entertainment System

The plane used for my flight, the plane named ‘Savannah Way’ rego VH-EBK, does not have seat back entertainment screens. Instead in the seat pocket when you get on the plane, there is an iPad which is configured with the Qantas entertainment system which has loads of latest release movies, some classic movies as well as TV shows and documentaries.

The iPad entertainment system also has a flight map so you can track the progress of the flight.

There is an attachment in the seat in front which allows you to mount the iPad which puts it in a great position to watch, just like a proper seat back entertainment screen. Though during take-off and landing you need to take the iPad down from this attachment. Also the entertainment system seems to be controlled centrally on the plane. As the plane was descending into Bali, they turned the entertainment system off which was annoying as I had 5 minutes left to watch of a movie so missed the ending! First world problem!

Other A330-200 within the Qantas fleet do have entertainment screens. On the flight back from Bali to Sydney, the A330-20 on that route did have the entertainment screens built into the seat in front, so you were able to watch the entertainment from as soon as you got on the plane until you pulled into the gate on arrival.

Next to where the iPad gets mounted, there are 2 USB ports, 1 is for plugging in the iPad, the other you can use to charge your electronic devices like your mobile phone or tablet.

In the seat pocket is also a copy of the excellent Qantas inflight magazine which has some great travel articles and loaded up with advertisements.

Food on this flight

1 meals was served on this 5.5 hour flight. In Economy there was a choice of 3 different dishes. A vegetarian dish, a chicken dish and the one I chose, the beef and mushroom ragout with pasta. The meal was served with a piece of foccacia bread and some tasty cheese and crackers. A satisfying meal!

A drink was served with the meal. Beer, wine and spirits were available but I just chose a classic Coca-Cola to have with my meal.

After the meal was completed, the crew came around and handed out dessert which was a Weis dairy free coconut and raspberry bar. They also served tea and coffee.

Not a bad meal for economy class. Nothing too exciting but all tasted good quality.

The service

Apart from the welcome on-board, and the crew serving dinner, there was not much interaction with the crew. They all seem nice enough but being a short flight, I didn’t need anything else but the meal service.

Popular Flight Reviews

• Travel Deals

Qantas’ big Bali sale with $639 return flights from major cities

Qantas has launched a big sale to one of Australian travellers’ favourite destinations.

Qantas discounts 1 million seats in huge sale

Qantas slashes fares on premium seats

Virgin drops huge sale with fares from $45

Qantas has launched a sale on flights to one of Australians’ favourite destinations: Bali.

Travellers heading to the wildly popular holiday island, where Aussies are the top foreign visitors, can score discounted flights departing Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra.

The cheapest sale fares start from $639 economy return for select travel periods between January and June next year.

Those travelling to Bali in late-January looking for a bit more luxury can get their hands on business class from $2449.

The sale will run for one week until midnight on Thursday, December 14, unless sold out prior.

All Qantas fares include checked baggage, complimentary food and beverages, and seat selection.

It’s the latest in a string of announcements from the national carrier this week.

Qantas launched a domestic Christmas sale on Tuesday.

There are more than 40 routes on sale under $150, with economy fares starting from $109 one-way. That sale ends midnight Tuesday, December 12.

Qantas has also unveiled two Christmas-themed aircraft, where passengers will receive double frequent flyer points for flying on board until the end of December.

The aircraft are QantasLink’s Q400 “Dasher-8” and 737 “Roo-dolph”, which will fly across the domestic and regional network.

From this month, Qantas’ “wine time” will be brought forward from 4pm to midday for the first time in the airline’s history.

Domestic customers travelling in economy will be offered a choice of complimentary Australian wine or beer at the new earlier time to have with their lunch or afternoon snacks.

On Wednesday, Qantas announced a partnership with Ticketek , which will allow frequent flyers to use their points to book concerts and other events from March next year.

As of now, members will receive access to exclusive pre-sales and special offers, as well as new packages that combine event tickets with flights and hotels.

Australians urged to behave in Bali

The Australian government has urged travellers to listen to Indonesia’s pleas to behave in Bali.

Bali has seriously cracked down on tourists not following its local customs and laws this year.

An official tourist dos and don’ts list was released, a hotline was established for anyone to dob in misbehaving travellers, a special task force was set up to monitor foreigners’ activities, and next year a tourist tax will be introduced.

Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Tim Watts told news.com.au last week one thing that was “really clear” from authorities in Bali was their request for Australians to respect religious sites.

“If you’re going to a religious site in Bali, a temple or something like that, respect the dress standards,” he said.

“Don’t go for that Instagram shot in a bikini at that kind of location because culturally that’s not going to be appreciated by locals.”

Indonesian Deputy Tourism Minister Ni Made Ayu Marthini told news.com.au in October

her message to Australians was that they were welcome in Indonesia as they always had been, but to not take advantage of Indonesian hospitality.

“Tourists should always research any destination, in Indonesia or elsewhere, before travelling,” she said, adding their message was one of common sense.

“We ask that all guests respect the culture, local laws, customs, the nature and our people as responsible travellers.”

Referring specifically to two rules on the dos and don’ts list, Mrs Marthini said tourists should not be wearing bikinis to temples or riding motorbikes without helmets and ignoring other road rules.

More Coverage

“If you ride a motorbike, just as in Australia, you should have a helmet and a license for your safety as well as that of other motorists,” she said.

“If you go to a temple, just as you would if you go to a church or a mosque, dress respectfully.

“We ask that tourists respect local laws. Indonesians are very accommodating, warm and friendly, we ask that you respect them, not take advantage of Indonesian hospitality.”

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Ending the financial year with a bang, the airline has discounted nearly one million fares across all of Australia.

High rollers rejoice, Qantas has launched the first stand-alone sale for business and premium economy seats since the pandemic.

Virgin Australia has just dropped 300,000 sale fares from $45 in one of its “best-value deals of the year”.

Qantas to buy remaining 49% stake in TripADeal for $140.6 mln

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Reporting by John Biju in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

Markets Chevron

Stocks mostly climb; investors on yen intervention watch

Global stock indexes mostly rose on Monday ahead of a key U.S. inflation reading due this week, while the dollar eased slightly against the yen from levels that put investors on alert for Japanese intervention.

The West Australian

Nicola Fox and Kayla Heagney: Aussie couple’s holiday to Bali ends in $8000 medical bill

Nicola Fox and Kayla Heagney jetted to Bali on what they thought would be a heavenly 30th birthday celebration.

The couple travelled from Newcastle to the island destination with Nicolas’s 2-year-old son before the expensive nightmare soon began.

Kayla fell ill with what she thought was just a case of “Bali Belly” after she said she felt “pain across the middle of my belly.”

“I’d been six or seven times before and never got it, so I thought I jinxed myself and had Bali belly.”

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

The 29-year-old was hospitalised with severe abdominal pain and was admitted to the intensive care unit.

It was then discovered she had acute pancreatitis and was placed on a feeding tube.

“I was being told that if I didn’t have the tube put down into my stomach, it would be the worst outcome,” she told A Current Affair.

“And obviously, I think the worst outcome would be death.”

Recalling the “traumatic” experience, Nicola explained how Kayla was “pinned” to the hospital bed at one point.

“They pinned her down on the bed, and she was vomiting everywhere, she told Yahoo.

“Vomit was coming out of her nose through the tube, and it was coming from her mouth. The doctor and nurse just threw paper towels at me and left, and I had to clean the vomit off her chest.”

Nicola called Kayla’s travel insurer, Budget Direct, to make sure the hefty medical bill would be covered.

On the phone, Nicola was told by the Insurer it would take at least 24 hours to confirm Kayla’s condition wasn’t pre-existing.

While they waited to hear if Kayla was covered, her condition deteriorated.

A doctor in New South Wales advised them to fly home as soon as possible, but a doctor in Bali said their travel insurance would no longer be valid if they did so.

“I would be asking to see doctors or nurses, and they wouldn’t come. So I felt like this was the only opportunity I had to get home and get the treatment, which meant going against what the travel insurance was telling us,” Kayla said.

Already thousands of dollars out of pocket and feeling like she “wasn’t going to make it,” the couple decided to fly back to Australia.

Kayla was seen by doctors when she arrived back home, who said a lot of the treatment she received was not necessary, and crucial hydration measures were not exercised.

The couple want their experience to be a lesson for fellow travellers.

“What we experienced in the hospital is definitely not a reflection of the Bali that we know and love … our whole aim is to educate others,” Nicola said.

“I think it’s just really making sure that you are so stringent with insurance. I thought that buying a comprehensive cover was enough.

“We were fortunate that we did have a little bit of money to fall back on, but that money quickly ran out … get the right cover.”

A Budget Direct spokesperson told A Current Affair : “Our travel insurance is backed by a highly trained and specialist medical assistance team, including doctors with several years of aeromedical and repatriation experience.

“While Australian GPs have amazing general experience, they may not have the same depth of specialist knowledge or training in aeromedical safety. We advise Australian travellers to carefully consider the risks of flying without being cleared as ‘fit-to-fly’ by a local treating doctor in location.

“Our medical assistance team includes highly experienced skilled nurses, paramedics, and doctors who handle complex cases on a daily and global basis with professionalism.”

Register and have your say.

Already have an account?

Your Local News

Inaugural flights from Canberra to Bali take off, with some passengers expressing frustration over future cancellations

Canberrans are now able to fly direct to Indonesia for the first time, with flights between the capital and Bali starting on Friday — but it hasn't been smooth travelling for everyone.

The inaugural Batik Air flight carrying passengers direct from Denpasar touched down in Canberra an hour early, before the return flight took off a couple of hours later.

Ryan Hopping was one of the passengers on the flight to Bali, and said the chance to fly direct from Canberra was "super exciting".

"The direct flight was the game-changer for us. We could easily [travel] from Canberra instead of having to go through Sydney or Melbourne," he said.

University student Sayu Thanaya, who is from Bali, was also on the flight, and said she was "really happy".

"Being a university student here in Canberra, it is really convenient having a flight that can take me straight home," she said.

But not everyone's travel plans went as smoothly, with some passengers on future flights expressing frustration online after being given new travel dates.

Batik representative Ram Chabra said the airline had cancelled two upcoming flights, adding the airline had been working through "teething problems".

"Any new route, new flight, there is a bit of tweaking here and there," he said.

"All of those passengers have been contacted. They have either been given a date change to another departure date out of Canberra, or have been re-routed via Sydney or Melbourne."

Mr Chabra said the airline was committed to running three flights a week, but said if demand warranted it, more flights could be added.

"A lot of external factors will depend on the success of the flight. We really rely on local Canberrans to support this flight," he said.

"We hope to get more inbound support, and that would require the Indonesian tourists [to] come in to Canberra, so we hope Canberra can showcase what Canberra has to offer."

More international destinations in the works

Now that Batik has delivered the flight, Mr Chabra said the onus of responsibility was "on the ACT government, Canberra Airport, both Canberra and Bali tourism" to ensure the route was successful.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he hoped the flight was the start of a "strong and long-term relationship between Canberra Airport, Batik Air and Visit Canberra".

"Hopefully it moves from three, to four, to five times a week," he said.

It's the second international service flying from the capital, after Fiji Airways began operating flights between Canberra and Nadi last year.

Canberra Airport head of aviation Michael Thomson said new routes take time to get established.

"We've seen that with Fiji Airways. Their numbers are now really good and they are continuing to grow, and we'd expect a very similar sort of thing with Batik," he said.

Mr Thomson said the airport was "working hard" to have more international destinations.

"We'd like to think, in the next five years, we'll get up to about seven international destinations," he said.

"The success of any route comes down to having passengers on those flights."

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Direct flights from canberra to asia to resume for the first time since the covid pandemic.

• Air Transport Industry
• Travel and Tourism (Lifestyle and Leisure)