In Reply to: Excellent follow-up Geoff posted by keviin on Thursday, 22. February 2007 at 13:09 Bali Time:
You can go via Singapore or KL, bit of a round trip though.
And I have doe it via KL .... long story, but I'll shorten it -
Melb to Syd (could not land - Sydney fogged in)
Plane returned to Melb to re-fuel
Melb to Syd (again)
Missed flight to Bali
Qantas offered 2 options -
1. cancel trip and claim back on insurance
2. go home and wait 3 days to get on another flight
3. get on a flight to KL - then KL to Bali
We took option 3, only issue was the KL flt left from Melb !
So ....
Syd back to Melb
Melb to KL
KL to Bali
From the time we left home to the time we arrived at the
Legian Beach Hotel was well over 30 hours !
The things people do to get to Bali !!!
Getting back to your ideas, yes - via Singapore or KL if you have
some extra time and $$'s to play with. This way you get to see
so much more in your holiday. If you can get free accomm for a night,
then even better - although I would (again time depending) try and
stay a couple of nights in either city.
The KL one sounds good.
I have flown many different airlines -
Qantas, Australian Airlines (gone), Ansett (gone), Compass (gone),
(didn't get a chance to go on OzJet - Stoddards airline), BA, MAS,
Singapore, Thai, Garuda, Maparti, Cathay, Lufthansa, SAS, El Al,
American Airlines, Aegean ... and a couple of other smaller ones.
I put my hand up now and say "I have been lucky".
As for Qantas biz ...
The seats are great, the food was delicious, service was fantastic
(although Louise thought they were maybe too attentive - she felt
that they came and asked if you wanted anything too often - not me
though, I had to keep my champagne flute full !).
Cathay Pacific I would put at No. 2 - the upgrade to 1st class we got
to HK with Cathay was nice - the seats fold almost fully flat.
As for going to Bali, the good thing also with Garuda is that the
flights leave in the morning (from Melb), so your sitting at the
swim up bar by 3pm !
If you go with Jetstar, the flights leave later, so your into the
hotel late at night .... at least with Garuda you feel like you
have an extra half day - which is great at the start, helps you unwind.
Garuda may cost a bit more, yet there is more plus' than minus'
If anyone is thinking of going biz class to Bali, maybe consider
using the extra 10kg you have on the way over by taking some things
over for the needy / poor. If your going up to Bali take some baby
clothes and drop them into the birthing clinic, or maybe drop some
other clothes off to a childrens home - anything !
If you want some info about where to take things, just drop us a line.
Regards, Geoff & Louise