In Reply to: How hard is it?????????? posted by bapakc on Sunday, 29. July 2007 at 00:04 Bali Time:
of my posting and I think that you will maybe see I was NOT bagging any particular airline, rather I was pointing out the very obvious 'catch 22' situations that now exist. Most of the posters actually "got" this, and in turn added a couple of their own thoughts and observations.
Regardless of what anyone says or thinks, the choices for intending Bali travellers are far more limited and complicated and the trips longer and far more expensive than they were 6 or 8 years ago. Add this fact to the events in Bali during the same time, and it is difficult for the average person to agree with current airline policies. This is clearly pointed out by one poster below. As is alos pointed out, the over riding thing is that people wanting to travel are definitely assessing the many far more attractive options available. Lets face it... the adding of maybe a hundred or more US dollars on to a family holiday that you have been working and saving for the past year or two is an added expense. The fact that one may now have to go via another city with a stopover is a consideration to many mothers (and Dads too!). The FF situation is a consideration: for example, I can spend around A$1400.00 and fly to Bali receiving around 7,000 pionts, for the same money, I can fly to UK and get 11,000 points, for an extra A$250.00 I can fly to the USA and get 15,000 points. If I chose to use my points to GO to Bali, I have to travel via Singapore (12.5 hours) otherwise it is almost impossible most times to co ordinate various sectors (plus there are the added layovers, taxes and maybe even accommodation).
So, Garuda does fly from Sydney, BUT.. to connect travellers must pay an extra fare from their embarkation port, plus extra taxes, and many now have to overnight to avoid rushing or extremely long days with young families.
Like it or not, it is now harder to get to Bali than it was, and one poster is very likely ri8ght on the mark when they point out that in the overall scheme of Bali tourism, those visitors from the south east sector are no longer "the best value"! It is sometimes called "progress" I believe!