In Reply to: In Bali now posted by frazzledfozzle on Tuesday, 20. July 2010 at 22:57 Bali Time:
Sit by us next time you fly Pacific Blue/Virgin to Bali... commiserating with like minded people will make the time go by faster.
Sorry Frazz, but if cost conscious New Zealanders want to fly budget to Bali then we have no choice but to use Pacific Blue/Virgin. I agree, for an international flight its the tiniest tube I've ever been stuck in - try it with a passenger right up next to you incessantly munching their homemade tuna sandwiches, crackers, cake, chips, snacks, coughing and sneezing ALL the way through the flight.
I've spent hours online trying to juggle all the scenarios of getting to Bali and I've even looked up TA's who have packages with other airlines etc and I've always had to come back to Pacific Blue. Their cheapest fare (book early early and depending on dates etc etc) is $820 NZD (the equivalent of Auckland to Perth return!!).
If you live in the provinces add the additional travel expenses to international airport, overnight hotel (as red eye flights go hand in hand with budget flights)temptations of duty free shopping (eek) and there's not much change left out of $1100 NZD.
Even the best airfare and hotel packages use Pacific Blue.
Its the old story, pay more (much more) and you can fly with whoever you like - it might have other hassles like having to recheck baggage through if you switch airlines for a different leg of the trip etc, or have a long stopover that you equate with a budget scenario, and so on.
Last year my daughter and I went to Bali in July for 8 days. It was a last minute thing (school holidays eek)and consequently the airfares were over $2500 NZD each!!!economy of course!!! with Pacific Blue/Virgin. This year, flight and hotel package (booked the year before) was half the price each.
Excuse the ramble, but NZ is a poor cousin price wise when it comes to overseas travel. Always has been and I guess always will.