Qantas will begin flying between Melbourne and Denpasar (Bali) from June 23, 2018
The daily Qantas Boeing 737 flights will run alongside those of low-cost sibling Jetstar, which will also step up to a twice-daily service on the route –although there's no doubt which jet buxiness travellers and serious flyers would prefer to be in.
Qantas flight QF45 will leave Melbourne at 4.50pm, reaching Denpasar at 9.10pm; the QF46 return leg takes wing just one hour later, at 10.10pm, for an arrival into Melbourne at 5.55am the following day.
Qantas already flies between Sydney and Bali.
"In the last five years, we have seen the number of Australians travelling to Bali more than double, with Qantas and Jetstar carrying one point six million customers between them in the last year," remarked Qantas International CEO Alison Webster.
Read more: The best luxury hotels in Bali
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 Aug 2016
Total posts 11
Qantas have only loaded these new Melbourne Bali flights in the system until the 27th of October at this stage, no flights after that date which seems odd.
26 Jun 2015
Total posts 6
I think I would rather fly in a Jetstar 787 economy with the bundle that includes food/status credits/points than economy with Qantas on a 737. Same goes with the 787's business class compared to the 737.
05 Jan 2014
Total posts 25
Agreed. And JQ 43/44 have much better flight times to maximise your time in bali
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1207
6 hours in a 737 is approaching my limit of tolerance. They are quite a noisy plane to fly in and their seat width is no better than a 787. It seems GA remains the most comfortable option to DPS.
28 Nov 2012
Total posts 93
Yeah but return on GA is still a 6 hour overnight flight. Hideous even in J
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
I wouldn't call a lie-flat seat in business on an A330 "hideous".
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
11 May 2017
Total posts 14
Surely J in an A330 trumps the 737 alternative or even 787 due to the lie flat options...
02 Nov 2012
Total posts 35
Qantas should consider using an Airbus A330 on the Mel - DPS and SYD - DPS routes or even the 787
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 580
Why so? Would be too much capacity for a low yield route.
08 Feb 2018
Total posts 166
no because they're making use of a 737 that's otherwise doing nothing overnight. The 330s and 787s are all up in the air going more interesting places!
24 Jul 2017
Total posts 7
Absolutely. Bigger plane for a 6 hr flight required. What do they think going to Bali the bogan element is not going to complain on sardine class? GA is the only way to go!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 May 2015
Total posts 54
This route will be perfect for the 797 if QANTAS ends up buying it.
11 Dec 2015
Total posts 85
The 797 looks like it could be a real dark horse for Qantas - there's a lot of routes into Asia that would seem to be an ideal fit.
10 Mar 2015
Total posts 7
SYD-DPS last year on the 737 was painful, 7 hours due to headwind. Much rather the JQ 787.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 382
C'mon people, Bali is leisure only and really in the big scheme of things a 737 gets the job done, all 6hrs of it. By the way you read how JQ treat their disrupts on Bali, you wouldn't risk em with a bargepole. Give me QF/VA 737 or GA A330 anyday.
28 Nov 2012
Total posts 93
Give me Jetstar 787 any day in either cabin (mind you I have never done economy). Given the recent posts about the 797 it would be a good fit for QF for this route
28 Nov 2012
Total posts 93
Oh Imagine the overnight flight in Y on a 737? YUK. JQ have an afternoon flight back to Melbs, give me that any day rather than 6 hour overnight flight where you end up with about 3 hours sleep time
28 Nov 2012
Total posts 93
I am going to Bali late August and I just compared QF/JQ Business the difference in price for 2 of us in J is about $525 more on QF with the JQ bundle (points,sc and lounge), without bundle it's $1,325 if you can do without points,sc and lounge access. AND JQ does an afternoon flight back, it's JQ J all the way
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
26 Jul 2012
Total posts 40
Is 'buxiness' a New Zealand term for business!!! lol
Qantas
07 Mar 2014
Total posts 7
Another reason to move my flights from QF71 - Singapore to Singapore Airlines
18 Aug 2017
Total posts 5
Fantastic! Have been burnt with JQ Bali cancellations before. Will never fly them again.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Jan 2018
Total posts 88
This may as well be rebranded the Upper Middle Bogan express. Services those who can afford to fly QF rather than JQ but still wish to fly to Bali. Count me out.
30 Aug 2013
Total posts 437
For frequent/savvy travellers, Bali seems to increasingly be a destination for quick long weekends where time ago can be maximised but annual leave taken minimised, i.e. Easter and Melbourne Cup weekends. For that reason both of these new flight times are pretty terrible – the 16:30 Mel departure would surely mean having to take a half day of annual leave to make the flight (you’d have to leave the CBD at what, 14:30 to make the flight?) and then still arrives a bit too late to do anything that night. Coming back I certainly couldn’t do a full day of work after an overnight flight in a 737, even if its in J. The ideal flight times are more like the JQ ones – a morning departure (i.e. 9am) and coming back a 3pm departure so you’re home in time for a proper sleep in your own bed.
I would still choose JQ on this route.
08 Feb 2018
Total posts 166
So it’s too late and too early at the same time.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 May 2011
Total posts 362
Jetstar is a superior operator on the MEL-DPS route but it's great to have options with the Red Roo too. Stoked
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Oct 2016
Total posts 11
Booking around $50K PA travel in and out of Indonesia to WA and primarily via Bali. JQ are the carrier of last resort for me. When they cancel you are totally on your own and they do this too often for me to be prepared to use them any more. Then to add insult to injury they seem to make their refund process so difficult it is cheaper to write off the fare rather than burn valuable administrative time dealing with them. When you compare them Garuda or the Lion Group’s Malindo and Batik who are all class acts and factor in the cancellation risk JQ are not In the park
21 Jul 2011
Total posts 89
J pax If you’re interested in status credits, QF is the cheaper option. Today you can find return on a biz special $1900 v JQ $2600. Even a biz saver is $200 less in Sept. granted the J seats are pretty similar, but the experience on QF is better, the JQ 788 a finer ride and the times are better.
08 Feb 2018
Total posts 166
good to see QF finally making use of 737s that sit around on the ground all night. A quick trip up and back in time to join the normal schedule. I see 20 of them sitting around at Perth all finished their day jobs by 3pm and not doing much for the next 12 hours.
Just wish they'd take a row of seats out and make it slightly more comfortable for anything over 2 or so hours.
29 Jan 2012
Total posts 183
Look at all aspects, QF would be the winner here for me.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Jun 2017
Total posts 4
Under $2k return in J is a pretty good fare for QF ?
13 Feb 2018
Total posts 7
David,
... there's no doubt which jet buxiness travellers...
--> ... there's no doubt which jet business travellers ...
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