Qantas passengers flying from Bali’s Denpasar Airport could soon be offered a brand new lounge experience. The airline is currently trialling a new “pre-flight service” in Denpasar, in partnership with the Novotel airport hotel. Early reports suggest that it’s a vast improvement over the current Qantas lounge arrangements in Bali.
Qantas Business passengers, as well as Gold, Platinum, Platinum One and Qantas Club members, normally have access to the Premier Lounge when departing from Denpasar on a Qantas flight. This lounge is fairly average and often crowded in the evening when the Qantas flights to Sydney and Melbourne depart.
There are only a few third-party lounges at Denpasar Airport, and none of them are particularly great. So, Qantas has come up with a creative solution to provide passengers with a better alternative.
Instead of sending eligible passengers to the Premier Lounge, Qantas is now offering access to a special lounge within the Novotel Bali Ngurah Rai Airport Hotel. This is located right next to and is directly accessible from the airport terminal. The Novotel hotel is offering a dedicated area for Qantas passengers with seating for around 50 people. A selection of buffet food and drinks is available.
Currently, the Bali “pre-flight service” is being offered only as a trial to the first 30 Qantas passengers to check in each evening at Denpasar Airport. If the trial is successful, it could be offered as a permanent replacement to the Premier Lounge.
AFF member buckleyj flew from Denpasar to Sydney last weekend. They’ve shared their Qantas lounge experience in Bali and posted some photos on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum:
On Sunday night I was flying on QF44. I arrived later than I normally would, expecting the usual (poor) lounge experience. From the check-in counter I was offered the option to follow the very friendly Qantas chap, who turned out to be the Qantas manager for the airport. I was then directed out through to the Novotel, and handed off to a few helpers positioned strategically along the way. After around 2 minutes of walking, I entered a Qantas-branded area, with enough seating for approx 50 pax in total. I was told that the trial will be limited to the first 30 passengers, although didn’t get into the details of “per flight”/how that would be managed at peak times.
In comparison to the “Premiere” lounge, the food on offer was much better (and looked much less likely to poison), there was much less crowding, and the feeling of a crowded space was almost entirely absent. There was also a view of the runway, to my approval.
I later saw the manager as I was boarding, and he was keen for feedback. I passed along my glowing review, so hopefully future passengers get the smoother experience I had. If you’re offered the option of the ‘trial lounge’, I recommend it!
Unlike the traditional airport lounges, the Novotel at Denpasar Airport is located before immigration and security.
It is not yet clear if this new lounge would be offered only to Business passengers, or to all Qantas customers eligible for lounge access in Bali.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Qantas Trials New Bali Lounge
