Bali. Flying (maybe) Jetstar Business Class MEL-DPS-MEL.

[Austman]

Flight 2. DPS-MEL JQ44 Business Class.

To my flight home. No 787 equipment changes this time but a full flight.

With all the Jetstar B787 maintenance issues I thought it wise to try to figure out which incoming flight would operate as JQ44 DPS-MEL. It's pretty obviously JQ57 BNE-DPS. So seeing that JQ57 is on its way gives you some confidence that JQ44 will operate.

And on the morning of the 21st September, JQ57 was indeed on its way, was a 787 but was running about 50 mins late. This was already showing as a 15 mins departure delay for JQ44.

It was not possible to select a seat on JQ44 but about a day out it was showing that I had been assigned seat 3F with seat 3E beside empty. Could I have somehow scored an empty seat beside on a full flight??




Bali Airport (DPS).

Its not a favorite airport of mine. I didn't buy lounge access in my business class ticket. I'd usually have access to the T/G lounge through my credit card but it's still closed. AFAIK only the Premier Lounge is open, which is no great shakes.

Check-in closes 60 mins prior to departure and for once I was not in much of a mood to arrive too far ahead of that.

I perhaps cut it a bit fine, arriving 20 mins before check-in closed. You have to X-ray luggage before going to the check-in desks. But I still got there, with no-one in the dedicated Business check-in lane with about 15 mins to spare (timed on the original departure time).

Then to security and passport control.

Oh Bali Airport, how you continue get this all wrong. There's a large number of modern security machines available - all not working for some reason. Most of the security area is just idle modern machines. So, once again there were long lines to the couple of "old fashioned" machines at either end. This is the last part of the line I was in - it originally 3 to 4 times that length and pretty slow moving:



Then to passport control. Once again long waiting lines, there were a huge number of counters but only a handful of actual passport control staff.

So, even with a delayed flight and with checking-in 75 mins before the original departure time, by the time I made it to gate 6 (a fair hike at DPS) and made a quick toilet stop, boarding for JQ44 had just commenced!

All I had to do was get through the secondary LAGs screening, pardon myself for cutting through an Economy Class line (not jumping ahead) to get to the dedicated Business Class boarding lane and I was walking down the air-bridge with not a moment to spare at DPS.

(in reality it would be a bit too close for comfort for me most of the time)

 

[Daver6]

Couldn't you have used your diamond status for a guaranteed room at the Hilton?

 

[Austman]

Couldn't you have used your diamond status for a guaranteed room at the Hilton?

It wasn't showing up on the App. It has before when the Diamond status guaranteed room was bookable. Also, IME the Diamond status guaranteed room rate is terrible.

But the Hilton lounge staff reckoned that, if I would like, they were pretty sure that a room could be found. I sort-of knew that would likely be the case but I also thought that a night at the Conrad might be fun. And would avoid all the messing/negotiating around.

So I booked the advance purchase rate at the Conrad.

 

[Daver6]

When you get a moment I'd love to hear your thoughts between the two hotels.

 

[Austman]

On board DPS-MEL JQ44 Business Class.

As noted above, I'd been assigned seat 3F. But when I arrived there was someone already in my seat.

As politely as I could, I showed the seated person my boarding pass which had me in seat 3F. The seated pax produced their boarding pass which showed seat 3E. Sorry I said, but 3E is the middle seat. This is not something most would enjoy telling another pax. The receiver's reaction to this news is probably not going to be too joyous...

The pax saw their error and moved. I then put my bag in the locker and apologised for blocking the lady in 3G across the aisle who for some reason was not taking her seat. We got talking. It turns out that pax in 3E, 3G and 3J were a family and were a bit mad at Jetstar for not seating them together. Like me, they could not pre-select their seats. And here it was with me (in 3F) and a physical aisle, in the middle of a family of three. I said I'd gladly help out but I was not moving to a middle seat to do it.

I wondered what had happened to the empty 3E which was still showing as empty this morning? While wondering some pre-depature beverages arrived - a choice of sparking wine or orange juice (bottled water was already in each seat pocket):



Being a bit dyslexic, I thought I had better triple check that I was really in the correct seat. Boarding by then had pretty much been completed yet 3D, which was shown as occupied this morning, now looked to be empty...

So I stared up to the seat allocation drawing on the locker above. Am I actually in 3F? A cabin crew noticed my looking and asked if I needed assistance. I (and the family) explained the situation. I suggested that if 3D (aisle) was vacant I could move to there and the pax now in 3E (middle) could move to my 3F (aisle) to be near their family.

It turns out that 3D was to be occupied by flight crew. Oh dear, I thought, that would probably be the end of it unless the flight crew member was happy with a middle seat.

It was announced before take-off that masks were no longer required. But that pax, if they preferred could still of course wear them. I noted that the crew were always masked.

Here is the cabin view from 3F:




So off we go, all in our assigned seats, with 3D empty at take-off.

 

[Austman]

On board DPS-MEL JQ44 Business Class. Continued...

Shortly after take-off the cabin crew returned to say that the flight crew member was happy to take to middle seat 3E. It turns out they were not the B787 operating flight crew but a repositioning, off-duty, A320 flight crew.

So I moved to 3D, the crew member took 3E and the family member took 3F. All were happy it seemed. The crew member then arrived and was fine with it all too (so they said haha).

Here is what's on offer in JQ Business:




The Roasted Chicken was popular:



It was actually pretty good (better than the photo suggests) and quite substantial. A bit Qantas domestic J - ish.

All wines were served from the bottle. A choice of 2 whites and 2 reds, I think. The Shiraz red wine was Koonunga Hill. I know, not stellar but it's Jetstar.

The crew, once again, were fantastic. More drinks? More snacks? No problem and all done with a smile.

Entertainment choices were reasonable. You also get "comfort kits" to use and/or take home.

All up, I was pretty happy with it.

 

[Austman]

Arrival into Melbourne.

Arrival was about 30 mins late due to the late departure.

With foot-and-mouth disease affecting Indonesia, arriving flights and pax get a special process.

There was quite a delay before we were allowed to exit the plane. There is a special "shoe disinfecting" series of floor pads set up that you must walk along when you exit the gate. It's even mentioned in the on-board announcement about the process that it's safe for "bare footed" passengers. Heavens! Then at the passport machines there is a question: "Have you travelled to Indonesia ...?".

So I was expecting a special customs process. And sure enough there was. I had nothing at all to declare but was directed, along with other Bali pax, to a special lane. We had to line up in a special way for a Sniffer Dog inspection. Unfortunately the dog decided that I (and two other pax) had a bag of interest that required further questioning and inspection. So off it was to another area where I was cautioned about my declaration being honest, then had my bag contents inspected. Nothing was found of course. The explanation was that during their travels sometimes bags come into contact with things on their outside which can interest the dogs.

After repacking my things, I was OK to go.

Just a long, long Uber line awaited me despite the App saying cars were just two minutes away. Eventually into an Uber and then home.

 

[Daver6]

All wines were served from the bottle. A choice of 2 whites and 2 reds, I think. The Shiraz red wine was Koonunga Hill. I know, not stellar but it's Jetstar.

Koongunga Hill red served in QF J DFW-SYD a couple of months ago. Says it all really.

 

[Austman]

When you get a moment I'd love to hear your thoughts between the two hotels.

I'll have a go but it's pretty subjective!

Conrad Bali v Hilton Bali Resort

In the end I stayed 7 nights at the Hilton Bali Resort and 1 night at the Conrad Bali. But I've had a longer previous stay at the Conrad Bali, so I know it reasonably well.

IMO both are very nice properties and not all that far from each other but as you might expect, the Conrad is the more upmarket/polished of the two. And the more expensive.

Conrad plusses

Rooms are of a higher standard.
There's a lot more in the immediate area including shops, restaurants, other resorts.
Some of the dining options are more up market.
The East Lobby Lounge evening offerings are in a more beautiful location.
It seemed to be more geared to adults.
No monkeys.

Hilton Bali Resort plusses

The location is more beautiful. The beach is cleaner.
It's far more isolated from shops, restaurants, other resorts. If that suits you.
From the Cliff Tower rooms you get spectacular sea and beach views.
The dining options are more casual but less expensive.
The Nusa Dua lounge evening offerings are much better.
It seemed to be more geared to families.
Monkeys.

A few odd observations:

The Conrad had "eco-friendly" pump packs in the bathroom. They were quite ugly/cheap looking things while the Hilton had Crabtree & Evelyn individual small bottles.

The Conrad had a coffee pod machine (with 2 unmarked coffee pods) while the Hilton had Nescafé sachets. BYO coffee?

The Conrad's breakfast buffet in their Suku restaurant was absolutely fine. But the Hilton's breakfast buffet in their Grain restaurant was spectacular.

There was also the option to have a la carte breakfasts if you had lounge access in the Hilton's Nusa Dua lounge and I *think* too at the Conrad where their executive lounge is or in their Rin restaurant (both a long walk from the reception area).

-----------------------------------------

Re the lounge evening drinks and canapés. Here's the difference in canapé offerings:

1. Hilton - it's self serve.




2. Conrad - it's presented.

 

[Austman]

I haven’t received the promised fare difference refund but I can now see how it was calculated. Here is the original fare breakdown:

But I have now. In fact it was dated over a week ago.

So the $400 compensation voucher and the fare difference refund have both been received from Jetstar.

I think that ends this TR.

 

[justinm]

I'd be interested in hearing how the Hilton compares to the Conrad (assuming you've been) once you're finished.

Good luck for the flight tomorrow. That seat looks awful with the lack of lumbar support.

Ive stayed at both HIlton and Conrad Bali in last month. I prefer Hilton for its rooms and location is more beautiful (Conrad beach is meh). Suite upgrade was larger at Conrad though rooms dated and poorly fitted out. Main benefit for the Conrad is the large number of pools and cabanas available. Diamond Hilton vs Conrad Bali, I prefer Hilton - Review of Hilton Bali Resort, Nusa Dua - Tripadvisor

 

[MARTINE]

@Austman - this has been a great read and really interesting to follow your journey. Thanks for this TR. So glad it worked out in the end.