Qantas is gearing up to deploy its luxurious Airbus A330 aircraft to Bali in the coming months. It comes as the province of Indonesia is reportedly one of the world's most in-demand travel destinations.

The flag carrier of Australia's fleet of A330s are equipped with lavish business suites, which the airline calls the "standard of luxury." The aircraft will replace the Boeing 737-800 currently operating the route.

Increasing capacity

Qantas will upgrade service to Bali with the A330 on October 29th. QF43 is scheduled to depart Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) at 16:35 and arrive at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Bali at 20:00. For its return, the aircraft will operate as QF44, departing DPS at 21:20 and landing at SYD the next morning at 06:25.

According to The Bali Sun, Qantas is swapping out the 737 for the A330 to accommodate more travelers during the busy Australian springtime season and to prepare for Christmas and New Year's, the next peak season on the island. It also comes as officials at Bali Airport are working to introduce new routes from the airport.

Photo: Phuong D. Nguyen/Shutterstock

Handy Heryudhitiawan, DPS General Manager, said the airport projects to see several million passengers pass through this year, according to The Bali Sun.

“We are intensively coordinating with relevant stakeholders in order to open new routes to Bali. So, we are optimistic that we can provide services to 20 million passengers in 2023.”

Fully flat beds

Qantas said travelers can enjoy a "new standard of luxury" in the Business Suites on its A330s. The airline collaborated with Marc Newson to develop the suite, focusing on practicality, comfort, privacy, and style. Offering aisle access to every passenger, the suites are configured into a 1-2-1 layout throughout the cabin and feature innovative Vantage XL seats that recline into lie-flat beds.

Photo: Qantas

The seats are manufactured by Thompson Aero Seating but have been customized extensively for Qantas following ergonomic trials and inflight monitoring with a panel of experts. The carrier also took ongoing feedback from customers into the development of the seats.

"The reclining seat can be fitted with a comfy mattress from take-off right through to landing - offering more time to rest and sleep before you arrive," the airline explained. "The new space means you can eat, work, enjoy the inflight entertainment options and store your luggage with unprecedented comfort."

A luxury price tag

Qantas flies its A330s on international flights between Australia, Asia, Hawaii, and New Zealand. The airline also reportedly deploys the jet on key Australian domestic routes. With the adjustment to a more premium inflight experience, passengers will have to pay up. According to The Bali Sun, the business class tickets on the flight in November start at $4,000.

But, the carrier is not the only airline operating the SYD-DPS route. Qantas' wholly-owned low-cost subsidiary Jetstar Airways also flies between the two destinations with the A321neo and was reportedly named the busiest international airline at DPS last month.

"The busiest airline serving international flights in July is Jetstar Airways with 724 aircraft movements serving 156,450 passengers," said Heryudhitiawan, according to The Bali Sun.

Source: The Bali Sun