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Bali
Rumours
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| In the two weeks leading up to the
suspension of AP services there were many rumours in Bali that the airline
would be forced to close, we all hoped and prayed this would not happen.
Then Wed. evening Nov. 23 the Bali ex-pat SMS network went mad with the
news "Air Paradise is no more", we couldn't believe it, we didn't want
to believe it - our air bridge to home was to be cut for good. Everyone
felt sorry for Pak Kadek, as in the good old Aussie tradition - he gave
it a go -everyone admired him for that, only to fail through no fault
of his own, just another victim of terrorism. Qantas no doubt heaved a
sigh of relief that this little upstart airline was gone. To celebrate
Qantas offered to take AP passengers home free, giving them a taste of
the future Bali of travel. That's if they can afford it. |
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Don't ask for extra sugar!
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|
email
us if you want to know why
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| But will Bali tourism survive? It's
become common for travel writers and hotel hustlers to put on a brave face
and say the island will bounce back. All except fundamentalist terrorists
pray their optimism will win out, but the question is when. Robert Murdoch,
the Australian head of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
told ABC Radio in Australia, that Bali hotels were operating at below break-even
and many would go bankrupt. |
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many
would go bankrupt
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| Aussie holidaymakers whinge about
ruined holidays, but the Balinese have more serious concerns. AP's collapse
will have a knock on effect throughout the nation. It's not just the 350
airline workers who face a bleak future; |
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| Sobat's Kadek & son - worried |
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| think of the hotel staff, the bus
drivers, the handicraft makers, the shop workers. Then there's the impact
on the Indonesian economy, already suffering 18% inflation and millions
unemployed. |
| Bali needs everyone's support, not
because of maudlin sentiment and to boost business, but to preserve a decent
society. The grounding of Air Paradise must not be seen as a triumph for
terrorism. |
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Example
Fares to Bali RT from MEL, BNE or SYD
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|
AUD Low-season from Feb 2006
|
|
Airline
|
Tkt
|
Tax
|
TL
|
Via |
Valid
|
| Garuda |
863
|
282
|
1145
|
DIR
|
35 day
|
| China Air |
883
|
257
|
1150
|
TPE
|
35 day
|
| Singapore |
907
|
309
|
1140
|
SIN
|
90 day
|
| Singapore |
920
|
309
|
1229
|
SIN
|
6 mon
|
| Qantas |
1038
|
280
|
1318
|
DIR
|
35 day
|
| Malaysian |
1066
|
260
|
1320
|
KUL
|
1 year
|
| Garuda |
1105
|
282
|
1387
|
DIR
|
1 year
|
| Qantas |
1271
|
280
|
1551
|
DIR
|
1 year
|
| Cathay |
1624
|
272
|
1896
|
HKG
|
1 year
|
| JAL |
1635
|
265
|
1900
|
TKO
|
1 year
|
|
|
John
grounded
|
| John had a one year Air Paradise
ticket to Melbourne. He could travel home with Qantas before Dec. 12, (the
cut off date for the Qantas return offer), however the problem is the
cost of getting back to Bali, at that time it is peak season with fares
in the vicinity of A$2000 inc. tax. Feb. 19 John & Jamal are travelling
to Malaysia and Thailand for a 3 week holiday concluding on Feb. 8, Jamal
will travel back to Bali, from Kuala Lumpur. John will take a bus to Singapore
then fly with the Singapore Airlines low cost subsidiary Tiger Airways
to Darwin |
 |
| where he will spend a couple of days.
Feb. 13 John will fly direct to Melbourne with Virgin Blue, arriving the
next day. At that time he will be able to, hopefully get a low season
fare back to Bali. But sadly it won't be the bargain fare he enjoyed with
Air Paradise. |
| Bus to Singapore A$11, Tiger Airways
to Darwin A$136, Virgin to Melbourne A$201, Tl A$355 inc tax |
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