Flying to Bali from the UK - Which airline and how?

Hey Folks,

Im looking into getting flights to Bali in April/May, and i believe that the best route is through Singapore.

Which Airline is most lenient on allowances!?! This may well be a photo and video trip so i might be a touch heavy! I'm thinking i'll get a photovest and look like a muppet in the airport, and might even take a spare bag in my carry-on as the flight singapore-bali will allow 2 carry-on.

So, which airlines have you used and which do you recommend...

Drew - i'm going in the cheapest flight i can get with good baggage allowance, even if i'm sat with chickens. So, please, don't tell me that singapore airlines 1st class lets you take as much luggage as you want and has the most wonderful vintage of wine....

Cheers,

Simon

Hey Folks,

 

Im looking into getting flights to Bali in April/May, and i believe that the best route is through Singapore.

 

Which Airline is most lenient on allowances!?! This may well be a photo and video trip so i might be a touch heavy! I'm thinking i'll get a photovest and look like a muppet in the airport, and might even take a spare bag in my carry-on as the flight singapore-bali will allow 2 carry-on.

 

So, which airlines have you used and which do you recommend...

 

Drew - i'm going in the cheapest flight i can get with good baggage allowance, even if i'm sat with chickens. So, please, don't tell me that singapore airlines 1st class lets you take as much luggage as you want and has the most wonderful vintage of wine....

Cheers,

 

Simon

well even in economy they can be fairly lenient towards divers, and they have some of the nicest cabin crew in the business.

if i am not mistaken they will give you 10 extra kg for divers. also note though baa restricts everyone to one piece of hand luggage, no one seems to care about the weight as long as it fits in the model.

if not airfrance has a good deal for sports equipment where by for 80 euros I think you can add 20kg of dive equipment to your luggage. however you will still have to transfer over to sq from singapore.

you might want to try qatar airways, these days they are selling bargain basement flights and they go from doha to bali (with a stop in KUL if i am not mistaken)...

/paul

well even in economy they can be fairly lenient towards divers, and they have some of the nicest cabin crew in the business.

Simon, it wasn't me who said anything about SIA biz class. Thanks Paul.

If you are done with UK security, take the train to CDG or AMS and fly from there. Extra work but fewer restrictions.

Singapore airlines seem to have got far more restrictive on baggage / diving equipment recently. I flew with them to Bali from the UK earlier this year and they allowed up to 15 kg for diving equipment but charged for 6 kg. This worked out at £249 going and $330 coming back.

Colin

I have always gone to Bali with Singapore or Malaysian. Both are fine - although in economy the limit for hold bags from the UK is 30kg. I have always got about 33-35kg through without a problem.

But I have people I have been travelling with have been stung. £45 per KG for excess. That is £450 (USD $800) if you are 10kg (20lb) over.

Some have suggested flying BA to Singapore - where you can make use of their new baggage policy (a free 23KG of diving kit). But this is harder to make work with connections.

The penultimate time I flew home from Bali (September) they were very strict on hold luggage and made us all take items out until it weighted 30KG. They were quite happy for us to carry items on to the plane - just not in the hold. One of my group ended up wearing his BC as a waistcoat - he reads Wetpixel - so maybe he has a picture?

This was amusing because this trip was right after the security issues in the UK - when they were trying to limit hand carried items on to planes. In this case we were being encouraged to carry more.

Another of our group, who had to pay excess on the outbound flight - had locked his cases and could not open then when asked to reduce their weight. In the end they just let them on the plane as they were.

In the end there were no excess charges on the return trip!

I am not convinced that there is any perfect solution.

Alex

Simon, it wasn't me who said anything about SIA biz class. Thanks Paul.

...snip...

yeah well working for three years on upper changi rd east at the sia training centre does leave its mark

The penultimate time I flew home from Bali (September) they were very strict on hold luggage and made us all take items out until it weighted 30KG. They were quite happy for us to carry items on to the plane - just not in the hold. One of my group ended up wearing his BC as a waistcoat - he reads Wetpixel - so maybe he has a picture?

Was that BA or SQ?

Another of our group, who had to pay excess on the outbound flight - had locked his cases and could not open then when asked to reduce their weight. In the end they just let them on the plane as they were.

That worked? Incredible.

yeah well working for three years on upper changi rd east at the sia training centre does leave its mark

No wonder they had to drag you out of Singapore. Flight attendant school of SIA...

Simon, it wasn't me who said anything about SIA biz class. Thanks Paul.

 

If you are done with UK security, take the train to CDG or AMS and fly from there. Extra work but fewer restrictions.

hehehehe,

I thought you might come up with a 3 grand ticket or something!

My plan is to see what i can get away with from the UK, if i have to fly from Heathrow or Gatwick, i might as well fly from CDG or AMS, it's not much further for me, and as i'm going for a long time i can't leave my car at the airport.

The BA option sounds good as i have airmiles. I don't mind spending time in Singapore, and i'm flying back via the Philippines so i doesn't matter if the flights to and from Bali are out of sync.

Thanks Guys

Simon