Trip Reports - Qatar Airways Business Class QR638 : SIN – DPS

Hi there! Mostly, I've been a silent reader of FlyerTalk but I figured this time round, I'll share my experience here. Enjoy :p
You can find the exact information at my blog as well here : http://piggeeks.net/feng/index.php/qatar-airways-business-class-sin-dps-qr638-qr639/ (http://piggeeks.net/feng/index.php/2012/04/10/qatar-airways-business-class-sin-dps-qr638-qr639/)

For my review of Alila Villas Uluwatu [Bali], check it out here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxury-hotels/1338627-trip-report-alila-villas-uluwatu-bali.html) =)

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As a prelude to our Bali trip, this is a post dedicated to our flight to Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport, otherwise known as Denpasar International Airport. Usually, I wouldn’t devote an entire blog post on a flight, but this IS different. We are flying in business class after all, a first for us!

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As a perk of travelling in business class, we get to check in using a priority queue, not that there was even a queue in the first place for Qatar Airways. With nothing much to do, we headed to the complimentary lounge to chill out as we waited for our turn to board the aircraft.

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The SATS Premier Lounge in Changi Airport Terminal 3 was well-stocked with drinks, not so much with (appetizing) food though. Coffee, soft drinks, bottled water and alcohol are all available. We each grabbed a Coke and a couple of chicken mid-wings.

Having mostly been flying in economy on SQ, Qatar Airways was a refreshing change. As newbies to business class, we boarded early to enjoy the experience! Before we had even warmed our seat, the stewardess came to us and offered us a drink.

Ah. Nothing like a glass of champagne to kick off a vacation!

http://piggeeks.net/feng/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/qatar_airway_business_class_01.jpg

The first thing that struck me was how spacious our seats are – totally luxurious! The Missus would definitely agree with me as both of us enjoyed the comfortable flight tremendously.

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Huge touch-screens for entertainment! The touchscreen aspect was kind of an impractical thing to have, considering that the screen was too far from the seat. It was much easier to navigate the Oryx entertainment system using the handheld remote concealed in the arm-rest.

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The cabin is set up in a 2-2-2 configuration and thus, two-thirds of Business Class passengers have direct access to the aisle. Check out more details of Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777 at Seat Guru.

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Large compartments in front of the seats and at the sides to stash away all our miscellaneous items.

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Headphone jack and USB ports are conveniently concealed at the side of the arm-rest. I would like to add that the noise-cancelling headphones was excellent – I was able to enjoy MI4 : Ghost Protocol thoroughly!

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Reading lights with adjustable directions on one side.

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On the other side lies the seat controls! The four buttons surrounded in purple are the pre-defined settings. And if you’re not satisfied, feel free to adjust the inclinations for both the back-rest and leg-rest, the amount of back support, and finally the massage functions. Pretty cool if you ask me!

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The QR638 (departing at 4:30pm) and QR639 are pretty short flights of about two and a half hours. Thus, they serve only a “light meal” on board.

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Now, I know there are entire blogs that are focused on airline meals, so this might interest you a little. I chose the black pepper beef, while my wife took the pasta.

The massive table tray is, once again, concealed in the arm-rest and can easily be unfolded. Food was presented in simple and elegant format, complete with stainless steel cutlery.

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The sushi was surprisingly delicious, and the soy sauce came packaged in a mildly amusing form of a little fish.

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< continued at next post due to 20 images restriction >

Black pepper beef was in fact very tender, and I managed to finish everything!

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Lastly, some fresh fruits for dessert. I requested for orange juice, which turned out to be real (not-so-sweet) juice with a slice of orange in it.

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The vegetarian pasta option, instead of beef.

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Before long, the sanctuary was broken as we descended upon the madness of Bali’s Denpasar International Airport.

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A sneak preview of the tranquility that awaits us in Uluwatu, Bali.

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Return flight from Bali back to SG :)
Once again, you can find the exact information here : http://piggeeks.net/feng/index.php/2012/04/13/qatar-airways-business-class-qr639-dps-sin/ (http://piggeeks.net/feng/index.php/qatar-airways-business-class-qr639-dps-sin/)

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Having covered the essentials in my previous post, this time round we’ll take a look at some of the stuff I’ve not mentioned earlier.

As Business Class travellers, our Qatar Airways boarding pass came with complimentary access to the Prada Lounge, one of three lounges at Bali Denpasar Airport. I grabbed these information off Bali Guide :

Dewa Lounge – 100,000 Rupiah
Prada Lounge – 150,000 Rupiah
Premier Lounge – 250,000 Rupiah
Now, this is where it gets interesting. We tried, but failed to find the Prada Lounge, and instead landed at the Premier Lounge. We went in and asked the staff, and were told that we could use the lounge pass at the Premier Lounge too! *important*

Out of curiosity, we asked what is the difference between the two. With a sheepish grin, he was almost embarrassed to reply : “This is better.” And so, we stepped in. Compared to the SATS Premier Lounge in Changi Airport Terminal 3, the food selection was better, despite the place looking a tad jaded. I shudder to think what the other two lounges would look like – try them out and let me know!

I’m sorry to say this but on the whole, the airport was kind of depressing, crowded and noisy. And so, we were glad to be able to rest a little before boarding.

We were seated in 3A/B on the return trip, which we felt were better than 6J/K as it was nearer to the front. The return trip was at 10:40pm – again we boarded early, at 9:55pm. Here is another shot of the cabin -

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As we settled into our comfortable seat, we were offered a choice of newspapers, which included a decent selection of mainstream English papers. The stewardess took the opportunity to chat a little with us and asked where we were from. I enjoyed the Oryx entertainment system, which had a nice selection of movies. I managed to watch MI4 : Ghost Protocol and The Darkest Hour, both relatively recent movies released in 2011.

http://piggeeks.net/feng/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/qatar_airways_business_class_23.jpg

Likewise, a light meal is served on our return trip.

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Declined the champagne this time – we ordered a latte and a cappuccino to perk us up =)

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The hot beverage came with snacks to keep our mouths busy. Tasty!

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It was pretty dark, and I was trying my best not to disturb other people (some blissfully dozing away on their fully flat horizontal beds) when taking these photos, so you’ll have to pardon the poor lighting. This was the spicy Indonesian chicken with sushi.

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My wife chose the Tagliatelle (pasta) with salmon.

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Contrary to some comments I’ve read previously regarding the flight attendants on the SIN-DPS route, I’ve found Qatar Airways’ service to be polite and prompt, with a generous dose of smiles. Mind you, this has nothing to do with how we were dressed – I was in a polo tee, shorts and loafers. We’re headed to Bali after all, and we see no need to “dress up”. If you’re wondering, there is no dress code in Business Class. T-shirt, shorts and slippers will get you on the flight just fine.

Every request we had was promptly attended to, and done correctly. More wine? More coffee? More peanuts? Blankets? All we had to do is ask. (unlike SQ, seems like blankets on Qatar Airways are not given to passengers by default)

One thing I noticed was that the flight attendants in Business Class were extremely generous with the wine and champagne. Every so often, I would spot them roaming the aisle, eager to refill any empty glasses. One passenger literally had to cover his glass to stop them from pouring more wine! His expression? Priceless.

On longer routes, they seem to give out Molton Brown amenities kits. No such luxury on a 2-hour plus flight. The restroom looked very similar to the ones in SQ, but Molton Brown products like hand lotion are available. Help yourselves to the shaving kits and toothbrushes as there are a number of them in each restroom.

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It has been a wonderful experience flying in Business Class on Qatar Airways, and we truly enjoyed every aspect of it. Will we consider flying Business Class on Qatar Airways for long-haul flights in future? Definitely!

That's my kind of 'light meal'! Looks delicious. Could have a real dessert option though... fruit just doesn't cut it for me in that department.

Very nice report. It must be great to live in that part of the world and try a bunch of different airlines like QR on shorter routes like this. How did you enjoy Bali?

That's my kind of 'light meal'! Looks delicious. Could have a real dessert option though... fruit just doesn't cut it for me in that department.

Very nice report. It must be great to live in that part of the world and try a bunch of different airlines like QR on shorter routes like this. How did you enjoy Bali?

thanks for your kind comments. Yup, ice-cream or chocolate would have been a much better choice for dessert!

Bali was great, but I have to admit I did not spend much time exploring Bali as we spent most of our time doing spa treatments, and getting sun-burnt at our pool villa.

What a great review, Nevik. Saves me from having to do it and you did it way better than I could have (didn't take all those photos :D )

My wife and I flew the same route on Thursday the 12th and had about the same awesome experience. We had dumped our KLM flights, particularly after considerable difficulty and poor customer service issues with them, and bought the Qatar flights on Tuesday? or maybe it was Wednesday.

No regrets at all in flying Skytraxx' #1 ranked airline for 2011. Looking forward to our return flight but not for another four days. Off to Ubud now.

What a great review, Nevik. Saves me from having to do it and you did it way better than I could have (didn't take all those photos :D )

My wife and I flew the same route on Thursday the 12th and had about the same awesome experience. We had dumped our KLM flights, particularly after considerable difficulty and poor customer service issues with them, and bought the Qatar flights on Tuesday? or maybe it was Wednesday.

No regrets at all in flying Skytraxx' #1 ranked airline for 2011. Looking forward to our return flight but not for another four days. Off to Ubud now.

Thanks Shenanigans! This is my first trip report on FlyerTalk :)
Perhaps you can take more photos on your return flight!

Care to share more about your KLM (and Bali) experience when you're back from Bali? I did briefly considered KLM, but a better deal from Qatar came along, and I'm glad I flew with Qatar Airways. Hope you are enjoying your time in Bali!

Nice pictures! ^

Must be a nice retreat.

Which hotel you stayed in and mind do a picture review on it too?

Nice pictures! ^

Must be a nice retreat.

Which hotel you stayed in and mind do a picture review on it too?

Thanks tycosiao for your comments! I stayed at Alila Villas Uluwatu (http://www.alilahotels.com/uluwatu), and it is very, very nice indeed :o

Sure! I usually post reviews at my blog, but I can easily re-post it here as well :)
I'll be sure to do a review on it once I have the time!
Kind of trying to finish up my Tokyo/Hokkaido trip back in November last year ..

Looks like you had a great trip. Thanks for sharing.

The property in Bali looks very strong.

Looks like you had a great trip. Thanks for sharing.

The property in Bali looks very strong.

Yeah I definitely had a great time.

I was won over by Alila Cha-Am (no longer under Alila management now) when I visited back in 2009. That was part of the reason why I chose to stay at Alila when I visited Bali.

The business class is set up in a 2-2-2 configuration, granting every single passenger easy access to the aisle.

Thanks for a very well written TR ^

One small question though, I'm not sure how the 2-2-2 config gives everyone aisle access. What happens if you have a window seat?

Thanks for a very well written TR ^

One small question though, I'm not sure how the 2-2-2 config gives everyone aisle access. What happens if you have a window seat?

Thanks clarkeysntfc for your comments, and for pointing out my oversight there! I travelled with my wife and subconsciously assumed that window seats are typically taken by couples, hence not posing a problem for aisle access.

Let me make a quick edit to correct the mistake ..

Lovely photographs! Enjoyed the trip so far! :)

Lovely photographs! Enjoyed the trip so far! :)

Thanks PK777 :)

Nice report. Thanks.

Going to bali next month, would love to seem pictures of your trip as well

Nice report. Thanks.

Thanks Gamecock!

Going to bali next month, would love to seem pictures of your trip as well

Hi duke2013, I spent my time in Bali at the resort only. I'm doing a review of the resort but I doubt it would be useful to you if you're thinking of exploring Bali. In any case, I've started a new thread here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxury-hotels/1338627-trip-report-alila-villas-uluwatu-bali.html) on Alila Villas Uluwatu. Enjoy your upcoming Bali trip! :)

I'll take a look at your other thread. Btw, would you recommend signing up for the fast track visa type service?

Return flight from Bali back to SG :)
Once again, you can find the exact information here : http://piggeeks.net/feng/index.php/2012/04/13/qatar-airways-business-class-qr639-dps-sin/

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Having covered the essentials in my previous post, this time round we’ll take a look at some of the stuff I’ve not mentioned earlier.

As Business Class travellers, our Qatar Airways boarding pass came with complimentary access to the Prada Lounge, one of three lounges at Bali Denpasar Airport. I grabbed these information off Bali Guide :

Dewa Lounge – 100,000 Rupiah
Prada Lounge – 150,000 Rupiah
Premier Lounge – 250,000 Rupiah
Now, this is where it gets interesting. We tried, but failed to find the Prada Lounge, and instead landed at the Premier Lounge. We went in and asked the staff, and were told that we could use the lounge pass at the Premier Lounge too! *important*

Out of curiosity, we asked what is the difference between the two. With a sheepish grin, he was almost embarrassed to reply : “This is better.” And so, we stepped in. Compared to the SATS Premier Lounge in Changi Airport Terminal 3, the food selection was better, despite the place looking a tad jaded. I shudder to think what the other two lounges would look like – try them out and let me know!



Congratulations on your trip report ^
Is the Premier Lounge having a terrace ?

I'll take a look at your other thread. Btw, would you recommend signing up for the fast track visa type service?

Hi duke2013,

I have not tried the fast track visa service, so I do not know if it is reliable or trustworthy. Assuming that it is, I would gladly pay for the service rather than get stuck at the airport for 1 hour like I did.

Hi duke2013,

I have not tried the fast track visa service, so I do not know if it is reliable or trustworthy. Assuming that it is, I would gladly pay for the service rather than get stuck at the airport for 1 hour like I did.

Yikes, maybe I should sign up. If I don't any advice for trying to save time?

Congratulations on your trip report ^
Is the Premier Lounge having a terrace ?

Thanks G_G. For some strange reason, I don't recall seeing any outdoor terrace at Bali Airport Premier Lounge. Maybe because it was at night, and it has been a long departure day for me. I only remember seeing the runway from where I was seated indoor.

This website (http://loungeexpert.com/_display_lounge.php?ID=3045&City=Bali&Airline=&Lounge_Name=Premier%20Lounge&LoungeName=Bali,%20Denpasar%20International%20Airp ort%20International%20Terminal%20%20Premier%20Loun ge) says that there is an outdoor terrance. Sorry, couldn't help you with your question ..

Yikes, maybe I should sign up. If I don't any advice for trying to save time?

Hmm. Walk fast? :p

For us, the main problem was with the planes landing before us. When we got to the immigration (we alighted from Biz class and were among the first from our flight), there was already long queues at all the counters. :eek:

Congratulations on your trip report ^
Is the Premier Lounge having a terrace ?

Yes, the Premier Lounge has a terrace It is in fact where I took this picture (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/16495623-post16.html).

http://qc0qsw.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pwLLcvHMt163NdeHpxTRLL7Oy26VLqeXFcAxf0mdQa1WtCYY _9jVVySnjE0hERyCOb3bXpQRPchweddT-hsYIDn3PduiPLlcF/18%20(2).jpg?psid=1

Hmm. Walk fast? :p

For us, the main problem was with the planes landing before us. When we got to the immigration (we alighted from Biz class and were among the first from our flight), there was already long queues at all the counters. :eek:

Are there any people advertising the fast track after landing? I know its not that expensive, but seems kind of a waste if there is no line

Are there any people advertising the fast track after landing? I know its not that expensive, but seems kind of a waste if there is no line

Yup, I saw a couple of these guys on arrival. In the thread below, Barbene and SitBali confirms that they are available in the Arrival Halls as well [feb '12]

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/archive/t-1317839.html ^