I posted this in the Asia forum, but am not getting much of a reply there, so re-posting in this thread to get some help. Need to book these tickets in the next 24 hours or so......

I'm looking at booking my mom a couple of flights that will have an international transit in Bali (DPS) with about 2 hours and 20 mins between the flights:

Jetstar Arriving from Perth at 1:45pm
Cathay Departing to Hong Kong at 4:05pm

Cathay says they close the check-in counters 40 mins before departure, which means that she would need to be checked-in by 3:25. Do you think this is reasonable, consider she would need to get a Visa on Arrival (VOA)?

It looks like there are not many other flights arriving at the same time, and recent reports seem to indicate that the long lines are a thing of the past. Still, if we go with this option I am seriously considering one of the the VIP / Fast Track options that will have people help expedite her through if there are any issues. Any recommendations for specific companies?

Lastly, will Jetstar interline the bags? Will this save her from having to claim and re-check them? This would be two separate itineraries / PNRs.

I would think it is possible to do the transit in this time, but may be slightly stressful. I am assuming this is an alternative because its cheaper then nonstop? It may not be so much cheaper after payment of visa + departure tax etc.

If there is not much of price difference, I reccommend doing the nonstop CX PER-HKG flight.

Not doing the non stop PER-HKG because the trip is being booked using AA miles in business class to JFK and AA does not allow routing through HKG (or anywhere in Asia for that matter). The jetstar flight to DPS is relatively cheap,l compared to other flights on the same day, but doesn't provide a huge buffer for delays.

Would you recommend doing some kind of VOA fast track?

Ok I see, yes for peace of mind, I would personally take a fast track service (Google online as many services) also is it possible to buy visa before arrival?

I normally fly HKG-DPS and arrive on CX785 getting in at 2:55pm and this flight arrives same time as TPE flights etc. I am not sure if the Jetstar flight therefore arrives at a quiet period just before these arrivals?
Maybe have a look at DPS arrival schedule to determine what other flights are arriving at that time.

Have you thought of transiting through SIN/KUL (I think there are low cost flights to both cities form PER, where you can connect easily with CX)

She's not entering Indonesia -- why would she need a visa? International transit at Ngurah Rai isn't common, but it's do-able. Let CX know she's coming off Jetstar; they might have one of their staff, or airport staff, meet her on entry into the International Terminal.

That is a good point. If there are normal transit procedures without the need for entering Indonesia, then the transit time specified will be no problem. Worth checking/and speaking with CX.

Who would I contact at CX to try and arrange that?

When I look up the Visa Requirements in KVS it states the following:

Look at the requirements and forms before making a decision. When I investigated this question almost two years ago, I concluded that doing the visa in advance would be a hassle as it seemed to require much more information. I don't recall whether one was required to use a visa service or apply in person at a consulate versus printing the forms and instructions from the website and just sending the required stuff including the passport by FedEx.

I actually had looked at SIN previously, but the flights are very expensive from Perth. KUL is a great suggestion but the (reasonably priced) flight times don't really line up and would require an overnight there, so not ideal. The price and arrival time at DPS line up well, it's just the whole VOA thing that makes me nervous.

Would she, as an American Citizen, be able to obtain a Visa in advance in the Indonesian consulate in Perth?

Hmmmm... probably not if she is not an ordinary resident of Australia. Pay for the VIP fast-track service then just to have piece of mind. Check if there is indeed international-to-international transfer. But even if you can do international-to-international transfer, you must find a way to get your boarding pass printed (no self-printing boarding pass for flights from DPS) and I am just not sure if there is anyway you can check in officially for the CX flight without realistically going landside and entering Indonesia. Can CX ground staff in Perth print the boarding pass from DPS to HKG ?