3pm can be busy time with arrivals from Taipei, Singapore and Sydney scheduled around then along with the HK flight and it will be interesting to hear reports of how the new setup deals with the traffic volumes.

(http://www.baliairport.com/flight-st...als-departures)

Also worth watching out for international meetings. The WTO are meeting here right now and all VIP services are cancelled. Luckily this finishes tomorrow and we can have a quiet(er) weekend

No VOA is a big advantage obviously. No crying kids or impatient teenage also help. We will just go with the flow and act accordingly when we are actually at the airport. Dont see why one needs to be so worked up on this.

Fair enough. I'm not normal. I'm the guy that hires a chase car to follow his family to the airport in case there's an accident, so we don't miss our flight. I keep printed copies of contracts of carriage in my briefcase at all times. But I also can't understand why people pay cash at tolls rather than zip through he fast lane with a speed pass. And I'd rather drink broken glass than even CONTEMPLATE landing in Bali at peak time without somebody meeting me. Travel works me up, that's for sure :)

CoC can change at any time....
If you're on the same train/bus as they are, you will know that if they don't make it, you don't as well.

Same train/bus as they? Who's they? I honestly don't understand the point. Not picking a fight, just don't get the reference.

Your family

Is this thread ever going to stay on track snzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzz

My wife flew in today on CX. Arrived on time at 3pm.

No queue at VOA but 45 mins wait in immigration

Vindicated! I place far greater value on my vacation time than $.90 per minute. I'd never wait in a queue that long when such a low cost solution is available.

To earlier poster, I agree OT, not sure why somebody thinks there's a train to the airport that my family takes. We take two SUVs, one with all of us, the chase SUV 5 miles back as insurance. You have to respect that drivers in NY area are terrible and accidents/traffic common. I feel safer driving in Bali!

Safe travels to all, and remember, if you're standing in a long line or there's a curtain in front of you when you fly, you've done something wrong! :D

Once again, thanks a lot, mdevans for the fresh data.

Let me say this, based on what I have read so far, VIP can be suspended at any given time if and when they have some events/conferences/what have you.

I would say go with the throw at the airport. If one cannot bear the crowd, I am reasonably confident that one can grab one of those "agents" whisking VIPed passengers to the fast lane and get the same service, probably even at a lower price than prepaid based on everything reported so far. So truly no need to work oneself up. 45 min is no big deal. You would get stuck in Bali traffic at any given time of the day for any travel that has some distance.

Having multiple month long trips in a year, we obviously have a different view on the term of "vacation time". Basically the whole year can be a "vacation" whenever we wish... wherever we choose... one hour is a very minuscule time in the big scheme of things when you are on month long "vacation" at least 3 to 4 times a year. Totally different perspective.

To illustrate, this year is coming to an end so here is the pleasure trip tally - 3 long trips, 2 cruises and 2 short domestic trips - total days on "vacation" would be slightly above 3 months.

A 28 days trip to Europe in Apr that was a combo of 14 days TATL cruise and 14 days in France, driving and last 5 days in Pairs (getting a bit tired of that city now but it is the most convenient to get back home on AA awards.) Another 36 days trip to Europe again in Jul/Aug to Baltic countries, Russia and Western Europe on DL awards + BA Avios + one EasyJet. 2 short one-week domestic trips in North America - one to DC in May just to see some museums. One to Vancouver in Sept to see elderly relatives. 1 10 days S. Caribbeans cruise in Mid Nov. And this upcoming 36 days to SE Asia and Hong Kong. All longhaul in either F or Biz (DL does not have F award as you know.) All independent shorthauls, i.e. Avio bookings were coach. Needless to say, EasyJet is LCC.

The only possible hiccup was DB canceled one segment of our train between Stuttgart where we went to see the marvelous Mercedes Museum, and Cologne. We found that out a day earlier merely because we wanted to make sure the station where we needed to transfer. Agent gave us an earlier direct train when he saw the cancellation. Train departed 30 min earlier and arrived 45 min earlier AND saved us like 200 euro because at the time of purchase, the direct train was 120 euro pp, versus the connection was 26 euro. We certainly did not think a 45 min difference worth almost 200 euro at the time of booking, so we booked the transferred route but lucked out at the end. :D

As you can see above, our perspectives are vastly different from yours.

Seating behind the curtain for short hauls do not bother us at all. Key is the long haul needs to be done with a flat bed - too old to fly over 10 hours sitting up. lol.

Will report back on how our arrival would turn out for the benefit of the thread.

Normally, 45 minutes is no big deal to me. Just a part of the travel experience going to Indo, and nowhere near as bad as dealing with flights on LionAir to places like Sorong and Kaimana. But this year, we're heading straight to Tulamben, diving early the next a.m., and I'd like to break out and set up dive and camera gear while there's daylight, so I might pay for VIP service. Jamienbaker, is there one you'd recommend?

I did mention bus as well...
Tube in LHR, Canada line in YVR, SMRT in SIN, Airport express at HKG, Amtrak at EWR, BART at SFO, bullet train at PVG, RER in CDG, DB at MUC, train in TYO (both airports) buses at YYC/YUL/KUL/SEA/LAX/IAH/MNL/CRK to name a few...
Seems like a very common way to me.

Yup. Very common way to me too.

We have used all the rest except the buses part - at LAX and SEA where we normally have rental cars. Used to live in IAH. Will use bus at KUL on this coming trip. Haven't been in MNL for very very very long time and never been in CRK. :)

We use S1 bus to Tung Chung then MTR to town whenever we visit Hong Kong. 1/5 of the cost of Airport Express and may be 10 to 15 extra minutes in total at the most because S1 and MTR are a lot more frequent than the Airport Express. Were told that combo from some CX crews who vouched this being their favorite way to commute.

Time value of money is always an interesting discussion.

In Asia I get impatient if I have to wait more than 5 minutes. The APEC card is a fantastic time saver (except in bali!) with special queues at all main airports.

The best feature is being able to use The aircrew lines at US airports. I've done touch down to curb at JFK in less than 20 mins.

My biggest travel hate is going back to the UK and it can take an hour to get into my home country. Even the automated gates take an age

Totally agree. In our case, chase car is only necessary en route JFK. I've done many of the above, too, but it is only the beginning of a vacation that I take extreme measures to ensure it goes smoothly.