Virgin Australia will connect two iconic destinations for the first time ever with the launch today of flights between the Gold Coast and Bali.
Though a direct link between the holiday hotspots feels a long while coming, Virgin isn’t wasting any time celebrating the launch, dropping fares to as low as $419 return until midnight 3 April 2023 (unless sold out prior).
It will also conduct the Gold Coast’s first ‘Bintang Yoga’ session at the departure gate of the inaugural flight.
Utilising its B737-800 aircraft, VA will fly daily between the Gold Coast and Denpasar during the school holidays, with four times weekly return services in off-peak periods.
Flight VA83 will depart OOL at 1740 and arrive in DPS at 2215, while VA82 will leave DPS at 2320 and touch down in OOL at 0705 (+1).
Gold Coast-Bali joins Virgin’s growing list of short and medium-haul international routes, which include flights to Queenstown (New Zealand), Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu (from 31 March) and a Tokyo service (ex-Cairns) from 28 June.
Combined, new flights will grow Virgin’s international capacity year-on-year by 50 per cent in FY24.
The carrier says demand for Gold Coast-Bali flights has been high since announcing the new route in June last year.
What flyers get
Virgin Australia Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer Alistair Hartley said the historic service would boost convenience, choice and value for Bali-bound travellers.
“Until now, services between Gold Coast and Bali have never been operated by any commercial airline, making this another milestone for Virgin Australia and our guests,” he remarked.
“Virgin Australia is committed to providing the best value airfares to Bali, and that’s evident with our Gold Coast-Bali sale which is offering fares from as low as $419* return, which we expect will be extremely popular.
“We are incredibly excited to see this service take off, representing the latest step in growing our international footprint, which consists of over 500 destinations around the world through Virgin Australia and our partner airlines.”
Hartley called Bali an “incredibly popular destination” for Virgin, with the carrier operating more than 40 flights per week to Denpasar from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and now the Gold Coast.
“It is clear Australians want to get out and travel and have a wonderful experience along the way,” he said.
“The expansion of the Virgin Australia network to include direct flights between the Gold Coast and Bali reflects this.”
Who benefits most?
Queensland Airports Limited Chief Commercial Officer Adam Rowe said, “this new connection makes Bali holidays quicker and easier for Gold Coast and Northern NSW locals, removing the need for connecting flights, or long trips up the motorway”.
“We expect the service will be particularly popular for those planning surfing or wellness retreats,” he added.
VA operates more domestic flights through Gold Coast Airport than any other carrier and expects April capacity to reach 142 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
Meanwhile, Virgin Australia is offering travel advisors the chance to get bonus Velocity Points for both you and your clients.