Aussie Invasion: flights linking Bali and Oz might just get a whole lot cheaper

Get ready for the next big wave! Because of Virgin Australia’s recent $1 purchase buying up low-cost carrier Tigerair, the airline might start offering flights from Perth to Bali for the budget crowd. Oh no, we hope this doesn’t line up with the dreaded arrival of those wild schoolies. 

Bali is in the running with a few other international destinations for where Virgin Australia is considering deploying “budget arm” Tigerair, says the Sydney Morning Herald. Fiji, Phuket and New Zealand are the other locales Virgin is considering servicing at a low cost. 

The market for international Oz flights to Bali is supposedly quite competitive says the SMH, between Virgin and its rivals Jetstar and Garuda Indonesia. Adding to that, Indonesia AirAsia X will shake things up if and when it starts servicing flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Bali in December as planned.

“There are a lot of carriers on that route now,” said Virgin Chief Executive John Borghetti, as quoted by the SMH. “A lot are low-cost carriers. The competition is pretty fierce. One could come to the conclusion, why wouldn’t you put the lowest cost vehicle you have got in there, which is Tigerair?”

Borghetti also reportedly said the airline wouldn’t pull Virgin flights from Bali, since Virgin’s a premium carrier and attracts a different crowd, you know, different from the people going to Bali for holidays at the five star hotels in Nusa Dua. But this is also speculation at this point, Borghetti and the other Virgin higher-ups could end up sending the potential Tigerair budget crowd to party and stumble around in Fiji, Phuket or New Zealand instead. 

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