๐ฎ๐ฉ Indonesia Bali & Gili Trawangan
20230401-20230407
How to Get to Bali from Korea
Planning a trip to Bali from Korea? While Korean Air offers direct flights from Incheon to Bali as the most time-efficient option, my recent Asiana Airlines business class experience via Jakarta proved to be an excellent alternative. Other routes include Garuda Indonesia (Korean Air’s SkyTeam partner), Singapore Airlines via Singapore, and Malaysia Airlines via Kuala Lumpur.
While direct flights are naturally more expensive, connecting flights offer better value for money. After careful consideration, my husband and I chose Asiana Airlines business class from Incheon to Jakarta, utilizing our accumulated Asiana miles for a premium travel experience. The downside? With an afternoon departure from Incheon and evening arrival in Jakarta, we couldn’t continue to Bali immediately and needed an overnight stay in Jakarta. Although this layover meant less time at our destination, we decided the superior comfort of Asiana Airlines business class was worth the trade-off.
Asiana Business Lounge Experience (Incheon airport)
You can check in at Counters A-C in Terminal 1 of Incheon Airport. Business class passengers have access to the Asiana Premium Check-in area, located beyond Counter A. When I arrived, there was no queue, allowing for immediate check-in before proceeding to immigration. Unfortunately, Incheon Airport doesn’t offer a business class fast track for security and immigration.
After clearing immigration, the reality of traveling finally hit me. Both my husband and I love spending time at the airport before flights, even though we don’t shop at duty-free stores. This visit felt particularly special as it was our first time at the airport in three and a half years since our last trip to Nha Trang, Vietnam in 2019, including our postponed honeymoon due to COVID-19.
With about 2.5 hours until boarding, we decided to have lunch at the lounge. While there’s a saying that Korean food sells best at Incheon Airport (as Koreans love having spicy Korean soups like kimchi stew or yukgaejang before international flights), we opted for the lounge dining experience this time.
several Incheon Airport lounges(Terminal 1): Asiana Business Lounge, Asiana Business Suite Lounge, Korean Air Lounge (partner), Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge, Oneworld Lounge, SkyHub Lounge, and Matina Lounge. We headed to the Asiana Business Lounge.
The Asiana Lounge operates at different times depending on location: East (05:00-22:00), Central (06:00-22:00), and West (06:00-00:30). It’s important to check these varying hours before your visit.
We chose the Central lounge, closest to our departure gate. Despite its spacious layout and numerous seats, all single seats were occupied, indicating how busy it was.
The food section, while more limited compared to other Terminal 1 lounges, offered various salads, fruits, sandwiches, bread, about four hot food options, porridge, soup, and instant noodles. We enjoyed chicken, spaghetti, and beer for lunch, and the alcohol selection was decent enough that I could savor some sake while waiting for boarding time.
Incheon to Jakarta: Asiana Airlines Business Class Experience (OZ761)
The Asiana flight OZ761 from Incheon to Jakarta operates once daily, taking seven hours. Flying on an A350-900, the business class configuration was 1-2-1, with middle seats alternating between together and separated arrangements. I chose a window seat, though it meant being separated from my travel companion.
After receiving welcome champagne, I spent time gazing out the window until takeoff. I’ve always enjoyed watching scenery from transportation vehicles – it brings a sense of tranquility.
The meal service began shortly after takeoff. Despite having eaten in the lounge, I couldn’t pass up the inflight dining experience. The menu offered Western and Korean options – I chose Western. For drinks, I selected a medium-dry sherry (Sandeman) as an aperitif, Columbia Crest Grand Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 to pair with the steak, and Taylor’s Port wine for dessert.
The meal progression included:
- Appetizer: Couscous chicken breast salad
- Main: Black truffle beef tenderloin steak
- Cheese course: Tรชte de Moine, blue cheese, and Camembert, Fruits
- Dessert: Hรคagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream
The food quality exceeded my expectations, though the portions were quite generous, leading to slight overindulgence.
After dinner, the cabin lights dimmed for sleep time, but I was too full to recline. The entertainment system showed its age with poor screen quality, so I spent time writing travel notes while watching the flight map.
Later, the familiar aroma of instant noodles wafted through the cabin – a beloved tradition on Korean carriers. Despite the temptation, I was still too full from earlier meals. The seven-hour flight passed quickly before we landed in Jakarta.
This marked my first business class experience, and I was impressed. Both Korean Air and Asiana are known for excellent crew service, and the ability to lie flat made a significant difference in comfort. Comparing this to a 2018 LCC flight to Bangkok, where a 5-hour journey left me with severe back pain, the business class experience felt completely different – no fatigue at all. While the price difference between business and economy is substantial, I finally understood why people choose business class. It made me dream about always traveling this way and motivated me to work harder!
Returning to Jakarta Airport after our Gili Trawangan and Bali adventure, the surroundings already felt familiar. While waiting to check in for our return flight, we encountered a delay due to a band group ahead of us discussing oversized musical instrument baggage. Despite arriving over three hours early, we had less than 90 minutes after clearing immigration.
For our night flight, I headed to the Sapphire Plaza Premium Lounge to shower before departure. The shower facilities had a short queue due to high traffic. Unlike some lounges, this one doesn’t accept Priority Pass or The Lounge app access. Prices were IDR 319,680.00 for shower facilities and IDR 807,386.25 for three hours of lounge access – relatively expensive. Fortunately, our Asiana business class tickets included complimentary lounge access.
The shower facilities were clean and well-maintained, providing all necessary amenities including toothbrushes, towels, and hairdryers. The lounge itself impressed with its high ceilings and sophisticated atmosphere. It even featured a children’s play area with toys – perfect for families traveling with young ones.
Having missed dinner, we turned to the lounge’s food offerings for our evening meal, which turned out to be surprisingly good. The spread included salads, fruits, sandwiches, and desserts – notably, the watermelon and melon here were the best we’d tasted throughout our entire Bali & Gili Trawangan trip.
While the food selection wasn’t extensive, the lounge featured a cooking station. Browsing the menu, I spotted “Noodle soup (local dish) with beef balls” and exclaimed, “Oh! Bakso?” The staff confirmed my guess. Intriguingly, they served the Bakso noodles with a mix of rice noodles and egg noodles, and I added some sambal sauce like you would with Thai noodles – the slight spiciness was exactly to my taste. They also offered bread, cakes, some fried items, and even taro and cassava chips (similar to those we enjoyed at Munduk Moding Plantation Resort). For drinks, there was a centrally located bar with a bartender, where my husband and I enjoyed Carlsberg beers while relaxing until boarding time.
Although the lounge didn’t offer an extensive food selection, the cooking station was definitely a highlight, and the fruit quality was excellent. The facility itself impressed with high ceilings and spacious layout, creating a serene, uncrowded atmosphere. The shower facilities were immaculately maintained, and there was even a dedicated kids’ room.
My only regret was not being able to enjoy the lounge longer, as we were delayed by the lengthy Asiana Airlines check-in process. While the lounge doesn’t accept Priority Pass or Lounge Key, and I might hesitate to pay the full price for access without my complimentary business class lounge voucher due to the value proposition, I was generally satisfied with the overall experience.
While the food selection wasn’t extensive, the cooking station was a highlight. The overall ambiance, with its spacious layout and calm atmosphere, enhanced the experience. Though I wouldn’t recommend paying the premium price for access, the lounge delivered a satisfactory experience for business class passengers.
Jakarta to Incheon: Asiana Airlines Business Class (OZ762)
Our return journey on Asiana Airlines business class flight OZ762 maintained the same premium 1-2-1 configuration, and we chose middle seats together this time. The Asiana Airlines business class experience began with a welcome champagne, followed by the crew taking our breakfast preferences for the early morning service. The menu offered Western (choice between bulgogi and crepe) or Korean (mushroom vegetable porridge) options.
Exhausted from our travels, I took full advantage of the Asiana Airlines business class flat-bed seating and went straight to sleep after takeoff. I woke up just as breakfast service began, though my appetite was minimal in my groggy state. I chose the crepe, which came with fruit, yogurt, potatoes, ratatouille, and sausage, but couldn’t finish it. My husband opted for the bulgogi beef and thoroughly enjoyed it with the gochujang sauce, satisfying his craving for Korean flavors. Observing other passengers, the Korean porridge option seemed popular – probably a better choice for an early morning meal.
The Asiana Airlines business class experience, particularly the flat-bed seating, made the overnight flight remarkably comfortable. While my first business class journey showed signs of cabin age and didn’t quite match my dream expectations, the ability to lie flat transformed the journey. My husband joked about never flying economy again – if only that were possible!
Our journey to Bali and Gili Trawangan via Jakarta, though requiring extra travel time compared to direct flights, proved highly satisfying. Gili Trawangan left such an impression that we hope to return with our future children. Bali’s vast size and diverse attractions helped me understand why many opt for month-long stays. With so many unexplored areas, I’m planning at least 3-4 more visits, and I wouldn’t mind taking the Asiana Airlines business class Jakarta route again.
