Virgin Australia starts Darwin-Bali services

Virgin Australia will launch seasonal flights between Darwin and Bali from April 10. The airline’s three return services a week will make it the only full-service operating the route and comes in time for Australia’s Easter school holiday travel peak. The move will see Virgin add 1000 seats a week on the Bali -Denpasar route between April and October and pit its full-service offering against Qantas low-cost offshoot Jetstar. Virgin also flies to Bali from Brisbane, Sydney and Port Hedland and to Darwin from Alice Springs, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. READ: Virgin Australia wins coveted cabin crew award. “Today marks 17 years to the day since our first flight to Darwin and since then, we’ve continued to build upon our presence and make travel more accessible for Territorians,’’ said Virgin Australia general manager network, revenue and management and alliances Russell Shaw said. “Our guests will now have more choice and flexibility when looking to fly to Bali, with Virgin Australia offering what we believe is the most convenient schedule on this route, allowing for our guests to arrive well before midnight when traveling from Darwin to Bali.’ NT Airports chief executive Ian Kew predicted the new service would be a winning combination for Territorians. “We are confident that through the support of Territorians, there will be strong demand for these services,” he said. Fares went on sale December 20 with all-inclusive fares starting at $A199 one-way. Virgin Australia has also recently upgraded its trans-Tasman service in the wake of its split with Air New Zealand. It now gives all passengers food, drinks, luggage allowance and wi-fi after breaking away from the "Seats-to-Suit" model imposed by the Air NZ alliance. The carrier is also searching for a new chief executive after incumbent John Borghetti announced he planned to leave the airline next year.