Mt Agung erupts, affecting Bali flights again

Mt Agung in Bali, Indonesia is erupting again, affecting airline operations in and out of Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS). AirAsia has advised that a number of their flights scheduled to arrive to and to depart from are affected. Intermittent eruptions of Mt Agung and nearby Mt Rinjani  and Mt Ruang have affected flights into and out of Bali every few months for a few years now.

It is impossible to predict how long each eruption will take to settle down. If you are affected and these dates are past, much of the information here is still relevant. For travellers flying another airline, contact details for other airlines flying into/out of Bali are below.

If you have travel insurance, make sure you’re covered. If you don’t, remember that it’s a good idea to purchase it to cover various eventualities.

UPDATE: As at 2.30pm local Bali time 29th June, the airport has reopened. It remains open as of 1st July. Please check your flight details with your airline for their decision on flights. Contact details from various airlines, with links to their updates on the situation are at the bottom of the page.

Mt Agung affected flights

AirAsia had provided this list of their flights affected for 28th June 2018. Update 30th June: All flights have resumed to Denpasar and Surabaya.

* Postponed until further notice

Affected passengers will be notified of their flight status via email and SMS. AirAsia advises passengers to update their contact details at airasia.com to ensure you are notified of any updates to your flights.

If your flight is cancelled

Affected passengers should choose one of the following service recovery options offered:

• Move flight: Change to a new travel date on the same route within 14 calendar days from original flight time without additional cost, subject to seat availability; OR
• Credit account: Retain the value of your fare in your AirAsia BIG Loyalty account for future travel with AirAsia. The online credit account is valid for booking within 90 calendar days from the date of issue; OR
• Full refund: Obtain a full refund in the amount equivalent to your fare.

To move flight date / credit account:

• complete an e-Form available at support.airasia.com:
  • Click on the Email Us tab on the right panel
  • Select “Enquiry/Request” under Type of Feedback
  • Click on “Booking” under Sub Category 1
  • Select “Mount Agung” for Sub Category 2
  • Type in your option under Subject: “Mount Agung – Move Flight” OR “Mount Agung – Credit Account”
  • Complete the remaining form fields and click Submit to proceed

To move your flight

• Provide new flight details (date and time) and passenger name(s)

For credit account,

• provide your AirAsia BIG Loyalty member ID

For a full refund

• fill in the e-Form available on support.airasia.com:
  • Click on the “Email Us” tab on the right panel
  • Select “Refund” under Type of Feedback
  • Select “Flight Cancellation” under Sub Category 1
  • Type in Subject field: “Mount Agung – Refund”
  • Complete the remaining form fields and click Submit to proceed

Remember to

• visit airasia.com and AirAsia’s social media channels for further updates.
• check your flight status through “My Bookings” feature on the website.

If you require further information and assistance, please contact their Customer Happiness team at support.airasia.com.

Travelling on another airline?

If you already have your booking, you’ll need to check directly with your airline – most update their pages regularly when these situations arise. If your airline isn’t listed here, check your ticket for contact details.

• Virgin Australia updates their information regularly, as do Jetstar and Qantas. 
• Air New Zealand operates fewer flights to Bali and doesn’t update so regularly.
• AirAsia, being closer, generally asks travellers to check before leaving for the airport. They post travel alerts across the top of their homepage with a link. The is also a new support page listing various options for affected travellers.
• Malindo Air has a number of daily flights. They have provided information for affected passengers.
• Garuda has a running banner which they use for any ‘News Flash’ information.
• MalaysiaAirlines have a News alert at the bottom of the Home page. They sometimes organise transport for affected passengers to Surabaya, so they can fly out from there. Register at the dedicated service counter at the airport. More up to date information is available on their Facebook page.
• Singapore Airlines posts information as ‘Important’ at the top of their Home Page.
• Cathay Pacific puts their Travel Alerts on their home page as well.
• If you’re travelling Thai Airways, there’s usually nothing on their home page, so you’d be best to call to check before you leave for the airport.

Many airlines are getting information and updates out quickly via Facebook and Twitter, both good places to check.

I Gusti Ngurah Rai Bali International Airport is not a great site for information as their updates are occasional. The information is all in Bahasa Indonesia and translation is a bit ‘wobbly’.