The view from the mezzanine level at Denpasar airport

RTW TP Run in Jan 2026: Day 12 – Denpasar (DPS) to Hong Kong (HKG)

Cathay Pacific only served a single flight per day from Denpasar and that was the return journey to the flight from Hong Kong I took a couple of days ago. That meant that check in facilities were limited at Denpasar Airport.

Check in was due to open at 1:20pm, three hours prior to scheduled departure. I was therefore aiming to be there by around 1pm, on the basis that check in always opens earlier than the published time.

I ordered a Grab Taxi for the very short trip to the airport. There’s no point in getting sweaty for the sake of a £2 taxi fare.

I was hoping I’d be able to get all of the boarding cards for my final three flights of Part 1 of my first RTW ticket. That covered my flight to Hong Kong today, and my flights to Jakarta and on to Tokyo Narita tomorrow.

It's the detail at Denpasar Airport that makes all the difference — It’s the detail at Denpasar Airport that makes all the difference

At Tokyo Narita, I’d be transferring on to my first flight of my second/nested RTW ticket heading back to Jakarta.

When I got back to International Departures, it was so much busier than when I was here thus morning as I walked through to the Starbucks in the Domestic Arrivals area.

It felt like a classic holiday destination, with families heading home.

I worked out where Cathay Pacific were going to base check in at: around counters B13-B19.

I briefly spoke to a Cathay Pacific rep hoping they might offer to get me checked in early, but alas not.

The Tujuwan Business Lounge at Denpasar Airport

All she said was that check in would open at 1:20pm.

To kill some time, I decided I may as well get myself second Starbucks of the day. As previously, I entirely kaid the blame on the airline!

Starbucks firstly gave me a short measure and secondly didn’t even add the caramel on top. What is the world coming to?

I headed back up to the check in area at 1pm and Cathay Pacific had already started checking passengers in.

I approached a very helpful agent and explained the likely problem I had.

A very tasty pad Thai enjoyed in the Tujuwan Business Lounge

I had realised that on RTW ticket 1, which would pause in Tokyo, would not see me leave until May, outside of the 90 day tourist visa period.

Obviously, my intention was not to enter Jaoam airspace at all, but to start RTW ticket 2 on the same day.

The helpful agent understood my problem and had to ask for support from her supervisor and her superviser needed to as for support from the big boss.

A smashing plate of chicken biryani and aloo gobi

Ultimately, the problem was that they could not check me in to Tokyo without having a boarding pass for my same-day departure from Tokyo, which I could not secure until tomorrow at the earliest.

We concluded that the best approach was for Cathay Pacific to provide me boarding passes to Hong Kong and on to Jakarta.

At Jakarta, I would have to go landside and ask Japan Airlines to check me in to my final flight to Tokyo and my first flight out of Tokyo on the same day.

An empty feeling Gate 1a awaiting board of my flight to Hong Kong

I finally got my boarding cards and my invitations to the various lounges. Cathay Pacific do not have an arrangement with the airport to provide access to Fast Track security, so I joined the normal line, which was fine.

Passport control was easy as well and I was shortly in the Tujuwan Executive Lounge, which was nice and empty when I got there.

It soon got very busy. The food on offer was tasty and offered a good variety.

I enjoyed a plate of pad Thai, followed by a plate of chicken biryani and aloo gobi. Smashing.

Some very colourful tail fins in evidence at the airport

I caught up with the Vickster and waited patiently for my flight.

My flight to Hong Kong was due to leave from Gate 1a, although the inbound flight was slightly delayed.

Based on the lack of passengers crowding the gate area, this wasn’t going to be a busy flight.

On board into seat 18K and I was lucky to have an empty seat next to me. This aircraft was an older version of the A330-300, so it didn’t have the newer individual lie-flat seats; it just had recliners organised in pairs.

Enjoying the space at the back of the forward business class cabin

I placed my order for drinks and food as normal. Bucks fizz appears to be my drink of choice on this trip.

We pushed back on time and it didnt seem that long before we had taken off. Drinks and nuts were served quite quickly, and the dinner service wasnt too far behind.

Flight:

BA4553

Equip:

A330-300

Sched Depart: