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

By Nige on January 29, 2026 at 9:36 pm
Type: Post
Story: Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026 Category: Travel
Tags: Cathay Pacific | Denpasar | DPS | Hilton | HKG | Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific only operated a single daily flight from Denpasar, which was the return leg of the Hong Kong service I’d taken a couple of days earlier. As a result, check-in facilities at Denpasar Airport were fairly limited.

Check-in was scheduled to open at 1:20pm, three hours before departure, so I aimed to arrive at around 1pm on the basis that check-in desks almost always open a little early.

I ordered a Grab taxi for the very short journey to the airport. There was no point arriving sweaty for the sake of a £2 fare.

I was hoping to collect boarding passes for the final three flights of Part 1 of my first RTW ticket: today’s flight to Hong Kong, followed by flights to Jakarta and on to Tokyo Narita the next day.

From Tokyo, I would be transferring straight onto the first sector of my second, nested RTW ticket back to Jakarta.

When I reached International Departures, the terminal was noticeably busier than it had been earlier that morning when I’d walked through Domestic Arrivals in search of Starbucks. It now felt very much like a classic holiday airport, with families heading home.

I worked out where Cathay Pacific would be checking passengers in — counters B13 to B19 — and briefly spoke to a Cathay rep in the hope that she might be able to get me checked in early.

No such luck. She simply confirmed that check-in would open at 1:20pm.

With time to kill, I decided I may as well treat myself to a second Starbucks of the day. As before, I placed the blame squarely on the airline.

Starbucks then committed two unforgivable sins: first, a short measure; and second, no caramel drizzle on top. Honestly — what is the world coming to?

When I returned to the check-in area at 1pm, Cathay Pacific had already started processing passengers.

I approached a very helpful agent and explained the likely complication.

The issue was that my first RTW ticket technically “paused” in Tokyo until May, which would have put me outside Japan’s 90-day tourist visa window.

Of course, I had no intention of entering Japan at all. I was simply transiting straight onto RTW ticket number two on the same day.

The agent understood the problem but needed help. She spoke to her supervisor, who then escalated the issue to the big boss.

Ultimately, the obstacle was that Cathay Pacific couldn’t check me in to Tokyo without proof of same-day onward travel from Tokyo — something I wouldn’t be able to obtain until the following day.

We agreed that the most practical solution was for Cathay Pacific to issue boarding passes only as far as Hong Kong and Jakarta.

Once in Jakarta, I would need to go landside and ask Japan Airlines to check me in for both my Tokyo flight and my onward departure on the same day.

With that resolved, I finally received my boarding passes and lounge invitations. Cathay Pacific didn’t have an arrangement for Fast Track security at Denpasar, so I joined the standard queue, which moved along quickly enough.

Passport control was straightforward, and before long I was inside the Tujuwan Executive Lounge. It was pleasantly quiet when I arrived, though it soon filled up.

The food selection was solid and varied. I enjoyed a plate of Pad Thai, followed by chicken biryani and aloo gobi — a smashing combination.

I caught up with the Vickster and waited patiently for boarding.

My flight to Hong Kong was scheduled to depart from Gate 1A, although the inbound aircraft was running slightly late. Judging by the lack of crowds at the gate, this was clearly not going to be a full flight.

Once on board and settled into seat 18K, I was lucky enough to have the seat beside me empty. The aircraft was an older A330-300, so instead of individual lie-flat pods it featured paired recliner seats.

I placed my usual order for food and drinks. By this point, bucks fizz had firmly established itself as my drink of choice for the trip.

We pushed back on time, and it wasn’t long before we were airborne. Drinks and nuts arrived quickly, followed shortly by dinner.

The starter consisted of a side salad with a very nice dressing and a cold chicken dish.

For the main course, I chose kung pao chicken, which came with a sachet of chilli sauce — very nice indeed.

Dessert was served from the trolley, and I opted for strawberry ice cream and cheese, which rounded things off nicely.

I spent part of the flight doing some client work, during which I also received an eye-watering legal fee estimate for another matter. Had I not been wearing a belt, I might genuinely have fallen out of my seat.

The flight passed fairly quickly. I started mentally rehearsing how I would persuade Japan Airlines to check me in before enduring a five-hour wait in Jakarta while counters opened.

My plan was to take the Airport Express again on arrival, travel one stop to AsiaWorld Expo, and walk along the covered walkway back to the Regal Skycity Hotel.

I dislike waiting for buses I have no control over.

We arrived at Gate 61 in Terminal 1 at Hong Kong International Airport.

Next up: Late evening in Hong Kong on Day 12 of my Round The World trip of a lifetime.

---

Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026