How I Found a Roundtrip Ticket to Bali for Under $700

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I almost closed my browser thinking it was a glitch. There it was: a $690 roundtrip ticket to Bali from Los Angeles, on a full-service carrier, with good connection times. These flights usually cost $1,200 or more, and here was one for around half of that.

After over a decade of hunting down cheap flights to Asia (and probably too many late-night price comparison sessions), I’ve cracked the code on finding these hidden deals. Trust me, my friends don’t call me their “flight whisperer” for nothing!

Here’s exactly how I found it, and how you can replicate this approach for your own trip to Bali (or pretty much anywhere in Southeast Asia).

• ✈️ Pro tip: Want international flight deals sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for Going to catch deals like this Bali fare I just spotted. Their Premium membership alerts you to international and domestic flights (including Hawaii and Alaska), while Elite includes all of that, plus premium economy and business class deals. Use my code JON25 to save 25% on either tier.

🚀 1. Set Alerts with Going

Here’s what most people get wrong about finding cheap flights to Bali: they wait until they’re ready to book, then panic when they see those $1,200+ fares. I used to do the same thing until I got smart about it. Now I let Going do the heavy lifting of monitoring routes and alerting me when there’s a real deal.

My strategy was simple but effective. I set alerts for flights from multiple US hubs to Denpasar (DPS), including LAX, SFO, JFK and SEA. The best Bali flight deals tend to pop up from these major gateways first, and you can often save hundreds by starting your trip from one of them. 

That’s exactly how I caught this fare – Going alerted me to a $690 roundtrip from LAX to DPS. While deals like this often last up to a week, I’ve learned it’s always better to book when you see a price you like, especially for bucket-list destinations like Bali.

👉 Pro Tip: Business class flights to Bali can sometimes be only $800-1000 more than economy. While it’s not common, I’ve seen business class fares as low as $1,500-1,800 roundtrip through Going Elite. Trust me, it’s worth considering for a 15+ hour journey.

💳 2. Use Points and Miles

I missed out on peak summer flights to Bali twice – until I got smart about using points. Chasing cash deals is fine, but having a solid points strategy means you’ve always got a backup. I’ve learned to double-track my flight hunting (watching both cash fares and award availability). This approach has saved me thousands, especially during peak seasons when cash fares skyrocket.

The key is focusing on flexible points programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards. These let you transfer points to multiple airlines serving Bali, so you’re not locked into one carrier’s award calendar. For example, when I find United wants 100,000 miles for a ticket, I can often transfer the same points to Singapore Airlines or Turkish Airlines and book for 75,000 or less.

I recommend starting by picking one flexible points program and learning its transfer partners. Once you understand which airlines serve your route and how their award charts work, you can spot the real deals – whether they’re in cash or points.

👉 Pro Tip: Award flights to Bali often have better availability if you book through Asian carriers like Singapore Airlines or ANA, rather than U.S. airlines. Plus, they usually charge lower fees and offer better service.

📆 3. Travel During Shoulder Season

Bali is a dream year-round, but if you want to save money on flights and skip the crowds, shoulder season is the way to go. I booked my trip in late April, just after the rainy season and before the summer tourism surge begins.

The cheapest fares of the year cluster in January through March, and February consistently ranks as the single cheapest month for both flights and hotels, with fares in that window running as much as 50% below the July-August peak, according to Traveloka’s 2026 Bali travel guide. Here’s the honest trade-off: that low season overlaps almost exactly with Bali’s wettest stretch. December through February is the rainiest run of the year, with January the single wettest month, per Wego’s rainy season guide. Mornings tend to stay clear, with the heaviest rain arriving in short afternoon or evening bursts, but it’s still a real gamble if your whole trip depends on unbroken sunshine.

One of the perks of using Going is that they send deals all year long, not just during peak periods. That makes it easier to catch shoulder-season flights when prices drop and availability opens up.

Personally, I love visiting Bali in early October. The weather is usually dry and clear, the summer crowds have vanished, and you can get photos at Tegalalang Rice Terrace without hundreds of other tourists in frame. Hotels run at around 60% capacity, which means better service and often spontaneous upgrades. Even popular beach clubs like Potato Head and La Brisa have same-day availability.

Shoulder season also brings out more of what makes Bali special. Local markets feel less touristy, temple ceremonies are more intimate, and conversations with locals feel more personal than transactional.

👉 Pro Tip: Book your hotel after you’ve secured your flight. Room rates often drop closer to your dates, and many hotels offer last-minute deals to fill empty rooms.

🌏 4. Strategically Choose Stopovers

Sometimes, the best way to save on flights to Bali is to not go straight to Bali. Stopovers are one of my favorite tricks – not just for cutting costs, but for turning a long-haul flight into an adventure.

I’ve booked some of my cheapest flights by adding a stopover in cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or even Tokyo. These hubs not only break up the journey but often have lower fares than direct routes. For Bali, I’ve seen roundtrip deals with a free multi-day stop in Singapore for the same price as a nonstop ticket.

The secret is to use airlines that offer free or low-cost stopovers. Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines are excellent for this. For example, I once snagged a ticket with a 3-day Singapore stopover at no extra cost by booking directly with their site. Not only did I save on airfare, but I also got to explore two destinations instead of one!

Not every hub is equally practical from the US. The airlines that fly to Bali break down into a handful of reliable connecting cities, and who serves each one changes which stopover actually makes sense for you:

Connecting Hub	Carriers to Denpasar
Singapore (SIN)	Singapore Airlines, Scoot: nonstop from JFK, Newark, LAX, SFO and Seattle, then a SIN-DPS hop under 3 hours, the shortest last leg here
Doha (DOH)	Qatar Airways: nonstop from 12 US cities, more than any hub on this list, though the DOH-DPS leg runs about 9.5 hours
Hong Kong (HKG)	Cathay Pacific, HK Airlines: nonstop from SFO, LAX, JFK, Chicago, Boston and Dallas, then about 5 hours on to Denpasar
Taipei (TPE)	EVA Air, China Airlines, Starlux: EVA and China Airlines both fly nonstop from LAX, SFO and JFK, then roughly 5.5 hours on to Denpasar
Seoul (ICN)	Korean Air, Garuda Indonesia: Korean Air and joint venture partner Delta combine for up to 18 daily US-Seoul flights, then about 7 hours on Korean’s 787s
Tokyo (NRT)	Garuda Indonesia: the only nonstop on this leg, about 7.5 hours, with Japan Airlines codesharing the same flight
Kuala Lumpur (KUL)	Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Batik Air: the busiest route into Denpasar on this list, but no US airline flies nonstop to KL

Routes and nonstop US gateways checked in August 2026 from airline and airport schedule data. Carriers add and drop routes seasonally, so reconfirm before you build a trip around a specific stopover.

Doha gets you the most nonstop options from the US, but the final hop to Denpasar is the longest on this list at around 9.5 hours. Singapore flips that trade: fewer nonstop US cities than Doha, but by far the shortest last leg. Tokyo only makes this list because Garuda Indonesia flies it nonstop; without that one flight, Japan wouldn’t be a practical connection at all. Kuala Lumpur sees the busiest traffic into Denpasar of any hub here, but it’s not a realistic first stop from the US since no American carrier flies there nonstop, so treat it as a second hub once you’re already in Asia, not your opening move.

👉 Pro Tip: Going’s travel experts source incredible routes with stopover options, including Thailand with a stop in Abu Dhabi or Paris with a stop in Iceland. And remember, sometimes shifting your trip by just a day or two can unlock a better route with a free bonus city.

🛫 5. Fly With Budget Airlines

Most travelers miss one of my favorite money-saving strategies. While there aren’t direct budget flights from the U.S. to Bali, you can get creative by mixing traditional and budget carriers to build your own ultra-cheap route.

I just spotted a ZIPAIR deal on Going for SFO to Tokyo at $581 roundtrip. From Narita, Garuda Indonesia flies nonstop to Denpasar every day, the simplest way to finish that route. AirAsia can also get you from Tokyo to Bali, but only as a connecting itinerary through Kuala Lumpur, since it doesn’t fly the Tokyo-Denpasar leg directly, so factor in a third flight (and a longer day) if you go that way instead.

Going has even found direct flights to Tokyo from SFO for as low as $202 roundtrip. Combine deals like these with budget carriers, and you can piece together an incredibly affordable journey to Bali.

Just remember to give yourself plenty of buffer time between flights (I always do at least 4 hours), and calculate baggage fees when comparing prices. Sometimes the “more expensive” traditional carrier actually costs less once you add in all the extras.

Here’s the real math behind that buffer-time advice: a 50-pound checked bag on ZIPAIR’s US-Tokyo routes runs about $59 each way as of August 2026, according to Going’s ZIPAIR guide, and AirAsia charges separately for its own leg on top of that. Add those fees to two or three separate check-ins and a full day of connecting, and the gap with a one-stop full-service fare shrinks fast. This kind of routing rewards travelers who are already comfortable with long layovers and budget-style trips, the same crowd that’s more likely to base itself in one of Bali’s social hostels than a beachfront resort. If comfort matters more than squeezing out the very last dollar of savings, a one-stop full-service fare on Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, or Qatar Airways gets you there with one boarding pass and, usually, a checked bag included.

👉 Pro Tip: Budget airlines typically charge per leg for baggage. Book one larger checked bag instead of multiple carry-ons. It often works out cheaper and gives you room for Bali souvenirs on the return.

📅 6. Be Flexible with Travel Dates

Flexibility is your best friend when it comes to finding cheap flights to Bali. I’ve scored my best deals by adjusting my departure by just a few days or being open to flying mid-week instead of weekends. My Going alerts have shown this pattern consistently. Being flexible with your dates is often the difference between an okay deal and an incredible one.

Midweek flights (Tuesday through Thursday) consistently show the best deals. I’ve also found that red-eye flights from the U.S. West Coast are often cheaper, landing you in Asian hubs like Singapore or Tokyo by evening. This is perfect for catching low-cost morning connections to Bali.

The real power move? Combine flexible dates with flexible hubs. Sometimes flying out of LAX on Tuesday but back into SFO on Wednesday saves more than a traditional roundtrip. Sure, you might need a short positioning flight. But trust me, saving $400+ makes it worthwhile.

👉 Pro Tip: Bali’s low season (January to March) is when fares drop the most. Going Premium can help you catch these deals early, so you never miss out.

🛂 One More Cost to Plan For: The Bali Tourist Levy

One cost that has nothing to do with your airfare still belongs in your travel budget. Indonesia charges every foreign visitor a one-time IDR 150,000 (about $10) Bali tourist levy, separate from any visa fee, which goes toward cultural and environmental preservation projects on the island. The simplest way to handle it is through the official Love Bali portal before you fly: pay by card and keep the QR code voucher it emails you. You can also pay at a counter in Denpasar’s arrivals hall if you land without it, but that means a line you could have skipped.

Stick to the official lovebali.baliprov.go.id domain. Lookalike sites have popped up charging well above the real fee, and the government only ever asks for IDR 150,000 per person, once per trip. That levy is separate from the broader arrival paperwork every visitor to Indonesia now has to file online before landing, so plan on handling both before you board, not after you touch down in Denpasar.

✈️ Bali Flight Deal Checklist in 2026:

• ✅ Set Going alerts for major hubs (LAX, SFO, SEA, JFK)
• ✅ Track both cash fares and award space
• ✅ Look at shoulder seasons: April–May or Sept–Oct
• ✅ Consider stopovers in Tokyo, Singapore, or KL
• ✅ Mix budget + full-service airlines (ZIPAIR + AirAsia, etc.)
• ✅ Use flexible points (Amex/Chase) for backup options
• ✅ Be flexible on departure city and day of week
• ✅ Budget IDR 150,000 (about $10) for the Bali tourist levy

Looking to travel internationally in 2026? Use my discount code JON25 to save 25% on a Going Premium Membership.