So much for all the confected outrage over Bali

Remember all the talk about how Australians (and holidaymakers from other nations) would boycott visiting Bali?

The confected outrage, particularly strong on social media and in the tabloids earlier this year, followed the death penalty being imposed on two convicted Australian drug smugglers, who were shot by a firing squad. 

Villa Sungai in Bali is popular with Aussies

Australians would be disgusted, we were told, never to return to the holiday island. Travel editors declined to run stories on Bali. 

But the indignation was, predictably, short-lived. 

This week we were told that Qantas will resume flying to Bali later this year to tap into the premium travel market for holidaymakers.

Qantas Boeing 737s will run between Sydney and Denpasar four times a week from December 4 to January 29, 2016, supplementing Jetstar's already strong schedule. 

Qantas is selling the flights as a "full service, premium travel option direct to Bali" with inclusions of checked baggage, in-flight entertainment and food and drinks as key differentiators against the cheaper Jetstar fares - and there will also be business class seats. 

Tickets are now on sale, with business class return fares from $1,933 and economy from $733.

"We know how attractive Bali is as a holiday destination, so through efficient use of our aircraft, we’ve unlocked more domestic Boeing 737 flying time," said Qantas International CEO Gareth Evans.

"It means we can give customers more choice and cater for the spikes in demand we see over the summer peak." 

Luna2 is a popular Bali destination

Jetstar, meanwhile, is offering $89 one-way tickets between Darwin and Denpasar as a special this week. No doubt those tickets will be snapped up in no time. 

So it appears not that many Australians care (if they ever did) that Indonesian president Joko Widodo has said there will be no clemency for more than 60 people convicted of drug offences still on death row in Indonesia. 

The fact is that Australians like holidaying in Bali - it is warm, cheap and welcoming. And you should never back against self interest no matter how much the media tries to stir up a storm.