BALI AIR TRAVEL
The cardinal rule is book early, confirm and reconfirm often.
If you are told a flight is fully booked, go to the airport
anyway and stand in line. While Garuda's booking system is computerized,
the other local airlines' are not, and bookings evaporate at
the last minute all the time. However it is rare that flights
are completely full. Always keep the following points in mind:
1. It's practically impossible to get a confirmed booking out
of a city other than the one you're in. You can buy a ticket
and it may say you have a booking, but don't believe it until
you reconfirm with the airline in the city of departure.
2. Reconfirm bookings directly with the airline office in the
city of departure between 24 and 72 hours before your flight,
particularly during peak tourist seasons and Indonesian holidays.
Your seat may be given away if you reconfirm either too early
or too late (or not at all).
3. Make bookings in person, not by phone.
4. Get written proof or computer printout of bookings. Note
the name of the person who gives it to you so you can hold them
responsible if your booking "disappears".
5. Note the computer booking code or PRN (passenger record number).
Names have a tendency to go astray or be misspelled. Concrete
proof of your booking is essential.
6. If your name isn't on the computer try looking under your
first or middle names as these are frequently mistaken for surnames.
7. If you are told a flight is full, ask to be put on the waiting
list, and then go to the airport about two hours before departure
and the waiting list. Hang around the desk and be friendly to
the staff and you will probably get on the flight. A tip will
sometimes, but not always, help.
8. There are usually alternate ways of getting from point A
to B. For example, from Yogyakarta to Bali, if there is no space
left on the flights take the train to Surabaya and fly from
there.
9. Generally, students (12-26 years old) receive a discount
of 10%-25% (show an international student ID card), and children
between the ages of 2 and 10 pay 50% of the regular fare. Infants
not occupying a seat pay 10% of the regular fare. Be sure to
ask the airlines or travel agent.
• Garuda Indonesia's flagship airline
has been in business since 1946. It serves all major cities
in Indonesia and at least 38 international destinations. They
fly only jets, mainly wide-bodies, and the service is reasonably
good.
• Merpati, A Garuda subsidiary, with
a domestic network serving more than 160 airports throughout
Indonesia. Merpati (literally "pigeon") flies smaller
jets and turboprops (McDonnell Douglas DC-9s, Fokker VFW F-28s)
as well as turbo-props (Fokker F-27s, Canadian De Havilland
DHC-6 "Twin Otters," the Indonesian built Casa Nusantara
CN-235s and CN-212s, and Boeing B-737 jets).
Merpati is not known for its punctuality or its service, but
the airline does at least connect towns and villages across
the archipelago, in some cases landing on a grass airstrip in
a highland village of only 100 people that would take days to
reach by any other means. Consider yourself lucky that you can
even fly to these places.
Merpati's standard baggage allowance is 20 kg for economy class,
but some of the smaller aircraft permit only 10 kg (after which
excess baggage charges of $1/kg apply).
