Ambon - Tips for Airlines? We've been reading bad things.

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Addict

Contributor
Messages
169
Reaction score
2
Location
Colorado
Hi all,

We are planning a trip to Ambon and plan to fly into Jakarta (CGK). My wife and I will have camera equipment and scuba gear (Usually a checked bag, carry on and backpack). I have seen that the weight limits are quite low (20kg checked and 7kg carryon - will definitely exceed that on carry on weight), and read some horror stories about the airlines out of CGK (gross overcharges for bags, or being refused all together). I have read they do not take American credit cards in the airport, but it appears they do online - so I guess we should make sure we have cash for overages.

The airlines that we are considering are Lion Air and Batik Air (and maybe Garuda or Sriwijaya, but unlikely due to schedule). We are considering getting business class to try and avoid issues at the airport - would that help?

Any other airport or airline tips would help!

Thank you!

Chad
 
Suggest rechecking Garuda. They offer FREE 20 or 23kg extra weight allowance for scuba equipment. Last I checked they have a daily non-stop Jakarta/Ambon. Getting to Ambon is pretty straight forward. Getting out not so much, depending on airline. I usually fly Lion when Garuda is not available. Lion in Ambon is not set up to handle overweight at check-in. In Oct it took 2 of us about 45 min to check in & pay overweight once we were at the counter. We did have connecting flights, but they had serious problems calculating the weight charges. Using a very out dated computer system. So when you depart Ambon arrive at the airport at least 2 hrs ahead of time. The cashier only accepted Rupiah in Ambon. There is a nice transit hotel in Jakarta Terminal 2 above Gate E where I normally overnight, and ATM's nearby.
 
Garuda is better from CGK, for me it's a no brainer.
Flights are on time, you can buy your tickets online and even get a refund, no luggage surcharge with scuba diving equipment policy (you must declare that you have a bag assigned for diving equipment and beware that sometimes they may open your bag to check it's really that equipment, so put your fins on top of the bag), breakfast on board (at least a hot drink), same terminal as the airport hotel, which allows 30mn more sleep.

Lion in Ambon is not set up to handle overweight at check-in. In Oct it took 2 of us about 45 min to check in once we were at the counter. We did have connecting flights, but they had serious problems calculating the weight charges. Using a very out dated computer system.
Hey that's my experience from february and december 2012 ! :D.. except they had no more batteries for their pocket calculators, then he couldn't find the sheet for surcharge calculation, at one time the guy said out of the blue "it's 500kIDR!".... at least they're using a computer now LOL!
 
We flew into Jakarta arriving around 11PM and immediately made our way to the domestic airport where we caught the apx. 1:30 am Lion Air flight to Ambon arriving around 6:30 am. We did this route 2x and they never even glanced at our carry-on bags either time. They weighed far more than the 7kg allowed. In fact, both times they took the bags on the runway and put them in with the checked luggage , no questions asked. We arrived at Maluku Divers Resort at around 7:45 am and had a quick bite to eat and went off on the first dive of the morning both trips! Garuda is a better airline for sure but just know that we had no problems whatsoever on Lion Air. They even gave us the exit row seats since we were taller than most other passengers!!Have a great trip!
 
Wow - thanks for the tips (still listening if there are more) :)

I do have another question to add. I am looking at flights and I just don't understand. There are 6 total direct flights. 4 of them are 3h 30min, one is 4h 40min, and one is 5h 5minutes! :shocked2: Do some of these fly more 'direct' then the others? Do the longer ones take the 'scenic' route? (using: Flights)
:idk:
 
Hmmmm.. maybe some of them do make a stop somewhere??? The joys of domestic air travel in Indonesia!!!
Wow - thanks for the tips (still listening if there are more) :)

I do have another question to add. I am looking at flights and I just don't understand. There are 6 total direct flights. 4 of them are 3h 30min, one is 4h 40min, and one is 5h 5minutes! :shocked2: Do some of these fly more 'direct' then the others? Do the longer ones take the 'scenic' route?
:idk:
 
Oh - nevermind the "direct flight" question. (A direct flight in the aviation industry is any flight between two points by an airline with no change in flight numbers, which may include a stop at an intermediate point. The stop over may either be to get new passengers (or allow some to disembark) or a mere technical stop over (i.e., for refuelling).)
 
I took Garuda "direct" from Jakarta to Ambon last July. I can confirm it stops in Makassar for refuelling and/or picking up/dropping off passengers. I can also confirm the whole Garuda part of my trip (Singapore - Jakarta - Ambon) was on time, on seemingly brand new planes, booked online using a foreign credit card, with no questions asked about baggage.

By contrast, the Ambon - Nabire leg on LionAir was on a rickety old prop plane, booked via a local travel agent, with a very complex procedure for calculating and paying excess baggage fees. Partly just a function of travelling in the more remote reaches of eastern Indonesia, sure, but still the contrast was striking.

The other thing to bear in mind is safety. As various articles about the recent AirAsia disaster off Java have mentioned, Indonesia has one of the worst aviation safety records in the world. Aside from price and luggage allowance you should bear in mind that while still minimal, the chance of being involved in an air accident is statistically much higher in Indonesia than in most other parts of the world. Perhaps it's an illusion, but since they upgraded their fleet and rebranded a few years ago, Garuda gives the impression of a more modern airline than LionAir or any of the other Indonesian airlines I've encountered.
 
Garuda at the moment are the shining stars as far as planes and routes go in my mind for Indo but i have flown with Lion regularly and while their customer service sucks and their meal status confirmed on tickets means confirmed there is no meal, ive always landed. Have also flown with Sriwaya and Batik and landed. Flew with Susi Air once and landed. Others on Susi Air didnt land in a good way and I believe they were grounded for some time. I did notice a little Susi air plane sitting on the tarmac a few months back at Ternate so theyre flying still but id put them at the bottom of your list of carriers.

Id second most and go Garuda or Lion...domestic air travel in Indo is never straight forward.
 
domestic air travel in Indo is never straight forward.

And in a way that's a good thing - if Sorong had a decent airport and direct flights from major cities on proper planes, Raja Ampat would look like Benidorm. In time it might well. But for now, the remoteness saves it...
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

Back
Top Bottom