I’m live-blogging my SAS EuroBonus SkyTeam Million Mile challenge this week. Click here for background and route information.
We made it to Jakarta, where I hoped to check in for my Xiamen Airlines flight to Xiamen and proceed directly to the lounge for our four-hour layover. But who I was kidding…the inefficient transit process in Jakarta meant hours of wasted time. Indonesia could learn a lot from Singapore, Hong Kong, or Taiwan.
Oh Indonesia, Our Jakarta Transit Was Complicated…Needlessly Complicated
We arrived on-time on KLM at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport and followed the signs for international transit. Admittedly, I knew what was coming, but was still hoping we could visit the transit counter, pick up our boarding pass for the Xiamen Airways flight to Xiamen, and then just head upstairs through transit security.
There is a transit desk next to the visa-on-arrival counter. And it was staffed…
But the two ladies sitting at the desk rather smugly informed me that transit was for Garuda Indonesia (the flag carrier) passengers only.
Oh well, it was worth a shot.
I could have obtained an e-visa and then proceeded right to the immigration line, but I felt it was worth a try to see if I could transit without a visa. Nope.
Just for kicks, I went upstairs to the transit security and the folks were baffled to see us and shooed us back downstairs. I gather they are not used to seeing a lot of transit passengers!
So I waited in line while Augustine rested and purchased two visas for 35 USD each.
Even worse? I’ll have to do this again in a day when we fly Garuda back to Jarkata and then connect on China Eastern to Shanghai…
I checked on getting a multiple-entry visa and the cost was 3 million Indonesian Rupiah (about 188 USD at current exchange rates), so we just stuck to the single-entry visa and will buy another one when we fly through Jakarta again.
We waited in line…
and line again…
and then there was customs…
Outside, thankfully the check-in counter was open and we obtained our boarding passes, went through security again, and were stamped out of the country.
It all seemed so pointless…such a mark of a disorganized airport and government. Oh yes, yes indeed the people of Indonesia are lovely, so don’t get me wrong there…but I’d love to see Indonesia look to places like Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or even Thailand for a far better approach to transit passengers (you do not have to enter the country if just transiting and can check-in for your connecting flight on any airline).
But it’s part of the adventure…
In 2024 governments make a conscious and concerted effort to remain Third World.
I’ve been to Jakarta several times and as Matthew says, the people are wonderful but the city is a disaster.
@JH … +1 . However , they have their own way … give them some slack . They don’t hurt the transiting people .
How many people do they encounter going to Indonesia , then to China , then to Indonesia , then to China , back and forth , on the same trip ? My guess is None . Even FAs don’t do it .
I’m not sure that any Americans (writers or commenters) have the right to criticise international transfer procedures elsewhere when the USA is the world’s worst for this (i.e. it cannot be done at all)!
Having transited through CGK twice on Garuda-Garuda connections, I also didn’t really like it.
I did MEL-CGK-SIN and SYD-CGK-SIN once each. I had boarding passes for both flights, and ironically on the MEL-CGK-SIN trip, the plane that took me MEL-CGK was ALSO the same plane taking me CGK-SIN.
It didn’t stop the transfer staff from making me wait 30 minutes at the transfer desk for someone to come over and take a photo of me and my passport, and scan my bags once, just to take the escalator upstairs for ANOTHER bag check before being let into the departures area.
Wasn’t really pleasant connecting in CGK each time I was there, but there were the Flying Blue miles that I had on hand for those trips.
While I agree with you. It’s ironic for us, as Americans, to complain about this since sterile transit doesn’t exist in America
This “inefficient ” system was set up like this by design….to maximize income by charging transit passengers $35 each for VOA. EVERYTHING related to the government has a tariff (fees) or taxes…. and each government agency is tasked by the Finance Minister to bring in the income quota they set.
That’s why if you show to Indonesia with a passport that’s not in pristine condition…you will be refused entry and sent back on the plane you came on….and Indonesia Immigration will charge the airline $5,000 for allowing a passenger to get on that flight with a non-pristine passport. This a income racket….. to meet the income quota set by the Finance Ministry…..and you can Google this….
I remember when flights from Australia to Indonesia would have customs agent on board to process the visas of all arriving pax.
They do transit without visa, but it’s limited. Lots of details on this Flyertalk thread…
sorry forgot the link:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/asia/2160571-transiting-cgk.html
Get the eVOA online in advance and then use the e-gates. No queueing at all.
Or pay a vip meet and greet by Joumpa for abt $35 per pax and you have an escort that does everything for you and put you at the head of the queue. Joumpa is owned by the same SOE company that runs the airports so it is legit (not a bribe). I used them all the time when arriving in Indo.
If you hold up Thailand as an example of efficiency, then you know it’s bad!!!
There is eVOA available, but this writer chose the old ways and have the audacity to complain.
Yes, I knew there was an eVOA and even wrote about it, which you would have noticed if you had carefully read my story above. That’s not the point. The point is why should I need to purchase a visa and enter a country if I’m just transiting? It’s stupid in the USA and even more ridiculous in Indonesia.
Did you forget to mention that the US does this too and it’s much worse since you need to go to the US Consulate (with many of them still having long wait times) for a transit or tourist visa? Atleast you were able to get a visa on arrival here.
As an Indonesian passport holder living in the GCC, I feel your pain. I’ve had to forgo tempting airfares (or those with convenient schedules) because it would involve self-transfers in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. This means I would have to apply for a transit visa, which is inexpensive but impossible to obtain because they are only issued for transits of 8 hours or longer (not the 30-minute turn around I would otherwise have if travelling with a handbag only!)
So Ironic and arrogant for a US citizen to complain about this when the US doesn’t even give you the option to get your visa on arrival. Anyway I’m the one reading your blog and you have the right to be as ignorant as you choose
Such a foolish comment (of course, I knew it was coming..so predictable).
No one said the USA does everything best or even well.
It is absolutely disgusting what the US puts travelers through, even those who are just transiting.
That doesn’t justify the third-world transit experience in Jakarta.
I held up SIN, HKG, and TPE as the model, not any US airport…
Yes, I can do that, even as a US citizen. As if I control US immigration policy…
As USA citizens are not affected by the lack of international transfers at US airports, there is zero pressure on the government to mitigate their ludicrous absence.
Entirely avoidable by arranging the eVOA, customs and health declarations all in advance online and going through the e-gates. I recommend you try it on the second transit to see how different the experience is.
Having flown into DPS 4 times in the last 12 months and used the eVOA it’s a godsend compared to the lengthy visa on arrival queues.
Surprising how people mentioned about transiting ease of SIN, BKK, HKG but failed to mention KUL in the same nature. The reason why airports like SIN and KUL does gate side security partially is to take care of such transit woes.
As others have mentioned, get the visa online in advance and use the egates
Hire Jumpa fast track next time for 30 USD. Lifesaver…
Indonesia is getting better for arrivals /departures (with valid visa) via a large amount of E gates at Immigration. Even for me as a residency holder.
However I hear your pain. I was transmitting to/from Domestic/Intnl both ways and of course I had to pass immigration. It’s such a long terminal (3) and from Intnl arrival gate to Immigration then up to domestic check-in/ dep gate, I walked the full length of terminal 2 x times! Around 8,000 steps!
Your transit experience was rediculous.
You were lucky Indonesia allows you to get a visa on arrival. Years ago that happened to me in the Netherlands. I was only transiting but toget to the flight I needed to board I had to get out of the international terminal and go into the domestic terminal and I could only do that if I had a visa and they do not give Indonesians visas on arrival. The only place I could apply for a transit visa was in Indonesia. I had to buy a whole new ticket to get a flight that left from international terminal. You were actually lucky Indonesia was so accommodating as to let you have a visa on arrival.
Having stood in line from 05:35 to 08:05 to LEAVE Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), I’m unsympathetic.
Just because there are comparatively worse situations (I would agree), there is no justification for the third-world approach Indonesia takes.
I just did transit in Jakarta without paying the visa. I arrived from Malaysia with Trans Nusa company. I had evening flight with Turkish Airlines from Jakarta to Istanbul. I made online check-in for Turkish and had just carry on luggage. Both flight companies are arriving and departing from T3 terminal in Jakarta. Next to the visa counter is also transit desk. I showed my boarding pass for Istanbul and they let me go to transit without any troubles. Looks like it’s possible to transit without visa if you don’t need to change terminals and you don’t have to recheck your luggage or have just carry on baggage. Good luck
Thanks for that anecdote.
I wish it was easier to do OLCI in CGK…many carriers do not have it.