Job Discussion Forums

[uilleannpiper]

Interesting site about the safety of flying in Indo -

http://mfahmia2705.blogspot.com/2006/04/fear-factor-flying-in-indonesia-danger.html

[gugelhupf]

Ha ha! I can empathise with a lot in that article. I've even wondered if the tourism ministry shouldn't market our domestic air travel as a white knuckle adventure to rival bungee jumping and the like.

My roughest landing to date was at Benkulu with Sriwijaya Air. The runway is the absolute minimum length for landing a 737 so the moment the nosewheel touched down the captain dropped anchor with everything he had and the aircraft creaked and groaned as it bounced along the potholes - with accompanying shouts of 'Ya Allah!' from a few seats back. Most invigorating.

[wailing_imam]

WINGS AIR "Fly is cheap"

Jesus! They wasted no cash on flashy advertising or even a simple proof read of their three word logo. I felt my life was cheap as I got on one of their antiquated MDs by walking up a flight of stairs INTO the tail.

Flying in Indonesia is bloody horrible.

[Chester]

the budget airlines in indonesia dont have a problem flying.
the problem is when they land.

even garuda can be laughable in a sick sort of way.
i have never been on a garuda flight that departed on-time.
never.

one occasion was a classic.
delayed flight jakarta-denpasar

then flight disappeared from the airport flight boards.
flight had been renumbered and departure gate changed but they forgot to post it or to tell passengers.

later learned the flight number and departure gate from a customs security guard.

ANd the flight left 3 hours late after garuda had reportedly tried to change a faulty engine on the plane, but gave up after 3 hours. so they stuck us on another flight instead.

true story. so says the man in the pub

[uilleannpiper]

[guruengerish]

My worst experience was flying with Garuda, from Melbourne to Amsterdam, with a 'stopover' in Jakarta.

The stopover turned out to be eight hours, while they changed an engine. No offer of somewhere to sleep, just a bench, with loudspeakers blaring through the night.

My wife was less than impressed with my efforts to save a few bucks; we just stick to QANTAS now.

However, the longest delay was from Sorong, which involved a ferry trip out to an island where the airstrip is/was. Having risen at 4am, got out to the airport by 7am, for an 8am flight, I found the place deserted. They'd forgotten to tell me the flight had been cancelled, and suggested I come back the next day.

Jam Karet or just plain inefficiency, or a bit of both?

[uilleannpiper]

[guruengerish]

Oh yes, I forgot to mention the worst in-flight meal I've ever had.

It was a Bali - Jakarta flight, on Garuda again.

Lunch was served in those ghastly little white cardboard boxes, and when I opened it, inside was a warm Coke and a donut! that was lunch! Very healthy, very filling.

[Chester]

i flew to bali another time, garuda
ate some ayam for snack onboard.
had food poisoning for three days. d'oh!