Job Discussion Forums

[Zorobabel]

Can I get a visa-on-arrival with a one-way ticket into Indonesia? I've been to Indonesia 3 times but I never paid attention to whether or not they checked for a return ticket.

[Fishy]

hello, a friend of mine had a load of hassle at the airport a few weeks ago as he had an open ticket with the return not yet booked. Best thing to do is print off a flight itinerary from the internet for a return flight just under a month after you arrive. Show them your itinerary and tell them it is an e-ticket and you should be ok. If things look like turning into a hassle you can always pay them few rups at any time and be happily on your way

[Zorobabel]

That's a good idea. Thanks. I'm doing the VOI, then the flight to Singapore a month later routine. But I don't want an open return ticket because I'm not planning to return to the US, but just make a flight to Singapore at the end of the contract. So I'll just get hold of an itinerary.

[gugelhupf]

At worst it is possible to book an onward flight using an e-ticket with a posh airline that allows you to cancel without penalty - Y class with Singapore Airlines is a good bet. Cancel it once you get here and get a refund on your credit card.

Those of a dishonest nature might even take the .pdf file of an old e-ticket and edit it using a bootleg Adobe software package (25ribu at your nearest shady computer shop) so as to change the dates, but of course I couldn't condone that.

[Zorobabel]

I printed out fake itinerary. If that doesn't work, I'll bust out the rupiah. But I have some friends at the airport so I think I can get through.

[gugelhupf]

You should have no trouble getting past the imigrasi woodentops with a printout and/or small financial gratuity. Good luck!

Depending on where you are flying from, however, you may have problems actually boarding the flight with a single ticket. A colleague of mine had a visit from a family member which turned VERY expensive when she was denied boarding from a US airport until she purchased a return sector ticket.

Check-in staff are a bit more switched on about what does and doesn't look like an e-ticket and in most countries are not easily bribed. The airline is liable for a fine if they land someone without proper travel documents.

[Gajah Oling]

I'm glad this thread was brought up, because I'm about to embark for Indonesia myself and have been considering my ticketing options.

Used to be there was no problem booking flights with a return trip 9 months down the road, but it seems my two favorite ticket sights -- CheapTickets and Travelocity -- no longer offer this option. (If I book now, I can select a return trip as far forward as January.)

I was also thinking about the one-way ticket option, but while it is quite easy to purchase an e-ticket one-way to Indonesia, the other direction is not possible. The nearest country which CheapTickets will sell me a one-way ticket from is Australia. Zorobabel, have you checked to see whether the site you bought your one-way will sell you one to return?

What does everyone else here do these days? Buy a one-way Garuda flight to Australia and then pick up from there to home?

[gugelhupf]

Booking e-tix online FROM Indonesia usually can be done on the airline website. Emirates, KLM, Etihad, Singapore, Malaysia and most other carriers (NOT Garuda or Qatar, though) will let you book online with a credit card issued anywhere.

Sometimes it can be cheaper to do it that way than to go through a 'cheap flights' website, though I'm sure there are some that will let you book from any point of origin - try expedia.

A bonus for booking online direct with the airline is that some - like Etihad - will let you choose a seat.

[Fishy]

getting a cheap one way ticket or eticket from indonesia is easy and seriously cheap. You can go online or into any travel agent here (where you will pay a little more) and you can easily get a flight to singapore or kl for about 500,000rp with jetstar asia or airasia.

I had no problem entering jakarta a few months ago on a one way ticket. My friend came in on an open ticket without the return booked and had to argue for 90 mins as he wouldn't pay a bribe. Show the itenerary for a flight leaving and you'll have no probs at all.

[pPamela]

Hi,
If you want to buy a cheap air ticket out of Indonesia, why not buy an AirAsia or TigerAir ticket over the internet to say Singapore with TigerAir from Padang West Sumatra or to Penang from Medan North Sumatra with AirAsia.
Think you can even print off before you get to the end ( if you know what I mean).
Good Luck
Pamela.

[Zorobabel]

"Zorobabel, have you checked to see whether the site you bought your one-way will sell you one to return?"

I'm actually not planning on getting a return ticket home. I'm just going to take a ValuAir flight to Singapore and back to Jakarta at the end of my contract. I have a friend in immigration, but you can never be too careful. Thanks for all the advice.

[Gajah Oling]

Thanks gugelhupf for the tips. Expedia does in fact seem to allow the purchase of a one way ticket from Solo to the US. In the end though I think I may just end up buying a round trip ticket with the longest possible return date and then extend my return date when the time comes.

Right now, unfortunately, the price of airline tickets is incredibly high. Seems to have about doubled since I last was in Indo in 2004.

Zorobabel, I envy your connects with imigrasi.

[-3E-]

I've been through mulitple times without an onward ticket and no hassles no fees. Of course I have to thoroughly explain why and what I am doing there.

[-3E-]

heh...

[TEAM_PAPUA]