Jakarta immigration and onward check-in question
 

Hello - Just doing my homework for an itinerary next year. After doing SIN --> Jakarta (CGK), we intend to continue onward on a separate ticket for a domestic Garuda flight departing 20 min after midnight (00:20hrs).

There are two evening flights SIN-Jakarta which are of interest. The first SQ 964 leaves SIN @ 17:20 and arrives Jakarta 18:05 which would give us 6h15min to pick up our bags, clear immigration and head to Garuda to Check-In. The second SQ 966 departs SIN @ 18:40 and arrives Jakarta 19:25 which would give us 4h55min to pick up our bags, clear immigration and go to Garuda to Check-In. On Flightstats, both have a fair-to-good on-time rating with an average delay of ~12-15 min. But for example a couple of days ago 966 was 1-1/2 hours late.

Anyways... the obviously safer bet would be to just book 964. But is there great peril in booking 966? I would imagine on an ordinary day 4h55min would be enough to pick up our bags, do immigration and head over to Garuda to check-in, and we could even stomach a 1.5-2 h delay on 966. What I don't know is how long the administrative stuff would take after landing in CGK. The SQ flights arrive into Terminal 2 and the GA flight departs Terminal 3. Furthermore, there could be schedule changes between now and next year... and I just read a none-too-flattering account of immigration queues in Jakarta. https://loyaltylobby.com/2017/07/26/...pasar-airport/

Thanks

How about taking Garuda from SIN to CGK, and putting the next leg on the same ticket? That way, you will be protected, and when you book the ticket, the agent can tell you how much time you need for your connection.To make predictions about times needed at the airport is fruitless, because flight delays can occur anytime, anywhere. My husband and I were recently flying back from Charlotte, South Carolina to Los Angeles, and the not too bright gate agent couldn't get the passenger count right, thus causing an hour delay.

I have a motto: If I can't get my connections on the same ticket, then I stay overnight, and that goes for both directions. Even if I have trip insurance, I don't want to be stranded. I am in a similar situation for my September trip to Indonesia. I am taking Cathay Pacific from Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Denpasar, Bali, but I am actually headed to Sulawesi. I decided to stay two nights in Bali and do some hiking, which to me, is preferable to biting my nails while trying to get my connection.

I think you’ll be all right with the almost five hour layover. SQ flights are mostly reliable and if they should be delayed ground staff are helpful.

Have you asked SQ if they will check your bags through to your final destination?

Though immigration lines can be longish in Jakarts they are generally efficient. If you don’t plan to stay in Indonesia more than 30 days you most likely can enter visa free which speeds the process up. In that event don’t stand in the visa on arrival line.

I havent taken the new sky train between terminals. It should be fast but often in Indonesia signage is unclear. The Garuda terminal is vast so expect a long hike to your gate.