Merpati Airlines Indonesia

[AndreSmith 15]

I will shortly be departing for Raja Ampat and Triton Bay on MSY Seahorse. I will be flying in to Jakarta and then have got two more Merpati flights to get to Sorong.

Their website states 20kg checked-in luggage for economy - ouch!!, but says nothing about cabin luggage. Any idea what I can try to carry on?

Thanks, Andre

[pakman 0]

Best to check their website or travel agent and try to find what type of airplane they are using. I flew a Merpati twin turbo prop Fokker (but only between Bali and Bima). Very limited/small cabin luggage compartments... But then, back then I was just shooting a p&s...

 

http://www.merpati.co.id/

Edited January 17, 2008 by pakman

[Drew 0]

Depends on the load of plane. They usually don't mind 2 bags for foreigners IF you travel in a group. Mine gets shoved in the back since they never fit the overhead compartment. Overweigh luggage is relatively cheap... 2-4 dollars per kg. You can bargain a bit of the amount of overweight but I'd pay it without argument. This sort of prioritizes your luggage in case some official comes on and they have to throw someone's luggage off.

The most important thing about merpati is NOT to be aviation knowledgeable and ignore the duct tape.

[pakman 0]

The most important thing about merpati is NOT to be aviation knowledgeable ...

 

kind of like one of the passengers on our flight who happened to be an engineer. He had to go help the cabin crew close the cabin door properly...

[Drew 0]

And also like if you notice the plane is at full throttle and NOT lifting up for 5 minutes..because it's overloaded. Ignorance and denial is bliss. Had a friend who could do neither on his first Indo domestic flight and went into his hail marys while taking off. It was funny but not to him.

[bartusderidder 0]

Hi,

 

I flew Merpati (the Pigeon) from Manado to Luwuk (Central Sulawesi) in March 07 in one of those turbo prop machines. Staff from Lembeh Resort had to call/go back and forth several times to the Merpati office in Manado to finally get the me the right ticket (timetables can change any moment)

Overweight luggage came at about 1-2 USD/kg. Nobody seemed to mind my (overweight) Lowepro backpack + (stuffed) laptop bag...

On the way to Luwuk pilots closed the cockpit curtain (another passenger saw them smoking)

On the way back to Manado we had to wait hours for our plane to arrive, but eventually it arrived with some local pop star annex TV crew and a bunch of screaming girls

 

Right before take off pilot arranged some newspapers on the windows to keep the sun from shining to brightly into his eyes.

During take off and first minutes an Indonesian gentleman happily continued to use his mobile phone...

 

According to my travel agent I'm flying Merpati again: Manado - Sorong. Although on the way back from Sorong to Manado and onwards to Singapore I've been given the advice to stay overnight in Manado...just in case the flight Sorong - Manado has some delays

 

All part of the adventure, I guess

 

Best regards,

 

Bart

[pakman 0]

Well, if were going to share our Merpati stories, I should have mentioned we lost an engine on our return flight to Bali and had to turn back to Bima ... Half the Westerners either tried to rebook another airline flight and some even called in private charters from Bali as they absolutely refused to step back on the same plane... We were told it was fuel hose problem and not an engine malfunction... I was one of the gullible ones that believed them and took the same back to Bali... Merpati did put us up in Jakarta as most of had missed our connecting flights...

[bartusderidder 0]

...private charters? wow

How come they didn't invite you along on the private charter? you were wearing that cowboy outfit (cfr thread on waistcoat recommendations) :)

[vinny 0]

Usually the first flights and last flights of the day actually fly

the in between flights depend on how many passengers there are !

 

" It's Merpati and we'll fly if we want to

fly if we want to

fly if we want to!"

 

altogether now

[ornate_wrasse 0]

I'm flying on Garuda Airlines from Bali to Manado (the plane stops at Makassar on the way) this October.

 

Hope there are no horror stories flying this airline

 

Ellen

[bartusderidder 0]

I'm flying on Garuda Airlines .

Hope there are no horror stories flying this airline

 

Ellen

 

 

Lol,...Ellen...wonder why the European Union has blacklisted ALL Indonesian airlines, even though none of them actually fly to Europe ;-)

 

Just sit back, relax and enjoy the...

 

Bart

[scorpio_fish 5]

I'm flying on Garuda Airlines from Bali to Manado (the plane stops at Makassar on the way) this October.

 

Hope there are no horror stories flying this airline

 

Ellen

 

Being dangerously crappy is the Indonesian standard.

 

It's kind of like deciding which is worse; Liat, Caribbean Star, or BWI. Only worse.

 

You just have to hope you aren't the fifth dentist.

[okuma 64]

In November , we did the Seahorse in Triton Bay and used Merpati on:Makassar/Ambom/FakFak/Kimena and then on a leg out of Sorong.

When you board in Jakarta, you will get some charges. We travel with 4 - 68 lb. check on bags and got hit with about $30.00 US. These can be negoiated downward! Carry on was a back pack and a normal roll on for each with no weight in. However on the last leg, we had to put it in storage, but no charge. Each time the plane stops, observe and make sure your bags do not leave the plane!

 

EMail ahead and request room #6 or 5.

Say hello to Alberto and Chi-Chi for us.

We had a outstanding trip!

 

Allan & Barbara Jones

[bartusderidder 0]

...but you do get nice interior

[Drew 0]

Actually I really like the Merpati Papua Shirt. No one seems to sell it though.

[AndreSmith 15]

In November , we did the Seahorse in Triton Bay and used Merpati on:Makassar/Ambom/FakFak/Kimena and then on a leg out of Sorong.

When you board in Jakarta, you will get some charges. We travel with 4 - 68 lb. check on bags and got hit with about $30.00 US. These can be negoiated downward! Carry on was a back pack and a normal roll on for each with no weight in. However on the last leg, we had to put it in storage, but no charge. Each time the plane stops, observe and make sure your bags do not leave the plane!

 

EMail ahead and request room #6 or 5.

Say hello to Alberto and Chi-Chi for us.

We had a outstanding trip!

 

Allan & Barbara Jones

 

Thanks for the tips and I will convey the greetings!

 

Andre

[AndreSmith 15]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

Sounds like i may be better off to snorkel my way over there

 

I should probably not even dare ask about Lion Airways with whom I fly back from Kaimana to Jakarta!

[Drew 0]

Ohhhh Lion Air stories!

[davichin 18]

We are booked for the MSY Seahorse Raja Empat-Triton Bay trip starting the 5th of february and our flight schedule is:

 

5 FEB 08, Manado-Sorong by MZ 734 @ 05:00-07:25

 

16FEB, Kaimana - Ambon by IW 1503 @ 11:20-13:50

 

16FEB, AMQ-Ujung Pandang by IW 8787 @ 15:15-15:55

 

16FEB, UPG Denpasar by GA 545 @ 18:00-19:15

 

so we get to try Merpati, Lion Air and Garuda.....I won´t comment this thread with Luisa....!!!

[Drew 0]

Oh you haven't travelled in Indonesia until you take AdamAir(40% costs goes to maintenance and 60% fuel...wait that means your staff and other stuff don't get paid?!?), Batavia Air (lifting off is optional ) and Jatayu(Miss, is there a 'real' seat belt on this plane?). Lion, Merpati and Garuda are all considered Cat 2 airlines... they have 'minimal' safety standards, probably according to how many politicians own stock and how much they can bribe.

Then again, they are more reassuring than some of the 'planes' I've taken in Africa.

[scubamarli 5]

Don't get there too early. (I know, it sounds weird) If your bags get there first, they go on the BOTTOM of the pile. They load from the top. Run out of room, and you're hooped. Even if you bribe.

Cheers,

Marli

[ornate_wrasse 0]

Lion, Merpati and Garuda are all considered Cat 2 airlines... they have 'minimal' safety standards, probably according to how many politicians own stock and how much they can bribe.

 

Oh No! I was just ticketed on Friday for my up and coming flight on Garuda

 

When I was growing up, we used to call Allegheny Airlines "Agony Airlines".

Sounds like this is exactly what these Indonesian airlines should be called

[halimi 0]

I'm flying on Garuda Airlines from Bali to Manado (the plane stops at Makassar on the way) this October.

 

Hope there are no horror stories flying this airline

 

Ellen

 

Hi Ellen,

 

I've flown Garuda Airlines between Jakarta and Manado, with a stop at Balikpapan. Two meals were served, one during Jakarta - Balikpapan sector, then another full meal between Balikpapan & Manado. So far the flights I took were on time, the crew efficient and I've not yet experience any of my Garuda flights having technical difficulties during my trip to Manado / Lembeh Straits.

Edited January 21, 2008 by halimi

[ornate_wrasse 0]

So far the flights I took were on time, the crew efficient and I've not yet experience any of my Garuda flights having technical difficulties during my trip to Manado / Lembeh Straits.

 

That is indeed good to know! Maybe I'll be lucky and my flight experience will be as good as yours obviously was.

 

I took the liberty of visiting your web site where I read all about your experiences diving the Lembeh Strait.

Great images and great commentary.

 

Ellen

[Guest cor]

Lol,...Ellen...wonder why the European Union has blacklisted ALL Indonesian airlines, even though none of them actually fly to Europe ;-)

That's an insurance issue. It actually does influence european travelers because travel agencies are now no longer able to insure their (and their customers) travel through indonesia and the SE Asia region on Indonesian flights. In practice this means they will not actually book indonesian airlines anymore until the matter is resolved.

 

Privately you can ofcourse fly whatever you want (but again, you may have travel insurance issues!)

 

Cor