Early Return Home Strategy Before Ticket Prices Soar
The Eid 2026 season is becoming increasingly felt during the middle of Ramadan. Early indications of people returning to their hometowns are already visible, including those who are getting an early start to avoid price hikes as Eid approaches.
Rina, 27, one of the prospective passengers heading to Semarang, deliberately took leave at the beginning of Ramadan. She believes returning home early is a solution to avoid difficulty obtaining tickets.
“Yes, I deliberately took leave at the beginning of Ramadan. The reason is that when it gets closer to Eid, tickets are usually hard to find and expensive. Besides, I also miss the atmosphere of fasting at home. For the last 4 years I have been fasting in Jakarta because of work,” said Rina at Gambir Station, Central Jakarta, Saturday (28/2/2026).
According to her, breaking the fast together with family is the moment she misses the most during her time away from home. She admitted that such an atmosphere is difficult to replicate if she had to break fast alone away from home.
“What I miss the most is breaking the fast with family. Usually my mother has cooked various dishes since the afternoon. In Jakarta, I usually break the fast alone in my boarding house,” she said.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Wiwid, 34, a migrant worker from Yogyakarta. She decided to return home at the beginning of Ramadan after five years without returning due to work commitments.
“I’ve had the intention since last year, and it seems this year I’ll go home during Ramadan. It’s been 5 years since I’ve gone home because of work. I also want to accompany my parents,” she said.
She admitted that sharing sahur (pre-dawn meal) with family is a strong reason for returning home earlier this year. “What I miss the most is being woken up by my mother for sahur. The first few weeks felt sad fasting alone,” she said.
Besides this, she missed the sense of community in her village, especially after Tarawih prayers. “After Tarawih, villagers don’t usually go straight home, but chat first. There’s a sense of togetherness that I rarely feel in Jakarta,” she added.
Meanwhile, Irma, 29, a retail shop worker planning to return to Bandung, said returning home during Ramadan has become her habit. She finds it difficult to get leave during the Eid period because of her work.
“I work in a retail shop, so I usually can’t get leave when it gets close to Eid because the shop is busy with customers. That’s why I’m taking leave now,” she said.
Irma admitted she wants to take advantage of this moment to enjoy the atmosphere of Ramadan with family, including ngabuburit (spending time together in the evening before breaking the fast) and hunting for takjil (refreshments to break the fast) with her younger siblings.
“In Jakarta, I sometimes break the fast alone in my boarding house. It feels different compared to at home, being able to gather and share stories with family,” she added.