Executive train tickets snapped up
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Holidaymakers who want to make their Idul Fitri journeys home in executive trains will have to fight for the remaining seats, as all tickets for departures between Nov. 21 and Nov. 23 sold out on Saturday, the first day of sales.
The Idul Fitri holiday, which marks the end of the Ramadhan fasting month, is expected to fall on Nov. 25 this year.
Unlike in previous years, when holidaymakers would have to book tickets in the week prior to Idul Fitri, state-owned train operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) opened the reservation ticket window for executive and first class trains on Nov. 1.
In a bid to ease the long queues during the holiday season, starting this year, PT KAI has also opened online ticket reservation services at seven train stations in Greater Jakarta and at its ticket reservation center on Jl. Ir. H. Juanda, Central Jakarta.
However, not all holidaymakers were aware of the new services. Saturday morning, a long queue was seen at the Juanda reservation center, which immediately halved at 10 a.m. after potential passengers were told they could book tickets at other locations.
"Had we known we could reserve tickets at other train stations, we would not have come here," said Budi who, along with his wife, had been queuing for two hours since 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot, to where the line extended.
"We could have bought our tickets in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, which is close to our home," he added.
Another holidaymaker, Wisnu, had queued from 6:15 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. before he got a single Sembrani train ticket to Surabaya. The ticket window opened at 7 a.m., and many customers rued the belated information on alternative ticketing centers.
Ticket scalpers and the stiff competition to get tickets on popular dates still have yet to relent, in spite of the tough ticket purchasing procedures applied at the Juanda center.
Less than three hours after PT KAI had opened its online reservation system, tickets for its top-of-the-line first class Argo trains sold out. In another hour, tickets for a number of trains departing on Nov. 22 had also sold out.
"When I arrived, there were only four people ahead of me, but all the tickets for Nov. 22 were already sold out. So I changed (my plans), and bought a ticket for the Nov. 23 train to Semarang," said Nia, who bought tickets for her and her husband from Pasar Senen train station, Central Jakarta.
PT KAI spokesman Zainal Abidin admitted that the company had yet to provide information services on ticket reservations. "But you can call (021) 386-2361 or (021) 386-2362 for detailed information," he told The Jakarta Post.
Although the service might be improving slightly, as most of PT KAI's regular customers know, there are always a number of shortcomings.
13 executive trains available during Idul Fitri
Train From To Ticket price Argo Bromo Anggrek Jakarta Surabaya Rp 220,000 Sembrani Jakarta Surabaya Rp 185,000 Bima Jakarta Surabaya Rp 200,000 Argo Muria Jakarta Semarang Rp 170,000 Kamandanu Jakarta Semarang Rp 150,000 Argo Dwipangga Jakarta Solo Rp 185,000 Argo Lawu Jakarta Solo Rp 185,000 Taksaka I Jakarta Yogyakarta Rp 150,000 Taksaka II Jakarta Yogyakarta Rp 150,000
Argo Wilis Bandung Surabaya Rp 165,000 Turangga Bandung Surabaya Rp 165,000 Harina Bandung Semarang Rp 100,000 Rajawali Semarang Surabaya Rp 100,000