Ticket requests begin to rise before 'Lebaran'

Annastashya Emmanuelle The Jakarta Post Jakarta

Although the Idul Fitri holiday is still three weeks away, airline tickets for domestic flights have been booked since October and the possibility of getting a seat two days before Idul Fitri will be almost impossible, travel agents say.

At some travel bureaus, domestic flights to routes such as Denpasar, Padang, Makassar, Medan and Yogyakarta have been fully booked for travel from Dec. 10 onward, with most passengers making inquiries months in advance.

According to travel agents, the upcoming Idul Fitri (locally known as Lebaran) and Christmas celebrations, which fall in the same month, are the main factors contributing to the scarcity of airline tickets.

"There are some seats available before Dec. 10, but for dates after that it will be difficult. Bookings after the 13th will be impossible," Monica, a ticketing agent from Smailing Tours, told The Jakarta Post.

On some routes, business class seats are still available, however the travel agents said they cannot guarantee any seats if bookings are not made soon.

"Some have had their bookings since late September for Christmas or Lebaran trips. People expected that it would be difficult to get a seat," a ticketing officer at Anta Express agency said.

There will be a rise in the cost of most tickets, prices of which will be announced later, she said.

As for bus transportation, tickets are not yet available as the bus companies are still waiting for the city's Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) to confirm ticket prices, which usually rise by up to 30 percent during peak seasons like Lebaran.

"We haven't sold any tickets for Lebaran, but the inquiries for tickets have risen by 100 percent compared to normal days," said Ria from the Lorena bus company, adding that the company usually transported around 600 passengers a day to various routes in Java and Sumatra.

"In our previous experience, we could be transporting up to 2,000 people for the Lebaran holiday," she told the Post.

Another bus company, Pahala Kencana, which serves routes in East and Central Java, also confirmed a rise in inquiries.

"We have been receiving inquiries since before Ramadhan, especially for the Central Java route," an employee said.

Travel agents said that the sale of bus and ship tickets could rise by more than 200 percent before every Lebaran holiday.

Ticket inquiries have also risen relating to sea transportation, but will only be available two weeks before the holiday.

Meanwhile, state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia spokesman Zainal Abidin said that the company would be providing an additional 14,628 seats per day, starting two days before Lebaran.

"But it also depends on the situation. If the load of passengers overwhelms the normal arrangements, we will provide extra seats," he explained.

It is estimated that 1.2 million people will leave Jakarta for their hometowns to celebrate the Idul Fitri holiday.