Ticket scalping rampant at Polonia Airport
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra
Ticket scalpers at Polonia Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, have monopolized the market, forcing travelers to cancel domestic and international travel plans or pay twice the ticket price.
A disappointed M. Isfahmi, 21, said he was unable to travel to Jakarta due to the lack of tickets available at travel agents or the airport, despite searching for a week.
"None of the local airlines are able to provide tickets to Jakarta arguing they are all sold out, so I have to wait to July," Isfahmi told The Jakarta Post at the airport on Saturday.
"But what depresses me is the presence of scalpers at the airport who are offering tickets at double the price."
Maratua Simanjuntak, the chairman of the North Sumatra Provincial Legislative Council's commission VI on tourism and regional autonomy affairs, said he had been unable to fly to Penang, Malaysia, recently for similar reasons. He eventually traveled to Malaysia by boat.
Polonia Airport services and operational division head Kayan admitted that during the July school holidays many customers would be unable to get tickets.
He said PT Angkasa Pura II, the Airport operator, had failed to anticipate the 15 percent increase in demand.
In anticipation of the increase during the holiday season, national air carrier Garuda increased daily flights to and from Polonia Airport, increasing its capacity by 650 passengers.
However, prices would be increased from July 1 until July 21. A one-way economy ticket from Medan to Jakarta would be hiked from Rp 699,000 (US$84.3) to Rp 1,159,900 ($140), while a business-class ticket has increased from Rp 1,705,500 to Rp 1,893,600 during the period.
Prices will return to normal after July 21.
Garuda's general manager for Medan, Nasrizal, said it would request that anyone buying tickets would be required to show their identity cards and their names printed on the tickets to stop scalping.
Passengers whose identity cards differed from the names written on the tickets would not be able to board the plane, he said.