Travelers find Jakarta airport a chaotic journey

By I. Christianto

JAKARTA (JP): A security guard used a rolled-up newspaper to cuff several men jostling to grab trolleys from women at the airport's arrival terminal.

Onlookers appeared surprised or matter-of-fact about the scene.

"Get out, you're not allowed to enter," the guard shouted.

The men laughed and smiled. Minutes later, they were up to their old tricks when another group of unsuspecting women was about to leave the terminal. The guard yelled again.

It seemed a plaintive cry -- the thugs heavily outnumbered the guards on duty.

Welcome to the trials and tribulations of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The country's main gateway and many foreigners' first glimpse of this heralded land of smiles is increasingly an embarrassing source of grimaces.

Many are concerned by the spate of robberies on the toll road linking the airport to downtown. Complaints about customs and lost luggage abound.

Shoddy services and recent news reports about student demonstrators occupying airports elsewhere in the country threaten to deal a terrible blow to the already depressed tourist industry.

The airport may have won an international award for its architecture, but no honors are in store for its immigration counter, baggage collection, lounges and parking lots.

"Dealing with the official at the immigration counter, I thought I had suddenly lost my enthusiasm about coming home," said Helen, an Indonesian who has spent more than a year abroad. Traveling alone, she arrived at the airport last Saturday.

"The official asked me for a 'souvenir'. He said that one dollar would do. To me, it sounded like a demand rather than a polite request.

"Shortly after I finished with the immigration check, a group of men approached me. They roughly competed with each other for currency exchange. It was really scary."

It was only the beginning of her troubles.

"When I went to exchange for rupiah, I realized the rate was lower than the day's official rate, but I could do nothing but accept it.

"The most terrible experience was when I got out of the arrival terminal. I was looking for my friends who would pick me up. I saw a lot of men trying to grab the luggage from a group of women.

"I think the women were Indonesian migrant workers who had just arrived from overseas. I also saw that they (women) were also forced to exchange their foreign currency after they left the immigration inspection counter."

An airport guard admitted they were everyday scenes.

"Yes, the women are Indonesian migrant works and the men offer transportation to their hometowns outside Jakarta."

Although the unlicensed cab drivers target only returning female workers who generally work as housemaids, they are an annoyance.

Benny, a physician who frequently travels abroad, said he was irritated by the bedlam.

"It's horrible. It's chaos. People are scared of that. It's annoying to see men -- apparently unauthorized porters and illegal cab drivers -- force people to use their services."

For Vita, arranging to get back her lost luggage at the lost- and-found counter was a bitter experience.

"Actually it's not the fault of the airport nor the counter's officials. When I came to pick up my bag on the following day, a guard at the meeting-point area barred me from the counter unless I could produce my passport.

It's ridiculous... I knew I didn't have to bring my passport to pick up a lost bag at the counter as other identification cards are acceptable," she said.

"I was aware that the guard was asking me for money and when I refused he began to insult me."

Kasmin, a spokesman for PT Angkasa Pura II, the state-owned company which manages Soekarno-Hatta airport, said that the airport was happy with Angkasa Pura's efforts to solve the problems.

For example, "unauthorized people" are confined to an area where they cannot reach arriving passengers.

"For more convenience, travelers can now find counters for hotel reservations and transportation while waiting for their luggage," he said.

He also said that Angkasa Pura could do nothing other than warn illegal porters and illegal taxi drivers not to enter the airport area. Unlike the police, they are not authorized to arrest trespassers.

Tales of inconvenience from the capital's airport could further depress the tourist industry. The sector has become a victim of the economic and political turmoil in the country.

Several foreign air carriers have cut their flights to destinations in the country. News of riots, widespread crime and student demonstrations are discouraging people from visiting many parts of Indonesia, particularly Jakarta. Some countries have gone so far as to issue travel advisories.

More than 60 percent of the total overseas travelers traditionally use air transportation to visit Indonesia. Over 30 percent out of the total foreign tourists visiting Indonesia annually arrive at the Soekarno-Hatta. The country's second major entry point is Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali.

Recent official data shows that tourist arrivals in Indonesia reached only 2.9 million in the first 10 months of the year, a drop of more than 18.5 percent over the same period last year. Foreign exchange earnings from overseas travelers have plummeted by 19.5 percent to US$2.94 billion.

Tips

Here are some ways to navigate the pitfalls at the airport.

Refuse to pay illegal levies to any official at the immigration counter, but in case he or she is insistent, prepare the smallest amount of money in your home currency. Regard this as a charitable, voluntary souvenir.

Closely watch your luggage, especially when you are leaving the arrival terminal.

It is useful to keep some rupiah while abroad for the return to Indonesia. You can have exchanged some rupiah in the airport before departure. If you need to obtain rupiah in Jakarta's airport, exchange only a small amount, probably less than Rp 100,000. Using an ATM if you have a credit/debit card is often helpful as some of them have links with international payment system networks.

Poor transportation services at the airport are a chronic, notorious problem. Irregular public shuttle bus services, the many illegal taxicabs and the only toll road vulnerable to crimes holdups and robbery are some of the complaints. Try to have a friend or relative pick you up. If you wish to stay in a hotel, use the official counter for assistance.