anak_negeri

Good day everyone!

This is my 2nd trip report, after my 1st report with Air France (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...e-jakarta.html).
Once again, my English is not very good, so there will be more images than words.

I will separate this report to 3 parts.
Part 1 = July 24 (From Jakarta to KL by KLM) = post #1
Part 2 = July 25 (Around Putrajaya and a journey to Johor)= post #2
Part 3 = July 26 (Accros the Causeway to Singapore and return home) = post #3

BACKGROUND

Unfortunately AF withdrew their service to Jakarta about 3 weeks after that journey. Now I only can try their sister, KLM, which still flies to Jakarta daily, with 1x stop at Kuala Lumpur. KLM still also flies to Denpasar with 1x stop at Singapore.

I was surprised that KLM offered a great deal on CGK-KUL route, only IDR 500.000 (about USD 37) for one way. It was even cheaper than LCCs like AirAsia or Lion Air. Then I decided to take a short trip to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, July 24-26.

PART 1
July 24, 2016
Jakarta - Kuala Lumpur by KLM PH-BVP Boeing 777-300ER

This is the flight details on FR24.


Sunday, July 24th. I arrived in international terminal of Soekarno-Hatta Airport, about 3 hours before boarding. I tried to find money changer in the airport, but the exchange rate was really terrible, so I decided to withdraw Malaysian Ringgit at the ATM on KLIA later. Since I arrived at the airport very early, I needed to wait 30 minutes before KLM opened their check in counter. The check in queue was not so long. Around 10 people in front of me (during the queue) were Malaysian. I could easily identify them by their Malay language.


*the AF sticker still there









After check in, I went straight to the immigration counter to get my passport stamped. Then I waited for boarding at Gate D2. The aircraft had been arrived from KL, with registration code PH-BVP. (After Googling I just knew that this was a new aircraft, starting operation this year).
Unfortunately I couldn't take photos of it properly, the aerobridge was "blocking" our view. On the left side, Emirates A6-EBH was ready for its departure to Dubai.










The D2 waiting room was so crowded. Based on my sight, majority of passengers were Dutch and Malaysian. Dutch and Malay languages were heard everywhere. Only a handful Indonesians, I was among them. I didn't expect that there would be many Malaysians departing from Jakarta at that time, but personally I think the KL810 schedule was suitable for them.
Finally it was time for boarding. At the aircraft, KLM cabin crews welcome me and other passengers very warmly. Most of them were "seniors", just like in other European carriers. To reach my seat, I had to cross the business class area.





Then the economy class situation was like this.










I sat at seat number 59G, on the aisle side. At my left side, there was a Malaysian couple. We had a short talk in Malay. They asked me basic questions like "where are you going?", "how long will you stay in Malaysia?", and others.
Passengers were complete, we were ready to depart. The IFE was playing safety instructions in graphic animations. Very interesting. The video was in English with Dutch subtitles.





Due to flight traffic in Soekarno-Hatta Airport, we still had to wait before take-off. But the IFE could be used. It had a great selection of movies, TV serials, and musics. "Batman vs Superman" was in the headline. There were also European, Asian, and Latin American movies. I tried to connect my cellphone to the USB jack on the IFE. It can detected my files, but couldn't play them. I did not know why.












Finally at 19.30 (Jakarta time, UTC+7) the aircraft flew to the sky. The weather condition was good. 30 minutes after take off, cabin crews are ready to serve our dinner set. There were Chinese-style fried noodles, pickles, a Dutch-style dessert (I don't know its name), and a bottle of mineral water. Then they gave me a Dutch bread and apple juice separately. Not bad.



After dinner, I took photos of the safety card, magazine, and its toilet.









And finally the KLM landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The time in my cellphone was 22.10 (Malaysia time, UTC+8). The landing was very smooth. Then our aircraft reached KLIA apron, opened its doors, and finally it was time to say goodbye to this beautiful PH-BVP.











Since the KLM was parked at the satellite terminal, we had to go to main terminal by a people mover. Immigration counter and baggage carousels were located at main terminal.













Actually, I've never visited KLIA again since 2007, since most of LCCs (AirAsia, Lion, Tigerair, etc) moved from there. And I was still curious about their departure area. This was the sight at the departure area. There was a long queue of Emirates passenger at its check in counter.



With my low budget, I had planned to stay at the airport terminal building tonight. But I wasn't sure about this KLIA condition, so I moved to KLIA2 by KLIA Express Train. My Indonesian friends told me that it was better to sleep at KLIA2 terminal.











Not surprisingly, AirAsia dominated KLIA2 sights.





Finally I took a space at KLIA2's foodcourt, then slept peacefully.

OK, that was my story with with KLM. Since my budget is still not enough to fly to Amsterdam, I just tried it for short trip to Kuala Lumpur.

I will continue to part 2 and 3 soon.



*BONUS: 2 days after that, at Jul 26, I met the PH-BVP aircraft again at Singapore Changi Airport

anak_negeri

July 25, 2016

I woke up at 6.00 a.m. As I was still at the KLIA2 foodcourt, I bought a "roti canai" (one of Malaysian favorite breakfast dish) and a glass of "Teh O" (hot sweet tea), and I had to continue my online business as usual.

At 8.30 I left the KLIA2 and took the KLIA Transit train to Putrajaya. From the train I could see KLIA2 main terminal building. Very impressive.















About 20 minutes later, the train reached Putrajaya Sentral station, Putrajaya's transport hub. From here I continued my journey to Putrajaya's Great Mosque by city bus. It was very cheap, only RM1 (about US$0.30).





Putrajaya was a modern city developed by government of Malaysia, where majority of federal government institutions headquarters, including Prime Minister's office and most of cabinet ministers' office, were located here. It was located between Kuala Lumpur and KLIA, and close to Sepang F1 Circuit.

The city bus stopped in front of Masjid Putra, Putrajaya's main mosque. At that time I visited the mosque, there were some Chinese tourist groups. The Masjid's building and location were both amazing, there was a lake behind the mosque, and close to it was Prime Minister's office.





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Behind the mosque was a large lake. Across the lake, we could see a beautiful bridge called Seri Wawasan Bridge, and Istana Darul Ehsan, a royal residence of Selangor state.







And this was Prime Minister office, which was occupied by current PM Najib Razak. In front of it was Dataran Putra (Putra Square), with a Malaysian flag pole surrounded by 14 flags of Malaysian states & special teritorry.






Across the bridge to the south, there were some huge government office buildings, including Minister of Finance building.






Then I returned to Masjid Putra. It was lunch time. I entered a food court at the left side of Masjid Putra. I ordered "Nasi Goreng Pattaya", a Malay-style fried rice wrapped by omelette. Sorry, it was not too delicious, but enough to fill your stomach.




Then I took Putrajaya bus, returning to Putrajaya Sentral. My next destination was Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), a large-scale bus terminal of Kuala Lumpur. From there, I would take an express bus to Johor Bahru, a city in southern tip of Malay Peninsula close to Singapore. It was about 310 km from Kuala Lumpur.
Our bus left TBS at 2.15 p.m. Nothing special during this journey, I was just curious about Malaysian double-decker buses. But there were some interesting views from the Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (North-South Expressway).
























Finally our bus reached Larkin Bus Terminal, Johor Bahru, at 6.25 p.m. It was a crowded bus terminal, and the condition was not so convenient. Some people offering taxis or car rentals, but I refused since the hostel where I would sleep that day was very near.




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Then I walked to Double K Hostel. I checked in, the recepsionist gave me room + locker key. I had booked a bed at dormitory room through the internet. Very cheap, only RM 25 (about US$ 8).





It was time for dinner. After cleaning my body at the shared bathroom, I went to find anything delicious. Close to the hostel was a restaurant named "Mee Rebus Stulang Laut". It sold a Malay-style noodle soup with a bit Indian flavor. Worth to try. Actually "mee rebus" is one of my favourite Malay dish.



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Finally I finished my dinner, going back to the hostel and take a rest. I was really tired, last night I only slept about 2.5 hours at KLIA2 foodcourt.

Continue to part 3.

anak_negeri

July 26, 2016.

Thanks God, I woke up safely today. I went to the hostel's lounge to have a free breakfast. Only 2 slices of bread with peanut jam.
While I was enjoying the breakfast, a bad news came. My AirAsia flight from Singapore to Jakarta tonight was rescheduled from 6.30 p.m. to 8.45 p.m. I just worried, if I arrived in Jakarta very late, I couldn't catch the bus to go home. But at least I would have more time in Johor Bahru and Singapore.

Time to check-out. From the hostel, I went to Larkin Terminal. Actually I waited for a bus to Legoland and Hello Kitty Town, but it didn't come. So I decided to go to Johor Bahru city centre. I took the Maju bus no. 208. When I entered the bus, I was surprised that the audio was playing an Indonesian "dangdut" music.







The bus stopped at JB Sentral, a main bus stop at Johor Bahru city center. It was surrounded by JB Sentral Train Station, 2 shopping centres (City Square & Komtar JBCC), and Bangunan Sultan Iskandar immigration complex, an immigration post before leaving Malaysia and entering Singapore across the Causeway.

Then I entered Komtar JBCC to "cool" myself a little bit. There was "Angry Birds Activity Park" here, something like an indoor activity zone. But I didn't enter, the ticket was expensive.









Lunch time. I decided to have a lunch at Komtar JBCC's foodcourt. There was a Mamak (Muslim Indian) stall. Actually I wanted a briyani, but the waiter said that it was not ready. So I ordered a fish curry with plain rice.





Then I left the mall, entering the immigration complex to have my passport stamped.


From the immigration building, I took the Causeway Link bus to cross the causeway, entering Singapore. It was not in the rush hour so that the immigration queue was not very long. There was no problems about my passport in both Malaysia and Singapore immigration.

From the Woodlands Immigration Complex, Singapore, the bus reached Kranji MRT Station. Then I took the MRT train to Orchard Road, where I would buy some stuffs for my family and friends.




Orchard Road was a popular tourist destination in Singapore with famous shopping centres (Tang's Palace, ION, Paragon, Ngee Ann City, Lucky Plaza, Wisma Atria, etc.).






To find cheaper goods and souvenirs, I prefered Lucky Plaza. Here we could buy 3-4 t-shirts with only S$ 10. Lucky Plaza was also a popular gathering place for Filipinos working/residing in Singapore. Everywhere we could see signs and ads in Tagalog, even there were some Filipino food stalls here.




From Lucky Plaza, I took a direct bus to Changi Airport. The bus went through Suntec City, and we could also see Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands building.












Before entering Changi Airport, there were signs showing the airport's terminal numbers and airlines.












Finally our bus arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 3's basement.






At the terminal 3's basement, I bought my lunch at the food court. I requested to "tapao" (take away), and I would eat it later before boarding.

From terminal 3, I went directly to the departure hall of terminal 1 by a people mover. When I passed the AirAsia check in counter, another bad news came. My flight was delayed again to 9.30 PM. Oh my God. Never mind, I would have more time in this amazing airport.

No need to check in. I had done the online check in. Here is my boarding pass.


















Then I went straight to the immigration counter to have my passport stamped. Before that, there was a security check. In the airside area, I requested the Wi-fi password, so I still could continue my online business, because I didn't buy Singaporean SIM cards. While waiting for my cellphone & laptop batteries charged, there was an interesting sight outside the window. Yes, the KLM PH-BVP which took me to Kuala Lumpur 2 days ago. It was serving AMS-SIN-DPS Denpasar route. Besides that, there were also another carriers like Jetstar, Thai AirAsia, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, etc.













There was still very much time, so I moved to terminal 3, the newest and maybe the most crowded terminal. There were more carriers parked here, but Singapore Airlines were dominant. More facilities here than in terminal 1, even there was a movie corner.





























Back to terminal, I went straight to the gate, but it was still closed. I had to wait about 40 minutes before it opened. Another security check took place here, stricter than at the immigration counter before.







Boarding schedule shown on the monitor was 9.30 p.m., but the aircraft had just arrived at 9.35. Its registration code was PK-AZG.





Behind it were Cathay Pacific, British Airways, and Emirates, while there was an Air France aircraft at the Cathay's left side. Seeing the AF reminded me of my journey with AF last February. That was in my 1st report.









Time to boarding. Entering the aircraft, we were greeted by Indonesia AirAsia cabin crews with "fresh" faces. Then I reached my seat at the window side. The take-off process was quick without long queue. At 10.15 p.m., the aircraft flew to the sky. Ten minutes later, we entered a bad weather situation, but only for around 7 minutes. After that, cabin crews started serving pre-ordered meals to those who had bought them by online. While they were serving meals, the cabin crews also explained the reason of our flight delay. That was because our president Mr Joko Widodo and his presidential jet was in Yogyakarta airport, so the area had to be sterilized.

The luggage compartment was decorated by an advertisement of a "white coffee" product, starring Lee Min-Ho, a popular idol of Korean TV series, especially by the "Boys Over Flowers" series. There was still a long time for landing, I decided to read their "3Sixty". There were 2 versions, a Malaysia version, and Indonesia AirAsia version, with different contents.











Finally the aircraft arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 3, at 10.50 p.m, and parked beside a Garuda Indonesia. No aerobridge, so we had to use a bus to reach Terminal 3 building. There was still a queue for immigration, then my passport was stamped. Here at the airport I had a dinner while waiting for my bus taking me to my home.













30 minutes later, the bus arrived, and reached my home around 1 hour 30 minutes later.

This is the summary of my trip with AirAsia.



OK, that's my report for now. I'm sure I will wrote another reports here.
Thank you for reading.

anak_negeri

Finally completed. Waiting for your comments.
Thank you.

michlflyer

Thank you for sharing.

You certainly seem to have had an energetic two days away.

It's nice there are still tail leg sectors like the KLM one you flew on, giving people a chance to try airlines they might not necessarily fly on.

anak_negeri

Energetic??? I'm not sure about it, hahaha.

You're right, KLM can be alternative for CGK-KUL route. But actually the CGK-KUL schedule is not suitable for many Indonesians (the arrival time is 10.00 p.m), although there are still AirAsia and Lion Air arriving later. The KUL-CGK schedule is better.

Even I'm not believe that KLM ticket price sometimes can be cheaper than AirAsia (without luggage fees).

Unfortunately, once again, Air France had stopped its route to Jakarta. It means that KLM today is the only European carrier operating to Jakarta regularly.

El Regina

I really love your photos especially those from Putrajaya.

Nice TR anyway ^

anak_negeri

Thanks for your comment.