I am planning on flying Jakarta-Pontianak on January 21, 2009. From Pontianak I will be either flying (if I can buy a ticket on Batavia) or busing it to Kuching. I then pick up my business class award return via KL, MNL, NRT, LAX back home to PDX.

My dilemma is that I have found a cost effective one-way CGK-PNK on Mandala Air. 643,000 rupiah all in (about $65 US). Unfortunately, just like Garuda they only accept Indonesian credit cards. When I called their call center the agent suggested that I get an Indonesian friend or family member to buy my ticket. Since I have no relations in Indonesia nor in fact do I know anyone who lives there that was a completely ridiculous suggestion. He told me then to buy it in Jakarta the day of departure.

My other option is Garuda whose Indian call center has quoted me $240.00 finally reduced to about $170 when I told him that I found it on www.expedia.com for about $150.00. I truly hate to spent the additional $85 especially based upon Garuda's business practice of trying to get the most out of the passenger. Additionally Mandala's baggage allowance is 30kg while Garuda's is 20kg.

Does anyone have a suggestion as to a method to book both the Mandala and Batavia tickets from the U.S? I will be in Singapore for SinDo and will be taking a group to Batam on January 15 so I could buy tickets there at an unknown price. This would mean that I will have to abandon a group of FTers for a couple of hours while I attempt to sort it out in Nagoya. Apparently, these type of tickets are not bookable in Singapore where my credit cards are valid. Actually, from experience in Bali and Batam, my credit cards are also valid in Indonesia.

So your help is requested.