Originally Posted by
LH7119
This is the most frustrating aspect of this thread. A lot of people never
experience any hassle. However, arriving after noon with all the LCC planes
arriving at the same time hell breaks loose. And the authorities know it, but
do not react. They have a maximum of 6-8 counters, of which 3-4 are
occupied. Why not staff more ? Seems to be Indonesian logic.
Oh, I think the logic is quite...logical. I suspect that immigration arrivals is deliberately understaffed in order to allow the VIP visa expediting services to make money off of passengers who will pay to avoid the waits; the services then split the proceeds with the immigration authorities. It could even be that behind the scenes the expediting services and the immigration authorities are one and the same.
In making this suggestion, I don't want to seem to be singling out Indonesia or Indonesians for corrupt practices. This kind of stuff goes on in all kinds of ways in many countries. It's just that visiting foreigners don't run into it nearly as much as citizens of those countries do.
Anyway, whether I'm right or wrong, and in a more constructive vein, over at Tripadvisor.com there are a couple of recent (July 25) posts re the VIP services still operating, though they don't specify the names of the services. Here's the link:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...port-Bali.html