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Old Dec 27, 2011 | 9:08 pm
  #634  
MegatopLover
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20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: DL SkyMiles PM/2MM, AA Plat, IC Diam. Amb., Peninsula regular, amanjunkie
Posts: 5,849
Originally Posted by MegatopLover
FWIW, I went ahead and booked the service. They've told me they'll meet us upon disembarkation from the aircraft. Although the cost is not great, I'm not one to just throw away forty clams per person, so I hope the service delivers some value. Since it's our first time passing through CGK, I suspect it will at a minimum help us get sorted.
Here's my report on how things went:

We were slightly delayed leaving Bangkok for some reason, the door closed and everything ready to roll but we went nowhere for a good 20 minutes. That started to make things feel tight in terms of making our connection. We landed at CGK and taxied to a remote parking stand. Upon disembarkation down a flight of airstairs, we were taken into a GA van for Executive Class pax and driven a good distance across the field to a door that led into the International Arrivals pier. From there, we walked down a hall and were met by the Aman Concierge Service. The entire hall was stark empty-- no pax at all at Visa on Arrival, regular Immigration desks, nothing. The Concierge whisked us this way and that, and took my passport and $25 in cash US dollars for the visa on arrival, as well as Mr. Megatop's passport to get the regular stamp. We were shown down a side area (not that it mattered) and past the regular immigration desks. The Concierge caught up to us and waited with us at the baggage carousel.

GA delivered the bags very quickly. I noticed baggage boys pulling the Exec Class bags off the belt and taking them to a small waiting area, where I gather we could have waited. Once we retreived our bags, the Concierge took the cart and led us to the Customs check. Hand-carry baggage only was put through the x-ray. Then the Concierge took us to the GA transit desk, where he left our bags in GA's hands for sending back outside (they were through-checked in BKK for JOG but we had to retreive at CGK, similar to the procedure in the US). He showed us upstairs to the departures hall and walked us straight to our seats in the GA lounge, which was pretty comfortable, all things considered.

After thinking our connection was tightening up, I was pleasantly surprised to get a good 30 minutes in the lounge to chill out and have a light bite. At departure time, we walked out to the GA domestic departure piers, clearing security on the way. The small departure lounge held a couple of flights. When ours to JOG was ready, a crush for the door began, no priority call (in English anyway) or lane. Once through the gate's doorway, we went down a flight of stairs. Another van was there waiting for Executive Class pax, though you had to know to identify yourself/ask for it. The van took us back to the remote stands, the plane adjacent to the one we arrived from BKK on.

At JOG, another van took us for a very short drive (we could have walked easily) from the airstairs to the Executive lounge, then dark and pretty much closed. The amanjiwo staff asked us to wait there, not really explaining why or what was going on, offered us drinks and asked for the baggage-claim tags (a clue!). We waited about 10 or 15 minutes after disembarking, then were told that our bags had been claimed and we were all set to go. When shown to the amanjiwo car, our bags were already loaded in the back, and we climbed in. We drove out of JOG at the stroke of 9:30 pm, and we pulled into amanjiwo right at 10:30. Though less scenic, the drive was much smoother and faster than the longer winding road from SOC.

For our departure, we left from amanjiwo at 5:45 am and made it to JOG at 6:45 am, though morning traffic was starting to choke up in Yogyakarta. When we return to amanjiwo, we will definitely route through JOG again and would recommend it to anyone.
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