Looong time lurker so first off a big thank you to FT and the BA forum for a wealth of info. Everything from ex-EU and other “interesting” flight patterns that allow me to maintain my status now that I foot my own travel bill, to tips for using ITA matrix (h€ll before FT I didn’t even know the matrix existed), to claiming TPs and Avios in irrop situations and, well, just about anything useful one needs to know about flying BA (and OW carriers) and navigating BAEC. Thank you!

I pretty much never do the social media posting thing, but having just completed 2 AUH-CGK runs over the past week I decided it was time to leave the shadows, as it were, and formally join the FT community. I certainly would not have known about, let alone managed to navigate, runs to CGK without the benefit for FT. And I was fortunate to interact with a few TP runners on my first set of flights in particular: to my fellow lurker who started at LHR with us (on the ill-fated, 7 1/2 hr delayed flight to AUH), I hope your time in Sri Lanka and Dubai has been good. And to whom I believe is vintagepilot (based on VP’s post of 17 Nov), well met at the CGK customs form counter - and thank you for mentioning that the forms exist in English! We would probably still be at the counter trying to fill in the Indonesian form! 😜

Prior to doing my AUH-CGK runs, I read through this thread on the TP run and pulled out what I thought were the useful tips from others for navigating the airports (none of which I had flown through before), the CGK taxi rank, etc. In an effort to pay it forward I will post up the crib sheet I created for myself to do the run - hopefully it will be of use to some other newbie CGK runners.

Thanks again FT!

As mentioned in my previous post, in an effort to pay it forward I am posting up the crib sheet I created for myself to do this run - hopefully it will be of use to some other newbie CGK runners. First off, thank you/apologies to the prior posters, this started as a crib sheet for reference during my TP run, thus I copy/pasted directly from previous posts - if you see your words reflected back at you please don’t take offence but rather accept my gratitude for providing useful info for a fellow TP runner. That being said, I have update my crib sheet a bit based on my experience, but this is still principally a compendium of previous comments for navigating the airports, lounges, taxi rank and the like. Note that I did not do a b2b at AUH.

AUH Check in

• Go to the left hand side of T1 where there is a general business check in counter, not necessarily restricted to UL. (Or if walking thru the airport from the Premier Inn, look for the business/first check in signs BEFORE you hit the general check in counters.)
• F/J check in desk WILL issue BPs before the 3 hour mark (if no bags to check) - not sure how much before but got my BP at about 7:15p for the 11p flight. No issue with “early” lounge access.
• Dedicated “fast track” passport and security lanes
• HAVE YOUR CREDIT CARD WITH YOU unless you have done the UL email CC check. I had the CC check for the first run - flights paid for with Curve - but not the 2nd run, but would not want my trip messed up because I didn’t travel with the right card.
• Check-In staff at AUH can evidently do the credit card check for an upcoming flight when you're there checking in for a different one - can’t personally comment on this, but would be important for b2b-ers
• Using the dedicated premium check in took no time at all, even with the first time CC check, had BPs within, at most, 10 minutes - then straight thru to immigration and security

AUH Lounge

• The lounge at AUH is the Al Reem / Al Dabhi Lounge which is run by Plaza Premium and pretty good with a full bar and decent hot options. Chose to eat in the lounge and with the hope of getting a bit of sleep on the AUH-CMB leg. No issues on my runs gaining access a bit ahead of the 3 hr window

Flights

• Bring own amenity kit and eyeshades - hit or miss if you get this on UL flights
• Skip the food on AUH-CMB flight if you want to sleep - it’s a relatively short flight so not much time to nap after the food service
• Food and drink were pretty good across all my flights. NB the veggie breakfast option CMB-CGK was quite dry, opted for the chicken and green tea soba on the next turn and it was very tasty and light.

CMB transit

• CMB is quite a small airport - if you get a gate w/ a jet bridge, head to the centre of the airport and turn right (past the tea, etc shops) to the Serendib lounge (Near gates R1 to R5). Lots of food and drink options if one is interested, but I opted to just eat on the flights
• CMB has security at the gate with no fast track and it is an absolute zoo so give yourself enough time. NB: if seated in row 1, the overhead bins directly above have no storage space (taken up with UL equipment) so if you have a bigger bag you might want to board earlier rather than later.
• If it's a bussed departure from CMB (clue: the downstairs gates, R1-R5), J-class passengers are the very last ones to be picked (by a dedicated bus). If you are last minute, let one of the supervisors know and he/she will facilitate your passage through security. This can be a successful ploy if you are simply impatient and have a J-class bc
• Note that on our last return to AUH, we were about 15 minutes late arriving, and left via a bus gate. Security for the bus gates was a mad scrum, only 2 security lines for 5 gates - we made it through security OK but only because we lucked into the right line when we went downstairs. So if you leave via a bus gate on the CMB-AUH leg, suggest you look at the line for security before assuming you have time to pop into the lounge.

CGK arrivals and customs

• Upon arrival into CGK, try and grab a golf-buggy to Passport Control. It is free, and tipping is hugely frowned upon (there's a sign) - it's much quicker than walking
• If you are blessed with a passport entitling you to visa-free entry as a tourist [such as a UK passport], then no form is required: your passport scan, supplemented by direct questions, will provide the information required. Be prepared to be asked if you are a tourist: don't prevaricate, reply firmly that you are - otherwise the right to a visa-free entry evaporates.
• say Tourist and nothing about Tier Point runs or anything as they will think you are there for business. Just say tourist, how long you are staying and smile
• The CGK immigration queues seem bad, but the line seems to move at a steady pace. Look for the “foreigner” queue
• You need to fill in a customs form, UL won’t provide them. Look on the right hand side about half-way down the baggage reclaim area or at the far end of baggage reclaim, dead ahead
• English language customs forms do exist, but you need to hunt for them. Otherwise the desk where you pick up the forms has a translation telling you in English the info you need to input.
• Have a pen handy, none of the pens on the customs form desk worked when I went through
• IF you are doing MULTIPLE runs, grab extra customs forms for the other legs of your trip so you can fill them out in advance

CGK taxis to hotel

• While at the airport lift some money [ATMs ahead and a bit to the left just before you formally leave the customs area (after you have handed across your customs form)] if you plan on using Grab/taxi, get change from the shop in the airport as the drivers don’t always have change of the 100k notes
• it's not necessary to have the bluebird app for just going from airport to hotel and back. At the airport one just go at the taxi pickup area 3 [exit the airport after customs, turn left and walk for a bit] pick a slip from the queuing machine, cross the road and wait your turn. From the hotel just ask front desk/concierge to call a taxi. Standard fare for Jakarta "centrum", per other posters, is maybe 175.000/185.000 idr or 12 eur.
• Jakarta traffic is actually that bad, even on the weekend it's at least 45 min from the airport to the Center.

CGK Check in

• UL use Check-In Desks C5-C9 - between entrances 2 and 3 at T3
• There is Security upon entry, but only for your baggage.
• The check in agent may ask you for a visa to get to AUH just say Tourist Visa on Arrival - other posters report having to prove they had onward flights home, but that the BA App was sufficient in this regard. [NB: this did not happen to me, but I keep it in the crib sheet just in case]
• There is no Fast Track for UL passengers, but look for the Ladies Only Lane at security if applicable - which can be shorter

CGK Lounge and UL boarding at CGK

• The lounge is the Sapphire premium lounge between Gate 4 and 5 - perfectly acceptable. There are some live kitchen options as well as a small buffet through the back.
• Each time UL used gate 3 or 4, so from the lounge you could see when the plane arrived and got to the gate.
• At CGK UL processes the Y cabin first, and then lines the passengers up along the gangway. Once this is done, UL calls for J boarding and you walk past all the Y pax and end up boarding the plane first. So no need to rush at CGK.