domestic indo flights

Depends where the flight is from and too.

If its to a remote island where only one airline flys in a small plane and there is only once or twice a week flights, id book a month ahead or more or you could miss out, expect to pay for boards on these flights and expensive sometimes more than seat.

If its just a normal flight route between citys and a few airlines fly that route then buying few days before or even that day is normally no problem and strangely enough some airlines/flights are cheaper on the day or even as gets closer to the day.

I generally book my flights say going to the area i want to get to, but after that i like to stay flexible so after that i often just turn up on the day at airport, never missed out on getting a ticket, but have had to go more expensive airline or had to wait few hours.

I must note i wouldn't risk it during Ramadan, like muslim xmas when everyone goes back to there hometowns, the dates change every year but 2013 its 9th july to 7th august always book ahead then and expect flights to be more expensive.

Unless you go over your baggage weight allowance you shouldn't need to pay any fees for boards

Weekend fights are also often more expensive.

Lion Air is generally the best price, but Garuda has the better safety record (but still not great)

Try to get morning flights if possible as arvo flights are often delayed (one flight delays the next kinda deal)

use ticket2.com as a guide but also check the airlines own website as sometimes there seems to be flights missing on ticket2.com that are on the actual airlines website???

Dont know anything about excess baggage, because I've never gone over as travel pretty light normally only travel with two boards in slim fit board bag, also have our own place in Indo so even have clothes and everything there, even got suspected as being a drug mule once because I came back to oz with only a small almost empty back pack as left my bards there they said i didnt look like i had been on holliday or business as traveling so light, so searched all my things and said I was suspected as drug mule, but offcourse was all good.

Price wise, sign up to jetstar, virgin blue, air Asia, tiger email list thing to get news on sales or on facebook can get some really good deals at certain times, often don't run for long though, most specials are to fly into Bali, rarely Jakarta, good deals to Singapore and KL both quick flights away from prime areas in Sumatra.

Personally I think jet star is the best of that lot followed by virgin, but that's just my view, I've never had any real problems with any of them though.

Singapore airlines are IMO easily the best followed by Garuda, Quantas are okay also, but those three are normally more expensive than others but sometimes there not, especially on return flights, return flights in general seem to be more expensive than getting there.

Hence I normally aim at getting a dirt cheap flight there and then whatever I can get back, if there all a similar price I choose Singapore airlines or garuda, they also give you a feed etc, while the cheaper ones charge you for anything and everything.

Lion air are definitely the go. I once flew with merpati from Bali to sumbawa and it felt like the plane was going to fall out of the sky. Plus no one on the planes board turned up. And on the way back we had an unscheduled stop in Lombok for 10 hours. Nightmare
Lion are good. No complaints
I took 4 boards but only told them 2 as they Try charge 100000 each board out of kuta and 200000 back in and they don't like to put boards on the plane over 6 foot so I just tell them my biggest board is 6 foot. Lie thought your teeth to save a few bucks

I have always booked mine through Skyscanner.com and it's been perfect
Indo travel agents I dare say will try and rip you off like every other prick over there

ive heard jetstar wont take boards over 6'3, true or false?
would either of you guys recommend booking domestic indo flights through an indonesian travel agent or online?

By: "desoutc"

Often book domestic tickets online and never had any problems mostly Lion air, never had a problem with Indonesian travel agents, just got to know rough prices, look online first, you can also book them at the airline counters at airport.

My longest board i take to Indo is 6,3 and I mostly travel jetstar, never had any problems only time ive ever paid for boards is on tiny planes and then its often real expensive, can be more than seat price or have to buy a seat for your board..yes true

I only travel with 2 boards in a real slim board bag though, so doesn't look long or isn't heavy, i just hate dragging big bags of boards around i like to travel as light as possible.

I think traveling with coffins in Indo kinda draws attention/excuses to charge for boards on any kind of transport.

went Oz to bali to lombok earler this year with garuda, all sorted through one of the 'surf trip' mobs...had a 6'8" coffin with shorter boards packed real well, bubble wrap and all as we'd had mates come back 2 weeks earlier with board horror stories. was told verbally 6'4" was the limit on the indo domestic flight but 6'8" was on the website...no dramas at all, and never even got asked. denpasar though...bus boys already knew we had a connecting flight and had our boards before they got to the carorsel...two coffin covers... about eight bus boys, all holding bits of the cover, and they were about to let go of them until we paid, one even said these exact words..."boards in one peice 50,000 each"(and pointed to the other bus boys) put a dampener on the rest of the journey wondering if our boards were gonna be ok.

desoutc wrote:
ive heard jetstar wont take boards over 6'3, true or false?

Yes 6'3" is the magic number for Jetstar but it depends on what route and therefor what aircraft, something to do with the cargo boxes being only 6'3" long so any bigger literally doesn't fit - I dont think you can even buy excess baggage on these flights. Other flights are fine. Read the fine print or you can look it up on the net, theres a forum somewhere that covers it pretty well.

In other countries Ive been asked to pay excess per board so always say there is only 1 board in your board bag and the slim fit with no fins is the way to travel.

Thats interesting about the 6,3 thing, will have to check it out.

Regarding coffins, i know some guys like to take a few boards with them, which i can understand.

But personally i think travelling with coffins you could have more chance of having damage done to boards by airlines, cause ive heard baggage handlers hate them as there big and heavy, so chances are they end up on the bottom of the luggage as they wouldn't want to be bothered lifting them high enough to put on the top of the pile.

Also being long and heavy, i think the mentality would be that they are not fragile, which is off course wrong.

While if you have a lighter, smaller, slim board bag say with just one or two boards, it actually feels kinda fragile and there easy to slide up onto the top of the pile.

Ive actually travelled to Indo with just a single PU board just in one of those light towel board socks and no damage at all.

BTW. only did this because my other board and board bag was already over there.

Flew with Jetstar to Bali in August. 8 foot board bag with two boards. No dramas, just kept under the 20kg limit for checked luggage. Pretty sure the limit from Oz is about 8'2" or 200 something centimeters. Think it is a bit shorter for domestic though.

Flew with Jetstar to Bali in August. 8 foot board bag with two boards. No dramas, just kept under the 20kg limit for checked luggage. Pretty sure the limit from Oz is about 8'2" or 200 something centimeters. Think it is a bit shorter for domestic though.

By: "jezza64"

If your travelling with an 8ft board i guess its always an option to brush the plane and paddle over?!?!

Jetstars limit out of melb. syd.on the bigger planes, is 9'0" (2.7m) took 3 boards biggest being an 8'4" 2 years ago, snuck it under the 23kg on a qantas ticket.

Last 3 years in succession with Garuda, Bali to Jakarta to Banda Lampung and back with an 7'6" coffin with 3 boards. Somewhere in the 20kg vacinity without any dramas. No questions, no extra charges and watched the boards being handled with care at all the airports.

Hooray. I have arrived as a Swellnet forum contributor by getting a put down from Mrs BP. :) board bag was 8'. Boards were 6'6" and 7'2". Tool.

welcome to the club

Dont worry about your board length just hope that the pilots not tanked up
ABC online : Citi link flight crew member just a little bit over the limit passing through security.