Flying from S'pore cheaper amid rising fares

20 Agu 2012 14:33:36

thejakartapost.com

Amid the costly air fares charged by domestic airlines ahead of Idul Fitri, many people living in border areas, like Batam, Bintan and Karimun, have anticipated the matter by taking direct, and cheaper, flights offered by international airlines from Singapore to return to Indonesia for the holiday.

An advertising company manager in Batam, Ababil Akbar Maulana, 31, who hails from Sampang, Madura, East Java, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that he was forced to think of other ways to return to Surabaya with his wife amid the expensive airfares from Batam to Surabaya. His regular travel agent suggested he return to Surabaya via Singapore, as the airfare was cheaper.

From Singapore's Changi Airport, domestic and international airlines serve a number of destinations in Indonesia, such as Medan, Yogyakarta, Padang, Pekanbaru, Jakarta and Surabaya.

"œI have been searching for flights to return home on Aug. 18 since the beginning of Ramadhan, but two airlines serving Batam and Surabaya have already set the highest fares. My friend then suggested I return home via Singapore, which turned out be cheaper by more than Rp 2 million (about US$220)," said Ababil.

According to him, two domestic airlines - Lion Air and Batavia Air - had set the fare for the Batam-Surabaya route at Rp 1,840,000. The fare was the highest, which had been set by the Transportation Ministry. He added that if he were to buy a return ticket, it would have cost him Rp 7,360,000.

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