Advice: flights to Sorong and Indonesian travel agents

[gee13]

Luko Have you tried the Sing-Manado-Sorong option?

I flew to Sorong via Manado Wings and it was an afternoon flight. Sing to Manado can be done via Silkair.

I now book Indo Domestic via Perama Tours/

All that way and Only 4 days in RA???

 

[Luko]

Luko Have you tried the Sing-Manado-Sorong option?

I flew to Sorong via Manado Wings and it was an afternoon flight. Sing to Manado can be done via Silkair.

I now book Indo Domestic via Perama Tours/

All that way and Only 4 days in RA???

Can't use Silkair which flies saturday morning, while I'm arriving Singapore saturday evening. I'd loose 2 days then (next flight on a monday), plus Silkair is the ultra expensive option (340USD OW pp. to Manado!).
Well 4 days is better than 0 days, plus it would be ideal for me as I'm not sure my wife would like it, therefore it's a first attempt. Afterwards we're going for a week on Bangka island. So I'll fly Sorong to Manado with WingsAir too.

 

[Geoworld]

We flew from Singapore to Sorong last month...the SilkAir flight lands in Manado in the afternoon and unfortunately you have to overnight. We took an early flight to Sorong on Merpati the next morning. (There was also an Express Air flight). Returning was easier...Lion Air (Wings) to Manado connecting to the Silk Air flight to Singapore. (We were supposed to have a 3-hour layover in Manado, but the flight from Sorong ran 90 minutes late).

I am flying Silk Air from SIN to MDC (Manado) and arrive in MDC at 13:05, then catch a Lion/Wings Flight same day at 14:25 direct to Sorong. On Return I catch an Xpress flight from Sorong to Manado and again, connect same day to Silk Air back to Singapore.

 

[cephalopod2]

Hey Luko,
I just did Jakarta-Ambon-Sorong with Lion/Wings - it worked well. I much preferred it to a redeye out of CGK. My flights were [FONT=&amp]JT886 (05:10) and [/FONT][FONT=&amp]JT1506[/FONT][FONT=&amp] (07:45)[/FONT].

I stayed over in Ambon before catching the 2nd flight (my flights can't be done in 1 day) but as I was flying out I met people who were flying Jakarta-Ambon-Sorong in one day having taken a redeye out of Jakarta.

The Jakarta-Ambon flight was a new plane with large enough overhead bins to fit my a Lowepro backpack that's right at the international size limits. I was thrilled. Ambon-Sorong is on a smaller plane with tiny overhead bins. Someone warned me about this. I carried my camera fully assembled rather than break it down, which meant I didn't have to worry about how the crew treated my backpack as much. Can't remember the luggage limits but I'm sure you can find that online. FYI second flight I found cold and wore a jacket the entire time (in case your wife gets cold) and there is no food served on either flight.

The wait for connecting passengers to depart Ambon was definitely more than 10 min the day I flew. Had to be at least an hour as they were there the entire time I was there. Our departing flight may have been a little late leaving. Hope that helps.

N

Has anyone yet taken the Jakarta-Ambon-Sorong flight with LionAir+WingsAir?
I can't fly the midnight flights leaving Jakarta... as I need some rest after an intercontinental flight to Spore then a connection to Jakarta arriving at 10PM.
Lionair happily sells a connecting flight on its website as a Jakarta-Sorong solution, leaving jakarat at 5AM arriving in Ambon at 11:50AM connecting with a Wings Air flight leaving Ambon at 12:30... which obviously cannot be done in 35mn. Only if..

I am wondering whether it's the same airplane that only changes its flight code with a short stop In Ambon and continues to Sorong.

Nobody could answer on that, Lionair doesn't reply, Chris at MauKeMana website (indonesia matters) neither. I'd really like to book my tickets solid but the connection schedules leaves me skeptical : is anybody in the know?

 

[Luko]

Thanks Natasha,
I am now back from Sorong still in Manado for a week.
The Jakarta-Ambon-Sorong connexion felt like a breeze, IN Jakarta, even the boarding time was up to the minute, something unseen in Indonesia even for long haul carriers, in Ambon, we had time to walk slowly to the transit hall, waited for maybe 30 minutes and that was time to embark. The flight was only 25% full, so lots of space.
I am happy we got this route so we've seen Misool and the southern archipelago from the skies, then the northern part flying to Manado.

One complaint with LionAir they have a loyalty card which seems always unavaible exccepot on a commando mission. As I am tired paying luggage overweight each time and as I had read that program gave 5kgs more allowance. I Asked for it at every LionAir desk, nobody could answer, it was always somewhere in Jakarta, finally I hired a cab in Manado to get to the LionAir office where after explaining 5 tmes my request to a chicken IQ level employee, she told me I had to show up 3 boarding pass to enroll LionAir fidelity program. Of course I had none although I had used three flights in the past week, I showed her my electronic tickets and asked her to look into her system but no, the oyster IQ lady had to have something to pin to her file, so that was a no again... Never heard about such a stupid process to enroll a frequent flyer program!

Also a bit disappointed with the mythical "so-wrong" airport... I exepected the worst but I can pull out a list on indonesian airports that are worse than that (except for the toilets), btw I stayed one night at the Royal Mamberamo hotel, highly recommended if you have to, the restaurant is top notch, probably one of the best indonesian I have eaten in my 15 years+ indonesian experience. The hotel is also walking distance from two tribal art shops, where I bought lots of "koteka" for gifts, 10 USD a piece.... .

 

[Wingy]

Ive booked online with air Sriwijaya and Lion Air without any hassles.