Minimum flight connection time in Makassar / Ujung Padang ?

[cephalopod2]

Does anyone know? I can't find any info online.

Here's my problem: I need to fly Ambon-Sorong in March, but as far as I can tell, there's only 1 flight a day (have no info on ExpressAir due to their dead website). Like Interceptor121, I want at least 1 emergency back up plan.

Only back up I can see would be to jump a flight Ambon-Makassar, then fly Makassar-Sorong. There are only two connections which look theoretically possible:

Lion flight arrives in UPG 08:30 - Lion flight leaves UPG 09:10 or Merpati flight leaves 09:25. 40 or 55 min connection time total if all flights are on time.

I can find no other bail out option as all the other flights don't arrive in Sorong until the next day. I have done a fair bit of domestic Indo travel and believe me I prefer to allow more connection time, but there is really no choice here, short of sacrificing an entire day of Ambon diving to arrive in Sorong 1 full day early (as I did years ago). Has anyone flown Ambon-Sorong recently?

I do have an Indonesian travel agent booking the flights (the Raja liveaboard's agent) but to be honest I am not convinced they know much about the reliability of the Ambon-Sorong flight.

Many thanks/terima kasih.
c

Edit: Sorry subj line should read Ujung Pandang.

 

[Luko]

My advice would be forget Merpati and try to book the Ambon-Sorong continuous route on LionAir website, if they allow such connexion, it will be OK, they will take the responsability for transfering your luggage to the connecting UPG-SOQ flight , you would simly need to show up at transfer desk in UPG, otherwise I wouldn't bet on that.

As for Expressair their flights are listed on https://ticketindonesia.info/en/index.php?ticket

 

[cephalopod2]

My advice would be forget Merpati and try to book the Ambon-Sorong continuous route on LionAir website, if they allow such connexion, it will be OK, they will take the responsability for transfering your luggage to the connecting UPG-SOQ flight

Luko thanks for the excellent suggestion (I had switched to tiket for research and forgot to check back on Lion site). The Lion site does not show this connection so I guess it is not 'legal'.

I think someone once told me maybe 1 hr minimum connection in UPG...

Wups I see the Ambon-Sorong flight is actually on Wings...run by Lion but not sure if that makes any difference in reliability.

 

[Luko]

FWIW In terms of reliability Wings Air has been assessed as the most reliable domestic airline in Indonesia even above Garuda. (check Mau Ke Mana website). Therefore probablities of cancelation or delay are lesser than any other... though it only needs one occurrence to be in trouble...

 

[gee13]

Agree Wings is a good airline carrier that has the smaller planes. Id be confident with the ambon-sorong route. If you choose ambon-makkasar-sorong and they are non interconnecting flights (which i believe is the case as normal route is makassar-ambon-sorong for interconnected) .. then 40 min you may miss your flight if schedule is on time. Curious to know what the lob agent is going to charge you for the flight.

 

[cephalopod2]

Curious to know what the lob agent is going to charge you for the flight.

Thanks again Luko and gee13 for your advice, esp for the info about Wings being generally reliable.

Liveaboard agent is adding 10% to ticket costs (80K IDR currently for AMQ-SOQ). It's unfortunate that they don't seem to have more expertise (LOB has been operating many years) but I consider it a form of travel insurance to have someone who speaks Bahasa on the ground able to help in case of flight problems. I am booking with them with the idea that if something goes wrong, because they recommended the flight, they will take some responsibility. That is perhaps dreaming. I am going to ask Ambon their experience with that flight bc there are 40 R4 liveaboards but only a few Ambon dive ops. The Ambon based dive ops likely have better expertise on that flight.

My other strategy is to find out when the other guests are arriving. If I can't be on the same flight as other guests, I prefer flights arriving earlier than other guests. That way there is a bit of a buffer. Unfortunately most other guests are arriving from Jakarta which means they will be there early in the AM ahead of me.

 

[jcclink]

Ambon/Sorong on Wings may not be a daily flight, so check on that. I would suggest coordinating your stay in Ambon to accommodate the Wings flight to Sorong. Plane is a twin turbo prop, so carry-on is limited. All goes on the plane but may have to check larger backpacks etc as you board the plane. For a March trip you need to be ticketed very soon - space is limited. May be able to book Wings on-line.

Just checked - Wings shows daily flights JT1506 but time varies by day 0745 or 1230. (Lion Air web page)

 

[cephalopod2]

All goes on the plane but may have to check larger backpacks etc as you board the plane. For a March trip you need to be ticketed very soon - space is limited.

Great info re. backpacks jcc thanks. Always dread trying to travel with my camera backback. I let it be put in the back of plane once and saw other bags stacked on top, even though I had said it was all camera equipment. Usually I can take enough out to cram beneath the seat - sometimes I have no legroom but the flights are relatively short. I guess I should ask for aisle seat.

Will ask agent to ticket asap.

 

[jake11]

We flew the Wings air flight from Ambon to Sorong.( 2 years ago) It was on time but we were charged a hefty fee for overweight luggage. We did carry on a back pack and small roller bag each with no problem. The Wings air plane was the nicest plane we have flown on in Indonesia.
Half of our LOB group had come in that morning on a flight and had no problems at all with the connection. We were diving in Ambon and joined the group on that flight. Andy Shorten from Maluku Divers resort is an expert at domestic flights. You should send him an email to see if he can help????

 

[Iam-a-fish]

get the wing air from makassar to sorong., it is more reliable schedule.