Merpati Airlines Indonesia

I will shortly be departing for Raja Ampat and Triton Bay on MSY Seahorse. I will be flying in to Jakarta and then have got two more Merpati flights to get to Sorong.

Their website states 20kg checked-in luggage for economy - ouch!!, but says nothing about cabin luggage. Any idea what I can try to carry on?

Thanks, Andre

Best to check their website or travel agent and try to find what type of airplane they are using. I flew a Merpati twin turbo prop Fokker (but only between Bali and Bima). Very limited/small cabin luggage compartments... But then, back then I was just shooting a p&s...

http://www.merpati.co.id/

Depends on the load of plane. They usually don't mind 2 bags for foreigners IF you travel in a group. Mine gets shoved in the back since they never fit the overhead compartment. Overweigh luggage is relatively cheap... 2-4 dollars per kg. You can bargain a bit of the amount of overweight but I'd pay it without argument. This sort of prioritizes your luggage in case some official comes on and they have to throw someone's luggage off.

The most important thing about merpati is NOT to be aviation knowledgeable and ignore the duct tape.

The most important thing about merpati is NOT to be aviation knowledgeable ...

kind of like one of the passengers on our flight who happened to be an engineer. He had to go help the cabin crew close the cabin door properly...

And also like if you notice the plane is at full throttle and NOT lifting up for 5 minutes..because it's overloaded. Ignorance and denial is bliss. Had a friend who could do neither on his first Indo domestic flight and went into his hail marys while taking off. It was funny but not to him.

Hi,

I flew Merpati (the Pigeon) from Manado to Luwuk (Central Sulawesi) in March 07 in one of those turbo prop machines. Staff from Lembeh Resort had to call/go back and forth several times to the Merpati office in Manado to finally get the me the right ticket (timetables can change any moment)

Overweight luggage came at about 1-2 USD/kg. Nobody seemed to mind my (overweight) Lowepro backpack + (stuffed) laptop bag...

On the way to Luwuk pilots closed the cockpit curtain (another passenger saw them smoking)

On the way back to Manado we had to wait hours for our plane to arrive, but eventually it arrived with some local pop star annex TV crew and a bunch of screaming girls

Right before take off pilot arranged some newspapers on the windows to keep the sun from shining to brightly into his eyes.

During take off and first minutes an Indonesian gentleman happily continued to use his mobile phone...

According to my travel agent I'm flying Merpati again: Manado - Sorong. Although on the way back from Sorong to Manado and onwards to Singapore I've been given the advice to stay overnight in Manado...just in case the flight Sorong - Manado has some delays

All part of the adventure, I guess

Best regards,

Bart

Well, if were going to share our Merpati stories, I should have mentioned we lost an engine on our return flight to Bali and had to turn back to Bima ... Half the Westerners either tried to rebook another airline flight and some even called in private charters from Bali as they absolutely refused to step back on the same plane... We were told it was fuel hose problem and not an engine malfunction... I was one of the gullible ones that believed them and took the same back to Bali... Merpati did put us up in Jakarta as most of had missed our connecting flights...

...private charters? wow

How come they didn't invite you along on the private charter? you were wearing that cowboy outfit (cfr thread on waistcoat recommendations) :)

Usually the first flights and last flights of the day actually fly

the in between flights depend on how many passengers there are !

" It's Merpati and we'll fly if we want to

fly if we want to

fly if we want to!"

altogether now

I'm flying on Garuda Airlines from Bali to Manado (the plane stops at Makassar on the way) this October.

Hope there are no horror stories flying this airline

Ellen

I'm flying on Garuda Airlines .

Hope there are no horror stories flying this airline

 

Ellen

Lol,...Ellen...wonder why the European Union has blacklisted ALL Indonesian airlines, even though none of them actually fly to Europe ;-)

Just sit back, relax and enjoy the...

Bart

I'm flying on Garuda Airlines from Bali to Manado (the plane stops at Makassar on the way) this October.

 

Hope there are no horror stories flying this airline

 

Ellen

Being dangerously crappy is the Indonesian standard.

It's kind of like deciding which is worse; Liat, Caribbean Star, or BWI. Only worse.

You just have to hope you aren't the fifth dentist.

In November , we did the Seahorse in Triton Bay and used Merpati on:Makassar/Ambom/FakFak/Kimena and then on a leg out of Sorong.

When you board in Jakarta, you will get some charges. We travel with 4 - 68 lb. check on bags and got hit with about $30.00 US. These can be negoiated downward! Carry on was a back pack and a normal roll on for each with no weight in. However on the last leg, we had to put it in storage, but no charge. Each time the plane stops, observe and make sure your bags do not leave the plane!

EMail ahead and request room #6 or 5.

Say hello to Alberto and Chi-Chi for us.

We had a outstanding trip!

Allan & Barbara Jones

...but you do get nice interior

Actually I really like the Merpati Papua Shirt. No one seems to sell it though.

In November , we did the Seahorse in Triton Bay and used Merpati on:Makassar/Ambom/FakFak/Kimena and then on a leg out of Sorong.

When you board in Jakarta, you will get some charges. We travel with 4 - 68 lb. check on bags and got hit with about $30.00 US. These can be negoiated downward! Carry on was a back pack and a normal roll on for each with no weight in. However on the last leg, we had to put it in storage, but no charge. Each time the plane stops, observe and make sure your bags do not leave the plane!

 

EMail ahead and request room #6 or 5.

Say hello to Alberto and Chi-Chi for us.

We had a outstanding trip!

 

Allan & Barbara Jones

Thanks for the tips and I will convey the greetings!

Andre

Thanks for all the replies.

Sounds like i may be better off to snorkel my way over there

I should probably not even dare ask about Lion Airways with whom I fly back from Kaimana to Jakarta!

Ohhhh Lion Air stories!

We are booked for the MSY Seahorse Raja Empat-Triton Bay trip starting the 5th of february and our flight schedule is:

5 FEB 08, Manado-Sorong by MZ 734 @ 05:00-07:25

16FEB, Kaimana - Ambon by IW 1503 @ 11:20-13:50

16FEB, AMQ-Ujung Pandang by IW 8787 @ 15:15-15:55

16FEB, UPG Denpasar by GA 545 @ 18:00-19:15

so we get to try Merpati, Lion Air and Garuda.....I won´t comment this thread with Luisa....!!!

Oh you haven't travelled in Indonesia until you take AdamAir(40% costs goes to maintenance and 60% fuel...wait that means your staff and other stuff don't get paid?!?), Batavia Air (lifting off is optional ) and Jatayu(Miss, is there a 'real' seat belt on this plane?). Lion, Merpati and Garuda are all considered Cat 2 airlines... they have 'minimal' safety standards, probably according to how many politicians own stock and how much they can bribe.

Then again, they are more reassuring than some of the 'planes' I've taken in Africa.