Landing at Soekarno Hatta

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK  ^IATA) is located on the island of Java and serves Indonesia's capital, Jakarta.

Understand

No ticket sales in airport Starting March 1 2015, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport no longer allows airline ticket sales in the airport in order to avoid ticket scalpers. All passengers that need an update in their tickets must head to the airport customer service desk instead.

Departure taxes Starting on March 1, 2015, all departure flights from all airports in Indonesia should include Departure Taxes/Airport Taxes/Passenger Service Charge in ticket fare, except for transit and transfer flights. The policy is common in most countries in the world.

The airport is located in Tangerang, 20 km (12 mi) to the northwest of Jakarta. All international and most domestic flights land here. The airport code comes from Cengkareng, the district of the airport and so for convenience people often called it Cengkareng Airport. During the rainy season the road to and from Cengkareng was prone to flooding but this problem has now been alleviated with the building of a raised, dual carriageway toll road between the Jakarta city and Cengkareng.

The airport is the busiest in Indonesia, and the 8th busiest in the world, with more than 60 million passengers stepping in each year. As it serves Jakarta, Indonesia's government and economic centre, it is the hub for major airlines that fly to other cities in Indonesia.

The two original existing terminals 1 & 2, are illuminated in mostly orange & brown colors. The gate lounges are designed to be like traditional Javanese houses called Joglo & has a garden between them. This Paul Andreu design won the 1995 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Terminal 3 prefers to adopt a green & modern design. It serves low-cost airlines and is now in stage two of expansion that will enable it to serve 25 million passengers a year.

Soekarno Hatta International Airport (SHIA) was built in the 1970s to alleviate the sprawling congestion on domestic flights at the former Kemayoran Airport, and international flights at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, but nowadays SHIA is also overcapacity with almost double. The airport was finally opened on 1 April 1985, making the Kemayoran airport closed to air traffic (what is now a street), and 7 years later, Halim Airport was refurbished as a military airbase, but nowadays to ease SHIA, Halim Airport has been used for some domestic regular flights of Citilink and Batik Air, so passengers of both airlines should be aware which airport will serve the flights, SHIA or Halim Airport. The name of SHIA comes from the first president and vice president of Indonesia, as well as the founding fathers of the country: Soekarno & Mohammad Hatta.

Flights

Jakarta's status as Indonesia's government and economy center makes the airport as the hub of Indonesia's biggest airlines. The airport has 3 terminals. Terminals 1 & 2 each has 3 concourses with 7 gates each, but usually referred to as Terminal 1* or 2* where the * is the concourse. Concourses D & E are for international flights only.

• Terminal 1A: Lion Air to all other destinations
• Terminal 1B: Sriwijaya Air & Lion Air flights to Sumatra
• Terminal 1C: Citilink & Lion Air flights to Kalimantan
• Terminal 2D: All Nippon Airways, Asiana, Business Air, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Flynas, Japan Airlines, Jetstar Asia, Kuwait Airways, Lion Air, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Mihin Lanka, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Brunei, Singapore Airlines, Thai, Thai Lion Air, TigerAir, Turkish Airlines, Yemenia
• Terminal 2E: Air China, Air France, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, Egypt Air, Etihad, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, KLM, Korean Air, Saudia, Vietnam Airlines, Xiamen Airlines
• Terminal 2F: Garuda Indonesia

Terminal 3 has a single concourse and houses Lion Air flights to Bali and all AirAsia (domestic & international) flights. Note that the concourse on which your plane is at may change depending on how congested the airport is at that time, your check in staff will usually inform you this.

Arrival procedure

All passengers arriving with international flights must go through immigration first to board any domestic flights. Your baggage may be checked-in through depending on your airline. Note that you must scan your carry on luggage at the customs after you claim your checked in luggage.

A lot of countries are eligible to apply for a Visa on arrival (VOA) at the airport, see the main Indonesia article for the details of the rules and which countries are eligible. The visa on arrival counters are available at both the left & right hand side of the end of the corridor after you exit your gate; do not ride the travelator or you will miss the counter! If possible, provide an exact payment of US$35 for a 30-day visa and ignore any requests for additional fees. The Visa on Arrival is payable in cash or by credit card, albeit slower (and sometimes payment by credit card is "broken" and only cash is accepted).

Other passengers that already has a visa in hand, eligible for a visa waiver, or has an Indonesian passport, can go directly to the immigration counters. Foreign passport booths are still at both the left & right side of the hall, as well as Indonesian biometric passport holders or passports that had been registered for an automatic gate procedure. Indonesian ordinary passport holders & foreigners who has a temporary long-term permit of stay must go all the way towards the end of the hall.

Passengers on domestic flights transferring to another domestic flight, or international to international, can directly go to their respective transfer desks to obtain both the boarding pass for your next flight and a request to return to the departure hall.

Departure procedure

For departure, you will have to go through security screening twice. At the check in hall, you must scan both your carry-on & checked luggage. With the exception of Terminal 3, only passengers are allowed beyond this point. The second screening is for your carry-on bags at your respective concourse before you board your flight. Note there are no shops after the second security screening!

A dedicated check in lounge with check in desks, immigration booth, and direct access to the Pura Indah Lounge is available for first & business class of selected international airlines at the left end of terminal 2. If you are flying Business or First Class Garuda Indonesia or has a Platinum GarudaMiles card, you can use a dedicated check in facility at the right end. Both check in desks have personal service assistants who will check you in & escort you to the respective lounges.

Immigration, unless if you are using a premium check in facility, is right in front of Concourse E.

Other things

Flights to major destinations in Indonesia, especially Semarang, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Medan, Palembang, and Makassar, as well as Singapore for international flights, are very ubiquitous (up to 20 a day) so prices between airlines do not differ too much, but Garuda Indonesia often comes out as the most expensive given the fact that it is a full service airline, mainly in Monday morning due to Garuda Indonesia is used by many busnismen.

There are currently no direct flights to Africa and the Americas. Fly to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo or the Middle East first for easier connections to these regions.

Ground transportation

By private car

Parking is available at the front of every terminal. Lots A, B, and C are across Terminal 1, while lots D, E, and F are across terminal 2. There are also wide spots for parking at Terminal 3. However parking is hectic and spaces quickly fill up! There is a special parking lot between the terminals for overnight parking. Rp 20,000 for the first 6 hours and Rp 2,000 per hour thereafter.

If you wish to rent a car, TRAC Astra-Rent A Car has a location at Terminal 2F. You can also look for car rental companies at the counters right after customs.

In case you need to fill up your car, a petrol station provided by Pertamina is to the left of the city-bound boulevard.

There is a dedicated toll road into the city, but this will depend on where you will go to. Generally, all directions are clearly indicated:

• If you're heading towards Tangerang, if you want to avoid the toll fees, you can work your way at the road on the left side right after the airport gate. Turn left at the airport's north perimeter road, and then left. Go straight towards downtown Tangerang. Take the south perimeter road and then turn left if you are coming from Tangerang to the airport.

• If you're heading towards Tangerang, Merak port, South Jakarta or the western suburbs of Jakarta, from the tollroad, take the first interchange that will take you to the 2nd ring road. Take the 1st interchange if you wish to go to Tangerang, or continue southward to Kebun Jeruk, Pondok Indah, Pasar Minggu, Kemang. Take the 2nd interchange to take a tollway to Serpong.

• If you're heading towards North Jakarta, stay along the tollroad, stay on the right lane for the second interchange. This will take you to Pluit, Ancol, Kemayoran, Kelapa Gading, or Tanjung Priok.

• If you're heading towards downtown Jakarta or Bandung, stay along the tollroad, stay on the left lane for the second interchange. This direction will also take you to Bekasi, Cikarang, or Bandung.

• If you are heading towards East Jakarta, you can use either the north or the west tollway first, but it is recommended to use the north tollway that takes you to North Jakarta first. Then take the right lane at the interchange. You can also take the first interchange you meet to the 2nd ring road, as this is a more expensive, but less crowded option.

• If you're heading towards Bogor or Depok, it is recommended to take the 1st interchange and continue on the 2nd ring road until the 3rd interchange, then take the interchange. You can also take the 2nd interchange to the 1st ring road that traverses through downtown Jakarta, but this is a cheaper yet full of traffic option.

By taxi

To get to the city, the easiest option is to contact your hotel to pick you up in the airport, as many hotels in Jakarta provide free airport transfers. Getting a taxi is a little more complicated:

• If you book from the counters right after Customs, you'll get a nice car, and jump to the head of the queue. These counters also sells SIM cards and refills.

• If you're not booking from the counters, you can hail them from the ordinary taxi ranks. The Blue Bird Group operates blue Blue Bird and Pusaka taxis, a usually reliable option for taxi service. A ride to the downtown area should cost about Rp 150,000. Its premium brand, Silver Bird has a posher car and is perfect if you are traveling with up to 4 other people and have plenty of luggage, but costs about 1.5 times the ordinary taxi. Express Taxi use same car as Blue Bird regular taxi, nice air-conditioned Toyota Vios cars, use tariff below Blue Bird and would cost you around Rp 120,000. Others will charge you Rp 100,000-120,000. All taxis use meters (argo) and have big sign 'Airport Taxi' due to only quality taxis are allowed in a queue. Passengers are responsible for paying roadway tolls, and prices are posted at the toll booths.

The airport has a docket system for payment of an airport surcharge in addition to the normal taxi metered charge. It is detailed on the docket and is determined by distance to destination. You are asked for your destination when arriving at the taxi rank and the docket is issued accordingly when you are assigned a taxi; if you do not explicitly state that you require a taxi you may not be assigned one. Usually, taxi staff are uniformed. If someone offers you a taxi and they are not wearing the same uniform as the taxi company drivers then you are well advised to ignore them.

You should know in advance the approximate location of your destination (such as north, central, east) because at the end of airport toll road there are 2 options of toll roads: Jakarta Outer Ring Road for the north area and Kelapa Gading area, and Jakarta Inner Ring Road to the other parts of Jakarta, Bekasi and Bogor. Taxi drivers frequently choose the longest route to get a higher fare, therefore request 'lewat Grogol' in advance if your destination is along the Jakarta Inner Ring Road, relatively no traffic jams anymore.

By shuttle

Shuttle vans are a popular choice if your final destination is Bandung, another big city 120 km southeast of Jakarta, although it is not uncommon to drop you at downtown Jakarta too.

• Cipaganti, ☎+62 21 70 500 000, +62 22 8600 8800. A reputable airport shuttle service to major spots around Bandung. Schedules pickup every hour.

• Xtrans, ☎+62 21 5296-2255, +62 21 5296-4477. Provides reliable airport shuttle service from Soekarno Hatta airport to major hotels in Sudirman and Thamrin Street in Jakarta and Bumi Xtrans in Cihampelas Street in Bandung. Cost: US$3.30/adult and US$2.20/child. Schedule: once every hour from 05:00-22:00. Xtrans booth are available at Terminal IA, IB, IC and IIE.

• Jakarta Airport Transfer, Jl Jembatan Tiga Raya 5AH, Jakarta Utara, ☏ +62 21 9062 2754 (Jakarta), Info@jakartaairporttransfer.com. Door to door transportion to Jakarta city and neighbouring cities. Whole day car hire is available in Jakarta and Bandung with driver if required. Airport transfers provide options of stopovers at Puncak, Bogor, Cirebon with a choice of economy (7 seater) or jumbo vehicle (15 seater). Online reservation and instant confirmation. A daily Bandung Express is a more private though more expensive option for travellers to Bandung with pricing from Rp 300,000/passenger. 

By bus

If you have more time than money, frequent DAMRI shuttle buses connect to numerous destinations around Jakarta: Gambir (the most appropriate for those going to Jalan Jaksa area), Rawamangun, Blok M, Tanjung Priok, Kampung Rambutan, Pasar Minggu, Lebak Bulus and Kemayoran (Rp 20,000) as well as directly to the neighboring cities of Bekasi, Serang (Rp 30,000), Bogor and Cikarang (Rp 35,000). The bus service from the airport operates from 05.00-23.30. You can get the tickets at the many counters after the airport exit. If arriving by an international flight to the terminal 2, head to the left after going out of the building until you see DAMRI ticket booths and bus stops. In terminal 3, the bus stop is just behind the taxi ranks. Buses are standard but comfortable, has a television at the front of the cabin, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Using the bus can be convenient, especially if you have plenty of baggage as they can be stored in the bin below the bus. In many cases, you can flag the bus conductor to stop the bus anywhere, especially if it passes your hotel or residence.

Destination	Fare	Frequency of buses to the airport	Frequency of buses from the airport
Gambir - Train Station	Rp 25,000	every 30 minutes 03.00-05.00 every 15 minutes 05.00-21.00	single service at 02.00 every 30 minutes 05.00-23.30
Rawamangun - Bus Terminal	Rp 25,000	every 30 minutes 03.00-20.00	every 30 minutes 05.00-23.30
Blok M - Blok M Plaza	Rp 25,000	every 30 minutes 03.00-20.00	every 30 minutes 05.00-23.30
Tanjung Priok - Bus Terminal	Rp 25,000	every hour 04.00-19.00	every hour 05.00-23.30
Kemayoran - DAMRI Bus Pool	Rp 25,000	every hour 04.00-19.00	every hour 05.00-23.30
Kampung Rambutan - Bus Terminal	Rp 25,000	every 30 minutes 02.00-20.00	single service at 02.00 every 30 minutes 05.00-23.30
Pasar Minggu - Train Station	Rp 25,000	every 30 minutes 03.00-19.30	every 30 minutes 05.00-23.30
Mangga Dua - Mangga Dua Square	Rp 25,000	every hour 06.00-19.00	every hour 05.00-23.30
Bogor - Botani Square	Rp 40,000	every 30 minutes 02.00-20.00	single service at 02.00 every 30 minutes 05.00-23.30
Bekasi - Kayuringin Bus Terminal	Rp 30,000	every 30 minutes 03.00-21.00	single service at 02.00 every 30 minutes 05.00-23.30
Lebak Bulus - Bus Terminal	Rp 25,000	every 30 minutes 03.00-19.00	every 30 minutes 05.00-23.30
Serang,Banten - Merak Port	Rp 40,000	every hour 04.00-19.00	every hour 05.00-23.30
Cikarang - Plaza Cikarang Baru (Jababeka)	Rp 35,000	every hour 03.00-18.00	every hour 05.00-23.30
Harapan Indah	Rp 30,000	every hour 03.00-20.00	every hour 05.00-23.30
Purwakarta - DAMRI bus pool or Grand Wisata Housing Complex	Rp 50,000	every hour 02.00-18.00	every hour 05.00-23.30
Lippo Karawaci - Supermall Karawaci	Rp 50,000	every hour 04.00-19.00	every hour 06.00-23.00

The Primajasa Bus Company runs executive express buses to Bandung and uses baggage tags for the safety of your belongings. 20 kilograms of baggage are free, but excess baggage costs Rp 3,000/kilogram. Tickets cost Rp 115,000 each.

The buses run from terminals 1B, 2F and 3. ☎+62 21 5591 5555 for information only: no reservations, direct bookings or payments.

Bandung, Modern Market Batununggal Indah. ☎+62 22 8752 6886 for information and reservations. Batununggal Indah real estate complex is on Soekarno-Hatta street (near Buah Batu street), beside Mandiri Bank. There are no angkot inside the complex but taxis are available and passengers can also enter or exit the buses at Shelter Point Caringin, in front of Caringin Market. That stop is accessible by angkot during daylight hour, but it is rather difficult to find one at night. ☎+62 22 607 4545 and ☎+62 22 6122 891 for information and reservations.

The buses depart mostly every 30 minutes: From the airport, from 07:00 to 02:00

From Bandung, from 23:00 to 17:00.

Note: Passengers cannot exit from the buses everywhere, as they can from shuttle buses.

By free bus

Starting in May 2015, the airport authority is running 4 free buses that can carry 25 passengers each to Pantai Indah Kapuk and Rawa Bokor.

Get around

A free but unreliable shuttle bus runs between the terminals; if you're in a hurry, it's a safer bet to take a taxi, although they may ask for a rather steep Rp 50,000 for the service (not entirely unjustified, as half of this pays their parking fees), however it should really be a metered ride. If you have time, though, it's not a problem to wait for the next one - just ask the airport staff where it stops and what it looks like (yellow color, normally). Also, be sure to know which terminal you will disembark from.

Wait

Landside

The airport has its own 18-hole golf course ☎ +62 21 5591 1111. You can play all day Mondays to Thursdays, and before 11 AM on Fridays for US$ 60; Sundays after 11 AM for US$100.

There is a viewing gallery at the left end of Terminals 1 & 2, where you can view the airplane activities at the airport. It might be uncomfortable though due to the hot & humid air.

Lounges

Terminal 1

If you are taking a domestic flight from Soekarno Hatta, you can enjoy cheap airport lounges. There are several private lounges open to travellers on any airline that are in stiff competition with each other. For Rp 50,000, you can get a few hours in one of these lounges where you can relax on the comfy couches, eat and drink as much as you want and use the internet (either by wifi or through their computers).

• JW Lounge is near Concourse A
• El John maintains 2 lounges, both near Concourses B & C

Terminal 2

• Garuda Indonesia Executive Lounge (Airside.To the right from the passport checkpoint. Between Concourses E & F). You can enter this lounge if you are flying in Business Class or First Class of Garuda Indonesia. The lounge is the biggest, and perhaps the best at the airport. 
• Pura Indah Lounge or JAS Premier Lounge (Airside. At the left end of Terminal 2, pass Concourse D.). If you are using the premium check-in facility, you will end up using either lounges. Quality was on par with Garuda Indonesia's lounge. 

Terminal 3

All lounges are located at landside (before immigration). Do not expect a big lounge, even compared to Jakarta's standards, as only a handful of business travelers use this terminal.

• De Green is limited to major credit card holders.
• Monas Lounge is more lenient in allowing passengers to enter. Basically everyone can enter for Rp 80,000; a discount is applicable if you use any credit cards.

Eat and Drink

Food court

• Food Cetera (Pre-check in, between terminals 1B and 1C). A hole-in-the-wall food court that has more variety of gourmet domestic & international foods than what you can find anywhere at Terminal 1 or even the airport!. 
• Koufu (Pre-check in, Terminal 2F). The food court chain from Singapore, focuses on Asian & world cuisine 

Tidbits

• Country Style Donuts (Pre-check in, Terminals 1B & 1C). 
• Krispy Kreme Donuts (Pre-check in, Terminals 1B). 
• Old Town White Coffee. Pre-check in, Terminal 2E. 
• Starbucks (Post-immigration, Terminal 2D). 

Other foods

• Solaria (Pre-check in, Terminal 1B). 
• A&W (Pre-check in, Terminals 1B, 1C, 2D). The American fast food chain restaurant. 

Buy

Duty free

Lotte & Plaza Bali each has a huge duty free shop between terminals 2D & 2E. Do note that if you shop at Lotte Duty Free in downtown Jakarta, you can pick up your items on the same day at the airport.

Others

Periplus bookstores are at Terminal 1C and Terminal 2D. A few Indonesian handicrafts & souvenirs can be the last minute idea for a gift before boarding an international flight.

Exchange rates in the airport are not significantly worse than the centre of town, but better than you will get from hotels. Bear in mind that you will need some cash and Jakarta is not a place where you can just stroll down to the nearest bank in town as it is pedestrian unfriendly. ATMs generally have limit of total equivalent Rp 5 million cash withdrawal per day, but every withdrawal can only give maximum 25 pieces of money; for the latter, try CIMB or bii-Maybank - in the international terminal, there are several of these on the second (departure) floor.

Connect

There are standing computers at terminals but do not really depend on them to work.

Wireless connectivity is available at selected points in the airport, but you need a password to sign up. A wireless Internet connection is offered at lounges and has faster speed.

Free standing local phone call in some waiting room gates are provided by Telkom.

Cope

Left luggage facilities is available in terminal 2D. Prayer rooms are available to all terminals but cater to Muslims only. The international terminals have toilets with baby diaper changing facilities.

Sleeping at the airport is not recommended as the floors are of marble tiles, not of carpet. Chairs are available for a snooze at the concourses.

Sleep

Most of the hotels within the airport's vicinity are actually still in the Tangerang area rather than in Jakarta. Most, if not all, hotels offer free shuttle services to/from the airport; inquire if in doubt.

Budget

• Pop! Hotel Airport Jakarta, Jl. Raya Bandara no.106, Rawa Bokor, Benda Tangerang, 15125 Tangerang, ☏ +62 21 559 7777. A budget hotel just outside the airport area. Colorful rooms & furniture with decent cable TV in each room. Free shuttle to airport. From US$33.. 
• Amaris Hotel Bandara Soekarno Hatta, Jl. Husein Sastranegara No.1 Benda, Tangerang , 15125 Tangerang. Another budget hotel with basic amenities. From US$50.. 

Mid-range

• Jakarta Airport Hotel, Bandara Soekarno-Hatta (between Terminal 2D & 2E), ☏ +62 21 559 0008. This small but decent hotel has 82 rooms with typical amenities you would expect. The rooms have a view of the airside activity. 
• Orchardz Hotel Bandara, Jl. Husein Sastranegara No. 8, 15125 Tangerang, ☏ +62 21 2966 7777. A posher option just outside the airport. Shuttle service is available. From US$ 60. 

Splurge

• FM7 Resort Hotel, Jalan Raya Perancis No. 67, Benda, 15125 Tangerang, ☏ +62 21 5591 1777. The access is a little more crowded and narrower so it might take sometime to go to/from the airport. Provides massage, spa, billiard, karaoke & a swimming pool. from US$80. 
• Sheraton Bandara Hotel, Bandara Soekarno-Hatta (in the airport area), ☏ +62 21 559 7777. 5-star hotel with 205 Deluxe rooms and 15 Suite rooms. Rooms have Sheraton Sweet Sleeper beds and 32" LCD TVs. Complimentary shuttle airport pick-up and drop off and a private lounge at the airport. Check the special offers on the hotel's website to find special packages such as day use, special rewards and offer on related deals. From US$100.. 

Stay safe

Please remember not to keep any gadgets, money, or jewelry in checked luggage! There have been reports that a few pieces of luggage are scrutinized before being put on the carousel, and many of these items are stolen. It is recommended to use locks (a TSA certified is better), so that these thieves do not have time to sneak into your bag! But using luggage with zipper is useless, even with expensive locks, because they can open the zipper only with a ballpoint and close again neatly. There are facility of plastic wrapping of your luggage and until now there are no report that items in the luggages with plastic wrapping are stolen, but the facility is not free and relatively expensive, please ask first about the service, because some tourists should be argued after the luggages are wrapped.

Be cautious of having any involvement or contact with the baggage porters. Many of them attempt to obtain money by picking up passengers' luggage into a trolley without permission. Unless you have a lot of luggage or bulky items to take care of, you can just seek out a trolley and pick up your luggage by yourself. Luggage with wheels is recomended.

As you exit from the customs into the outdoor area, there will be some people who voluntarily offer you a ride; do not take them!. These drivers are actually touts and will charge an unofficially higher fare to wherever your destination is, even they have a possibility of kidnapping! Ignore these offers & wait only at the designated taxi ranks, where there are uniformed staffs of the respective taxi companies. It is much better off to arrange your transportation before you travel, and when someone you arranged will drive you from the airport, it is better to make them wait at the indoor area so that you can approach him/her before heading outside.

Do not accept any food or drinks from any people you do not know. It is possible that they may have already put substances in it to make you drowsy and they will steal any of your belongings!

Nearby

• The city of Tangerang is less than 15 km from the airport and is accessible from a network of toll roads.
• The Pantai Indah Kapuk area in Jakarta is just straight ahead from the toll road and has an array of dining options.