Indonesia AirAsia QZ267 is the second flight of the day from Singapore to Jakarta. Originally, I was booked on my usual first morning flight of Indonesia AirAsia QZ263, however, my flight was cancelled the evening before departure due to “operational reasons” (but more like low demand due to COVID-19), and was given this replacement flight instead.
AirAsia was nice to offer me to move my flight for free within 30 calendar days, a Credit Account refund of whatever I paid, or a full refund to my original payment method for the amount equivalent to my booking, even though it was just a 90-minute difference in departure time. Kudos to AirAsia for that, but I went ahead with my new flight details anyway.
As I was booked on a one-way flight, I was required to verify my travel documents at Changi Airport.
Terminal 4 was so empty on a Saturday morning with this COVID-19 situation, that the ground staff helped me through the check-in procedures on the FAST Check-in Kiosk since there was nobody else at check-in for her to help out.
My boarding pass for my Indonesia AirAsia QZ267 flight to Singapore to Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta Terminal 2F)
Heading to the Document Check Counter to get my travel documents verified.
My boarding pass is only valid with this additional verification stamp from the Document Check Counter.
Heading to the very empty immigration and security screening. Only 4 security screening lanes were opened, which were more than sufficient with no queues at all anyway.
Heading through the empty duty-free shop.
Heading into the main transit area of Terminal 4.
Double-checking my gate on the flight information screens.
The Peranakan shophouses at the Heritage Zone.
Heading to Gate G6 just in time for boarding, but thus missing out on my priority boarding with my BIG Platinum Membership Status, which wasn’t a big issue. Boarding first isn’t always a good feeling when you don’t have much bags to store in the overhead compartment and actually spend a longer time in your seat.
Heading down the ramp to the aerobridge.
PK-AZA would be flying me to Jakarta.
Heading down the aerobridge.
Boarding the aircraft.
The interior of Indonesia AirAsia’s Airbus A320-200. Note the different cloth seat covers on all seats.
Turns out that the cloth seat covers are advertisements.
The legroom on board Indonesia AirAsia’s Airbus A320-200.
The very empty Terminal 4 with the COVID-19 situation.
The view of the very empty upfront Hot Seat area from my seat. No wonder the flights were combined, and the flight was still half-full even with the combination.
Pushing back from the gate.
An AirAsia Berhad aircraft proceeding first before my pushback.
Spotting a Scoot Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on takeoff.
Spotting a Singapore Airlines Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner on takeoff.
Taxiing out of a very empty Terminal 4.
No queues of planes to the runway as well from the other terminals.
The fastest taxi to Runway 02C I’ve ever experienced.
Not a single aircraft proceeding to Runway 02C behind me. A sign of the times to come.
A speedy taxi to Runway 02C for immediate take-off, just like small airport standards.
The empty Terminal 4 as seen from Runway 02C.
Taking off from Changi Airport.
The empty Terminal 2.
Looking down at Jewel.
The surprisingly empty Terminal 1.
Taxiways are taken up to store extra Singapore Airlines aircraft which aren’t flying around due to over-capacity thanks to the COVID-19 situation.
There is disturbingly very little movement on the airfield below.
Flying past the SAF Ferry Terminal.
Flying past Pulau Ubin.
Flying past Tanjung Langsat.
Turning right to head to Indonesia.
Crossing the Singapore Strait into Indonesia.
Shortly after the seat belt signs were switched off, a new Health Alert Card (Kartu Kewaspadaan Kesehatan) issued by the Ministry of Health (Indonesia) was distributed together with the existing customs form.
Shortly after that, my pre-booked meal of Chef Hong’s Korean Bibimbap with Chicken Bulgogi (S$4) was served. I also ordered an additional Grandma’s Cowboy Cookies (Rp.20,000) from the stewardess after hearing rave reviews about it before my flight.
The Bibimbap was nicely presented, though it felt a little less premium without a stone bowl. But then again, this is a flight and I shouldn’t even be thinking about a stone bowl. The ingredients didn’t look too Korean though, and this could be AirAsia’s first Santan dish which doesn’t look like the advertisement.
The look of my Bibimbap after mixing it all up like how it should be eaten. On first impression, there wasn’t enough Gochujang sauce to go around the dish, leaving it a little bit dry. True enough, when eaten, it tasted like mixed vegetables rice since the ingredients were all very local, including the rice itself. Sorry to say this, but I’m a little bit disappointed with this new Santan meal.
Now on to the snack of Grandma’s Cowboy Cookies I ordered extra.
Indonesia AirAsia’s Grandma’s Cowboy Cookies are chocolate chip coconut peanut butter cookies. The cookie looked dry, but were surprisingly at the perfect consistency with a nice sweet taste and with a crunch yet not crumbling too much to mess up my whole tray table. Now I need to find this on other flights other than Indonesia AirAsia, which unfortunately is not possible.
The cleain toilet on board as usual.
Descending into Jakarta.
The air quality doesn’t look so good.
Flying over the new reclaimed land of Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK).
Looking down on Jembatan Tahang 4 PIK2.
The remaining mangrove swamps at Angke Kapuk.
The distinct curve to the airport on Jl. Tol Airport Prof. Sedyatmo.
Warehouses near the airport.
A strange landing view to what I’m used too.
Ah, turns out I’m landing on the new Runway 24 aka Runway 3.
Runway 24 is quite far out from the terminal area.
Touched down at 12.23pm – 32 minutes early.
But technically 73 minutes delayed from my original QZ263 schedule.
The vastness of Terminal 3 can be appreciated from afar.
Passing by a rare Astral Aviation Boeing 747-400(F) TF-AMM. This aircraft was originally a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 747-400 passenger jet, registered as 9M-MPC and christened as Kuantan.
Taking the high speed taxiway off the runway to Terminal 2. With the additional distance from the runway, it felt like a long taxi.
U-turning back onto the parallel taxiway.
A Malindo Boeing 737-800 taking off from Runway 25R.
I wonder how do these people living here sleep at night now with the new runway.
Crossing Runway 25R.
An interesting parallel cross of Runway 25R.
Following behind the Astral Aviation Boeing 747-400(F) TF-AMM till just before Terminal 2.
Heading into the shared apron of Terminals 2F and 3.
The brand new PK-GHG Garuda Indonesia Airbus A330-900neo sitting at Terminal 3.
Turning to Terminal 2F.
Some new construction linking the gates together at the end of their own piers. Interesting. I wonder if these will be new bus stands.
Turning to my gate.
Parked at a stand with an aerobridge.
Looking back towards Terminal 3.
Connecting the aerobridge to the aircraft.
Being one of the first to disembark thanks to my Hot Seat.
Heading up the aerobridge.
Heading down to the arrivals level.
Walking down the pier to the central spine of the Terminal 2F.
Turning right towards immigration.
The path here is channeled to a screening area for passengers from countries with cases of Coronavirus. The travellator in the middle is closed to channel all passengers for screening.
Passengers must give the completed Health Alert Card (Kartu Kewaspadaan Kesehatan) to the staff at the health screening counters, where they will ask you a few questions on your travel history and how you are feeling now. After a temperature check, they will take the small portion of the form away, and tell you to keep the big card for at least 14 days. The card needs to be handed to the doctor should you feel unwell during the 14-day period upon entry into Indonesia.
Following which, proceed down for immigration as per normal.
Heading through the totally empty baggage reclaim area, and out through Customs.
And without a hitch, I’m back in Indonesia.
Heading to the Soekarno–Hatta Airport Skytrain station to catch the Soekarno–Hatta Airport Skytrain to the Airport Railway Station to in turn catch the Railink into the city.
A quick photo of the approaching Skytrain. Soekarno–Hatta Airport Skytrain staff are quick to stop you from taking photos in the Skytrain station even if you have a reason to do so, since this place is Area 51.
After more than 2 and a half years since launch, the Soekarno–Hatta Airport Skytrain is still operating manually on a bi-directional single track at 13 minutes frequency. I wonder if the automatic Skytrain with a proper double-track system for a 7 minute frequency would ever happen.
At least the screen has been updated to show you the current location of the train.
The journey from Terminal 2 to Airport Railway Station takes 2 minutes, excluding a maximum of 13 minutes waiting time.
Overall, another pleasant flight with Indonesia AirAsia, though disappointed with my main course of Chef Hong’s Korean Bibimbap with Chicken Bulgogi but the experience was saved by the excellent Grandma’s Cowboy Cookies I ordered extra from the trolley service. It’s also comforting to note that AirAsia has my back when things go wrong with them, offering a full suite of recovery options including a full refund should I choose not to fly any more.
One comment