Ia Orana All !

After spending 3 wonderful days in Singapore it was time to head to Indonesia. We had our bags ready and packed and it was time to take the elevators to the reception and check out.
We were on our way downstairs to the road level to take our taxi in no time. The Novotel Clarke Quay is a really nice place, the breakfast is really nice and the rooms are of a very decent size. I also loved the fact that there was a bath and shower in the bathroom.
Anyway, off we went to Changi Airport to catch our Qatar Airways flight.

Our taxi driver took us to our terminal and dropped us off just outside the check in area where the Qatar Airways would be checked in. We walked inside the terminal and looked for the Qatar Airways counters but they weren't going to open for another hour so we decided to sit and wait close to the Departures board.
There on top of the board was our flight QR626

After waiting 15 minutes on our hard seats and witnessing the opening of the Vietnam Airlines counters for its flight to Ho Chi Minh City, we decided to go have a walk in the terminal and admire the stunning orchids on display every where !

It was then that I saw a few Qatar Airways staff walking towards the assigned counters and I thought that I was going to the restrooms and ask them when they would open the counters.
It was then that I noticed that business class customers on QR could check in at the SATS counters designated for premium classes passengers.
So after I was done with nature's call I went back to get Hervé and we went to check in there. We were greeted at the entrance by a gentleman who asked for our airline and destination and he brought us to the QR counter which wasn't ready yet, so we were invited to have a sit...
Waiting lounge at the Premium check in area.

After a short wait the gentleman check-in us for our flight to CGK invited us at the counter and started to printed our boarding passes and attaching our tags on our bags as well as the burgundy Business Class tags.
The Check-In counter for the QR flight.

After clearing immigration and customs we went to the SATS lounge on the upper floor.
Here are a few pictures of the lounge
Entrance of the lounge


The buffet area



The bar area, but no bartender



The bathroom

The First Class part of the lounge

After eating a few sandwiches, some oreos and drinking a couple of pineapple juice we decided to go and shop !
We hit the shop big time and got a few bottle of perfume, Fleur du Male by Jean Paul Gaultier, The latest Prada, Bulgaru BLU and BLU Notte. The went to by a new belt and wallet at Timberland, a couple of souvenirs from one of the shops, a merlion magnet and a couple of Singapore t-shirts.
After buying all our duty-free we went back in the lounge for a little longer and had time check our emails

After a little while I started to get worried as our departure time was getting closer and I couldn't see our plane at our assigned gate D54. We were scheduled to depart at 14h50 but there was no sign of our aircraft...
So I went back in the lounge and grabbed a few more Oreo's...
When I finally saw our plane I thought that it would be time to head towards our gate and go through security and wait there.
We cleared the security check and entered the boarding lounge and sat there... a few minutes later we were told that the flight was going to be delayed due to the late arrival of the inbound flight from Doha.
Pictures of the Airbus A330 that would take us to Jakarta.


Our plane ready for boarding

After 30 minutes we were invited to board the flight and we proceeded to the boarding gate and went down the jetway.

Date: April 28rd, 2007
Airline: Qatar Airways
Registration: A7-AFO
Aircraft: Airbus A330-200
Departure City: SIN Singapore Changi
Departure Time: 14:50
Destination: CGK Jakarta
Arrival Time: 15:35
Scheduled Flight Time: 1hr 45min
Class: Business Class
Seat: 2B

Inside the cabin we were greeted by Monica our cabin attendant and she directed us to our seats 2A and 2B.
Our seats (sorry for the quality)

view of the other seats from our seats


Monica then offered drinks to the 16 passengers on board. There was 6 spare seats today on the flight in Business Class.

We had a glass of orange juice for Hervé and some sort of Lassi for myself

JetStar next to our plane

We were then given the menu and wine list for the flight.

And we're on our way to Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta

Not long after, as this was a short flight, Lubna, the purser who was ex-MH crew from what she was saying to the passenger in 1A, and Monica started to serve the meal. Monica had taken the order for the main course while we were on the ground.
Hervé had the Grilled Beef Tournedos accompanied with Onion Marmalade Jus, Grilled Vegetables and Roesti Potato

I had the Stir Fried Chicken with Oyster Sauce and Basil served with an array of stir fried seasonal Vegetables And Local Singapore Noodles.


The third choice was Sea Bass. Hervé and I both had a glass of white Sauvignon Blanc Pouilly Fumé 2005 Domaine Chatelain.
After a while Lubna came with dessert, picked up the salad plate and placed the bowl with the Passion Fruit Mousse Cake with Orange Custard Sauce.

Dessert was not so great but it was a short flight and we were served a full meal !
Lubna than cleared our trays and offered hot drinks and I chose to have a cup of tea with milk.


View from our window...

Seats 1A and 1B

and 1E and 1F

Monica helping a lady on 1F

Monica asking the gentleman on 1E to fasten his seat-belt as we were approaching Jakarta

Indonesian Island

Approaching Jakarta Airport

And we are there ! Welcome to Jakarta Soekarno Hatta

We taxied to our gate and after parking the business class passengers were disembarked in priority and we were on our way to immigration fast. The airport was empty and we were first in the queue but I think the CGK airport is not as practical as DPS where you have to go thru the Visa On Arrival counters before seeing the immigration counters where as in CGK they are waaaaaaaayyyyyy before those, on the side !
So we were sent back to buy our visa ! when we came there was a small queue. We started to queue and I was amazed at the indonesian women coming back from the Gulf just cutting the line pretending they didn't see you, so after 4 of them cut in front of us a fifth one tried to cut the line again but I made it clear that it wasn't going to happen and she went back at the end of the queue.
After clearing immigration, we went left to the baggage reclaim area and we picked our bags and cleared customs before meeting our welcoming party that took us to our hotel (You know who you are and Thanks again for everything !)
View of Jakarta's skyline from our Ibis Hotel room

We spent the night in Jakarta and had a wonderful Rijstaffel dinner at the best Indonesian restaurant in Jakarta, all the big head of state had dinner there !
We then headed back to our hotel and had a good night sleep as the day after we were to fly to Denpasar on Garuda.
More about that flight later !

Happy Flying,

AF Cabin Crew