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Flying in Indonesia is relatively inexpensive, but buying tickets can sometimes be a hassle.
For my flight from Yogyakarta to Bali I found a good deal with Mandala Airlines. I jumped through all the necessary hoops and confirmed the booking, only to be informed at the very end that I couldn’t pay with an international credit card. I was given a reference number which I had to take to a partner travel agent to finish the booking.
The total price was 403,000 IDR (about $40 USD). I was happy with the price, though not happy that I missed the sneaky insurance box that was automatically selected.
Going to the travel agent added an extra 22,000 IDR (Agency Fee to make payment) and 12,750 IDR (+ 3% Credit Card Fee).
This payment situation happened to me on an airline in India as well. It seems incredible that an airline can’t set up international bookings on their website. Air Asia allow international credit cards for online bookings in Indonesia. It is no wonder that they are now one of the biggest airlines in Asia.
If it wasn’t for the fact that the flight was on at the time I wanted (plus I have never flown Mandala before) I would have gone with an airline that takes international credit cards.
