Cathay Pacific Flight Report
Hong Kong - Jakarta

Hong Kong - Jakarta
19 February

My first trip in 2017 would be to Jakarta, a warm choice in the midst of their wet season. Cathay has 4 flights a day, 2 of which depart during inhospitable times. Fearing nasty traffic that this city is so famous for, the 4pm flight would be late in case I'm on the road for 3 hours into the city. Unfortunately, that means only the 9:20 am flight is left, and an early Sunday wake-up call.

There was a good variety of Cathay liveries on this sunny spotting morning, from the old one that is gradually going away to the specially-coloured jet and the A350.

Today, I would be riding the old livery 777 with a full Economy class. An insider had told me there was a possibility to upgrade, but Premium Economy didn't have window seats left this morning.

We departed on-time for the 4+ hour flight. I managed to stay awake to photograph the take-off, but by now, the skies have gotten grey.

That sad Orient Thai 747 remains trapped in Hong Kong for almost a year now.

Off we go, sleepy from an early morning wake-up call. Sundays should not be like this.

I chose the Western breakfast, which was normal with the predictable egg, sausage, and beans. The yoghurt was really tasty.

Several hours into the flight, I eagerly awaited the Equatorial crossing. Outside, it was still cloudy but the ocean is just beneath us.

The cabin was fairly quiet and there wasn't much going on as we began our uneventful descent. There was a bit of light rain in the area and it was only just past lunch time thanks to an hour time difference in my favour.

As we broke through the clouds, a lush green landscape emerged then a busy harbour with plenty of ships.

I chose the correct window seat for landing today.

Jakarta is a big city, but it is not a very dense city. There are many skyscrapers but they are quite scattered around and don't form a linear skyline like the clusters in Makati or KL.

The old terminal is nothing to write about. There was a long immigration line but it moved steadily and the wait wasn't too bad. Luggage took slightly longer to come out and the full cabin packed around the small collection area. Lucky my bag still had the priority tag from my prior Business Class flight.

My appetite returned after a rather care-free drive from the airport. The notorious traffic was on a break today, and the taxi arrived at my SCBD hotel within 40 minutes. First up is a late lunch of delicious satay and laksa!

Had the weather been better, I would have paid to go up MONAS for the view. As the rainy season persisted, I opted instead to browse around the food section of a flea market in the park.

20,000 rupiah is only about USD $1.50.

My 2 biggest concerns about Jakarta are traffic and terrorism. I can't stop terrorism but I can avoid traffic by taking the Transjarkata public transport system. The buses on this street run on their dedicated lanes. Stations show exactly where your next buses are and are shielded from the elements.

By late afternoon, I wanted to try my luck for the sunset. Today would not be my day I suppose.