Jakarta – Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has expressed his concern over a Rp 21.9 million (US$1,522) airfare from flag carrier Garuda Indonesia for a Bandung-Medan flight available on online ticketing platform Traveloka.
"I will warn [...] Garuda Indonesia; it is misleading [the public] if the Bandung-Kualamanu [Medan airport] route is Rp 21 million," Budi said as quoted by kompas.com during his visit to the Idul Fitri exodus monitoring center at the ministry in Jakarta on Thursday.
He was referring to a business class ticket from Bandung in West Java to Medan North Sumatra that transits in Bali and Jakarta.
Garuda Indonesia VP corporate secretary Ikhsan Rosan explained that the ticket was expensive because it had to transit in several cities. He said Garuda had no direct flight from Bandung to Medan.
Ikhsan said the airfare still adhered to the price ceiling decided by the government. However, Budi said it was unwise for Garuda to offer such high airfares. He also considered the route odd.
"It is odd that the ticket is for a flight from Bandung to Bali, then from Bali to Jakarta and from Jakarta to Kualamanu," he said, adding that he also called on the public to warn Traveloka for misleading information.
Budi said he did not agree that Garuda Indonesia and Traveloka had obeyed the price ceiling decided by the government. He suggested that Garuda offer the route of Bandung-Jakarta and then Jakarta-Medan. (bbn)