Upgrades To Bali Airport Nearly Complete As Trends Suggest Tourism Boom Continues 

@Randy,

PS.

Marks on luggage tags mean nothing if you've nothin to hide.

@Randy,

Yes I live here.

In reality comparisons with other airports are meaningless. Sure there's many better than Bali, but there's some worse.

It's immaterial. The reality is we're coming through Ngurah Rai. No amount of whingeing or criticism has, or will change it.

It's a small, expected inconvenience. For me I don't think about it or let it get at me. Being home over rides it.

@Shorty,

If you are living in Indonesia, you should probably be aware by now that incoming checked bags are going to an X-RAY machine to look out for certain suspicious items. If your baggage tag has a black marker written on it it means that your bag may be checked for secondary manual inspection by an officer. This is why each checked bag is being carefully monitored upon arrival in Indonesia.

Regarding the auto gates in Bali...who knows. It is always working in Jakarta for both locals and foreigners on certain visas, and Voa.

@Shorty,

1. Auto gates will not work with KITAS or KITAP? I assume there must be a dedicated manual KITAS and KITAP line in addition to auto gates that usually have short lines.

2. Online tourist tax exemption. This is what I have been harping on in the past; the people at the tourist tax counter and out in the field have no authority / training to decipher visa documents.

That said I read that KITAS holder do not need to apply for exemption when looking at this link. So I will not bother with this.

LINK

@Ron, The gates are there -- but for display only.

@Exp,

Does it really matter whether you chill out in the Imigrasi queue, buying an overpriced drink inside, or at the departure lounge?

Why increase your aggravation and give yourself the shits?

@Exp, since you have been living in Bali you should have known by now. READ BELOW:

Incoming bags are going to an X-RAY machine to look out for certain suspicious items. If your baggage tag has a black marker written on it it means that your bag may be checked for secondary inspection by an officer. This is why each checked bag is being carefully monitored upon arrival in Indonesia.

Here is story for you: A friend from Europe was surprised when her checked luggage did not show up at Jogyakarta airport. She was not paying attention at check in Jakarta. She placed her power bank lithium battery in her checked luggage. The X-ray machine caught it and held her checked bag in Jakarta. She was asked if the power bank could be retrieved since she had a TSA approved lock, they did not have to break the lock. Then her bag was sent on the next flight to Jogyakarta and delivered to her hotel.

Her power bank was held at lost and found in Jakarta airport. She looked at it on the positive side as it was her mistake and that security was good in catching it. Upon her return to Jakarta, she got her power bank back. She said if this was in Europe, no such thing as good customer service like in Indonesia despite it was her mistake. Perhaps some entitled foreign Bule could take notes…think positive instead of the worst especially when a person made the mistake while traveling in Indonesia. Sigh…

@Brett Biddlecombe, Incoming bags are going to an X-RAY machine to look out for certain suspicious items. If your baggage tag has a black marker written on it it means that your bag may be checked for secondary inspection by an officer. This is why each checked bag is being carefully monitored upon arrival in Indonesia.

@Michael Beer, FYI for those who complain as always...

Incoming bags are going to an X-RAY machine to look out for certain suspicious items. If your baggage tag has a black marker written on it it means that your bag may be checked for secondary inspection by an officer. This is why each checked bag is being carefully monitored upon arrival in Indonesia.

Here is story for you: A friend from Europe was surprised when her checked luggage did not show up at Jogyakarta airport. She was not paying attention at check in Jakarta. She placed her power bank lithium battery in her checked luggage. The X-ray machine caught it and held her checked bag in Jakarta. She was asked if the power bank could be retrieved since she had a TSA approved lock, they did not have to break the lock. Then her bag could be sent on the next flight to Jogyakarta and delivered to her hotel.

Her power bank was held at lost and found in Jakarta airport. She looked at it on the positive side as it was her mistake and that security was good in catching it. Upon her return, she got her power bank back. She said if this was in Europe, no such thing as good customer service like in Indonesia despite it was her mistake. Perhaps some entitled foreign Bule could take notes...think positive instead for the worst especially when you made the mistake while traveling in Indonesia. Sigh...