RTW TP Run in Jan 2026: Day 13 – Afternoon at Jakarta Airport (CGK) 

By Nige on January 30, 2026 at 6:07 pm
Type: Post
Story: Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026 Category: Travel
Tags: CGK | Jakarta

The young lady who met me at the aircraft door walked me towards International Transfers. She had clearly expected to explain the transfer process and guide me through the necessary checks.

However, when it became clear that I couldn’t even check in online for my connecting flight, I think we both realised that our brief but beautiful working relationship was coming to an abrupt end.

She wished me well and watched as I headed through immigration and landside, leaving me to fight my own battle with Japan Airlines in order to secure the final flight of Part 1 of RTW Booking 1.

Once landside, it didn’t take long to get my bearings — most importantly, locating Starbucks.

After a short but surprisingly challenging hunt for a western-style loo (!), I settled into a comfortable spot in Starbucks.

Within ten minutes or so, I had successfully commandeered a power socket to keep my devices alive for the many hours I would be waiting for the Japan Airlines check-in counters to open.

The woman seated next to me fell asleep — and outlasted me — so goodness knows how long her layover was.

I decided to try checking in online for my return flight from Tokyo Narita and was pleased to find that the JAL website was finally playing ball. Crucially, I now had evidence of my intention not to enter Japan at all.

After a few hours, hunger set in. I repaid Starbucks for their hospitality — and electricity — with a significant investment of around £2 in a warm chicken parmesan sandwich.

The Starbucks staff were excellent and even offered to bring the food over to my table. I didn’t need to explain where I was sitting — they already knew who the long-term residents were.

Buoyed by my online check-in success, I decided to chance my arm early at the Japan Airlines check-in counters.

My flight was assigned to counters B1–B6, with check-in scheduled to open at 6:30pm once the Thai Airways flight had closed.

The self-service kiosks recognised my passport and correctly identified my flight, which felt like a positive sign. Unfortunately, they went no further, simply reporting that check-in was not yet open.

That, in itself, might have been an issue. The staff appeared to be agency workers rather than Japan Airlines employees, which I suspected might limit their flexibility. Time would tell.

As it turned out, check-in opened precisely at 6:30pm. It took four different staff members reviewing my itinerary, passport, and return boarding pass — but fifteen minutes later, I was finally handed the boarding pass I had been desperately waiting for.

At that point, I could finally relax and turn my attention to the next flight.

Next up: My connecting flight from Jakarta (CGK) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) on Day 13 of my Round The World trip of a lifetime.

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Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026