RTW TP Run in Jan 2026: Day 13 – Afternoon at Jakarta (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 that met me at the aircraft door walked me to transfers. She was expecting to explain the international transfer process and help me through the relevant checks.

When she realised I couldn’t even check in online to my connecting flight, I think we both realised that our beautiful, but short-term relationship was coming to an abrupt end.

She wished me well and watched me get through immigration and landside, so I could fight my own battle with Japan Airlines to get on my final flight of RTW Booking 1 Part 1.

Once landside, it didn’t take me long to work out the lay of the land, which included the location of Starbucks.

After a challenge to find a western-looking loo (!), I settled in to a comfy position in Starbucks and within 10 mins or, had commandeered a power socket to power my devices for the many hours I would be waiting for the Japan Airlines check in counters to open.

The woman next to me had fallen asleep and outlasted me, so goodness knows how long her wait was.

I tried checking in to my return flight from Tokyo Narita, and was pleased that the JAL website was playing ball. So I now had evidence of my intention to NOT enter Japan at all.

After a few hours I needed something to eat, so I repaid the favour of Starbucks letting me sit in their store using their power, with a heavy investment of about £2 in a warm chicken parmesan sandwich.

The Starbucks staff were great. They offered to bring the food over to my table.

I didn’t need to direct them to where I was based. They knew who the permanent residents were already.

I followed up the success of checking in online for my return flight from Tokyo Narita, by chancing my arm early at the check in counters.

My flight was assigned to counters B1-B6. Check in was due to open at 6:30pm after the Thai Airways flight had closed.

The check in kiosks recognised my passport and knew which flight I wanted to check in to, so I took that as a big positive. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t go any further, reporting that check in was not open yet.

That might itself have been a problem. The fact that the staff were not Japan Airline employees, but just agency staff might make them less flexible. We would see.

As it happens, the check in counters opened at 6:30pm and although it took 4 ladies reviewing my itinerary, my passport and my return boarding pass, 15 mins later I received the boarding pass I desperately needed.

I could now relax and focus on my upcoming flight.

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Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026