KIX

Stare In Amazement: Air Busan BX 123 from Osaka (KIX) to Busan (PUS)

17 May 202215 May 2022travelingpersecond

Air Busan BX 123 flight path (sumber: https://flightaware.com/).

Air Busan is the 16th airline out of 28 different airlines I’ve tasted. This Low Cost Carrier (LCC) which come from “Ginseng Country” has a main hub at Gimhae International Airport. It wasn’t my intention to visit Busan, but because of the cheap ticket price offered by Air Busan, it was what made me decided to stop by in Busan before reaching my main destination, which was Seoul, the capital city of South Korea.

I myself got this cheap ticket seven months before departure at a price of less than 69.750 Won.

This was my story of riding an airline with three branding colors, white-blue-yellow…

—-****—-

“Sorry, sir….We don’t receive coins”, the KIX Currency Exchange clerk exclaimed with a smile.

“Oh, Okay…It’s no problem”, I pulled back my coins while waiting for the results of exchanging banknotes.

He nimbly pressed a few buttons on calculator then showed me a numbers in the LCD.

“Yes, Sir….”, I quickly agreed.

Successfully exchanging Yen for USD, now my mission was to spending coins to buy whatever supplies I could use for lunch, if necessary until dinner…. Was it bad?, That was a my way to saving budget.

I managed to find a FamilyMart in a hallway, entered it, hunted for onigiri and candies, paid it with my coins at cashie and saved it in my backpack. I never underestimate candy, two candies can meet 10% of the calories of an adult’s meal, that means it can hold your stomach for a while until you find a cheap food stall. This time I didn’t mince words by walking around the airport, my time was short, I decided to immediately go to check-in counter to exchange e-tickets with boarding pass. The main standard of airlines for passengers who will cross different countries is to check visas and return tickets from the destination country. But didn’t worry, my visa was perfectly attached to my passport and an Air Asia e-ticket to return from South Korea had also been ordered.

“Can you speak English, Sir,” a female check-in counter lightly asked.

“Yes, sure Ms. I Can”

“Do you want to sit in the emergency exit row?” she asked.

“Oh, yes, with pleasure”, I happily answered, when you are paying cheaper but get a row of seats which is more spacious, that is your prize.

“Ok, thank you Sir”

“You are welcome”.

I quickly got my boarding pass. Heading to immigration counter, I handed over my passport as soon as it arrived. The stage of leaving a country is what I like the most, because it’s fast and without questioning. Of course immigration officers will be happy and is helped if their country guests are disciplined to leave their country on time. After getting a departure stamp in my passport, I immediately headed to the gate to wait for Air Busan, which was about to arrive, maybe even ready. Arriving on time, indeed, the Airbus was standing proudly on the apron preparing to load all its passangers.

Well, given a coupon of 10,000 Won for gambling….Hahaha.

Towards half past eleven, boarding calls filled the airport ceiling, the queue line began to open and several ground staff started lining up at the gate to do final checking for each passenger. I steadily walked through it, showed my boarding pass and passport, then was allowed to board the plane. I walked through the aerobridge and was greeted by two flight attendants with typical faces of “Ginseng Country”.

“Annyeonghasimnika”, one of them smiled with a slight bow, asked for a boarding pass, briefly checked and then asked me to find a seat.

“Gamsahamnida”, ahhh, only a few Korean words I understand. I started looking for my seat.

I sat in the aisle seat in emergency exit row. Shortly after that three columns of seats were filled, a flight attendant came to say hello. The flight attendant explained in Korean about the regulations in emergency exit row, after knowing that the two passengers next to me were Korean nationals. After explaining to both of them, then that flight attendant explained again, this time in English, it was clear for me. While explaining that, we both looked at each other. Because of the ignorance of my heart, I never listened to the rules she said, instead I focused more on enjoying the beauty of her pure white Korean face. I understood, she felt that she was being watched by me, so she occasionally explained the rules with a smile, she got even more clumsy when I responded her with a smile while keeping my eyes on her eyes….I was really naughty.

After half an hour of completing boarding process, the aerobridge finally started to be pulled from plane door, flight attendants started to tightly close the door, passengers began to wear seat belts, the plane began to leave the apron while exhibiting flight safety demonstrations by several cabin crew. The demo ended when the plane was already on the runway and ready to take off from Kansai International Airport.

“Flight attendants, please prepare for take off”, were last words from flight captain who broken the silence in cabin.

The plane did a brake release, the engine rotated with full power, and finally airborne went smoothly, the plane quickly drove from Osaka. I was quite impressed with this plane because this was the first time I could see the plane’s presence in a earth map at an LCD.

When it was time to serve in-flight meal, I prefered to put an packaged food and drink in a folding bag. “Just make lunch,” I muttered to myself. I prefered to carefully read the inflight magazine to find information that might be useful for my adventures in South Korea.

Here it was…. A replacement for my lunch menu.

I didn’t realize that I had flown for 1 hour 30 minutes and the pilot gave an announcement to passengers that the plane was preparing to landing at Gimhae International Airport and informed the weather conditions in Busan which were sunny. Shortly after the announcement was completed, the cabin crew immediately checked every side of cabin and passengers to ensure a safe landing. Finally the plane smoothly landed in runway. How happy I was when I arrived in South Korea for the first time

Hmmm….I couldn’t wait to explore Busan. I still couldn’t stop my smile at my face.

I still didn’t expect that inside the airport terminal building, something serious would happen to me.

Welcome Busan….Welcome South Korea.

Alternatives for airline tickets from Osaka to Busan can be found in 12Go or the following link: https://12go.asia/?z=3283832

Overnight at Kansai International Airport (KIX)

29 April 202223 April 2022travelingpersecond

Arriving at Kansai International Airport (KIX), Osaka.

I descended Peach Aviation with flight number MM6320 via manual ladder. Then I was taken using Narita apron shuttle bus to Terminal 2 building. Finally, I arrived in Osaka and stepped onto airport which had won “The Best Low Cost Airline Terminal in the World” in Skytrax version.

Since this was a domestic flight, of course I didn’t need to be busy dealing with immigration. I stepped on the floor of Terminal 2 building on exactly midnight. I think it would be better if I immediately looked for a place to close my eyes for next five hours. I also felt very tired because from the morning when I checked out until the afternoon I walked around Tokyo carrying a 6 kg backpack. The expensive transportation costs didn’t allow me to put my backpack in hotel first when exploring Tokyo. Because of course it costed a lot of money to just go back and forth to hotel just for taking a backpack in hotel when you want to leave Tokyo. As a result, I had to carry my backpack wherever my feet went until I arrived in Osaka.

My instincts were very quick to find the best seat, I was now in an area on west side of Terminal 2 building which was quite. Four chairs without armrests made the perfect treat for that evening. Not thinking long, I immediately acquired one of them, made my backpack as a pillow and I quickly fell asleep on it.

Zzzzzz…..The remain, I didn’t know what was going on around.

—-****—-

Greekkk…..praakkk…..Buughhh…..Kraackkk.

I gasped and suddenly woke up. Sitting with a headache, I saw clearly a group of tall and beautiful Chinese girls were already sitting in front of me. Two of them noticed me who was in a disheveled condition, then smiled. It was impossible for me to continue sleeping in front of them. Looked like they just landed and out of nowhere.

The clock needle was still perched at number four. That means I’ve slept even four hours. I drank the remaining mineral water. And in an instant, that girls were busy with their respective devices.

I immediately took out my toiletries pack and put my thick jacket into my backpack. I immediately went to the toilet. Entering the airport toilet in the morning was a strategy to enjoy clean toilets because usually the cleaning service just finished cleaning it and no one had used it yet.

Sure enough, I was the first to enter the toilet that morning. Extraordinarily clean, regarding to the cleanliness of public facilities in Japan, no need to ask, they are the experts. That morning, for real, for the first time I used a toilet with a full of button control panel . I put my backpack on clean toilet floor and started my morning activities in it. I guessed, I was too long because of the preoccupation with trying to operate all kinds of button next to the toilet. I pressed no less than ten types of button, from the flushing/sound button to the warm seat button. Not hard, almost 40 minutes I mastered the toilet.

Oh, Donny….All the way to Japan just to try the toilet….Damn

After brushing my teeth in front of the sink. I started to prepare myself to head to the city. I immediately looked for the whereabouts of train station. Following an instructions, I was directed to a free shuttle bus to transfer to Terminal 1, because train to downtown was there.

I boarded to free shuttle bus. Traveling a distance of about 2 km and less than ten minutes I arrived at Terminal 1 at exactly six in the morning. I started hunting for train tickets.

“Which train must I take to get the cheapest price to Shin-Imamiya Station, Ms?”, I asked to female clerk sitting at ticket sales desk.

“JR Kansai Airport Rapid for 1,060 Yen, Sir”

“Okay, I take that”

Not long after, JR Kansai Airport Rapid Train arrived. I immediately entered one of its carriages which was dominantly silver with a blue color, then sat on one of its single seats. Less than five minutes, the train departed. That’s how Japanese trains awere, never late and always on time.

15 minutes later…..

I was so surprised that its carriage passed through a giant iron bridge which straddled the sea. All my life, I just found out that Kansai International Airport (KIX) is located in the middle of the sea, 5 Km from the nearest mainland in Osaka city. Wasn’t this a wonderful experience?……

Bersitatap Kagum: Air Busan BX 123 dari Osaka (KIX) ke Busan (PUS)

1 February 202111 February 2021travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Jalur penerbangan Air Busan BX 123 (sumber: https://flightaware.com/).

Air Busan adalah maskapai ke-16 dari 28 maskapai berbeda yang pernah kucicipi. Low Cost Carrier (LCC) dari Negeri Ginseng ini memiliki main hub di Gimhae International Airport. Bukan niatan mengunjungi Busan, tetapi karena harga tiket murah yang ditawarkan Air Busan lah yang membuatku memutuskan untuk singgah di Busan sebelum mencapai tujuan utama, yaitu Seoul, ibu kota Korea Selatan.

Aku sendiri mendapatkan tiket murah ini tujuh bulan sebelum keberangkatan dengan harga tak sampai Rp. 800.000.

Inilah kisahku menunggang maskapai dengan tiga warna branding, putih-biru-kuning…

—-****—-

“Sorry, Sir….We don’t receive coin”, petugas KIX Currency Exchange berseru dengan senyum.

“Oh, Okay…It’s no problem”, aku menarik kembali uang koin sembari menunggu hasil penukaran uang kertas.

Dia dengan gesit memencet beberapa tombol kalkulator kemudian menunjukkan angka di LCDnya kepadaku.

“Yes, Sir….”, aku mengiyakan cepat.

Sukses menukar Yen dengan USD, kini misiku adalah menghabiskan uang koin untuk membeli bekal apapun yang bisa kujadikan sebagai makan siang, kalau perlu hingga makan malam….Parah kan?, bagaimana caraku berhemat.

Aku berhasil menemukan FamilyMart di sebuah selasar, memasukinya, berburu onigiri dan permen, menyudahinya dengan uang koin di kasir lalu membenamkannya dalam-dalam di backpack. Aku tak pernah meremehkan permen, dua butir permen bisa memenuhi 10% kalori seporsi makan orang dewasa, itu berarti bisa menahan lapar perut beberapa saat hingga menemukan warung makan yang murah. Kali ini aku tak berbasa-basi dengan berkeliling bandara, waktuku sempit, kuputuskan segera menuju konter check-in untuk bertukar e-ticket dengan boarding pass. Standar utama maskapai terhadap penumpang yang akan melintas negara berbeda adalah mengecek visa serta return ticket dari negara yang dituju. Tapi tak perlu khawatir, visaku sudah menempel sempurna di passport dan e-ticket Air Asia untuk pulang dari Korea Selatan juga telah kupesan.

“Can you speak English, Sir”, petugas wanita konter check-in bertanya ringan.

“Yes, sure Ms. I can”

“Do you want to sit in emergency exit row?”, dia meminta.

“Oh, yes, with pleasure”, aku menjawabnya dengan gembira, kapan lagi bayar murah tapi dapat deretan kursi yang lebih lega.

“Ok, thank you Sir”

“You are welcome”.

Boarding pass dengan cepat kudapat. Menuju konter imigrasi, aku menyerahkan passport begitu tiba. Tahapan keluar dari sebuah negara adalah hal yang paling kusuka, karena cepat dan tanpa interogasi. Tentu petugas imigrasi akan senang dan terbantu jika tamu negaranya berdisiplin untuk keluar negaranya tepat waktu. Setelah mendapatkan stempel departure di passport, aku segera menuju gate untuk menunggu Air Busan yang sebentar lagi akan datang bahkan mungkin telah bersiap. Tiba tepat waktu, benar adanya, pesawat Airbus itu telah berdiri gagah di apron bersiap memasukkan segenap muatan.

Nah, dikasih kupun 10.000 Won buat berjudi….”Judiii….Teeeeet….Menjanjikan Kemenangan”.

Menjelang pukul setengah sebelas, panggilan boarding memenuhi langit-langit bandara, Jalur antrian mulai dibuka dan beberapa ground staff mulai berbaris di gate untuk melakukan final checking kepada setiap penumpang. Aku melewatinya dengan mantap, menunjukkan boarding pass dan passport, kemudian diizinkan menuju ke pesawat. Aku merangsek melalui aerobridge lalu disambut dua pramugari berwajah khas Negeri Ginseng.

“Annyeonghasimnika”, salah satu dari mereka bersalam senyum dengan sedikit membungkuk, meminta boarding pass, mengecek sebentar lalu mempersilahkanku mencari tempat duduk.

“Gamsahamnida”, ahhh, hanya sedikit kosakata Korea yang kufaham. Aku mulai mencari bangku.

Aku duduk di aisle seat pada emergency exit row. Tak lama setelah tiga kolom bangku terisi, seorang pramugari datang menyapa. Pramugari itu menjelaskan dalam Bahsa Korea tentang peraturan di emergency exit row, maklum dua penumpang di sebelahku asli berkebangsaan Korea. Usai menjelaskan ke mereka berdua, kemudian pramugari itu kembali menjelaskan, kali ini dalam Bahasa Inggris, jelas itu untukku. Saat menjelaskan itu, kita berdua saling bersitatap. Sebab kejahilan hatiku saja, aku tak pernah mendengarkan peraturan yang diucapkannya, justru aku lebih fokus menikmati keayuan khas wajah Koreanya yang putih bersih. Aku faham, dia merasa kuperhatikan sehingga dia sesekali menjelaskan peraturan itu dengan senyum, dia semakin keki ketika aku membalasnya dengan seyuman dengan tetap bersitatap muka….Parah habis ya guwe.

Setengah jam menyelesaikan boarding process, akhirnya juluran aerobridge mulai ditarik dari pintu pesawat, pramugari mulai menutup pintu rapat-rapat, penumpang mulai mengenakan sabuk pengaman, pesawat mulai meninggalkan apron sembari memamerkan demo keselamatan penerbangan oleh beberapa awak kabin. Demo itu usai ketika pesawat sudah di runaway dan bersiap take-off meninggalkan Kansai International Airport.

“Flight attendants, please prepare for take off”, begitu kata terakhir dari kapten penerbangan yang memecah sunyi ruangan di kabin.

Pesawat itupun melakukan brake release, mesin berotasi dengan tenaga penuh, dan akhirnya airborne berlangsung dengan mulus, pesawat melaju dengan cepat meninggalkan Osaka. Aku cukup terkesima dengan pesawat ini karena inilah pertama kalinya bisa melihat keberadaan pesawat di atas peta bumi dalam sebidang LCD….Guwe kampungan emang.

Ketika tiba waktunya menyajikan in-flight meal, aku lebih memilih memasukkan makanan dan minuman kemasan itu ke dalam folding bag. “Buat makan siang saja lah”, gumamku dalam hati. Aku lebih memilih membaca dengan seksama inflight magazine untuk mencari informasi yang mungkin aja berguna untuk petualanganku di Korea Selatan.

Tak terasa aku telah terbang selama 1 jam 30 menit dan pilot memberikan pengumunan kepada penumpang bahwa pesawat bersiap mendarat di Gimhae International Airport serta menginformasikan kondisi cuaca di Busan yang cerah. Tak berselang lama setelah pengumuman selesai, awak kabin segera memeriksa setiap sisi kabin dan penumpang untuk memastikan pendaratan berlangsung aman. Akhirnya pesawat mendarat mulus di landas pacu. Betapa bahagianya aku ketika untuk pertama kalinya tiba di Korea Selatan

Hmmhh….Aku sudah tak sabar mengeksplorasi Busan. Aku masih saja tak mampu membendung semburat senyum di wajah.

Aku masih saja tak menduga bahwa di dalam bangunan terminal bandara nanti, akan ada insiden serius yang menimpaku.

Selamat Datang Busan….Selamat Datang Korea Selatan.

Alternatif untuk tiket pesawat dari Osaka ke Busan bisa dicari di 12Go atau link berikut: https://12go.asia/?z=3283832

Kisah Selanjutnya—->

Bermalam di Kansai International Airport (KIX)

25 December 20205 January 2021travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Tiba di Kansai International Airport (KIX), Osaka.

Aku menuruni Peach Aviation bernomor terbang MM6320 melalui tangga manual. Kemudian dibawa menggunakan Narita apron shuttle bus menuju bangunan Terminal 2. Akhirnya, aku tiba di Osaka dan menapaki bandara yang pernah memenangi Best Low Cost Airline Terminal in the World versi Skytrax.

Karena ini adalah penerbangan domestik tentu aku tak perlu sibuk berurusan dengan pihak imigrasi. Aku menginjak lantai bangunan Terminal 2 tepat tengah malam. Kiranya akan lebih baik jika aku segera mencari tempat peraduan untuk memejamkan mata sejenak hingga 5 jam ke depan. Aku juga sudah merasa sangat letih karena sedari pagi saat check-out hingga sore berkeliling Tokyo dengan memanggul backpack seberat 6 Kg. Biaya transportasi yang mahal tak memungkinkanku untuk menaruh backpack di dormitory dahulu. Karena sudah barang tentu membutuhkan biaya yang tak sedikit untuk sekedar bolak-balik ke dormitory hanya untuk kegiatan remeh temeh, yaitu mengambil backpack saat ingin meninggalkan Tokyo. Alhasil, aku harus memanggul backpack kemanapun kaki melangkah higga aku tiba di Osaka.

Instingku sangat cepat untuk menemukan tempat tidur terbaik, aku kini berada di sebuah area di sisi barat bangunan Terminal 2 yang cukup tenang. Empat bangku gandeng tanpa sandaran lengan menjadi hadiah sempurna malam itu. Tak berfikir panjang, aku segera mengakuisisi salah satunya, menjadikan backpack sebagai bantal dan dengan cepat aku terlelap diatasnya.

Zzzzzz…..Selebihnya aku tak tahu apa yang terjadi di sekitar.

—-****—-

Greekkk…..praakkk…..Buughhh…..Kraackkk.

Aku tergelegap dan tersontak bangun. Dalam duduk dengan kepala pening, aku melihat jelas rombongan gadis-gadis tinggi cantik asal Tiongkok sudah duduk di depanku. Dua diantaranya memperhatikanku yang sedang dalam kondisi kusut, kemudian melempar senyum. Sudah tak mungkin aku melanjutkan tidur di depan mereka. Sepertinya mereka baru saja mendarat dan entah dari mana.

Jarum jam masih bertengger di angka empat. Berarti aku sudah terlelap genap empat jam. Aku menenggak air mineral tersisa. Dan dalam sekejap gadis-gadis itu sudah sibuk dengan gawainya masing-masing.

Kukeluarkan segera toiletries pack dan kumasukkan jaket tebalku ke dalam backpack. Aku segera beranjak menuju ke toilet. Masuk ke toilet bandara saat pagi adalah strategi untuk menikmati toilet bersih karena biasanya cleaning service baru usai membersihkannya dan belum ada yang menggunakan.

Benar saja, akulah orang pertama yang memasuki toilet pagi itu. Luar biasa bersih, perihal kebersihan fasilitas umum di Jepang, tidak usah ditanya, mereka jagonya. Pagi itu, sungguh nyata, untuk pertama kalinya aku menggunakan toilet dengan control panel penuh tombol. Aku menaruh backpack di lantai toilet yang bersih dan memulai aktivitas pagi di dalamya. Sepertinya aku kelamaan karena keasyikan mencoba mengoperasikan semua jenis tombol di sebelah kloset toilet. Tak kurang dari sepuluh jenis tombol aku memencet-mencetnya, mulai dari tombol penyamar suara (flushing/sound button) hingga penghangat kloset (warm seat button). Tak kerasa, hampir 40 menit aku menguasai toilet itu.

Oalah, Donny….Jauh-jauh ke Jepang cuman buat nyobain toilet….Kasihan……

Menggunakan free shuttle bus menuju Terminal 1.

Usai menggosok gigi di depan wastafel. Aku mulai mempersiapkan diri untuk menuju kota. Aku segera mencari keberadaan stasiun kereta. Mengikuti petunjuk yang ada aku diarahkan pada sebuah free shuttle bus untuk berpindah ke Terminal 1, karena kereta ke tengah kota berada disana.

Aku menaiki free shuttle bus itu. Menempuh jarak sekitar 2 km dan tak sampai sepuluh menit aku tiba di Terminal 1 tepat pukul enam pagi. Aku mulai berburu tiket kereta.

“Which train must I take to get the cheapest price to Shin-Imamiya Station, Ms?”, aku bertanya kepada petugas wanita yang duduk di bagian penjualan tiket.

“JR Kansai Airport Rapid for 1.060 Yen (Rp. 145.000), Sir”

“Okay, I take that”

Tak lama kemudian, JR Kansai Airport Rapid Train itu tiba. Aku segera memasuki salah satu gerbongnnya yang dominan silver dengan kelir biru, kemudian duduk di salah satu bangku tunggalnya. Tak sampai lima menit, kereta itu berangkat. Begitulah kereta Jepang, tak pernah telat dan selalu tepat waktu.

15 menit kemudian…..

Begitu terkejutnya diriku karena kereta itu melewati jembatan besi raksasa yang gagah mengangkangi laut. Seumur hidup, aku baru tahu kalau Kansai Internatioanl Airport (KIX) berlokasi di tengah laut, berjarak 5 Km dari daratan terdekat di kota Osaka. Bukankah ini pengalaman yang luar biasa?……

Kisah Selanjutnya—->