welcome to bandung international airport

Meskipun memiliki predikat sebagai ibu kota provinsi sekaligus salah satu kota terbesar di Indonesia, sampai saat ini Bandung belum memiliki sarana transportasi umum yang ramah untuk para pelancong tunggal yang menghubungkan bandara dengan pusat kota. Boro-boro Skytrain atau kereta bandara (seperti yang ada di Jakarta, Medan, Padang, dan Yogyakarta), bus bandara aja nggak punya. Parahnya lagi, lokasi Bandara Internasional Husein Sastranegara ini nggak persis di pinggir jalan raya, kita harus berjalan kaki kurang lebih 15 menit dari jalan utama.

Despite its position as a provincial capital and one of Indonesian largest cities, Bandung doesn’t have a reliable mode of public transportation for a solo budget traveler to connect the airport to the city center and vice versa. Don’t expect a Skytrain or an airport train (where Jakarta, Medan, Padang, and Yogyakarta provide), the city doesn’t even have an airport bus. Worse, the Husein Sastranegara International Airport is located approximately 15 minutes-walk from the main road.

front view of bandung international airport

Ada yang bilang ke gue bahwa kendala yang pemerintah kota hadapi adalah posisi Bandara Husein Sastranegara Bandung sebagai milik TNI Angkatan Udara. Well, Bandara Adi Sutjipto Yogyakarta juga gitu, pun Bandara Ahmad Yani Semarang, tapi kedua kota menyediakan BRT (bus rapid transit) yang melalui bandara. Bandara Jogja bahkan punya kereta Prambanan Ekspres yang menghubungkan bandara dengan pusat kota, bahkan dengan kota-kota di sekitarnya. Jadi, gue pikir masalahnya nggak sesimpel itu.

There’s someone told me that the obstacle in solving this problem is the fact that Husein Sastranegara Airport belongs to the Indonesian national air force. Well, so do Yogyakarta’s Adi Sutjipto International Airport and Semarang’s Ahmad Yani Airport. But both cities provide a bus rapid system to serve the airport. The Yogyakarta’s Airport even has a commuter train named Prambanan Ekspres to connect the airport to city center of Jogja and its surrounding cities. So, I guess the problem is not that simple.

Ada Pilihan Apa Saja di Bandara Bandung? (What Choices Do We Have?)

Opsi paling konvensional dari bandara menuju titik tujuanmu adalah taksi bandara alias Taksi Primkopau yang ongkosnya langsung melenyapkan gairah buat liburan di Bandung. Dengan banyaknya laporan negatif sampai saat ini, gue nggak perlu repot-repot mencoba peruntungan dengan sekedar bertanya atau bahkan mencoba langsung. Kalau kamu nggak keberatan dengan tariff taksi bandara, berarti kamu bukan pembaca yang butuh panduan ini.

The most conventional way to commute from airport to your destination is taking an airport taxi named Taksi Primkopau. But the price is so crazy that your desire to explore Bandung might vanish in seconds! Regarding the negative testimonials about it, I don’t bother to give it a try once, I don’t even ask. If their price is not a problem for you, then you don’t need this special guide.

picking up and dropping off passengers

Ojek pangkalan menawarkan harga yang lebih masuk akal. Dari tempat tinggal gue di kawasan Pasteur menuju bandara, ongkosnya Rp20.000,00 – Rp25.000,00. Untuk rute sebaliknya, harganya bisa naik sampai Rp50.000,00. Sebagai informasi, jarak Pasteur dari bandara hanya sekitar 34 kilometer. Tapi kalau kamu buru-buru dan pergi seorang diri, ini adalah opsi terbaik.

The motorcycle taxi (called “ojek” in Indonesia) offers a more reasonable price. From where I live in Pasteur to the airport, the driver charged me for Rp20.000,00 – Rp25.000,00. For the opposite direction, the price goes up to Rp50.000,00. Fyi, Pasteur is just 3 – 4 kilometers away! But if you are in a hurry, this is the best bet you can get.

information center of bandung international airport

Baru-baru ini, Grab sudah membuka layanan khusus dari bandara. Hampiri booth mereka di depan Terminal Kedatangan, daftarkan dirimu pada selembar kertas, lalu buka aplikasi untuk melihat ongkos perjalanan dari bandara menuju tujuanmu. Petugas akan memanggil namamu. Saat gue mencoba layanan ini, ongkos yang tertera di aplikasi adalah Rp100.000,00 karena lagi banyak permintaan dan sedang turun hujan. Kalau kamu pergi bareng temen atau keluarga, opsi ini mungkin bisa dipertimbangkan. Eh tapi, salah seorang temen gue bilang kalau di tengah jalan sopirnya (layanan Grab bandara ini menggunakan armada taksi) akan meminta harga lebih mahal dari yang tertera di aplikasi. Waduh…

Currently, Grab officially opened a special service to transport passengers from the airport. Go to their booth in front of the arrival gate, register yourself on a paper, and open the application to see how much the system will charge you for your journey. An officer will call your name. When I tried to calculate the fare, the application displayed Rp100.000,00 for my trip due to high demands and bad weather. If you’re traveling with your family or friends, you may consider this option. Oh, but a friend of mine told me that, in the middle of the way, the driver will charge you more than stated on the apps. Yes, this Grab airport service use regular taxis as their fleet.

the direction sign. where are you going?

Cara paling murah dari bandara menuju tempat tujuan adalah dengan GrabBike dan Gojek. Dari Pasteur menuju Bandara Husein Sastranegara Bandung, ongkosnya cuma Rp10.000, lalu turun lagi jadi Rp5.000,00 setelah dipotong diskon Grab. Sayangnya, banyak driver GrabBike yang nggak berani menurunkan penumpang di depan bandara. Mereka bisa dikeroyok atau handphone-nya disita! Temen gue pernah mengalaminya. Parah banget, ‘kan?

Nah, mereka cuma berani menyampaikan kita sampai pertigaan Abdulrahman Saleh (yang ada taman atau monumennya) atau Maleber (yang dekat jalur kereta api). Dari situ, kita harus berjalan kaki selama kurang lebih 15 menit. Kalau kamu nggak membawa banyak barang, cara ini udah yang paling bagus. Ngomong-ngomong, saat gue mau balik ke kost dari pertigaan Abdulrahman Saleh — entah aplikasinya lagi error atau lalu lintas saat itu lagi kacau banget — gue terus-terusan dapet driver yang posisinya jauh banget. Coba buka Gojek, malah sama sekali nggak dapet driver. Akhirnya gue naik angkot sampai Istana Plaza.

a quiet corner of the airport

The cheapest mode of transportation from your hotel (where you stay or live) to the airport and vice versa is by GrabBike and Gojek. From Pasteur to Husein Sastranegara Airport, the cost is as cheap as Rp10.000, and then it changed to Rp5.000,00 after I applied a discount code. Unfortunately, many drivers will not drop you at the exact point. They can be physically bullied, their phones can be taken away, by some conventional taxi and ojek drivers. It’s horrible, isn’t it?

Usually, they will drop you at the junction of Jalan Abdulrahman Saleh (where you can see a park / monument) or Maleber (where you can see a railway). From the junction, you have to walk for about 15 minutes. If you don’t bring many luggage, you’re safe and will enjoy your walk. Anyway, when I was going home from the junction — I didn’t know if the Grab apps was in trouble or the traffic was total mess — but I kept getting drivers too far away from when I was. I changed to Gojek, and it’s worse, I didn’t even get a single driver! Finally, I waved an “angkot” to bring me to Istana Plaza.

restaurants lined the street

Selain GrabBike dan Gojek, angkot juga menjadi mode angkutan umum yang murah menuju Bandara Husein Sastranegara. Apalagi kalau kamu berangkat dari kawasan Pasteur, Jalan Pajajaran, Jalan Pasir Kaliki, Stasiun Bandung, dan Maleber yang notabene dekat dari bandara. Ketentuannya sama kayak naik GrabBike dan Gojek: kamu turun di pertigaan Abdulrahman Saleh atau perlintasan kereta api Maleber.

Butuh hotel di kawasan Pasteur? Ke Hotel Vio aja. Klik untuk baca ulasan gue.

Apart from GrabBike and Gojek, “angkot” is another cheap way to get to Husein Sastranegara Airport. It is quite recommended if you stay around Pasteur, Jalan Pajajaran, Jalan Pasir Kaliki, Bandung Railway Station, or Maleber which located near the airport. The same rule applies as you ride GrabBike or Gojek: the driver will drop you at the junction of Abdulrahman Saleh or Maleber near the railway. There is no any angkots to have some routes passing the airport.

Fasilitas Bandara (Airport Facilities)

Walaupun fasilitas transportasinya belum lebih baik, secara umum Bandara Husein Sastranegara udah lebih nyaman daripada sebelumnya. Interiornya sudah lebih modern, bersih, dan nyaman. AC-nya adem lah, hehehe. Ada tempat duduk yang nyaman di ruang tunggu, PC gratis dengan sambungan internet nirkabel, ATM, toilet yang bersih, dan Duty Free Shops.

Relax, despite lacks of public transportation, generally speaking Husein Sastranegara Airport is getting better than before. There are a lot of improvements! The airport is modern, clean, comfortable, and cool enough. There are convenience seating area in the boarding room, free PC with internet connection, ATM, clean toilet, and Duty Free Shops.

Butuh hotel dekat bandara Bandung? Need a hotel near the airport? Check out Triple Seven Bed & Breakfast. Murah tapi instagrammable, inexpensive yet eye-catching!

food vendors lined the corridor

Makanan dan minuman banyak tersedia — baik di dalam ruang tunggu, di dalam gedung bandara, maupun di depan bangunan bandara. Dalam penerbangan ke Kuala Lumpur pada Februari 2017 lalu, gue sarapan dengan roti dan kopi di dalam ruang tunggu. Sementara di selasar depan Gerbang Kedatangan juga ada beberapa vendor, di antaranya adalah Exelso, Roti O, Kebab Company, dan Wietiam Kopi. Sementara di luar bangunan bandara, setidaknya ada Solaria, Starbucks, dan yang terbaru — UPNORMAL Coffee & Roaster.

Food and beverages are available in the boarding room, in the airport, and outside the airport. On my flight to Kuala Lumpur on February 2017, I had a bread and a cup of coffee for my breakfast inside the boarding room. Food vendors are lined the arrival gate, such as Exelso, Roti O, Kebab Company, and Wietiam Kopi. While outside the building, at least there is Solaria, Starbucks, and the newest one — UPNORMAL Coffee & Roaster.

upnormal coffee & roaster just across the building

indoor & outdoor seating

order then pay it directly

Hari Sabtu kemarin gue coba mampir ke UPNORMAL Coffee & Roaster. Dari segi penampilan, gue suka banget balutan warna hijau toska untuk desain interiornya. Ada ruang duduk di dalam dan di luar. Buat seporsi Nasi Goreng Upnormal dan secangkir Black Coffee panas, gue hanya perlu membayar Rp45.000,00. Udah termasuk murah buat makan-makan di bandara dengan nyaman dan enak.

Last Saturday, I gave a try to UPNORMAL Coffee & Roaster. I love the touch of turquoise blue on its interior design, it is so refreshing! Indoor and outdoor seating area are available. I ordered Nasi Goreng Upnormal and a cup of hot Black Coffee for just Rp45.000,00 (tax and service are already included). I consider UPNORMAL as one of the most affordable way to have a meal at the airport.

fried rice, coffee, and laptop for my saturday night

So, how is your experience about Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung? Let me know your thoughts and please kindly share on comment section below.