CGK Airport - LAG Check on Boarding to Oz

Rosege

Intern
Joined
Jul 25, 2015
Posts
74
Qantas
Gold
Virgin
Gold
Had a funny incident at CGK.
Took a couple of bottles of water from the lounge on the way out and put in my bag incase I got thirsty on over night flight so I wouldn't need to bother crew. As this was after security I thought it would be fine.
Get to gate and they are going through everyone's bags. The guy sees my water and says this isn't allowed! I try saying they are very small bottles. But he is insisting that these are not allowed.
I give them over and board.
After sitting down I notice that everyone has been given an exact same bottle of water at their seats.
 
The Frequent Flyer Concierge team takes the hard work out of finding reward seat availability. Using their expert knowledge and specialised tools, they'll help you book a great trip that maximises the value for your points.

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

Had a funny incident at CGK.
Took a couple of bottles of water from the lounge on the way out and put in my bag incase I got thirsty on over night flight so I wouldn't need to bother crew. As this was after security I thought it would be fine.
Get to gate and they are going through everyone's bags. The guy sees my water and says this isn't allowed! I try saying they are very small bottles. But he is insisting that these are not allowed.
I give them over and board.
After sitting down I notice that everyone has been given an exact same bottle of water at their seats.
Bangkok and Hong Kong as well.
 
I've also had 'the check' in SIN and KUL.

At SIN, don't recall having the gate check at T4, but have only taken a JQ flight to MEL once sinced it moved to T4. At the other 3 terminals that gate check is just regular security, as that's where you do security, not upon entering the airport. At SIN at least you can take an empty refillable bottle and fill it up with the water in the gate area.
 
I had that at AUH too, on EY flight. At least you didn't pay for them from an airside shop or vending machine.

But why does this happen? Is there a way to get to the gate without going through a security check? An inbound flight from a small airport perhaps? This sorta happened from Burnie to Melbourne. But there was a security check immediately upon disembarkation at MEL prior to any area where pax could co-mingle.
 
It is done on all international flights bound for Australia - except from New Zealand, the US and Canada for some unknown reason.
 
Had something similar happen at DPS back in December and also at airports like SGN in the past.
 
It is done on all international flights bound for Australia - except from New Zealand, the US and Canada for some unknown reason.
Wasn't done for VA flight HND - CNS. I would not have surrendered my Melon Soda bought airside. Not without a headline-creating fight anyway.
 
And HKG from by experience in December.
Agreed, haven't experienced it in HKG for years, including last week.

It's clearly a complete waste of time and money (where it does happen), but no one's incentivised to remove it on the off chance something bad happens afterwards. The check was also never very thorough anyway, it would have been easy to get something through in my experience.
 
It’s been the situation for years. Decades I think?

Only legislated exempt countries (and some airports?) are exempt. Exempt countries are USA and NZ. I think there are some exempt airports too?

At all other airports there must be a gate check for LAGS for non-stop flights to Australia.

Sometimes that’s the regular gate check if LAG security is usually done at the gate.

Else it has to be a secondary check.
 
Last edited:
I'm about 50/50 at DXB, sometimes it makes it through and sometimes not. Security at the gate was not consistent last year.
 
It is done on all international flights bound for Australia - except from New Zealand, the US and Canada for some unknown reason.

Can add Japan to your list of exceptions. Suspect there are other origins in the South Pacific where this also doesn't happen also (although can't remember with certainty)
 
This happened to us in DPS last month. It's not that you're not allowed water onboard it's that's they confiscate any plastic containers. So you can have one of the those expensive $15-$20 plastic containers that I buy for daughter and they confiscate those as well.

The silly part if there's a shop selling water right next to the check point.

For what it's worth in BKK/SIN they check for water but you don't lose your empty containers (yes empty water bottles are ok) and you can fill up water at the gate. Oh and you can collect your duty free at the gate. That must be safe right?

I dehydrate on flights. I need my own supply of fluids. I cannot rely on the airline to provide me with what I need. This check point has to be one of the dumbest things I've seen.
 
It’s some sort of country/airport rating system that’s done by the Australian authorities.

The country/airport needs to have airside general LAG type goods delivery security processes in place for it to be exempted.

Or something like that…
 
Last edited:
But you get a lovely little green sticker on your BP 🤣
Last time flying back from CGK with GA we got to the gate a few minutes early and I went to the little counter where they were checking bags and issuing the green sticker and after completing that I decided to hang back from the gate and watch what others did. It’s was amazing to see how many people gave their water to others travelling with them and then got the sticker and went back and swapped the water with the partner who then went up and got the sticker. I witnessed at least half a dozen people do this.
 

Enhance your AFF viewing experience!!

From just $6 we'll remove all advertisements so that you can enjoy a cleaner and uninterupted viewing experience.

And you'll be supporting us so that we can continue to provide this valuable resource :)


Sample AFF with no advertisements? More..
Back
Top