Not likely again
At DPS, check-in counter E was a new addition space and was off to 1 side that one would mistake for an error in signage. You would have to take a detour to the new counter area and back for departure. Also, OD has 3 flights to KUL within 2 hours of each other causing significant queues for check-in. I had checked-in online but was told e-boarding passes were not accepted at DPS; only to be told at the counter, after a 30 minute wait in line, that for OD flights, e-boarding passes were accepted but ID (Batik Air Indonesia) e-boarding passes were not. Go figure!
To get to the departure gates, one has to walk through the duty free store. With the winding walkway and with some passengers being inconsiderate, stopping wherever they liked or just lost due the unusual layout, it ended up like an obstacle course. DPS has an open air smoking area with some shade and hosts a cafe which serves drinks. If it rains or very sunny, it can get uncomfortable. It gives a view of some planes and runway. Look for it near Hard Rock Cafe at Gate 6.
About 30 minutes prior to scheduled boarding time, the gate was changed and boarding actually started about 20 minutes in advance of it. Adding to the confusion, the scheduled departure time as listed at the gate was 15 minutes in advance of scheduled departure. Gate 6 consists of 3 gates; 6A, 6B and 6C on a single side. You would expect the gates to be sequential, but they were listed as 6A, followed by 6C and then 6B. OD172 was a SYD-KUL flight with a stop-over in DPS. No aerobridge was used for departure and I stepped into a nearly empty plane from the bus. I guess the SYD-KUL passengers had to deplane into a waiting lounge and then take a bus back for boarding. 9M-LRV is only 8 years old but the worn and cracked leather on the seats was quite uninspiring. Plus, my seat was hard on my bony ass which explains the tossing and turning I did. Boarding was also notably messy as the airline does not control how many or how big carry on bags passengers bring onboard. The overhead bins filled up quickly with boarding passengers having to hunt up and down the aisle for space to hold their bags.
Push back was on time but the 40 minutes it took until takeoff at a single runway airport which is not that big in absolute size speaks volume of its efficiency. The weak AC during the 40 minutes made the wait quite a challenge.
My pre-purchased meal was missing! 2 hours into the 3 hour flight I got a replacement crew meal with dry rice and not a single piece of vegetable. As a gesture of goodwill, I was offered a cup of hot tea. My original flight was cancelled and I was rebooked onto this flight. But blaming flight cancellations on the Iran war does not excuse the airline for the atrocious failing in flight operations.
