How to Make 50 Grand* in Five Easy Steps

*Give or take, the actual amount is up to IDR 500 million. Valid in Indonesia only.

Step 1: Identify two of the oldest planes (or the ones with the highest risk factor) still in service from this list (except PK-KKW 737-4Q8 (retired/still missing) and PK-KKV 737-300 (awaiting repair/retired), and verify their respective flight numbers (IATA Code: KI) accordingly.

Step 2: Recruit a hobo which resembles your physical characteristics down to the details.

Step 3: Book a seat under your name on either plane’s each and every flight thru their site, and pay the airfares accordingly. (For an easy 50 grand, of course this will still cost you.)

Step 4: Ensure that your recruited hobo will board each and every flight you’ve booked and paid for, obviously he/she must always fly and be registered under your name in every Flight Manifest. (Last time I checked, once completing the Check In procedure on domestic flights, any passenger holding a valid Boarding Pass can board the plane without a proper ID verification.)

Step 5: Patiently anticipate the tragic breaking news (so far in 2007, the rate is one incident per month), and instruct your family/next of kin to follow the claim procedure accordingly thereafter. Pray for the unfortunate victims, and pray hard for no DNA testing.

Disclaimer: The author accepts NO responsibility for any action resulting from this post, the author does NOT expect people to actually follow these steps, nor there is any guarantee that these steps will work at all. This post is only intended as a reminder that: us Indonesians might just be loony enough to try this (actually, this post does serve to pre-empt those lunatics); and NO ONE should be allowed to board Indonesian domestic flights by showing another person’s valid Boarding Pass. Lastly, AdamAir please get your act straight!