TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Sorting out agents that offer affordable Umrah trips is truly essential for you to avoid being a victim in another case of stranded pilgrims at the Holy city of Mecca.
The most common problem faced by prospective Umrah pilgrims is the inconsistent flight schedules, hotels that are not up to expectations, up to the considerable time to issue visas. These problems stem back to Umrah travel agents that lack transparency in its operations.
Here are four guidelines for you to follow issued by the Religious Affairs Ministry several pieces of advice we compiled from travel agents themselves in the 2017 Garuda Indonesia Travel Fair Jakarta.
1. Background Check
Always conduct a background check of the travel agent which services you intend to use. Make sure that the agent has an official permit to run its businesses and is certified by the Religious Affairs Ministry. Travel agents that adhere to the law would extend its permit every three years.
2. Correct Flight Information
Don’t settle for unclear information that some travel agents provide. Ask your Umrah travel agent on the details of the flight you would use such as the flight schedule breakdown.
Often time travel agents provide information on the month customers would be flown to Mecca, which is a sign that the travel agent is still attempting to fill its quota. Scenarios like this can potentially cause travel agents to delay and reschedule the date of your flight.
Always ask confirmation on the flight schedule down to the day and hour the plane would depart from any given international airport in Indonesia.
3. Ask about your visa
Umrah travel agents can only acquire visas for its customers if it is officially recognized by the Indonesian government. The government will never issue passports for prospective Umrah pilgrims if the travel agent is unlicensed.
4. Consider the distance of the hotel to the pilgrimage site
Umrah pilgrims are often deceived by irresponsible travel agents who claim that the distance between the hotel and pilgrimage site. Remember that the same distance here can be traveled in a much longer time in Mecca during a Hajj season. Only accept agents that provide hotels within a short walking distance to the pilgrimage site.
FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA