Flying Jetstar does have its perks—recently, I wrote about the free 20 SGD Changi voucher the airline provides transit passengers. Well, there’s another benefit that I tried out when I flew with them to Singapore last month: free bus service by Transtar from Singapore Changi Airport to Johor Bahru and back.
Johor Bahru and the rest of the state of Johor, as many of us know, is the home of family-friendly attractions like LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort, Puteri Harbour (where Sanrio Hello Kitty Land is), and Angry Birds Activity Park, as well as the bargain hunters’ paradise Johor Premium Outlets. And so, the free service (worth 10 SGD or ~350 PHP) is useful for those who wish to explore the area.
Before my trip, I went to the website of Jetstar and looked for the free bus service’s page to print the voucher and fill it out. Then, I checked the Transtar website for the timetable of the TS1 cross-border service from Changi Airport to Johor Bahru CIQ. I also made sure that I had a printout of my itinerary just in case the driver would ask for it as proof.
Since I was arriving from Taipei in the middle of the night, I had to wait a few hours for the first bus—which turned out to be all good, since there was a resting area at the airport. Anyway, when the time came, I went to the designated Transtar bus stop at Terminal 1, which is what Jetstar uses for all its flights. The stop, which is for coaches but not public buses, is right outside the departures levels.
I was 10 minutes early for the bus, waiting with two other passengers. I got worried that the bus left already, as it did not arrive on-time, but it turned out to be 10 minutes late. I was relieved because the next TS1 bus that morning wasn’t scheduled until two hours later.
I boarded the Transtar bus and showed the bus captain my voucher and a copy of my ticket. He asked for my boarding pass though and wanted to keep it with my voucher. I didn’t know the boarding pass was needed, so good thing I kept it.
Between the three Changi terminals and the CIQ in Woodlands, bus TS1 makes five stops, picking up and dropping off commuters. Though it was Friday morning rush hour, the bus I took wasn’t especially packed, and I was comfortably seated.
We arrived at Woodlands CIQ on time, despite the bus leaving the airport late. Luckily, the immigration counters weren’t busy, so I was able to catch the same bus to cross the causeway—though the driver instructed me to board any Transtar bus to cross just in case I got left.
Finally, I alighted the bus again at Johor Bahru CIQ. The immigration counters were more packed at that side of the causeway because of the school holiday. From there, I crossed to JB Sentral and walked to my hotel.
NOTES
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Jetstar passengers departing/arriving in Singapore are qualified for the free bus service to/from Johor Bahru.
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Passengers may take the bus service up to a day before or after flight departure or arrival.
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In addition to a passport, a printed voucher found here, and a boarding pass or airline itinerary are needed to take the bus for free.
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The service terminates and begins at Johor Bahru CIQ, which is connected to JB Sentral by walkways.
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At JB Sentral, there are buses to LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort, Johor Premium Outlets, and Puteri Harbour (Hello Kitty Land). The buses are run by Causeway Link, and more details can be found here.
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The crossing between Singapore and Malaysia requires a passport for foreigners.
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For timetables and more details on Transtar Cross-Border bus TS1, check out this link.
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For more details on the free shuttle bus service, check out this link from the Jetstar website.
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Jetstar flies from Manila to Singapore thrice daily. For “all day, every day, low fares,” book flights at jetstar.com. For promos and updates, follow Jetstar Asia on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. |
