HOW TO… collect unaccompanied baggage in KL

A 3 10 15 20 step guide to collecting your unaccompanied baggage at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

1. Forget airway bill, or not have it on you because you’ve just flown in from a weekend break.
2. Go to the cargo terminal at Kuala Lumpur Airport Services, conveniently next to the terminal where I landed.
3. Find out that I need to get a security pass from KLAS customer service, which is next door (one big loop round airport drive).
4. Get lost at KLAS customer service building, which is in a building attached to a medical centre that looks largely abandoned, though it has lots of signs directing you to the office. One of them sends you a little wayward with its ambiguity but otherwise not a drama.
5. Except when you find out that you need the airway bill. Call friendly cargo man at (what I think is) Cathay Pacific Cargo, who faxes airway bill to security pass office. Phew.
6. Go back to the cargo terminal, flash security pass and go to the wrong cargo bay (KLAS cargo, not MASkargo… duh).
7. Go to the Cathay Pacific Cargo office… it’s locked. Place phone call to friendly cargo man (FCM) who is confused that I should be at the Cathay Pacific Cargo office… receive directions to go to the end of the corridor, exit to an external staircase and then “can you see me waving at you?”. He’s waving frantically from yet another cargo bay about 400 metres away. Go to meet FCM.
8. FCM gives me a party pack containing customs forms and directions to get customs clearance prior to collecting my stuff. Drive to customs building about 800 metres away (but inside the terminal).
9. Directed by customs officer on ground floor of customs building to proceed to “IDE office” at level 3 to get customs clearance from someone at an operation called Dagang.Net.
10. Directed by lady at Dagang.Net to the Free Commercial Zone (FCZ) office  across the hall for further clearance of some sort. Pay MYR5 in FCZ fees.
11. Take receipt back to Dagang.Net and fill out a customs declaration form. Friendly lady behind counter accepts form and then appears to write an epic novel on her rattly keyboard. When satisfied with her final draft, she collects MYR 22.25 for customs clearance.
12. Take growing pile of forms and receipts back to level 1, where customs man stamps my forms (and the Dagang.Net lady’s epic novel) and asks me to collect my goods, do some sort of “100% check” across the street and come back.
13. Back to FCM at KLAS cargo bay. Directs me to a cashier two bays down to pay for security fees and fuel surcharges… MYR40.
14. Back to FCM to present receipt. FCM issues another form to show to the security guard at the cargo bay door.
15. Security guard gives form to manic forklift driver (they’re all manic here) who retrieves goods and brings them back (nearly 90 minutes in and this is the first I’ve seen of them). Sign security guard’s form.
16. Load stuff into car and take it to “100% check” across the road from the customs building. Open one of the boxes to show goods to customs man and explain that all of the 3 boxes are identical. He ponders this thought and then signs the form. Doesn’t this make it a “33.3% check”? Not complaining, just sayin’…
17. Go back to customs building, ground floor, to present evidence of “whatever % check”. Man signs form and gives me back a copy so I can slip it in with what is now basically War and Peace. Customs man smiles and cheerily announces “All complete!”. Nearly.
18. Exit customs building… security guards smile and remind me to return my security pass. Also one of them points out that I’m about to lose my pass (it’s dangling off my jeans). While correcting this, I notice a sign conveying a stern warning that short pants and slippers of any sort are not allowed in government buildings.
19. Final big loop around airport drive to return security pass next door.
20. Go home and hope that the niece likes her new play pen.

[cetsEmbedGmap src=http://maps.google.com.my/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=KL+Airport+Services+Sdn+Bhd+Sepang&sll=2.736304,101.719451&sspn=0.005916,0.013733&ie=UTF8&hq=KL+Airport+Services+Sdn+Bhd&hnear=Sepang,+Selangor&ll=2.731256,101.721554&spn=0.011295,0.01929&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A]