Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia’s state-owned flag carrier, is undoubtedly the most comfortable way to fly within the country. While the airline isn’t as premium as the likes of Japan Airlines or Singapore Airlines for instance, Garuda Indonesia does provide very consistent and reliable services throughout its network. As such, it has long served as a mainstay of my trips between Jakarta, Singapore, and Bali. While I have previously reviewed the airline’s Airbus A330-300 Economy Class, this flight is operated by its newer sub-fleet of Airbus A330s featuring a different product.

Booking Garuda Indonesia

Most Garuda Indonesia flights between Bali and Jakarta, vis-a-vis, are usually priced between IDR1,700,000 and IDR1,900,000 – way above the market median. However, Garuda Indonesia has been offering promotional fares as of late, which could really present some incredible value for money. This was one such instance; I managed to book this flight on their official website for a phenomenal IDR 900,000. As an award, this price would have otherwise cost 9000 Flying Blue miles. Furthermore, I was able to assign front-row seats, thanks to my SkyTeam Elite Plus Status.

Check-in

Following the requisite ticket check at the entrance of the Domestic Terminal, I walked straight to the dedicated Garuda Indonesia counters located on the far left side of the check-in hall. As it is exclusively used by Garuda Indonesia and Pelita Air, this part of the terminal feels a lot calmer than those used by other airlines.

While the Economy Class line didn’t have a queue, all counters were busy handling other passengers. Thanks to my SkyTeam Elite Plus status, however, I was able to check in at the deserted SkyPriority desks. Notably, Garuda Indonesia Platinum and Business Class passengers are also eligible to use a separate dedicated check-in lounge.

Boarding

With my boarding passes in hand, I headed to the dedicated security checkpoint next to the Garuda Indonesia counters. As this checkpoint mostly serves Garuda and Pelita Air passengers, it is a lot quieter than the general checkpoint.

With over an hour to go, I decided to kill a bit of time in the disappointing Concordia Lounge. I didn’t stay in there long, however, deciding to wait at the gate instead. Preboarding soon started at 16.03, 37 minutes before our scheduled departure time.

Surprisingly, general boarding started at 16.10, which was also the printed boarding time for our flight; a rare occurrence for a domestic flight in Indonesia, I’d say! The gate had three separate lines; one for SkyPriority and two lines for different rows of Economy Class. Yet, for whatever reason, the ground staff decided to board all three lines at the same time. Isn’t that a bit counterintuitive, no?

Regardless, I’ll note that our flight was operated by PK-GHD, an Airbus A330-300 delivered to the airline in August 2016. The plane is Garuda’s last Airbus A330-300 delivery featuring a cabin colloquially known as the ‘Super Diamond’ configuration. What’s coolest about this plane, however, is its livery – an adaptation of the airline’s 1969 ‘Indonesian Airways’ branding.

Garuda Indonesia A330 cabin

Economy Class cabin

Garuda Indonesia’s Super Diamond A330s feature an optimised higher-density cabin with 287 seats in a two-class configuration. 263 of those are Economy Class, configured in a standard 2-4-2 layout. While the ‘Super Diamond’ moniker refers to the new reverse herringbone seats in Business Class, Economy Class has a brand new look too.

Whereas Garuda had elected to maintain its trademark tan-coloured fabric upholstery, it has done away with the old B/E Aerospace Spectrum seats. Instead, this sub-fleet of Airbus A330s uses new Collins Aerospace Pinnacle seats, similar to those you’d find on Batik Air Boeing 737s or Jetstar Airbus A320s.

Yet, unlike those airline’s iterations of the seats, Garuda’s version is fully decked out with various frills you’d expect from a full-service airline. Among others, these include new LED seatback entertainment monitors, adjustable headrests, and metal footrests.

Seat details

Like the older Airbus A330s, the seat pitch in Economy Class starts at 33 inches, among the best in the industry. This is undoubtedly very generous for Economy Class, let alone on a short flight between Bali to Jakarta. At my height of 180 cm (5ft 11), there was about 16 cm (6.3 inches), between my knees and the seatback. Very nice, if you ask me!

In the bulkhead row, where I was seated, the legroom situation got even better. Specifically, there was an incredible 65 cm (25.6 inches) separating my knees from the bulkhead. How, incredible! Furthermore, the seat reclines up to 4 inches, which seems quite standard for Economy Class.

On the seatback, you’ll find the 11-inch Panasonic eX3 entertainment monitors, which are highly responsive. The screens feature a USB-A outlet, which is accompanied by a universal power outlet under the seat. It is complemented by a handheld remote under the screen, furthermore, the bi-fold tray table lies under that. Of course, both the screen and the table are stowed on the armrest in the bulkhead rows.

In addition, the non-bulkhead seats are equipped with metal footrests. While it is a nice addition to the seat, it might be a bit bothersome to taller individuals. I for one banged my knees on the hard metal as I got in and out of the seat, which was not ideal. Finally, I’ll also note that the overhead panels lack an air vent, which is a shame.

Departure from Bali

As boarding went underway, the captain went on the intercom to welcome us onboard and announced the details of our flight. Specifically, he expected a flight time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, cruising through some rather choppy air along the way.

After 22 minutes, boarding was finally wrapped up and the doors were closed; the Economy Class cabin was nearly full while Business Class only had three passengers. By this point, the cabin crew passed through the cabin to offer hard candy to Economy Class passengers. At 16.36, we pushed back and taxied to the runway.

As we taxied to the runway, the safety video was screened on the entertainment monitors and on the bulkhead screens. Like many other airlines, Garuda’s video features a showcase medley of local culture, spliced between panoramic scenes of the country. While I think Garuda’s video is tastefully done, it has gotten a little tired by now.

We took off from Runway 09 at 16.46, after a 10-minute taxi sequence, flying east over Benoa and Serang Island before making a 180-degree turn in the direction of Jakarta!

Dinner Service

We reached our cruising altitude about seven minutes after takeoff. Soon after, the seatbelt signs were turned off by the captain, which prompted the crew to start the light hot dinner service; this is standard on most Garuda domestic flights.

For the refreshment service, There was a choice between beef semur or kalio chicken, both of which are spicy Indonesian stews. As I wasn’t a fan of semur, I opted for the kalio, which I’ve never tried. The meal is served with bag of mixed nuts and chocolate waffles.

The main dish was full of spice and flavour, although it used a bad cut of chicken. The chewy chicken frankly made the dish quite disagreeable. The bland side of steamed cabbage didn’t add a lot of depth to this dish, either.

Inflight Entertainment

In spite of the excellent and responsive Panasonic eX3 screens, Garuda has not improved on its second-rate entertainment system. On top of the clunky interface, I counted a total of 73 films loaded to the system; 30 of these were Western films, followed by 43 Asian and local Indonesian choices. Most of the non-Indonesian choices aren’t new releases either. There was, however, a total of 260 music albums, which wasn’t too shabby.

As far as I’m aware, this is the same selection offered on the airline’s longest flights; thus, if you’re headed as far as Amsterdam, I’d definitely download a few shows to your device! At the very least, the airline still publishes its inflight magazines. There is also paid inflight WiFi on longer flights, if that’s up your alley.

Lavatory

Before our arrival, I decided to check out the lavatory. For Economy Class, the lavatories are located either between the two Economy cabins or at the very back of the aircraft. To my delight, I found the lavatory to be clean and well-kept. Furthermore, I was surprised to see that the same eau de toilette and sachets of wet towels as those in Business Class were provisioned here as well.

Arrival in Jakarta

Around 30 minutes before landing, the captain came back on the intercom the announce the details of our arrival. In particular, we were expected to arrive at 17.25, 20 minutes before our scheduled arrival time. Before long, we started our descent to Jakarta.

The seatbelt signs were turned on 18 minutes later, prompting the cabin to be prepared for arrival. Signs of urban life soon became widespread as we flew over the sprawling Tangerang industrial area on our approach.

We touched down smoothly 12 minutes later on Runway 06, the airport’s newest runway. As we were parallel to Terminal 3 when went off the runway, it wasn’t long before we reached our gate. After crossing Runway 25R/07L, it was a straight shot to our final parking position.

We reached our gate five minutes later, at 17.25 – a full 20 minutes earlier than our scheduled arrival time. While Garuda does pad its flight schedules, this was still, by all means, an impressive feat. As the doors were opened, I thanked the crew as I was leaving the aircraft, taking in one last view of our beautiful retro-livered beast.

Verdict

Overall, I had an objectively pleasant flight on Garuda Indonesia. Carrying a lot of national pride, it is no surprise that this is the most comfortable Economy Class product within Indonesia. Despite the passable food and entertainment, the seats were extremely comfortable and the crew were as always nice and friendly. Considering Garuda’s occasional promotional fares, this can really present itself as a value-for-money full-service choice. In the same logic, bearing in mind how cheap my ticket was, I really had no complaints.

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