Garuda Indonesia

✅ Verified Review | Beijing to Jakarta via Bali. Since our flight was going to depart at 6:45am, we had to depart from our hotel at around 4, arriving 45 minutes later by which point the check-in counters (there were six of them) were crowded. The flight was delayed by 5 hours, due to a perfect storm of a 2h late departure from Bali, bad weather at PEK, and unprecedented heavy congestion at PEK as well. This delay would also eventually cause most of the passengers bound for Jakarta to miss their connecting flights. However, Garuda rebooked every Jakarta-bound passenger on GA421 for free. Both legs were operated by a 2-class high-density 777. Economy seat comfort was top-notch, pitch was acceptable at 32 inches, and Garuda has 18.5" wide seats in a 9-abreast configuration. Recline was large - 6 inches. IFE screens were 9" wide and had swipe and scroll capabilities although they were still running on the older eX2 platform with the older monitors, and while the contents were hardly updated since June, they had 8 Live TV channels. Food, on the PEK-DPS leg, had a main course that tasted much better than the one I had on the previous CGK-PEK leg, but at the expense of portion (it was tiny.) The chocolate cake dessert tasted incredible. We were also treated to a bag of mixed nuts as well as sumptuous ice cream just before arrival in Bali. This streak of great tasting food continued on the DPS-CGK leg, with it tying for the best main course meal onboard Garuda I ever had. Service on the PEK-DPS leg was above the impeccable service on my previous CGK-PEK leg, with crew in very cheerful and bright spirits. Overall very satisfied with the Garuda onboard experience on this sector. As for PEK, I would have wished that they had a touch more humanity.

✅ Verified Review | Jakarta to Beijing on a new A330-300. Ground service was exceptional and quick. The Executive Lounge, unfortunately, didn't have a large variety of food, and neither did it taste decent. Seat pitch (at 32 inches) and comfort were a downgrade from previous seats on older A330s (these had amazing 33-34" pitch), although still up there with the best carriers operating the A330. IFE was on an intuitive 11.1" touchscreen - not quite the best, but still decent - with content that is hardly updated: it remained the exact same throughout the months of June and July. Food decent as well - nothing to write home about - albeit with noticeably smaller main course portions. However, the crew stood out on this flight - they were quick, attentive, professional, generous and friendly, providing genuine service. One thing to note: terrible 3am timing of arrival in Beijing caused most passengers to not get enough sleep. Also on this flight was a turbulence that rocked the plane for the majority of the flight - this further reduced my duration of sleep. Overall, an above average red-eye experience with Garuda.

✅ Verified Review | Jakarta to Sydney. We were given the usual welcome drinks and warm towels, and offered magazines. We were given an amenity kit including lotions, creams, sandals, eye mask, and a pretty useful ear buds. The food was worse than usual, they were okay, but far from the usual taste that I have experienced flying Garuda. We found the portions quite small, limited snacks, etc. There was a "light bites" section with some food including cut fruit. The in-flight entertainment was okay but they do not update movies very often. TV series were limited and outdated. The headphones are not that comfortable after a while but bearable. The seats were comfortable. Paid Wi-Fi is available but I do not find it very useful for anything other than email and text messaging.

✅ Verified Review | Jakarta to Pontianak. Hospitable crew and on time flight schedule, I felt very pleasant with Garuda Indonesia service. Onboard entertainment was great with latest movie, the flight attendants were very affable, especially when offering the beverages. I had the best experience flight with Garuda Indonesia.

✅ Verified Review | Surabaya to Bandung. The flight took off and arrived on time. The baggage was also delivered fast. The in-flight entertainment was enough for 1-hr flight and very responsive. The crew was great, helpful, full of smile, and served the passanger willingly and attentive. They updated the safety video demonstration by having a language for deaf people. Overall it was a smooth flight with Garuda Indonesia.

✅ Verified Review | Flew Garuda Indonesia from Jakarta to Bangkok. An unexpectedly good experience was had travelling in this almost new, clean and well maintained aeroplane. The staff were very attentive and went out of their way to be warm, smiling and happy, nothing was too difficult for them including providing me a blanket and engaging in conversation regarding food and beverage. The food was good and consisted of beef with vegetables and a chocolate/butterscotch cake with side salad and bread roll. I had a crisp glass of white wine. All food and beverages were free. I was allowed to use the front Business Class toilet as two trolleys were being used towards the rear of the plane. I watched one film and played some games on the fully functional screen. Finally, this is why this airline wins awards. The pilot had an excellent command of English and he went out of his way to provide quality information for the discerning geek which I am, the aeronautically inspired phrase "10.8 NM remaining till 'Top of Descent'" literally made my day!

✅ Verified Review | Amsterdam to Jakarta. The attendant was superb, toilet clean and toiletries was complete including toothbrush. The food is good, I ask some beer when not in meal time, and they give me a can of beer, and offer me some extra snack. The bad things I hate is the headphone, the sound is bad and uncomfort, I always bring my own. The screen is just 10 inch, better than nothing. Wi-fi is poor connectivity.

✅ Verified Review | Jakarta to Singapore return. Outbound leg on a 737-800 which was an unremarkable flight, aside from the timely departure from CGK. Seat pitch was average. IFE system was responsive with an above average load of movies and music programs. UI was great as well. Food was surprisingly decent and the plane was clean. This time the crew were professional and polite, but weren't too friendly. On the return flight a brand new A330 with redesigned seats. Seat pitch was below-average for Garuda and the older A330s felt more spacious. Seats also had less padding. There were huge 11" touchscreens which was iPad-like with a responsive, albeit confused, and nearly impractical, UI, with the same IFE selection. Food was a downgrade from the outbound flight. Crew were very warm and friendly.

✅ Verified Review | One-way flight from Denpasar to Sydney via Jakarta with its A330-300 for both legs, and was an excellent experience. From the first experience during check-in our luggages in DPS airport until we arrived in SYD airport, it seems Garuda Indonesia staff would like to show its pride and Indonesian culture to its customers. Really helpful cabin staff, good inflight menus, clean cabin and toilets, friendliness towards its passengers and willing to help were the most unforgettable memories. We had around 3 hours transfer in Jakarta airport. They provided its own bus to transfer us from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 in CGK airport, without exiting the airport. At that time, the price for one-way flight from DPS to SYD was cheaper than its competitors. Wi-Fi was provided during flight and it was free for 15 minutes for economy passengers.

✅ Verified Review | Melbourne to Amsterdam via Jakarta. Overall a very good business class experience. Pros: Seat comfort on A330 and 777 good. Very comfortable lie flat in 777 and had good nights sleep. Service - excellent, friendly and obliging, Food - absolutely delicious. Some of the best food I have ever had in the air (definitely stick with the asian dishes, the western ones were less successful). Wine and drinks great as well. Terrific champagne which always makes me happy. Price - cheapest business class to Europe at the time of booking. On time - no delays. Cons: Jakarta stop over - it's long and the airport is dismal, likewise the lounge. I dont know if there's a refurb happening in the future but it needs it. IFE - not great selection. I had exhausted all options by the time we got to Jakarta. Ensured I slept more on flight through to AMS. In summary, given the price paid it was a very pleasant journey. They lack the polish of some of the big guns, but you would be hard pressed to find a better experience at this price.