Garuda Indonesia

✅ Trip Verified | My family and I flew on Garuda Indonesia on GA089 from Amsterdam to Jakarta on June 25th, 2022. Garuda Indonesia informed us one day prior to check-in that we should go directly the VIP Center at Schiphol airport and that they would handle all our check-in requirements. This turned out to be outstanding as it was seamless from entering the VIP center until they took us to board the plane and avoided all the long queues going through security. This was a great service that Garuda afforded us and was much appreciated. After takeoff were we provided with a selection of meals, when the food arrived as each was prepared by the Chef onboard it was very well presented and tasted even better. We had two full meals onboard and the cabin crew were available and kept coming around asking if we need anything else. The cabin crew were every attentive to me, my wife and two children. Nothing was able bother for them and they always greeted us with a re-assuring heart warming smile. We had a minor problem with our IFE system in two seat, however we had been informed prior to boarding, however this was not an issue as we always bring our own Laptops/iPads etc. I would rate the overall service as excellent and would like to thank the cabin crew for their help and assistance to me and my family, they certainly made us feel at home. Upon arrival in Jakarta were we met at the gate by the ground support team who escorted us through immigration and customs. Garuda had also provided us with ground transportation to take us to our home. Thank you Garuda Indonesia.

✅ Trip Verified | First time we have flown as a family since pre-COVID, however we flew Garuda Indonesia on the direct Jakarta to Amsterdam on June 16h, 2022 and it was back to be back flying again. The ground service meet and greet, check-in and we were escorted via security and immigration very quickly. The service on board was excellent to me and the other 4 family members. I know that Garuda Indonesia is a 5 Star airline however the service is 6 star. Upon arrival in Amsterdam were we met at the gate and escorted through immigration and customs. Overall an outstanding service and the ground and cabin crew are a credit to Garuda Indonesia. I would like to say a big thank you to Garuda Indonesia from me and my family and look forward to traveling again soon.

✅ Trip Verified | Jakarta CGK to Manado on board GA600. Frankly, if it was not for the service aspect of this flight, I would've given this flight a 6/10 max. The service itself was the boosting factor of this flight. The check-in staff at Jakarta was fast, friendly, and efficient so all of us were able to check in real fast despite the crowds flocking each check-in counter. Boarding was orderly despite stumbling a bit on the jet bridge - and upon boarding the plane, I spotted several product issues: the cabin was clean but was kept at a high temperature during boarding, the windows and the right wing of the airplane were undermaintained for so long that I was barely able to see the window clearly and the paintings to peel off, and the headrest of my seat had shrunken to the point that I felt like I was leaning against a piece of metal. Adding insult to injury, the in-flight entertainment experienced a major downgrade - no more live TV shows, no more games, and my headphone jack was nearing its breaking point. The selections were excellent if this flight was taken in 2018, but they were severely outdated by 2022 standards. Its responsiveness was not any better. The aircraft took off late, and we queued for a very long time at the taxiway with a scorching hot temperature inside the cabin. At this point, I was already about to give this flight a 4/10 - but then, the crews and the meal saved the day, both adding 2 points each. The crews were extremely friendly, polite, and proactive. It all started when they escorted me from the seat, and even during disembarking, they were still in a happy and energetic mood. They apologized when they forgot my order. On this 3-hour flight, they also proved that they're still above anyone else by serving not one, but two meals. The first one was a grilled fish with rice and vegetables, while the second one was a piece of strawberry bread. We were also given two bottles of drinks - a bottle of water and a bottle of tea, with other options still available upon request. Overall, this flight was salvaged by the service aspects of the flight. Had the services been as bad as the product, I wouldn't have given this flight an 8/10. Garuda really should consider balancing its service and its product. I know that they're experiencing a hard time nowadays, but who knows that the act of balancing service and product can save Garuda. This flight was a true representation of the following statement: "A+ grade service with a B- grade product".

✅ Trip Verified | Its been a while since i travelled with Garuda Indonesia. I was disappointed this time around due to my flight schedule been rescheduled 5 times before i called the CS to switch my flight to a more suitable time.

✅ Trip Verified | I had booked Air Garuda early May 2021 for June 10th. Perth to Jakarta. I was travelling for business. They had emailed about a cancelation, but the email header I missed. I did appreciate the phone call 2 days before to say was I aware my flight was cancelled and my flight had been moved in a week. They claimed they tried calling a week before, but i never got. Why not text, email again, Whatsapp like every other airline? Then, Garuda stops all flights Perth to Jakarta from July 1st. With no other flights, I am forced to book with another airline. The customer service over the phone cannot process me a refund or travel voucher. So I am forced to email. Email communication is slow for replies, they do not give you correct information. For instance, I am told travel voucher is only option, then I am told I can get refund but the fee to process is 120AUD. I then say I will take travel voucher. This has been 48 hours later and it still not processed. Every email they just say "Related to your refund request, we regret to inform your refund in form travel voucher is still in progress by our internal unit. Currently we are still waiting for confirmation and we will get back to you as soon as possible." I know every other airline has been hard due to the pandemic, but other airlines I have dealt with have done things over the phone, and instantly.

✅ Trip Verified | Overjoyed about the chance to fly GA in their A330-900neo (DPS-CGK), few days prior to departure however, the aircraft is changed into B777-300-ER. Check in at GA flight business class always done at its class, a dedicated check in lounge. One concern on flight GA088 to AMS was, there were a few passengers moving around the cabin without having a mask on. What I found worse was when the cabin crews walked past those passengers and did not notice and did not give any warning. Once I thought perhaps those passengers just forgot to have their mask on, but no. Afterwards, I went to the in-charge crews in business class with an angry voice, to address my concern as to why they let such things happen in corona times. Although all GA cabin crews are vaccinated against Covid-19, they must have been more alert with the onboard situation like on any other airlines I have flown with. It makes me wonder, is it the lack of English of the crews or just an ignorance? I have written a few good reviews about GA flights, but not this time. They announced that all passengers must sit according to seat number on the boarding pass, but this is yet another issue. I had to sit in one seat far away from my travel companion because of the social distancing, but when one asked to move seat to the empty seat between us, it was allowed by the crew. IFE on GA flights are still below average, kindly do an upgrade. A pillow on board would have helped my quality of sleep.

✅ Trip Verified | Garuda Indonesia GA89. Second time flying their B777 route AMS-CGK and vise versa. Flying during pandemic doesn't stop the cabin crew to provide their best service as always. Helpful, sincere, friendly and attentive, this is how I describe GA cabin crew. Meals served as always, course by course as if you are experiencing an A'la Carte dining. Unlike other airlines that decided to serve their meals in a box and cut services from usual, but not in GA. Covid-19 measurement is nicely done, all crews wearing mask and hand gloves. There is no unnecessary attributes. Business class lavatories are huge in comparison with KLM's I flew weeks ago. Seats comes in 1-2-1 configurations while many airlines are still on 2-2-2 or even 2-3-2. Social distance is well practiced on board which is the most important case nowadays. Same goes to some of their domestic route such as CGK-DPS will fly only wide body aircrafts to ensure the social distancing. Can't wait to experience this route in a few days after 5 days compulsory quarantine in Jakarta for all international arrivals to Indonesia.

✅ Trip Verified | Denpasar Bali to Bandung on 10 January 2021 as part of family trip to SE Asia. A new government requirement of a 2x24 hours validity Rapid Antigen test or 3x24 hours validity PCR test before flying forced us to get a RA test the day before. We have to validate the test results prior to check in and shows the validated documents at Garuda check in desk. We shopped a lot in Bali so we were overweight more than the allowance (44 lbs/20 kg per person) and have to pay for excess baggage at another booth, but then all our luggage were tagged as priority due to the excess baggage payment. The aircraft for this trip is a 10 year old B738 (PK-GFA) that is still in good shape. Boarding was done a few minutes early than expected, with Business Class passengers boarding first and then all Economy passengers. The airplane was clean but we still use our Clorox wipes to clean the tray table, armrest, seatbelts and screen when we got to our seat. The seats are spacious, legroom more than enough and the entertainment screen and its content is very decent for this 1.5 hours flight. We used the provided 2-prong headphones, since our wireless transmitter that connects to bluetooth headset is using a single 3.5" jack. We were given a snack box with pastries and granola bar for this short flight, and drinks from the drink cart. Just like the Garuda flight a few days before, the FAs in this flight were very courteous, polite, helpful and cheerful when attending to their passengers. GA still have the best FA compared to other airlines in the world! Our flight left a few minutes ahead of schedule and we arrived around 32 minutes ahead of schedule. Our luggage, having the priority tags, were among the first ones being unloaded from the aircraft to the Business Class luggage arrival area, ahead of the other luggage that have to go to the regular conveyor belt. Great job by Garuda ground handling! Garuda Indonesia has kept their service level consistently high, and I can see why they are one of the few airlines that have 5 stars rating. Even for a short flight in Economy we were given a great service and one can wonder how would it be for Garuda's long haul flights. Hope Garuda can fly to more overseas destinations, and hopefully to US, so we can use GA for overseas trips and enjoy their high level of service.

✅ Trip Verified | Jakarta to Denpasar BaliS on 06 January 2021 as part of Family trip to SE Asia. Bali requires a valid PCR Test to enter and we were told to validate our papers at a validation desk at the airport before we can even check-in. Check in was done really quick. We waited at a gate area where there were 3 other airplanes were parked so it was quite crowded and only after other flights took off we were able to get some seats close to the gate. The boarding was done old style, Business class first then Economy all at the same time. However they did not announce to prepare the PCR Test to show at the gate, so after we showed them our passports I have to fish for the PCR Test papers from my rolling bag for the gate agent when we were already at the gate and she asked for it. Or perhaps she just did it randomly because we're not locals, I don't know. The airplane is a 9 year old B738 (PK-GFS) that is still in good condition and clean, however we still sanitize the tray table, seatbelts, screen and armrest with Clorox wipes. The seats are large with ample legroom, and the touch screen even though smaller but still very bright and watchable. They do not have a large selection of movies and music available but more than enough for this short 1.5 hours flight. They still use the two-prong jack so we cannot use our wireless transmitter (3.5" jack) and bluetooth headphones, but have to use the provided free headphones. The FAs were very courteous and polite, they are super friendly and helpful, and also cheerful in their disposition when interacting with passengers. No wonder GA FA's won awards years in a row for being the best FA in the world! Even for this short flight we got a snack box with savory pastry, cake and a granola bar, and a bottle of water. The FA's also offer drink service along with the snack box. They apologized that due to Covid-19 they can no longer offer hot meal but only snack box in this (short) flight. Very good engagement, again, makes me realize why they were the best FAs! We left 27 minutes behind schedule due to some late passengers, but were able to arrive 12:26 PM local time, 14 minutes early from our scheduled arrival. Even in this short flight the service is great, and the spacious seats and (even though rather limited) entertainment makes flying Garuda Indonesia a great experience. Other airlines especially in US should learn a lot from Garuda on how to make a flight that is enjoyed and not dreaded by their passengers.

Not Verified | I booked Garuda to fly back from Bali - Auckland for Dec 2, and a week before departure they changed one flight of the four flights required to return, by a week. Meaning, we got to Melbourne, then had to stay there for a week (which was impossible due to Covid restrictions), but then our flights to NZ were still scheduled to leave the week before. We had no choice but to cancel the flights because it was completely impossible to return! Then, when we cancelled and used an alternative provider, they offered us a 'Travel Credit', which a) we have no intention to use in the next 12 months as travelling is virtually impossible at this stage, and b) we want to refund because we won't be able to use it. They then, would not provide a refund at all, and all my efforts to contact them to resolve this have landed on deaf ears - they completely ignore me! As you can see, I am very frustrated at this ridiculous service. They will change your flights, make it impossible, then when you have to cancel with them because it becomes impossible to travel, they will issue you a 'travel credit', rather than give your money back.