I’m thinking about taking a long haul flight with Garuda. Indonesia being somewhat 2nd world does not automatically fill me with confidence about their quality.They are remarkably cheap on some routes.
Of course there are reviews around the place but who knows who actually writes them. I’d rather trust you guys. Anyone have any experience?
Not a long haul flight, but my own experience was distinctly adequate.
The Mid East three spoil you. I take it Trump’s “security” ban on electronic devices is the reason you consider them?
Skytrax has them rated as a 5 star airline which is on par with other world class airlines and distinctly above any US national carriers (which all tend to be 3 star).
No, that only affects people heading to the States, I think.
I haven’t had anything to do with Skytrax. Are their ratings meaningful, or manipulable IYHO?
I’ve done a long haul with them when I was young and broke. They didn’t kill me. Other than that, the experience left no lasting impression on my mind, either positive or negative.
Last year, Garuda were the only Indonesian airline not banned in Europe.
Several times through the years and numerous visits to Indonesia.
And lived to tell the tale!
(Back in the day, everyone seemed to feel it was Merapi Airlines that was to be avoided. But I kinda liked them, sometimes they’d let the passengers vote on whether they would fly over the land or the ocean! But they went in and out of business a few times, and are now defunct!)
Flew 6 flights (all short haul hops within Indonesia) with them last year; they were fine.
Only tiny problem I had was that their office (I booked one flight in person 'cos the website wouldn’t take my card) accidentally mixed up the two airports on Flores, and nearly booked me to the wrong one, but that was one individual’s minor geography error, and he was most apologetic when he realised the mistake.
Oh, and for some reason that same flight was not listed on any of the departure boards at Bali Denpassar (otherwise thoroughly professional and rather posh, with some great statues), and no-one showed up at the gate until 10 minutes past the advertised departure time. They did give me all the correct info, slight time discrepancy excepted, it just wasn’t on the boards for some reason. I got the feeling that, aside from about 5 of us tourists, the rest of the passengers were regular commuters, they all showed up just as the gate opened (10 minutes after the official departure), so I guess someone at the airport had just got a bit causal. It was pretty much the first flight in the morning, on a very small plane. The other flight with them from the same airport, on a busier route, was all thoroughly normal.
I have to do an overnight Asia - Europe flight, for business, and have to be fresh and bright within a few hours of landing. I really can’t sleep sitting up. Their business class seats are supposed to be layflat. Consequently, as long as
I couldn’t really give a damn about anything else, I guess.
This almost happened to me. The flight was going from A to B to C so got assigned two flight numbers and only one number - the number NOT on my ticket was shown.
Many, many times. I used to live in Indonesia. They’re like pretty much ever other middling airline out there like United or American Airlines; kind of crappy service but usually gets you where you’re going.
Am I the only one who first thought of Perdido Street Station?
I’ve always had good experiences with Garuda. I’ve only flow island-to-island or from points on Java, so no real long-haul trips.
Garuda is the mount of (Hindu) Lord Vishnu. For that reason, I’ve always *reasoned *that it’s got to be an upstanding airline. 
Heh. It wasn’t even that, there simply wasn’t any flight listed at all. I hadn’t slept (it was one of those connecting flights where I’d arrived at midnight, so I’d just decided to hang round and wait for 6am check in rather than find a hotel), so I wasn’t in the brightest of states, but there was nothing even faintly resembling the flight on the board. No other flights within half an hour, nothing from that gate listed at all, and though it was an A to B to C flight, there was nothing else to either B or C listed.
I actually had a job in a UK airport at the time, albeit in a coffee shop, and I spent a lot of time reading airport info boards and explaining them to confused passengers, so I did find it pretty funny.
I live in Indonesia and fly them fairly often. My first choice is usually Air Asia, because it’s cheaper. But Garuda is more likely to be on time. They’re fine.
Thanks CC