Garuda Indonesia (GA)
- Flight #: GA 417
- Class: Business
- From: Bali (DPS)
- To: Jakarta (CGK)
- Duration: 1hr16m
- Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
- Seat: 3A
- Cost: $175 one way
- Flight date: October 2015
As soon as I caught sight of our magnificent bird the excitement started to build. This was to be not only my first ever flight on Garuda Indonesia’s business class but also my first ever experience of the staggered cabin layout of the sogerma solstys seats.
These are the same seats used by Emirates on their A380s as well as Etihad (albeit with a lot of modifications), Iberia and Air Berlin A330s amongst others.
As soon as I set eyes on the cabin I was like a kid in a candy shop. I had to photograph absolutely everything.
The seats are alternately staggered, meaning that window seats are either close to the window and very private as a result of having the side table by the aisle, or closer to the aisle with the table close to the window. I personally prefer the former but can see how people who are less mobile/ claustrophobic would prefer the latter.
The cabin on this Boeing 777-300ER looked brand new and the finishes of the seats were of a high quality without looking tacky.
As you can see, the cabin wasn’t exactly full, which was actually quite surprising given how decent the Business Class fares are on this route.
Loads of space here, no issues with ‘foot coffins’ or ‘foot cocoons’
2 USB ports in addition to the universal power socket.
Headphone and S-Video sockets. It’s amazing how often S-Video appears in IFE systems, by the time HDMI is finally rolled out on planes, I’m sure it’ll be obsolete too.
Plenty of ways to adjust your seat plus a massage function. The IFE remote isn’t touch screen but it is very responsive and has a crisp and clean design.
The tray table and coat hook.
The centre seats alternate in the same fashion as the window seats, meaning that you end up being either very close to your seatmate or very far away.
I was offered either water or orange juice as a PDB by a really smiley and friendly FA. My water was brought out almost immediately with a thick cold towel placed on a bamboo holder.
Once airborne, we entered the cover of a Pink Floyd album
I honestly can’t get my head around people who don’t like window seats. Even in Economy I’ll put up with some discomfort if it allows me to set my eyes on sights like this.
The captain switched off the seatbelt signs shortly after take-off, given the sparse occupancy of the cabin, the meal service was very quick and efficient. There was no pre-meal drinks run though, this may well be due to the fact that only soft drinks and beer are served domestically on GA. I was initially given a tray featuring breads, a fruit salad and some unidentifiable but quite delicious savoury parfait.
I was then offered either a beef or vegetarian option. I asked for the beef rendang, which was hand delivered from the galley. The vegetables were well cooked and still had a bit of a crunch to them, the rice grains didn’t stick together at all and the rendang? It was spectacular. If you’re going to serve beef on a plane, slow cook it. I can’t remember a bad braised beef dish on a plane, steaks on the other hand? BA = ?
After the dinner service the cabin lights were dimmed and the starry night lights were switched on.
An hour later we touched down at CGK.
I caught sight of out ride to Tokyo, during our taxi
In some circumstances bus gates can be a total PITA. This was not one of them. Having the chance to get up close to those enormous engines on this balmy evening was absolutely awesome.
Conclusion
I really enjoyed my Garuda Business Class flight, the catering crew and seat were all top notch. I was definitely left wanting more and would not hesitate at all to try their long haul Business Class service in these seats.
HERE IS MY FOLLOW UP REVIEW IN LONG HAUL, ON GARUDA: REVIEW – Garuda Indonesia : Business Class – London LHR to Jakarta CGK (B777)
- Part 1:
- Cathay Pacific : First Class Lounge – London Heathrow T3
- Part 2:
- JAL : First Class – London to Tokyo Haneda
- Part 3:
- Park Hotel Tokyo
- Part 4:
- JAL First Class Lounge – Tokyo Haneda Airport
- Part 5:
- Cathay Pacific : First Class – Tokyo Haneda to Hong Kong (Take 1)
- Part 6:
- Ritz Carlton Hong Kong
- Part 7:
- Cathay Pacific : The Pier First Class Lounge – Hong Kong Airport (Breakfast service)
- Part 8:
- Cathay Pacific : Business Class – Hong Kong to Jakarta
- Part 9:
- Mesastila Resort, Central Java : Arum Villa
- Part 10:
- Garuda Indonesia : Economy Class – Semarang to Bali
- Part 11:
- Villa Bulung Daya – Tabanan, Bali
- Part 12:
- Villa Amrita – Ubud, Bali
- Part 13:
- The Definitive guide to Food, Culture and Nature in Ubud, Bali
- Part 14:
- The Edge – Uluwatu, Bali
- Part 15:
- What to do in Uluwatu, Bali
- Part 16:
- Garuda Indonesia Business Class Lounge – Bali Denpasar Airport (Domestic Terminal)
- Part 17:
- Garuda Indonesia : Business Class – Bali to Jakarta
- Part 18:
- Pura Indah ‘First Class’ Lounge – Jakarta Airport
- Part 19:
- JAL : Business Class – Jakarta to Tokyo Narita
- Part 20:
- Conrad Tokyo : King Executive City Room
- Part 21:
- Cathay Pacific : First Class – Tokyo Haneda to Hong Kong (Take 2)
- Part 22:
- Intercontinental Hong Kong
- Part 23:
- Cathay Pacific : The Pier First Class Lounge – Hong Kong Airport (Lunch service)
- Part 24:
- Cathay Pacific : First Class – Hong Kong to London Heathrow