Short review
Lounge (Garuda Indonesia first class lounge in Jakarta): 4/5
Cabin: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Food and beverages: 5/5
Pros:
- Excellent service
- Enjoyable fine dining experience in the sky
- Limousine service in Jakarta
- Free internet throughout the flight
Cons:
- Poor movie selection
Long review
Unfortunately Garuda Indonesia will no longer serve this Jakarta – London route in October 2018. Fortunately I had the opportunity to try their first class before they discontinue this route. Garuda Indonesia only has 2 B777-300ER equipped with a first class cabin. As such their first class routes are very limited.
This Garuda Indonesia GA86 flight from Jakarta to London had to transit in Singapore because at that time the runways in the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport could not handle the weight of a fully loaded B777-300ER. The flight from Jakarta to Singapore took about 1 hour 45 minutes. After transiting in Singapore for 1.5 hours, the flight continued to London for another 13.5 hours.
My journey began with an email from Garuda a day before my flight. They had 4 questions for me so they could deliver more personalised services. First, they wanted to know my limousine service preference. They provided either a Toyota Alphard or a Mercedez Benz E320 to pick me up from my hotel. I chose the Benz. The second question was about the size of my pyjamas. I told them my height and body type and asked them to choose the right size for me. Third, they asked me whether I have any dietary restrictions, in which I replied none. Lastly, they asked whether I have a connecting flight in London. I told them that I had no connecting flight, but I asked them whether it is possible for a staff in London to help me show the way and best mode of transport to reach my hotel.
The next day, at 5 am sharp, a driver from Garuda picked me up in the hotel to go to the airport. The driver was very polite and friendly. The drive to the airport was very quick since it was early in the morning. If you have been to Jakarta before, you should know that the traffic can be extremely atrocious. In the entrance to the airport terminal, 2 Garuda staff, Dea and Heibert, greeted me and helped me carry my luggage to the check-in counter. Here they told me that I was the only first class passenger in this flight. Without waiting for long, I received my boarding pass and went directly to the immigration. Heibert actually was the one who queued in the immigration for me, while Dea accompanied me directly to the first class lounge.
I was naturally the only one in the lounge. The size of the lounge was not big, but I think it was adequate because there were not many first class flights offered by Garuda or other SkyTeam members in Jakarta. The lounge had a dining area, cubicles with a TV in each, various seating areas and an area with lazy chairs for sleeping or lying down. In the middle of the lounge, there was a grand piano that automatically played soft and relaxing tunes. Overall, this definitely was the best airline lounge in Indonesia, but still far away from other first class lounges, such as the one owned by Singapore Airlines in Singapore.
Now it’s time for breakfast. I ordered a bowl of chicken cream soup and soto mie (Indonesian noodle soup). Fresh fruit and traditional Indonesian snacks were also served. I didn’t want to be too full though because I planned to have a second breakfast during the flight to Singapore.
After breakfast I enjoyed a relaxing time in one of the cubicles while waiting for boarding. There was a TV in this cubicle, which streamed its contents online. I couldn’t choose what to watch though. I must add that all the lounge staff performed admirably and professionally. It was a great lounge experience.
Soon Dea and Herbert informed me that it was time to board the plane. They accompanied me a long the way from the lounge to the plane. I did not queue whatsoever when passing security and entering the plane. It was quite cool. In front of the plane’s door, Dea and Heibert warmly said their good byes and handed me over to Garuda’s flight attendants, who immediately took me to my seat at 1A. The seat was designed like a mini suite with a sliding door that can be closed to increase privacy. There were 8 seats in the first class cabin, which were organised into 2 rows.
Hani and another flight attendant took care of me during this short hop from Jakarta to Singapore. The food and drink menus and the amenity kit bag were already prepared in my suite. Hani helped me store my jacket in a small wardrobe provided in every first class suite. She offered me a welcome drink and I requested English breakfast tea. She also took my breakfast order which would be served soon after take off. The following was the breakfast menu with my choices in asterisk.
Appetiser
- Cut fresh fruit*
- Yoghurt
- Cereal
Main course
- Plain omelette, grilled veal sausage, fried diced potatoes, sautéed asparagus, creamy mushroom and cherry tomato
- Roasted honey chicken, yellow rice, fried tempeh with sweet soy, sliced egg*
- Baked cinnamon apple crepes, banana compote, fresh strawberries, blueberries and maple syrup
About 5 minutes after the intended departure time, the plane had not left the gate even though boarding started slightly earlier than schedule. I found out that Hani was waiting for my macadamia nuts which were still being specially requested from the terminal. Thank you for the effort and the amazing service.
Now let’s turn our attention briefly to the amenity kit bag. The bag is dark brown with white borders. There was no brand except for a label saying Garuda Indonesia First Class when I opened the bag. The bag contained a lip balm, an eye mask, ear plugs, a comb, a tooth brush, a tooth paste and body lotion. I was disappointed that cologne was not provided. I think the amenity kit bag was not adequate for a 5-star airline like Garuda.
Breakfast service began soon after take off. I loved the honey chicken. A good continuation from the wonderful breakfast I had in the lounge. I also asked for camomile tea to help me relax for my next flight from Singapore to London. Unfortunately, it was not available, but a flight attendant found one on board that was actually privately owned by one of the cabin crew. Once again thank you Garuda for the initiative and the service that was beyond my expectations.
In a short while, the plane landed in Singapore. After saying good byes to all the flight attendants, I left the plane. I noticed that two airport staff were already waiting for me by the plane’s door. They quickly whisked me away to the Dnata lounge with an airport buggy. This lounge was basic and also relatively small. However, there was a VIP room for first class passengers and, again, I was the only one there. I told the airport staff that I needed to exchange some money before my next flight. She help me find the information about the exchange rate while I was in the lounge.
The same staff picked me up again when it was time for boarding. She took me to a money changer before driving me again to the gate with the airport buggy. There were queues before entering the waiting room and again before entering the plane. The airport staff brought me directly to the front of the queues both times, so I did not need to queue at all. They said their good byes after taking me to my seat.
Now it was the turn of Garuda’s flight attendants, Yeni and Ria, to welcome me. Yeni brought a small warm towel for me and also offered me a welcome drink. I noticed green bean juice (Garuda Indonesia special) on the menu and I was intrigued so I ordered one. It was surprisingly delicious. Yeni also brought my pyjamas and then did a slipper service. This service involved a flight attendant bringing me slippers and offering me to take off my shoes and to wear the slippers provided throughout the flight. As far as I know, this service was uniquely Garuda. The slippers were also very comfortable. Definitely the best airplane slippers, so I took them home.
After take off, the chef on board went to my seat to take my lunch order. The menu was extensive as shown below. Again, asterisks were my selections.
Pre-dining
- Caviar with krupuk, blinis and crème fraiche*
Appetiser
- Thai beef salad with sour and spicy dressing
- Tuna salad with boiled quail egg, green olive, marinated arthicoke, cherry tomato
- Seared scallop salad with aragula, bell pepper, cherry tomato*
- Chicken musakhan roll with garlic cream sauce, beetroot relish
Soup
- Soto Padang (beef soup with potato croquette, tomato and chilli sambal)*
- Roasted butternut squash soup with crème fraiche and enoki mushroom
Main course
- Pepes ikan (pan seared barramundi coated with Indonesian spices and turmeric herb rice, sautéed vegetables and peanut crackers)
- Grilled beef sirloin with thyme jus, souffle potato, buttered asparagus and mushroom, cherry tomato
- Basmati rice with chicken makhanwala, vegetable kurma, roasted cherry tomato and raita
- Grilled lamb cutlet with lamb jus, truffle ravioli, sundried tomato and sautéed spinach*
- Mushroom agnolotti with tomato concasse
Dessert
- North Sumatran passion fruit parfait with exotic passion fruit sauce, sliced kiwi, strawberry and raspberry coulis*
- Chocolate lava cake with fresh strawberry, sliced kiwi and vanilla ice cream
Lunch service began with caviar and krupuk. I appreciated the details of the caviar service, such as the use of mother of pearl caviar spoon and the ice under the caviar bowl to maintain its temperature. The caviar was wonderfully delicious, but I think the quantity was a bit too small. From there, the dishes were served one by one. Every dish was excellent and delicious. The service from the flight attendants was exemplary as well. This was a great fine dining experience in the sky.
After lunch, I requested a flight attendant to convert my seat into a bed, while I changed to the pyjamas provided. A mattress was placed on top of the seat, making it comfortable for sleeping. I loved the ceiling which was decorated with tiny lights, so it looked light a starry sky. Some of the lights blinked to mimic stars. After I closed the door to my suite, I spent the remaining of my flight time by watching movies, taking a nap and doing a bit of work.
WiFi was available for free for first class passengers. The speed was quite good, although I lost connections a few times. The size of the TV was reasonable, but the movie selection was limited. It was definitely not as comprehensive as what they offered in the past and lagged behind other premium airlines. The movies available were a bit unusual as well in my opinion. This was the main weakness of this flight.
When I felt hungry, I ordered a bowl of noodle soup and that delicious green bean juice. A variety of snacks were available throughout the flight.
About 1.5 hours before landing, light dinner was served. This meal service was less elaborate than the previous one, but it was still good and enjoyable. The menu was listed below. After dinner, I had an opportunity to chit chat a bit with a flight attendant about Garuda Indonesia.
Appetiser
- Duck rillette, soy lime dressing, shallot marmalade and shaved zucchini
- Soto mie daging (beef short ribs soup)*
- Cream of asparagus with dumpling chives
Main course
- Chicken satay with fried rice, shrimp crackers, pickled and slices of omelette
- Seabass with turmeric pickle sauce served with potato croquette and baby pakcoy*
- Braised beef short ribs shredded wrapped tortilla served with Asian coleslaw
Dessert
- Cut fresh fruit*
Soon we landed safely in the Heathrow International Airport, London. As a first class passenger, I was invited to disembark first. Right in front of the plane’s door, a Garuda staff waited for me and we walked together to immigration. From the plane to immigration, we did not see a single passenger. This was surprising since Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world. I used the fast track and it took me less than one minute to pass immigration. The staff helped me collect my luggage and showed me the best way to go to my hotel. My journey ended here.
Garuda performed extremely well when it comes to services offered by their staff and flight attendants. It is understandable why they won the ‘Best Cabin Crew’ award from Skytrax for 5 consecutive years. The main weakness in my journey was the limited movie selection in the flight. The free internet for first class passengers compensated this weakness somewhat. Overall, I was very satisfied with my flight experience.
