Short review
Lounge (Garuda Lounge in Bali): 3.5/5 (A two-level lounge with no disabled access to the upper floor)
Cabin: 5/5 (A wide-bodied airplane for a very short flight)
Service: 5/5 (Good service all around)
Food and beverages: 4/5 (A meal box for such a short flight is appreciated)
Pros:
- Excellent service from the flight attendants
- Excellent cabin for a short flight
Cons:
- Going up the stairs in the lounge with a stroller and a small kid in tow; the lounge was a bit too warm for me as well
Long review
This was a short hop from Bali to Surabaya for me and my family. Garuda Indonesia GA347 flight was scheduled to leave Bali at 13:55 and arrive in Surabaya at 14:20 with a total flight duration of 1 hour and 25 minutes. The actual flight duration was slightly shorter than this even after the plane made at least 3 circles around Surabaya before landing.
Check-in was done in the premium check-in area in the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali. Check-in was quick and the staff were polite and helpful.
After checking in and passing through passport control and security, we went straight to the Garuda Indonesia domestic lounge. The lounge has 2 levels. The lower level was full when we arrived there, so we were forced to go to the upper level to find seats. We left the stroller around the reception area, and we carried our belongings and Josie (our 20-month old daughter) to the upper level by stairs because there is no lift in the lounge. The upper level was much quieter. We parked ourselves in one corner near an air conditioner because the lounge temperature was too warm in my opinion.
The food selection was very good for a domestic lounge. The range of dishes and desserts was excellent. However, even though food and drinks were provided in both levels, those in the upper level were not as extensive as those provided in the lower level. It’s rather annoying to go down and up the stairs when we wanted something not available in the upper level. For drinks, there were several types of juice, tea and coffee. I believe alcoholic drinks are not available in Garuda’s domestic lounges since I didn’t see any.
Wi-Fi was available throughout the lounge. The speed was ok; it served the purpose. There is a nursery as well, which is particularly welcomed since we had a 20-month old in tow. I appreciated this because some lounges do not have a nursery, for example, the SkyTeam lounge in the Sydney Airport.
In the upper level, there is a small section for first class passengers. I’m not sure how this works because Garuda has no first class in their domestic routes. Probably it is for first class passengers transiting in Bali who have connecting domestic flights.
There is also an outdoor terrace area if you like the heat. Usually passengers use this area for smoking, so I could not be bothered to check it.
We enjoyed the lounge for an hour or so before boarding. A friendly staff took care of our stroller at the gate. I must say that it is unusual for such a short flight to use an A330-200, a wide body airplane. There were 36 seats in business class for only 6 passengers, including my family. Good for us, but I am not sure how this works for Garuda in the long run. I do not know the number of passengers in the economy class though. The seats in business class are arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration, thus those sitting in window seats do not have direct access to the aisle. The seats are lie-flat seats, but they were not that important for most passengers for this short hop. Welcome drinks and hot towels were offered to us before take-off.
The plane left the gate on time, slightly earlier than the schedule in fact. Not much to report on the flight experience itself. Once the plane was at the cruising altitude, meal boxes were distributed, containing 2 pastries, a bar of chocolate, and a bottle of water. This was good for such a short flight. Additional drinks were also available, in which I ordered a cup of earl grey.
Josie fell asleep during take off and we took advantage of the many empty seats around us. We spent a bit of time conversing with one of the flight attendants as well.
The plane actually reached the airspace around Surabaya within perhaps 40 minutes after take-off. However, as I said earlier, the plane made at least 3 circles around Surabaya before landing. A Garuda staff brought our stroller to the aerobridge, near the door of the plane. This was appreciated, especially since it was raining at that time. Then another Garuda staff helped to collect our luggage from the conveyor belt. I highly commended the overall service from Garuda in this flight. The lounge in Bali is the weakest link here, but only because we could not find seats in the ground floor. If seats were available or if there were a lift, then I would give a higher score. The range of food was good for a domestic lounge.
