This flight report will cover my return from a short weekend holiday to Bali.
Here is the routing
GA 422 CGK-DPS 1310-1610 28-07-2016 (A332)CLICK HERE
GA 407 DPS-CGK 1200-1255 31-07-2016 (A333) THIS REPORT
All the times reported are Bali time( GMT+8) until a time check, after which all times reported will be in Jakarta time (GMT +7)
From our hotel in Sanur, we departed at 9 40 am. The toll road was very efficient, and in 23 minutes, we reached the domestic terminal.
DPS's international terminal, an amazing improvement and a great airport to fly out of.
The domestic terminal served as the international terminal before 2013. Domestic operations were moved to the current cargo terminal while renovations and construction were ongoing. After being completed, they moved domestic operations to this terminal while the international operations moved to the new terminal. That's a lot of moving!
We chose this flight as this is flown with an A333, which is more comfortable than the 737. It also flies out of DPS at a convenient time, allowing us to relax in the morning, and not rush when we return to our activities the next day.
Similar to CGK, a security officer checks your ticket prior to entering the terminal.
And you clear security at the start of the terminal.
Caricature inside the terminal, whose characters share the same feeling as I do ;)
The Economy check-in, and priority line.
There is also a direct charter flight to Maranggo, Southeast Sulawesi. Normally, one would have to transit in Makassar first.
Charter flights get some form of recognition here in GA, since they get a dedicated check-in counter for themselves.
Check-in in the SKyPriority was efficient yet inefficient. It takes about 15 minutes to handle a small party in front of us. On the plus side, we were done in 20 minutes. I don't think those in economy could say the same, considering the line. I did not see any passengers showing up for the Maranggo flight, and considering the evening departure, there would not be any soon. Simply opening up one of the counters for general check-in would be easier and help expedite the process, but of course, the welfare of check-in staff comes before the passengers.
Then there is a second security check.
We are then instructed to proceed up. And then, a long row of shops greet us, along with eating options.
Passengers would not have to worry about security, and makes the terminal safer.
However, I don't see the point of making passengers, in a rush to get to the gate, go through a maze of duty free shops.
A nice map of DPS's domestic terminal.
And the FIDS. DPS is a transit point for flights to West and East Nusa Tenggara.
Citilink A320
Wings Air ATR-72 and GA B738
An ad for GA's first class. Someday…
Gates 1A, 1B and 1C are connected with a big seating area, on the far side of the terminal.
Here'a our bird! She's PK-GPE, a 19.5 year old Airbus A330-300. The flaps and slats were extended. Perhaps this is a new, safety protocol?
Boarding commenced at 11 43 instead of the 11 30. Gate lice were already present before the original boarding time. Soon, a long line formed, and some even crowded into the Priority lane.
It was then a big line. Some respected the Priority lane, while others simply joined in the line. There were boarding announcements by zone, but they were ignored. The ground staff simply gave up, as they were in a hurry to board everyone anyway.
Did I mention I love this livery?
We are in an A333
No newspapers were on offer
GA 407
ROUTE: DPS-CGK
EQUIPMENT: A330-300
FLIGHT PADDING: 1H 55 MIN
TAKEOFF:12 23
TOUCHDOWN: 12 55 (-1 HOUR)
EFT: 90 MIN
AFT: 92 MIN
After a warm welcome by the FA, we turned right.
I took out my phone for a forward cabin shot. Instead of business class, I found economy seats, without IFE.
There were no power ports, so its no big deal.
Safety information card, both sides
But there is IFE on my section. Score!
Which stubbornly refuses to power up.
The A333 still has the standard no smoking sign.
And no IFE box which translates to better legroom
Our neighbours, GA A330 and SQ B777
Seatback contents were almost the same, this time sans Stars (IFE guide), although Colours (Inflight Magazine) and arcade (Inflight duty free) is there.
Seat pitch is notably tighter. The top picture is on the return flight, while the bottom picture is on the outbound flight
Seeking to power up the IFE, I looked for a headphone jack, only to find them absent. The crew does not know either where they are. How interesting!
Pushback commenced as the IFE started, but they were only aired on the big screens fixed in front of the cabin.
The FA then returned after asking her colleagues we were flying on the high-density equipment GA retrofitted to fit more planes, which translates to no IFE. I admire that she checked on us. Could their cabin crew live up to their passengers' expectations?
Pushing back at 12 08
GA B738 and Indonesia AirAsia A320
Taxiing to the runway
Three FAs came around and each failed to see my unbuckled seatbelt test, thrice. Finally, the purser reminded me to buckle up.
We took off at 12 23, after a 15 minute taxi
80 knots…V1…Rotate!!…V2!
Leaving land
The IFE was the airshow on loop, on the big screens only. Even so, it does not offer the full novelty of having airshow.
Where's the plane?
As I toured the plane, the FAs were busy preparing meals in the galley
This A330-300 is configured to carry 360 passengers in a full economy configuration. In comparison, Lion Air's A333 seats 440.
The world's best crew should be able to serve this jet, fully-laden with passengers, in one hour. That is a short amount of time for a one hour flight. Considering this to be a normal routine, I felt that this flight should be no different.
While waiting I browsed the Colours magzine
GA's A333s, including their seating plan
GA's domestic network
GA's regional network
At 12 37 the meal carts began rolling, and the FAs were rushing service from the start.Being seated in the second cabin, it was 13 16 before I received my meal, 39 minutes before we were scheduled to land!
There were two options, beef with rice or fish with potatoes. I opted for the beef while may companion opted for the fish
The beef was stated to be spicy, but by being Indonesian, I believe that I am immune to moderately spicy foods. I don't think Mrs Marathon would agree though!
The beef option. It tasted quite good for airplane food, and it was not spicy at all.
The fish main. The fish was bland, if it were not for the sauce, but the sauce had some weird taste. The best description would be sour and pungent, and had to be washed down.
There was only one cart serving beverages and food, to expedite meal service.
I was served by a different FA, and a request for ice requires a very complicated procedure.
"Could I please have ice?"
"The drink is already cold!"
"I know, I would like to have some ice, still."
"We don't have ice on this flight."
Choosing not to argue, I sipped on my not-so-cold water. As I later went to use the toilet I saw a foreigner gulping down a glass of water. With ice.
After that I went to the toilet. The FA who sorted out my entertainment issues was cleaning the lav. They were minding their own business and the only conversation starter was when I was given a toy to give my travelling companion.
I was the first to use the toilet after it was cleaned, so it was spotlessly clean.
The languages this plane could speak during its time as a regional plane.
My final opinions on the crew were mixed. The FA who checked on me deserves extra credit, and at the end of the flight, she checked throughout the entire plane if they still have the orangutan doll. The crew were definitely less polished, and less seasoned than that of the outbound flight. They were generally casual, did their job, yet under-performed. Perhaps they were in a rush to serve 360 passengers, but this shouldn't be an issue for them, as flying on this type of jet is a normal job at work, and aren't FAs supposed to be adaptive people, able to handle any type of situation in the air?
TIME CHECK
BALI-13 31
JAKARTA-12 31
All times reported will be in Jakarta time.
At 12 31 the first officer came on the PA, and announced that they had just commenced descent.
Descent.
Landing and final approach
We overflew a very smoggy Jakarta and turned , overflying the city and looping once, while descending.
There was no heavy congestion at CGK and we were in the air 5-10 minutes longer than expected.
TG A333 as landing is imminent
GA B738 in the background.
With reverse thrust.
EVA Air B773
Saudia B773
Garuda B738 and Malindo 738
PK-GII, the Skyteam livery painted B773ER.
We exited the aircraft. This time, there were no incidents, and all the passengers were in haste to exit. There was a major issue regarding luggage, as, although being given the SKY PRIORITY tag, our luggage arrived at the carousel one hour late. As the minutes ticked by, we were all concerned if baggage porters took a peek in our luggage too, like Lion AIr's porters, which caused a major backlash and made headlines all over Indonesia. Fortunately, that was not the case, and we exited CGK, without major issues.
All comments are welcome, and thanks for reading! There will be a lot more FRs to come!
I think it was a TG aircraft not GA upon landing at JKT. Garuda has improved over the years but still is not my fav airline. Unless it is a very cheap deal from SINB and I have been to Bali like 15 times, I usually fly SQ or Qatar and once on business class on KLM.
Qatar no longer plys that route. KLM departures are often too late as the inbound aircraft from Amsterdam is always delayed causing further delays trickling down to the sin-dps sector. Having flown both SQ and GA I would have to say GA stands out with better service nowadays. SQ service has became too robotic, read terry yong's report. Either way both are decent airlines to fly in
It was a TG A333. Garuda's service has drastically improved, but once in a while, you get an underperforming crew and this is one of those rare instances
Thanks for stopping by JW19!
It really is a mixed opinion, although SQ's service is slipping, especially on long-haul routes.
My my.. I wasn't expecting that from a Garuda flight report on an interhub flight.
After checking on flightradar24, PK-GPE is typically used to fly from Surakarta to Jeddah via Padang, hence I assume this is mainly for religious pilgrims. I once read about them configuring several A330s to all-economy. But I wasn't expecting them to be without IFE, even for the pilgrims.
The regional food service can be a hit or miss, too, it seems. I flew from Jakarta to Surabaya in August (report coming soon), and spoiler alert, on the outbound flight both food options were underwhelming, very different from the inbound flight.
As well-awarded the overall GA flight crew may be, it seems that even they find it difficult to serve 360 economy passengers for a very short leg. I actually feel sorry for them to the extent that had I been on this particular airplane, I'd lower my standards by several notches.
Thanks for the report though! Happy flying :)
I apologize for the delayed response. My reason is simple: Travelling!
For Indonesian pilgrims, they place much importance on completing the Hajj. Some are on a budget, and the cost savings passed on to them may matter more than the reduced comfort and lack of amenities.
Garuda's growth is hindered by the relatively slow growth of firms which contribute to its growth. This includes their airports and catering services. How good a dish might be is anybody's guess Let's hope that there will be more consistency.
As for the cabin crew, the junior FAs are deployed on domestic routes, and as they rack up experience, serve on longer flights. The less-seasoned crew, having a relatively busy day, may find the task of serving 360 passengers to be daunting. Once again, crews are human, and there is a possibility of getting a bad set of crew, although this batch did their job properly. I've seen worse!
Thanks for reading!