Batik Air commencing PER-AKL

[aikman]

Batik Air Malaysia Schedules Auckland late-August 2023 Launch — AeroRoutes

 

[Daver6]

Good luck to them. Dodgy brothers airlines for way too long in a single aisle plane. No thanks!

 

[Scarlett]

That is quite an interesting route! If the PER-AKL segments are available for sale at a decent price in J then it could be quite an option.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

My experience of checking Batik Air out of melbourne is that their business class prices have been very high… no cheaper than VA or JQ. I’m not expecting heavy discounting on the NZ legs, but hopefully will be surprised.

It’s a long flight in a recliner business class.

 

[exceladdict]

At the least, it's competition on a route to keep the price pressure on.

 

[XWu]

The J class pretty much what’s on offer on a domestic VA or QF flight. Granted its a long leg between stops

 

[HS-TQE]

At the least, it's competition on a route to keep the price pressure on.

And also provides the PER-AKL route with a LCC Y option as well, with the pre-book meal option available for Y bookings as per most of their Value/LCC competitors.

 

[Scarlett]

Just remember that it might say Batik on all the livery and marketing, but it’s 100% Lion Air training, procedures and culture. And that’s not a good thing…

 

[AIRwin]

Just remember that it might say Batik on all the livery and marketing, but it’s 100% Lion Air training, procedures and culture. And that’s not a good thing…

A Lion in Batik clothing...

 

[HS-TQE]

Just remember that it might say Batik on all the livery and marketing, but it’s 100% Lion Air training, procedures and culture. And that’s not a good thing…

And they were 'full-service' Malindo Air in Malaysia before they were merged into 'Value-Orientated' carrier Batik Air (another brand within Lion Group).

 

[Pointyendonly]

I had the displeasure of flying four sectors on Batik Air from Perth to KL then to Bali and Jakarta to KL and onto Perth
The cabin crew were obviously not interested in their jobs
On the Perth to KL leg the crew slept in the empty Business class seats and on the floor in the galley.
The food on all sectors was discusting more of a budjet carrier's attempt at a shoddy economy class meal on coughpy white china
On the Kuala Lumpa to Bali sector Business class had no opperational toilet so the three pax up the front had to use the economy toilets at the rear of the aircraft
I do not drink but there was no alchohol offered only Tea,Coffee and a small assortment of can drinks
I definately give this airline a big thumbs down especially trying to take on the big boys
7 hours plus on a 737 is no joke and their airfares in Business class are totally non compeditive with Air New Zealands pointy end or Qantas
Note to the disabled flyer if you chose to fly Batik Air on such a long sector from Auckland to Perth not only are you going to encounter extremely tight toilets but Batik's menu serve many spicey Malaysian food and a roll and a poor desert (Business class only)
I would rather book Air New Zealands premier economy saving nearly $450 on the matching Batik Business class fare and be gauranteed the same amount of luggage,excellant meal choices more leg room the only slight drawback no lounge use.
My prediction this carrier will not sustain the trans tasman flights due to being an allround budjet carrier with little service and fares including Business class are non refundable
For thoes on a budget then Batik maybe a new carrier of choice but for everyone else lets just wait and see

 

[Port Power]

I just posted a review of my nightmare experience with OD Under Batik Indonesia. Three nights in a transit hotel and days of standing around the Malindo desk at KLIA1. Lies and inaction!

I will repost here.

Post automatically merged: Jun 26, 2023

I have just flown Batik Air Malaysia OD152 and I can barely describe the experience on arrival. I rate the soft and hard produce well enough, but NOT post-flight service. Let’s start at the beginning…

OD152 PER-KUL.
It departed 2 hours late, first due to arriving 1 hour late arrival from KUL, then a problem with a toilet, and finally another 10 minutes delay in push back due to two Singapore Airline aeroplanes in line.

Seat 2C on a B737. 2F empty. Very roomy: there is definitely more space between rows. The seats are comfortable. BUT….this is not a full service airline as they advertise. There is a screen in the armrest, but the service is not connected. There are pliable arm reading lights between the seat backs - but they don’t work either. Nor does the remote control. No power to that whole section. When the cabin lights were turned off after the meal service, I had to stand up and use my iPad light to switch on the overhead reading light.

The meal choices were good. The FA put table cloths on the tray tables and took orders. The meal was served all together on a tray with another cloth. I chose a green chicken curry with rice. It was tasty, if minimal. There was a bread roll and carrot cake and a small packet of nuts. I ordered a red wine, which came in port glass. I’m not kidding! And only half full at that! I did ask for a second glass after the meal.

The flight attendants were lovely: professional and quietly spoken.

I used the lavatory halfway through the flight. Here is where the flight conditions became unacceptable. The cubic was spotlessly clean. However, there was no water from the tap (perhaps the plumbing issue?), but a small bottle of water was sitting by the basin. However, there was NO SOAP. None! How can one efficiently wash hands without both soap and sufficient water? Not having a bottle of hand cleanser is unforgivable! When I asked the FA, she acknowledged no soap was available. I asked for hand sanitiser. They DID NOT have any hand sanitiser! Really? In this late COVID era? Fortunately I had brought my own along with me.

When the man in 2A got up to go just after me, I showed him my hand sanitiser and said he was welcome to use it. We had been chatting in the lounge and since being seated. When he returned, he said he realised what I meant! He reckons this is the worst business class he has ever experienced. (Not the two FAs though.)

I was connecting in KUL to a TK flight to Istanbul. The layover was 1 hour 40 minutes. When I checked in, I was told the OD flight would be an hour late, but as there are 32 passengers on the flight who are connecting to TK61, we would be met at the gate and directed. Naturally we became concerned as the delay was extended. However, given 32 passengers would be too many to have to accommodate and compensate, everyone thinks the TK flight will wait for us. The Captain will make an announcement when we are closer to landing.

No announcement was ever made. No mention at all.

The plane landed at 23:18, then about 12 minutes to taxi to the gate. However, we had to wait another 10-12 minutes for a staff member to come and operate the airbridge. Therefore 11:40pm as we disembarked.

Continued in Part 2.

Post automatically merged: Jun 26, 2023

There were a group of Batik/Malindo staff waiting at the terminal. They called for TK61 passengers. We were told TK61, due to depart 23:05, had already departed. They had waited 20 minutes. Not very happy with them, but as we subsequently learned of Malindo’s history of delayed arrivals, I cannot really blame them.

I use “Malindo” as many of the uniform polo tops had Malindo embroidered on them, and they are still known as Malindo in the flight and hospitality communities.
We were told that TK61 that night (Saturday) was booked out and we would be put on Sunday night’s flight. Accommodation and meals would be provided. Much arguing ensued and a few people refused to leave the airport. I now applaud them: they probably got on a flight that night.

We were escorted to the luggage area as our bags had been offloaded. We were escorted through immigration and ferried to an airport hotel at KLIA2. We were told we would be contacted the next morning with flight arrangement.

That’s all, folks! We never heard from them again.

Around 12:30 pm on Saturday a few of us went to the Malindo counter at KLIA1 and started asking questions. Promises were made. We went back and reported. Others made the journey around 3:00pm. We original few went back at 7:00 pm to find those others still there, still arguing! The 10 lads going to Seoul were there, but checking onto the Batik Air flight to Seoul. Sorted!

A German man pulled the pin and booked Emirates to Lucerne, as he was going home and had no further legs to fly.

We just demanded tickets be issued. TK didn’t want to know us without the OD booking reference. My TA held a seat for me, but TK still gave it away. Finally a man and his young done were booked for the morning flight, which I believe was TK63 at 8:05am. Some of us left with the promise we would be on TK61 on Sunday night. Some stayed and I heard another made the early flight.

I went with luggage to check in to again find no ticket had been issued. Back to the Malindo counter. With us standing ear over them and refusing to leave, electronic tickets were eventually issued to five people. I was going to fly to Singapore the next morning and take the TK 23:30 flight from there.

I arrived again with luggage at 11:00 am on Sunday. No ticket! Where is it? The flight is checking in. There were 7 people there arrived that morning from Melbourne who had also missed their TK connection. AND their luggage had been off loaded and left behind! One of our group was handed, after an hour of arguing and fiddling around, his boarding passes for SIN and TK. The Melbourne group all eventually received theirs, although teo ladies had to wait for the 7:30pm OD flight to SIN.

Me - still waiting!

OD said there was no flight from IST to DBV on Sunday, so I could either hang around IST for 36 hours or fly TK61 on Monday night. I had my travel agent on the phone listening in. OD said they had to duplicate original touting and would not book to DBV via Zagreb. They said I could go back to the hotel and I would be emailed. No way! If I left, nothing would be done.

At 4pm I joined those at the future TK check in counter for a chat. Where else did I need to go. There was an older Perth couple there who had been sent a shuttle to bring them over.

I went back to Malindo and one of our group on that night’s TK61 was having his ticket sorted. With the new flight ticket, OD had removed his return flights! They had to be reissued. I again asked for my electronic ticket. I said I had not received any email. A few minutes later it arrived in my inbox. Confirmed, no less, and with a PNR.

Anyway, end result is I am flying tonight but have had a traumatic 3 days of seemingly constant aguing and demanding, and 3 nights at a hotel that is just okay for an overnight in transit. I know the inter-terminal train system really, really well!

My flight back KUL-PER is with MH. The outward flight should have been, too.
OD is 3/5 to actually fly on an aircraft with, but they practif ally disown their customers if there is a problem.

Avoid them like the plague!

The older couple who just remained at the hotel as they were told, are also still in KL. I think they were supposed to fly via Singapor, but weren’t actually told. The wife has mobility problems. He emailed the didn’t board last night, but are now at a KLIA1 hotel. I’ll see them tonight. Hopefully I can guest them both into the lounge. They are an example of out of sight, out of mind as far as OD was concerned.

I have missed 5 nights on a small yacht visiting islands around the coast of Croatia. I will be able to join the small group for the last two nights aboard, as well as the three weeks of the land based Balkans tour. It will cost me a little more, probably only one (expensive) hotel night and a ferry ticket. My TA has spent hours on the phone to TK but they would not or could not help. The tour group manager is staying behind to meet me and has made the catch up arrangement. However, i now feel quite drained and depressed. Once I am handed those boarding passes tonight and find the airline lounge, I am sure I will shrug the nightmare off and start looking forward again.

Thank you everyone who reads this. I had to vent somewhere.

DO NOT FLY BATIK AIR.

 

[Saab34]

Lion and AirAsia groups are hopeless for any sort of service disruption recovery. Language barrier issues, terrible websites, useless call centres. Point to point only with no set timeframe is about the only reason I’d use them, not that I would use them anyway.

Is many horror stories around with Jetstar Domestic connections onto Long Haul carriers also.

 

[HS-TQE]

Batik Air Malaysia also has very limited interline connections for a 'Value Orientated Carrier' despite 'formerly' being a 'full service' carrier under 'Malindo Air'. That's probably REX levels of struggle when trying to establish themselves.

 

[Port Power]

Batik Air Malaysia also has very limited interline connections for a 'Value Orientated Carrier' despite 'formerly' being a 'full service' carrier under 'Malindo Air'. That's probably REX levels of struggle when trying to establish themselves.

That was definitely part of the problem for me. They could not book us with other airlines such as Emirates because they had no agreements . What self respecting company would want to be associated with Batik?!

 

[encryptededdy]

I would rather book Air New Zealands premier economy saving nearly $450 on the matching Batik Business class fare and be gauranteed the same amount of luggage,excellant meal choices more leg room the only slight drawback no lounge use

Sadly this isn't available on the PER-AKL route right now due to AirNZ using the Wamos Air wet lease without PE.

 

[Steve994]

I had the displeasure of flying four sectors on Batik Air from Perth to KL then to Bali and Jakarta to KL and onto Perth
The cabin crew were obviously not interested in their jobs
On the Perth to KL leg the crew slept in the empty Business class seats and on the floor in the galley.
The food on all sectors was discusting more of a budjet carrier's attempt at a shoddy economy class meal on coughpy white china
On the Kuala Lumpa to Bali sector Business class had no opperational toilet so the three pax up the front had to use the economy toilets at the rear of the aircraft
I do not drink but there was no alchohol offered only Tea,Coffee and a small assortment of can drinks
I definately give this airline a big thumbs down especially trying to take on the big boys
7 hours plus on a 737 is no joke and their airfares in Business class are totally non compeditive with Air New Zealands pointy end or Qantas
Note to the disabled flyer if you chose to fly Batik Air on such a long sector from Auckland to Perth not only are you going to encounter extremely tight toilets but Batik's menu serve many spicey Malaysian food and a roll and a poor desert (Business class only)
I would rather book Air New Zealands premier economy saving nearly $450 on the matching Batik Business class fare and be gauranteed the same amount of luggage,excellant meal choices more leg room the only slight drawback no lounge use.
My prediction this carrier will not sustain the trans tasman flights due to being an allround budjet carrier with little service and fares including Business class are non refundable
For thoes on a budget then Batik maybe a new carrier of choice but for everyone else lets just wait and see

Good luck flying Premium Economy with Air NZ. No such thing while they are using the wet leased Wamos plane.

 

[jrfsp]

Looks like batik are also launching PER-CGK, will be the third carrier. QF really missed the boat by having a tantrum on that one

 

[Saab34]

All these other carriers expanding. Where the heck is QF? They should be so much bigger vs what they are today, embarrassing.

 

[HS-TQE]

All these other carriers expanding. Where the heck is QF? They should be so much bigger vs what they are today, embarrassing.

QF were set to operate PER-CGK with WA taxpayer support but ended up in a dummy spit with PAPL and the taxpayer subsidies went to QG.