Garuda Business – GA719 MEL-DPS

[kermatu]

Very nice report. Looks pretty good.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Another couple of points I should have mentioned earlier:

1. No passport verification pre boarding in MEL - SQ always cross check Passport with BP prior to boarding - I assumed ALL airlines did this - GA did not in MEL
2. 'Priority Tag' system for luggage worked perfectly in DPS - we were first to baggage carousel and I checked every bag off - Cruiserette's bag was 5th off and mine 20th off - ALL those 20 bags had 'Priority Tags' affixed - I did not check further - jeez if GA in DPS can get this right why can't other airlines in alleged superior ports?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

CE - glad you liked it. I was hoping you would find it ok. I think vfm wise it is hard to beat to DPS (even to Asia if you're wanting to stop in Bali on the way).

Not all their aircraft have the full flat seats - I think some of their A333s (as opposed to the 332s) have angled lie-flats. They used to fly exclusively to MEL, so good to see the 332s on the route.

But tell me... do you bug Cruiserette about sleeping on planes during the day? I think she's very sensible

Worth noting if you are on the red-eye back to Australia - the meal service out of Bali used to be a very tiny warm snack, with the main meal service being breakfast. Not sure if that's changed recently... but anyone on that midnight flight might want to consider eating in the lounge if hungry.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

MEL yes you were right with GA quality - very pleasantly surprised - thanks for your input and encouragement pre dep.

Cruiserette is her own woman - does exactly as she likes - I wish I could sleep as she does on planes / away from home / at home - we have done plenty travelling together to understand each other's habits - one word from me and she does exactly as she wants!

Not planning on eating at all on return flt - will board as early as poss and have a couple BSBRs - then will both take sleeping tabs and try to sleep wheels up to wheels down - breakfast after we arrive home.

 

[docjames]

Thanks for posting the TR. Useful for those who may be considering GA J.

 

[boomy]

Nice TR CE. Looks like GA improved a lot.
We're booked on QF to DPS for next month.
In retrospective should have considered GA.

 

[CMA222]

Great TR. I did SYD - CGK - BKK and return in November with Garuda in J and found the experience almost identical to yours. I would happily fly with them again (in J) as they have really lifted their game. Only failure I had was, after ordering a snack from the late evening after take off menu, from CGK en route Sydney they set my table with the cloth and implements then totally forgot about me. After about 25 minutes I pressed the call button and they were horrified they had slipped up. The chicken pie was worth the wait !!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Nice TR CE. Looks like GA improved a lot.
We're booked on QF to DPS for next month.
In retrospective should have considered GA.

Thanks boomy - overall it was a very pleasant experience.

QF ex MEL vis SYD - no thanks - what price QF SYD-DPS-SYD?

MEL had given it the thumbs up before we flew and as usual MEL was spot on.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Nice TR CE. Looks like GA improved a lot.
We're booked on QF to DPS for next month.
In retrospective should have considered GA.

Garuda has been good for some time. Skytrax results and 'top 10' lists have been putting them near the top for quite a while.

 

[haydensydney]

Sorry to bump an old thread but I wanted to thank you for a great TR!

I'm flying Garuda to DPS in a couple of days, apparently on the new A333 business class. I will report back if it's much different

 

[Cruiser Elite]

No problem to bump - in fact it jogged my memory as I posted nothing about return. Couple pics here firstly re the 'Owners Lounge' at Double 6 in Denpaser which is for usage by arr / dep pax pre / post check in - it really is a great facility:



Now pls remember this couch / sofa whatever you like to call it - pls rember it - next:



And:



And:



As I said this is just a great facility - free hot / cold drinks - free alcohol - free snacks whilst you wait - this is truly a quality property.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Remember the couch in previous post - well we sat in the Lounge in a civilised fashion - we saw the water bottles on table adjacent to couch and realised it was taken - and taken it was - a pic taken 10 mins later:



But wait it gets much better - we had like 5 or 6hrs to kill even with a super late check out of 4pm - so after an hour or so the dude above and his gf departed - 2 mins later new couch seatees arrived - but they didn't like orientation of furniture as TV not visible - so ...........



OMG - who said Bali was full of bogans?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Now for Denpasar Airport on return - yes it is huge improvement on old DPS - but still some major shortcomings.

GA have dedicated check in desk for J pax - zero delay in checking in.

DPS has no APEC lane for outgoing pax - big downer - imagine what it is like rubbing shoulders with commoners in the general lane - somewhat disturbing to say the least

Now to the lounges - OMG - terribly inadequate - just so ordinary. Lounges are up one level from ground and the main GA lounge was like an oven - zero self serve alcohol - you ask staff for a beer or a red or white wine - that's it. Token food offerings - really bad.

I did a wander through 2 or 3 other lounges - just as bad - my advice would be to arrive as late as possible but then again knowing how Indo and DPS works that is not really a bright idea at all.

Flight home was very uneventful - 2 or 3 of that beautiful Champers pre dep and slept the whole way with midnight dep - ate / drank nothing at all except OJ pre landing. Cabin temp on ret was really cold - really cold - but in general a great flight to and fro - would do GA J again in a heart beat.

My only pic of ret flt:



This was a newer version of the plane we flew over on

 

[LadyC]

Nice TR CE. Not sure how I missed the beginning of it. Seems like a good price and service for DPS direct. Seeing as I try not to buy any revenue tickets, I'll stick with my stopover in SIN with SQ. ☺

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Seeing as I try not to buy any revenue tickets, I'll stick with my stopover in SIN with SQ. ☺

I hear you Sista - I hear you - in actual fact it was the only flt I actually paid cold hard cash for in all of 2015 and it was the last for the year - go figure.

With ref to another thread currently running I to would take the SIN scenic route - again Cruiserette suggested she would meet me there - so I decided to go the GA route.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Rumour:[Denied by RR] Qantas to ban JQ SYD-MEL pax from F lounges & send to J lou

But wait it gets much better - we had like 5 or 6hrs to kill even with a super late check out of 4pm - so after an hour or so the dude above and his gf departed - 2 mins later new couch seatees arrived - but they didn't like orientation of furniture as TV not visible - so ...........

View attachment 68097

OMG - who said Bali was full of bogans?

Having to leave your hotel early for a midnight flight is not necessarily bogan! Sometimes the hotel is fully booked and you can't get the extra night so you can leave at 9 or 10pm, but always worth asking on the day of departure... most times a room opens up due to a cancellation or late arriving guests.

As for swapping around the couch... I think that's perfectly acceptable. The lounge is there for the comfort of its guests. I think it shows initiative... those are the kind of people I would want working for my organisation!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Re: Rumour:[Denied by RR] Qantas to ban JQ SYD-MEL pax from F lounges & send to J lou

There is a turn up - MEL takes a totally opposite view to what I post - what a surprise!

As for swapping around the couch... I think that's perfectly acceptable. The lounge is there for the comfort of its guests. I think it shows initiative... those are the kind of people I would want working for my organisation!

I am glad you think that is acceptable - when you invite me around for drinks next Friday night I will do a quick rearrangement of your lounge as I am sure the furniture will not be in positions that totally suit me - after all I am a guest so your lounge is there for my comfort!

 

[trooper]

Re: Rumour:[Denied by RR] Qantas to ban JQ SYD-MEL pax from F lounges & send to J lou

OK..as long as you vaccuum under the couch....

Seriously? Comparing an airport lounge to a private home... OK..whatever...

Hope youve never moved a chair from one table to another to accomodate your group.....

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Re: Rumour:[Denied by RR] Qantas to ban JQ SYD-MEL pax from F lounges & send to J lou

Seriously? Comparing an airport lounge to a private home... OK..whatever...

So you think it's OK in any lounge - private or public - to sprawl out with your shoes on the couch which you do not own?

Hope youve never moved a chair from one table to another to accomodate your group.....

Oh I have moved chair/s to accommodate extra people - but I also put them back where I got them from when I was finished with them - that is the part I did not post as this couple just got up and left the lounge with the couch in it's new position... OK..whatever...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Rumour:[Denied by RR] Qantas to ban JQ SYD-MEL pax from F lounges & send to J lou

So you think it's OK in any lounge - private or public - to sprawl out with your shoes on the couch which you do not own?

Shoes on the couch are probably not cool - but the thing is this... it bugs some people because they see it happening. No doubt the same thing has been repeated countless times on just about every seat in every plane and every lounge around the world. Even in The Private Room!

I don't see an issue for me to get worked up about just because I happen to see it. Seats aren't steam cleaned after every passenger. The seat I choose in a lounge could have had a shoe on it 5 mins before I got there.