After relaunching in 2022 as a low-cost carrier, TransNusa has steadily expanded its network to include a small but growing roster of international destinations. Following a sudden shift to a medium-service model last year, the Jakarta-based airline now actively promotes its premium positioning across its various media channels. Previously relying solely on a fleet of Airbus A320s and Comac C909s, the airline has since introduced a sub-fleet of Airbus A321s to support its continued growth. While I’ve flown TransNusa’s A320s before – and wasn’t particularly impressed – I was curious to see how the airline has evolved, especially with its newer A321 aircraft.

Booking TransNusa

The simplest way to book a TransNusa flight is through the airline’s official website, TransNusa.co.id, which is precisely how I arranged my trip. In total, I paid IDR 1,093,000 (approximately USD 65 or GBP 50) for a one-way ticket from Jakarta to Singapore. On top of that, I opted to reserve a front-row PRO seat for IDR 150,000 to take advantage of the priority boarding benefit. As always, I also added a hot meal for IDR 49,000. Interestingly, despite its newly adopted medium-service positioning, TransNusa still consistently offers some of the lowest fares on this route – often comparable to, or even rivalling, the prices offered by AirAsia and Scoot.

Check-in

Anticipating the late arrival of the aircraft from Guangzhou, the airline sent out text messages advising passengers of a 40 minute delay from the scheduled 07.45 departure. With that information, I arrived at Jakarta’s Soekarno–Hatta International Airport roughly two hours before my delayed 08:25 departure. TransNusa operates from Terminal 3, the airport’s newest and most polished facility, which is generally used by full-service carriers. I was dropped off near Gate 3, which stupidly of me, turned out not to be where the airline’s check-in counters were located. For future reference, you’ll want to head to Gate 4, which is the kerbside point closest to TransNusa’s check-in area.

TransNusa’s counters are located at Island E, where the carrier occupies an entire row – quite an impressive setup for an airline of its size. As with my previous experiences, the desks were completely empty for these early-morning departures. A friendly agent checked me in within moments, handed over my boarding pass, and directed me towards the long walk to the security checkpoint at the opposite end of the terminal.

Boarding

With little to occupy my time before the flight, I decided to head straight to the gate. As usual, TransNusa flights depart from Gates 1–4 at the far end of Terminal 3’s international concourse. This stretch has been undergoing renovations for the past year or so, leaving the freshly updated sections looking noticeably newer than the rest of the terminal.

As I got some work done on my laptop, I noticed that our inbound aircraft from Guangzhou was running well behind schedule. Particularly, its estimated arrival time pushed well past our revised boarding time of 07:40. Frustratingly, as the clock ticked past the printed boarding time, no information was provided by the gate staff. Late-arriving passengers rushed to the podium to board, only to discover that the aircraft had yet to arrive.

The radio silence continued until 08:03 – more than twenty minutes after boarding was meant to have commenced – when the ground staff finally acknowledged the additional delay. Amusingly, the aircraft touched down just moments before the announcement was made and reached the gate four minutes later. Unfortunately, the saga didn’t end there. At 08:22, we were informed that departure had been pushed back yet again, this time to 09:10, with boarding expected to begin in half an hour.

But when 08:50 rolled around, the ground agents were still seated and engrossed in their phones, with no sign of preparations for boarding. Only after the flight crew arrived a few minutes later did the staff get up to place the boarding signs by the queues. Actual boarding began at 09:07, starting with priority passengers. So much for a self-styled ‘Premium-Service Carrier’. Oh dear.

TransNusa cabin

Operating our flight today was PK-TLG, an Airbus A321-200 first delivered to China Eastern Airlines in October 2004. The aircraft was later acquired by TransNusa in September 2024 via its parent company, China Aircraft Leasing Company (CALC). Like their Airbus A320s, TransNusa’s Airbus A321s are fitted with the dreadful slimline variant of the Recaro BL3510 seat – a model favoured by many low-cost carriers.

The cabin features an all-economy 3–3 configuration with a respectable 195 seats, the same number Philippine Airlines manages to squeeze in across two classes. For comparison, AirAsia and Jetstar pack a staggering 236 and 230 seats, respectively, into their Airbus A321s. So, in fairness, the cabin is actually quite spacious for a low-cos—err… medium-service carrier.

As with the airline’s Airbus A320s and Comac C909s, the seats are upholstered in deep blue leather – a look TransNusa inherited from the ex-Chengdu Airlines A320s it initially acquired and evidently liked enough to adopt across the fleet. As is standard on TransNusa, the first five rows are sold as PRO seats, distinguished by their olive-green headrest covers.

Seat details

Much like the inherited cabins on their Airbus A320s, the seats on the A321s felt completely no-frills. Being the slimline Recaro BL3510s, they were dreadfully thin and offered about as much padding as an ironing board. In fairness, TransNusa now provides leather cushions at every seat, which helps noticeably with lumbar support.

Sitting in the first row meant I was spoiled with plenty of legroom, but the rest of the cabin isn’t bad either, thanks to the relatively spacious cabin density. At 180 cm (5 ft 11), I measured over 12 cm between my knee and the seatback; this is obviously far better than what you’d find on most low-cost carriers.

Furthermore, I also found the seats and the cabin as a whole to be clean and in excellent condition. Even the tray tables, which fold out in the first row, were surprisingly sturdy. If not for the rather dreary, 1990s-style cabin lighting, nothing about the interior would have suggested the aircraft is over twenty years old.

That said, the cabin amenities are basic beyond the cushions. There’s no in-flight entertainment of any kind—no Wi-Fi, no seatback screens, no overhead monitors, and not even an in-flight magazine. The seats don’t have power outlets either, so you’ll want to bring a fully charged device or, better yet, a real book. At least there are overhead air vents!

Departure from Jakarta

As boarding got underway, Julius, our lead flight attendant, welcomed passengers on behalf of Captain Romi. He professionally announced our flight time of around one hour and twenty minutes, along with our cruising altitude of 34,000 feet. Since most passengers had already gathered at the gate, boarding was swift and wrapped up within twenty minutes.

Once the doors were closed at 09.28, the crew began the safety demonstration, supported by a clear automated narration. We pushed back eight minutes later, and the crew carried out their final checks for departure.

From Terminal 3, we had a long taxi across the entire length of the airport to reach the runway. Despite the delay, I didn’t mind it too much. After all, I had my eyes glued to the window, watching the various other planes parked around us; this included a Garuda Indonesia Airbus A330-900neo in a plain livery, temporarily borrowed for the Hajj pilgrimage from Citilink.

We reached Runway 07L at 09:46 –just over two hours behind schedule – and took off shortly after. At long last, we were on our way to Singapore!

Refreshments

Ten minutes after take-off, we reached our cruising altitude and the seatbelt signs were switched off. At this time, the friendly crew started distributing prebooked meals, before commencing inflight refreshment sales shortly after. Unlike many other airlines, purchases must be made in cash, so it’s worth having some on hand if you plan to buy anything. For reference, the inflight service menu is shown below.

As mentioned earlier, I had pre-booked a hot meal during the reservation process. This time, I chose the Nasi Rendang Padang option – a nod to one of Indonesia’s most iconic dishes. It’s also worth noting that TransNusa no longer sells hot meals on board, so if you want one, you’ll need to order it in advance.

The Nasi Rendang Padang meal arrived hot on a blue plastic tray, served with a small bottle of water. At IDR 49,000, it represents excellent value for an inflight meal, and it tasted great too. The dish was rich and flavourful, with beef rendang and curried cassava leaves served alongside rice topped with sambal and anchovies. All in all, it was a very satisfying meal – especially after our prolonged delay.

Although TransNusa brands itself as a medium-service carrier, complimentary refreshments are not provided on international flights. This is because Indonesian regulations only require medium-service airlines to offer free snacks and drinks on domestic services. In any case, the complimentary offering isn’t much to write home about. On a recent flight, it comprised a small packet of Oreo biscuits and the same tiny bottle of water that comes with pre-ordered meals.

Lavatory

Before the seatbelt signs were switched on for our approach, I made a quick trip to the front to check out the lavatory. Unsurprisingly, it still retains much of the design from its former operator, China Eastern, with warm tones and a faux mosaic-effect linoleum floor. Despite that, the lavatory was spotless and in excellent condition. I also noticed a fabric refresher spray placed by the sink, offered alongside the standard bottle of hand soap. It’s an unexpected touch… but thoughtful, I suppose?

Arrival in Singapore

About thirty minutes before landing, Captain Romi came over the intercom to share our arrival details. As we began our descent, he suggested passengers to use the lavatory and instructed the crew to prepare the cabin. The seatbelt signs came back on around fifteen minutes later, signalling the start of our final approach into Singapore.

We touched down semi-smoothly on Runway 2C at 12:10 local time. We left the runway about three-quarters of the way down, which meant a taxi past Terminal 4 before arriving at Terminal 2. Looking out of the window, I was surprised to see four Cathay Pacific aircraft parked in a row – I didn’t realise they operated that many simultaneous flights to Singapore!

As we reached our stand at Terminal 2, the crew apologised once more for the delay. Before long, the seatbelt signs were switched off and the jet bridge was connected. Prior to disembarking, I made sure to thank the crew before making a swift dash through immigration en route to my hotel.

Verdict

Overall, the flight itself was professionally run, with friendly crew and a well-maintained aircraft. I also liked small but thoughtful touches like seat cushions and complimentary checked baggage. However, TransNusa’s attempts to present itself as anything other than a low-cost carrier seemed overstated, at least on international flights. The slimline seats, lack of complimentary snacks, and overall service level were still much closer to a budget airline – quite unlike the pleasant domestic experience I previously had on their COMAC C909. Perhaps they were comparing themselves to a European airline? (*cough* Lufthansa *cough*)

What disappointed me most was the handling of the delay. It was clear the aircraft wouldn’t arrive in time, yet the ground staff stayed glued to their phones and offered no updates until the very last minute, leaving passengers confused. It all felt rather unprofessional. As such, I’m not convinced I’d seek out TransNusa again, at least not for an international flight.