With more than 40 active jets, the Boeing 737-800 is unquestionably the backbone of Garuda Indonesia’s fleet. They are the airline’s regional workhorse, shuttling passengers across the archipelago and to nearby international cities. Although Garuda normally operates widebody aircraft on the Singapore route, the airline’s ongoing spare-parts shortage has resulted in these flights being substituted with 737s – something I only discovered when booking my ticket. Amusingly, I’ve actually reviewed this exact product before on an ex-Garuda 737 operated by Batik Air. Still, I was genuinely curious to see how Garuda’s service would stack up against its local rival, especially on an international flight.

Booking Garuda Indonesia

As always, I booked this flight with Air France-KLM’s excellent Flying Blue programme. This flight cost me a reasonable 15,000 miles and IDR 873,400 (~ USD 50, GBP 38) in taxes. In my opinion, this is the best way to book this flight, especially compared to the cash fare, which regularly sells for over IDR 8,900,000 (~ USD 530, GBP 405). Alternatively, you can also redeem this flight via GarudaMiles for 22,500 miles.

Check-in

I arrived at Jakarta’s Soekarno–Hatta International Airport roughly two hours before my 08:55 departure. Garuda Indonesia operates out of the airport’s flagship Terminal 3 – a behemoth of a facility and a fitting home base for the country’s flag carrier. I asked to be dropped off at the Gate 1 kerbside point, conveniently located closest to Garuda Indonesia’s check-in counters at Island A.

Since Garuda is the terminal’s home carrier, its counters dominate the entire front row of Island A, right by the security checkpoint. This includes a dedicated area for First Class, Business Class, and SkyPriority passengers – complete with carpets, cordons, and just enough premium décor to suggest calm… well, if only the others got the memo. Despite the intention, the space felt anything but peaceful. With people milling about and no proper queues in sight, the atmosphere was anything but tranquil.

Funnily, as I got to the ‘queue’ (if you can call it that), a Garuda representative spotted me, confirmed I was flying Business Class, and waved me forward to a desk. Only then did I realise that many of the people occupying the area weren’t queueing at all – they were simply loitering. Thankfully, the actual check-in process was much smoother. After asking for my return flight details, the agent promptly printed my boarding pass and presented it in a smart ‘Business Class’ envelope.

Lounge

At its home base in Terminal 3, Garuda Indonesia operates two lounges in the terminal’s international section: the Garuda Indonesia Lounge for Business Class passengers and top-tier frequent flyers, and the First Class Lounge, which is often closed. The main lounge is a pleasant enough space, offering comfortable seating alongside a rather mediocre selection of food and beverages. While it still trails the superior Saphire Plaza Premium Lounge, the Garuda Indonesia Lounge has seen notable improvements over the past year. I’ve reviewed the Garuda Indonesia Lounge previously, which you can read here.

Boarding

After spending about an hour in the Garuda Indonesia Lounge, I made my way to our gate, located at the centre of Terminal 3. To my surprise, boarding had already begun – or so I thought. It turned out to be a Hajj flight bound for Saudi Arabia, which explained the crowds. Needless to say, I ended up spending a fair bit of time sitting around as we waited for our own boarding time of 08.25.

When 08.25 came and went, the ground staff finally announced pre-boarding for passengers requiring special assistance. Business Class and SkyPriority passengers were invited six minutes later at 08.31. Unfortunately, just as I reached the jetbridge, everyone – including the wheelchair passengers – was told to wait, as the aircraft was still being turned around after arriving from Balikpapan. Ryanair style!

By the time we were finally allowed to board, a sizeable queue had built up behind me, which meant zero opportunity for those coveted empty cabin shots as I boarded while trailing behind the wheelchair passengers. Sorry for that! For reference, today’s flight was operated by PK-GMV, a Boeing 737-800 delivered brand new to Garuda Indonesia in March 2012.

Cabin

Our flight today was operated by one of Garuda Indonesia’s legacy Boeing 737-800s, fitted with the airline’s Quantum Leap-era cabins introduced all the way back in 2009. This particular aircraft carries 162 seats – 12 recliners in a 2-2 layout in Business Class, followed by 150 seats in a 3-3 configuration in Economy. Interestingly, Garuda’s 737s have actually lost a bit of density over the years. At their peak, before Covid-19 reshuffling, these jets packed in an egregious 174 seats!

Business Class is equipped with the popular Rockwell Collins B/E Millennium seats – the same model you’ll find on carriers like Vietnam Airlines. Here, they’re dressed in Garuda Indonesia’s signature deep red upholstery, subtly decorated with a batik-inspired motif. Despite the design being more than 15 years old, I have to say the cabin still looks remarkably fresh. The colours remain vibrant, the textiles ageing far more gracefully than many of the airline’s corporate decisions over the years.

Waiting on each seat upon boarding was a sizeable pillow and a thick blanket, both in an elegant deep shade of red that complemented the rest of the cabin beautifully. The pillows were a particularly nice touch – not strictly necessary given how well-padded the seats already are, but I certainly wasn’t going to complain.

Seat details

As I settled into my seat, I found the legroom to be excellent. In the first row, there was over 50 cm (~20 inches) from my knee to the bulkhead, while the second row offered a similarly generous 40 cm (~16 inches). Not too shabby for a narrowbody regional hop.

As is standard with recliner-style Business Class seats, each one comes with a footrest and an adjustable headrest. The recline and footrest are manually operated via the levers on the armrest – simple. Given the amount of space allotted to each seat, the recline was generous, allowing the seat to settle into a very comfortable cradle position.

Between each pair of seats is a large centre console, which doubles as a drink holder. This console also houses the personal inflight entertainment screens running Garuda Indonesia’s STARS system (more on that later), as well as the system’s remote control. For good measure, there are also overhead monitors that display the safety video.

The tray table folds out from the armrest and locks onto the centre console, providing a sturdy surface for meals or laptops. Each seat also features personal reading lights to the side.

Furthermore, there are universal power outlets built into the centre console – always a welcome sight at this day and age. Finally, I’ll also add that the cabin are equipped with overhead air vents.

Departure from Jakarta

After settling into my seat, Laily came by to introduce herself and offer a pre-departure drink – a choice between ‘fresh’ orange juice or Garuda’s signature Martebe. Since I’m already well acquainted with Martebe, I opted for the orange juice, which was served alongside a hot towel neatly placed on a little plate. How cute!

As I took a sip of the rather artificial-tasting orange juice (sad) and enjoyed Garuda’s boarding music, the first officer came over the PA to welcome us on board on behalf of Captain Zecha. He briefed us on our flight time of 1 hour and 21 minutes, along with the expectation of some light turbulence thanks to cloudy weather along the way.

With most passengers already gathered at the jetbridge earlier, boarding wrapped up fairly quickly. Business Class ended up being only half full by the time the doors were closed at 08.59, and we pushed back just a minute later. Before long, Garuda Indonesia’s safety video appeared on the overhead screens, followed by a string of automated safety announcements.

As we taxied out, Laily returned with her usual cheery smile to take meal orders, chatting briefly with each passenger. It was a genuinely nice personal touch – and a nice way to pass the time, given how long the taxi would be.

Since we had to cross the full length of the airport, it wasn’t until 09.13 that we finally lined up on Runway 07L, where we began a gentle and unhurried take-off roll.

Lavatory

Seven minutes after take-off, the captain switched off the seatbelt sign, triggering an automated safety announcement that dutifully chimed in. As we levelled off, the crew began preparing for the inflight service. Before things got busy, I took the opportunity to check out the lavatory located up front.

As expected, it was a perfectly standard Boeing 737 lavatory – nothing extravagant, but clean, dry, and tidy. A small selection of amenities was laid out by the sink, including wet wipes, body lotion, mouthwash, and even a Garuda-branded eau de toilette. Frankly, this was all I’d hope for on a short regional flight like this!

Entertainment

Although Garuda Indonesia has historically been rather unimpressive when it comes to its inflight entertainment, I do appreciate that the effort the airline has been making in recent years. The selection is still fairly limited, with a total of 108 films loaded onto the STARS Entertainment System. Of these, 42 were Hollywood titles, eight were Asian releases, and the rest were local Indonesian productions. There were also 107 television episodes available, including a handful of safety-themed videos.

To go with the system, Garuda provides standard-issue noise-cancelling Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones, which were perfectly serviceable for the flight. I’ll also add that both the airline’s Colours inflight magazine and the GarudaShop catalogue were available on this sector. While minor additions, I still always enjoy flicking through these magazines during a flight.

Breakfast

Shortly after I returned to my seat, I noticed that the inflight service had begun. As the crew had already taken meal orders before departure, Laily soon appeared with my chosen breakfast, slipping in a few jokes and bits of small talk as she set the tray down. For reference, there were three options on this morning’s menu – nasi kalio sapi (a spiced beef stew with rice), Hainanese chicken rice, or an omelette. I went with the omelette this time, a choice I hadn’t made in ages.

Breakfast was presented on an elegant tray, accompanied by a side of fresh fruit, yoghurt, and two pastries. The omelette itself came with vegetables, potatoes, and a chicken sausage. It tasted perfectly fine – it’s a plain omelette, after all, and you can’t really go wrong with that. The sides were similarly adequate, their simplicity being both their strength.

My travel companion opted for the chicken rice and later told me that it was rather bland and made with less–than–ideal cuts of meat. So once again, catering emerges as one of Garuda’s weak spots, especially for a flag carrier of a country famed for its rich and flavourful cuisine. Still, I can’t help but long for the days when Garuda served their delightful nasi tumpeng signature dish introduced back in 2009.

In any case, I decided to start my morning on a brighter note with a glass of champagne. Garuda Indonesia serves Champagne Henriot Brut Souverain NV – a perfectly pleasant choice and an even better way to begin the day. As enjoyable as it was, the real highlight was Laily herself, who made frequent rounds offering top-ups along with light-hearted conversation. Her warmth alone truly elevated the entire meal service.

Service

As I consistently find on Garuda Indonesia flights, the crew were nothing short of exceptional – so much so that they single-handedly lend credibility to the World’s Best Cabin Crew award bestowed by the questionable SkyTrax organisation. As such and unsurprisingly, I was thoroughly impressed with the service on this flight. Laily, who was looking after Business Class, was an absolute angel – for lack of a better word.

Beyond her warm and attentive service and her ever–present cheerful smile, I genuinely appreciated how charming and personable she was. Between her lighthearted chatter and occasional jokes, she checked in on each passenger regularly to see whether we wanted more drinks. Despite how ordinary the rest of the flight might have been, I ended up having a thoroughly enjoyable journey, all thanks to Laily. Truly, the service was Indonesian hospitality at its finest.

Arrival in Singapore

About 25 minutes before landing, Captain Zecha announced the details of our arrival and note the start of our descent. The seatbelt signs were illuminated 10 minutes later, followed by an automated safety announcement – in both English and Bahasa Indonesia – preparing the cabin for landing. By this time, peninsular Malaysia was fully in view beneath us, a clear sign that we’d be approaching Changi Airport from the north.

We touched down at Singapore Changi Airport at 11.28 local time, a comfortable 12 minutes early, with a semi-rough landing on Runway 20R. As we vacated the runway, Garuda’s medley of traditional Indonesian music once again filled the cabin; this offered a final, nostalgic slice of home as we taxied past an endless sea of Singapore Airlines jets.

During our taxi towards Terminal 3, Laily came on the PA to welcome us to Singapore and to thank us once more for flying with Garuda Indonesia. We arrived at our stand shortly after, pulling in next to a towering Singapore Airlines Airbus A380. At the door, I made sure to thank Laily before I scurried towards immigration. I managed to catch a final glimpse of our little aircraft along the way, a nice conclusion to the journey.

Verdict

Coming into this flight, particularly enthused by the prospect of flying on a regional Boeing 737. After all, how could it be anything other than mediocre? Even so, I was proven wrong thanks to the exceptional service on board. Despite the underwhelming food and inflight entertainment, I was genuinely delighted by the ever-cheerful Laily, who ensured we had an excellent flight. While the seats are, as expected, fairly ordinary, I would still consider Garuda Indonesia’s Business Class one of my favourite ways to travel from Indonesia. And compared to Batik Air? Leagues ahead in terms of service and price.

Read more from this trip!