About Garuda Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia is the flag carrier of Indonesia, based at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at Tangerang, near Jakarta. Named after the mythical bird Garuda, the national emblem of Indonesia, the airline was launched in 1949, and now operates an extensive network of flights throughout Asia, the Middle East and Australia. After an extended EU-imposed ban, it resumed its services to Europe in 2010, initially to Amsterdam as its European hub, and is now rated by SkyTrax as a 5-star airline.
Garuda operates a fleet of 164 aircraft, flying to 64 destinations, but in March 2014 as part of its international expansion programme it officially joined the SkyTeam global alliance, enabling its passengers to fly to 1,064 destinations around the world. The latest addition to its fleet is the Boeing 777-800ER which will eventually replace the less fuel-efficient 777-300ER, ordered recently to support the airline's plans for expansion into Europe and the USA. Garuda also operates seven Airbus A330-300 as of August 2014, with 17 more on order.
Garuda takes pride in promoting the principle of Indonesian hospitality. To this end it has adopted the concept of the Garuda Indonesia Experience, involving the 5 senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. The application of the concept includes the unique Indonesian materials used in the aircraft interiors, the sound of Indonesian folk music, and the scent of Indonesian flowers, as well as the values of safety, reliability and punctuality.
First Class
The Boeing 777 is the only aircraft type in Garuda's fleet to offer first class seating. The seating is provided in suites-style, with 8 seats converting into fully-flat beds, in enclosed private spaces with sliding doors, the seats having an 82-inch seat pitch and a 20-inch seat width. Each seat is fitted with a hidden table for comfortable dining, and each passenger has a personal wardrobe and storage space.
For first-class passengers travelling from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Garuda Indonesia provides a private limousine transfer between home and the airport, as well as a personal butler service at the airport, to handle all check-in and baggage processes. Welcome drinks are served both on arrival at the airport and on boarding the aircraft, and during the flight the on-board chef serves a hand-picked menu of Indonesian, Japanese and modern European fusion cuisines. Each passenger has a 23-inch LCD screen and a touch-screen handset, for accessing on-demand in-flight entertainment, and live streaming of TV programmes.
Executive Class
Executive (business) class seating is provided on all aircraft types in Garuda's fleet, and offers fully flat-bed recliners, in shell-like structures, on all types except the short-haul CRJ1000, in which executive class seats have a 127-degree recline. Executive seats on the Airbus have a width of 20.8 inches and a seat-pitch of 74 inches, while on the Boeing 777 there is a seat width of 21.2 inches and seat-pitch of 60-74 inches. The seat control panel includes a massage function, and the seats are staggered so that each passenger has direct aisle access, along with personal storage facilities.
Economy Class
In 2013, Garuda Indonesia received the SkyTrax award for the World's Best Economy Class. On long-haul flights there is a generous seat pitch of 34 inches, with a seat width of 17 inches, and there are individual seat-back screens, with a comprehensive on-demand entertainment system. Garuda is the first airline in the world to provide an in-flight visa processing service, which is currently offered on flights from Australia to Indonesia, and greatly simplifies the arrival process.