Garuda Indonesia

Anybody flown Garuda Indonesia? Looking at a way of travelling back at Christmas on the cheap, and can get a free business class flight with Qantas to Singapore. Current cheapest Changi to Heathrow is with these guys but never heard of them. Usually travel with Singapore Air but they are twice the price.

Wife and kids are going back with Grandma 2 weeks before, so trying to align flights and times and seats without having to book a lot of single flights... proving to be a bit of a headache.

Thanks for any help

I have flown them several times but not in recent years. The national airline of Indonesia. It hasn't a high rating and experienced problems twice from memory. Once a delayed departure of eight hours from Paris flying to Perth, which made for an enforced overnight stay on Bali, after missing connection. Put up in five star hotel though, so not a great problem.

Other situation was flying London to Jakarta, forced to land at Rome after a fire was detected in engine. We were met by a number of fire appliances on the tarmac.

No other issues. Crew and service fine. Airline not on the same level as Singapore obviously, but things may well have improved.

My daughter flew with them to Europe and back last December/ January.

They were fine apparently. She slept a lot cos she exhausted her options with the in-flight entertainment.

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What price Changi-Heathrow have you got at the moment?

I know they were banned from EU airspace until relatively recently (I'm talking within past 10 years) but appear to have upped their game, and seem particularly good for long-haul flights, from this side of the world.

My OH is a real airline/flights snob and I think he'd consider them if the class and price were right!

My OH flies as a hobby and is a member of a few pilot sites and subscribes to various pilot magazines. He's pretty clued up about most things aviation-wise.

He would never fly with Garuda - regardless of how cheap the deal was. Same with every Indian airline. Wouldn't touch any of them.

Doesn't have the best reputation in the aviation world.

I wouldn't fly with them, having heard tales from a young first officer we knew, who didn't stay long.

What price Changi-Heathrow have you got at the moment?

$650 - obviously you get what you pay for, thanks guys, i'll give this one a miss i think.

China southern are coming up the cheapest on present searches (Melbourne-LHR), but it is an expensive time of year. We have flown around the world cheaper at this time of years yet still used some of the main carriers good if planning another stop off on the way around bit of a haul on the American route just to get there or back though we did a few days xmas shopping in New York one year. try these http://www.roundabouttravel.com.au/deals/ Swiss air and Finnair are the ones we have travelled on.

$650 - obviously you get what you pay for, thanks guys, i'll give this one a miss i think.

Yes I got Garuda $615 one way and $880 for coming back and that is just Changi/London return.