Great crew but an aging hard product holds it back

This flight on Garuda Indonesia was part of a quick turnaround journey - four flights in roughly 48 hours - as I made my way back to Sydney from Bali.

Garuda isn’t usually mentioned in the same breath as Asia’s top-tier carriers. When people think of the region’s premium airlines, names like Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines tend to dominate. Garuda generally sits a rung below that top group, so expectations were measured going in.

Garuda has been investing in its long-haul business class offering, rolling out a new 1-2-1 cabin with the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond reverse-herringbone seat across parts of its fleet. That’s a great step forward - modern, private, fully flat, and finally aligned with the airline’s premium ambitions. Knowing Garuda operates services on the Bali - Sydney route, I booked this flight specifically hoping to experience that newer product.

Garuda Indonesia Champagne Welcome

On boarding: expectations reset immediately

Upon boarding, I was hugely disappointed to find out we’d been assigned one of Garuda’s older A330-300 and 2-2-2 business class configuration — exactly the layout I had been hoping to avoid. A small consultation however was the aircraft featuring the Pikachu-themed livery + antimacassar draped over the headrests.

The cabin feels its age straight away. Seats show visible wear and scuffing, surfaces feel tired, and the layout places you directly next to another passenger, offering very little privacy by modern business class standards. While the seat reclines, it doesn’t fully lie flat, which limits sleep quality on an overnight sector.

None of this makes the flight unusable — but it does make it disappointing, especially when you’ve booked with the expectation of something more contemporary.

However where Garuda truly excels: the cabin crew

If the seat was the low point of the flight, the cabin crew was unquestionably the highlight.

This was one of the warmest, most genuinely friendly crews I’ve experienced in the past year of flying. Service felt natural rather than scripted, attentive without being overbearing, and consistently thoughtful throughout the flight.

That reputation isn’t accidental. Garuda has won the Skytrax World’s Best Cabin Crew award multiple times, and this flight made it very easy to see why. The crew read the room well, adjusted service around a late departure, and delivered hospitality that felt human rather than procedural.

In many ways, the crew carried this flight as far as it could be carried.

Skytrax World's Best Cabin Crew

Sleep & breakfast: fine, thoughtfully handled

Shortly after take off I was offered a light snack; salmon sandwich on white bread but it didn’t smell particularly fresh. I ended up avoiding that one altogether.

After service, I managed a couple of hours of sleep in the semi-lie-flat seat. It wasn’t the best sleep I’ve had on a plane - the inclined angle and older design always keep you slightly aware of the seat - but it was enough to take the edge off the night.

Breakfast itself was perfectly fine: fresh pastries, fresh fruit, orange juice, and water. There were also sweeter, dessert-style options, which were a little too sweet for my taste.

Following the fruit, the crew brought out a seafood-based dish rather than the usual egg-heavy airline default. It was probably a bit rich for that time of day for me personally, but it was well prepared and genuinely tasty. Coffee was offered, though I tend to avoid tea and coffee onboard.

Final Verdict

This wasn’t a bad flight. It was comfortable, polite, and professionally run — but also forgettable from a product perspective.

Garuda’s cabin crew remain genuinely outstanding, and they continue to be the airline’s greatest strength. Unfortunately, the older A330-300 business class cabin makes it difficult to recommend this product unless price or availability outweighs the importance of seat quality and privacy.

Garuda’s newer aircraft and Super Diamond cabins represent a bright spot for the airline. This flight, however, was a reminder that fleet consistency matters — and that great people can only carry an old seat so far.