A few years ago, I had the opportunity to fly Garuda Indonesia First Class from Bandung (BDO) to Tokyo (HND) via Denpasar (DPS). At that time, Garuda offered one of the best first class products in the world.
Garuda offered a complimentary chauffeur service for first class passengers, which was a nice touch. Since I had an all-day layover in Bali, I decided to go to the beach and had a massage. The driver then picked me up at the hotel in Kuta that evening.
Upon arrival at the airport, three Garuda First Class dedicated agents already waited on the curbside of the terminal entrance. They then escorted and assisted me through check-in, immigration, lounge, and, eventually, the boarding process.
Garuda doesn’t have a first class lounge, but it has dedicated suites inside the lounge for first class passengers.
There was also a dedicated lounge attendant who stood outside the suite at all times in case you needed anything.
In terms of food, there was an a la carte menu where you can order anything and anytime you want. For starters, I asked the chef to surprise me.
I also ordered prawns from the menu.
And then fish for the main course.
Not only were they excellent, but the service was just incredible, which is not at all surprising.
Thoughts
Things may have changed over time, given there were several reorganizations within the company. That said, it was a golden time for Garuda Indonesia back then.
