SkyTeam alliance member Garuda Indonesia will reduce its flights between Jakarta and London Gatwick in favour of additional flights to Amsterdam.
From July 22, Garuda’s London services drop from five-times-weekly via Amsterdam to three-times-weekly, and retain the Dutch detour in each direction.
That’s also when the airline launches its newest route, Jakarta-Singapore-Amsterdam.
Running three days per week, this offers travellers a total of six weekly Amsterdam-bound flights – up from five at present – with the return leg from the Netherlands skipping the Singapore stopover to fly non-stop to Jakarta.
Flight schedule: Jakarta to London, Amsterdam
On Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, Garuda’s Jakarta-Amsterdam-London flights (GA88) depart the Indonesian capital at 11:10pm to reach Amsterdam at 8:30am the following morning. After a two-hour transit, the onward flight pushes back at 10:30am and touches down in London at 10:35am local time.
Returning via Amsterdam on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, GA89 is wheels-up from London at 12:25pm – arriving in Amsterdam at 2:45pm, continuing the journey at 4:45pm before landing in Jakarta at 11:50am the next morning.
Garuda's London and Amsterdam flights use the Boeing 777-300ER
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays see the Jakarta-Singapore-Amsterdam services also flying the GA88 banner, leaving Jakarta at 8:50pm, reaching Singapore at 11:50pm, continuing the journey at 1:30am and then touching down in Amsterdam at 8:30am local time one day after initially departing.
In reverse, the non-stop Amsterdam-Jakarta services take flight at 4:45pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays as GA89, with passengers disembarking at 11:50am the following calendar day.
What it means for Aussie transit passengers
Garuda flies non-stop from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to Jakarta, with passengers able to fly onwards from there to Amsterdam and London.
Here’s what the new flight routings and timings mean for Aussie travellers taking the Kangaroo Route or zipping to Amsterdam for business or pleasure.
Sydney, GA713/712: Flights to Jakarta on Wednesdays come with a five hour transit time, Friday flights offer transits of just 1hr 55m, Saturdays have a 7hr 20m transit while Sunday flights don’t provide same-day connections.
Returning home, travellers will spend 11hr 50m on the ground at Jakarta’s Soekarno–Hatta International Airport on all days that the airline flies onwards to Sydney.
Melbourne, GA717/716: Saturday flights provide an ideal connection with a gap of just 2hr 15m between flights, while on Tuesdays and Sundays that stretches to seven hours and on Thursdays you’ll arrive five minutes after the Europe-bound flight has already departed.
After making the long journey from London or Amsterdam back to Jakarta, you’ll spend 10hr 40m in waiting before flying home to Melbourne on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays – there’s no connection to Melbourne’s overnight flights on Wednesday evenings.
Perth, GA725/724: Fly to Jakarta on Tuesdays and Sundays and you’ll have a brisk transit time of only 1hr 55m, although Thursdays and Saturday services don’t pair with an onward journey.
It’s also bad news on the return with a staggering 22hr 15m wait in Jakarta when the airline has a Jakarta-Perth flight on the following day, so consider a short domestic hop across to Denpasar (Bali) and then journey home from there with Garuda that same afternoon.
Also browse: Photos: Garuda's first class, business class B777 seats
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Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 May 2012
Total posts 580
The introduction of the Singapore stopover on the outbound flight is because of take-off weight limit restrictions on Garuda's 777-300ER due to the condition of the runway at Jakarta.
Garuda simply cannot operate out of Jakarta with 100% passenger load, a full cargo hold and the necessary fuel required to carry everything to Amsterdam. One of these three components needs to be reduced to satisfy weight requirements. Hence the stop in Singapore on some of the frequencies.
31 Dec 2013
Total posts 10
Thanks for the clarification.
I was wondering what on earth did they plan the stopover at SIN outbound but not inbound. If it was to open SIN-AMS market it was not going work. Now it's clear the rationale is operational.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 233
I had to get from Amsterdam to London a few weeks ago last-minute and Garuda's J class was almost as cheap as their Y. I know it was only an hour and a half or so but the SC for my skyteam and lounge access etc was well worth what was essentially only 50E more than easyjet.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Aug 2014
Total posts 501
I am pretty sure you meant to say Y was as cheap as their J.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 233
No Rishi, J being their Business and Y- economy. J was only a little more than Y, to clarify.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Aug 2014
Total posts 501
oh I thought it was the usual J and Y my bad
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 233
I also believe 'usual' J and Y also refers to business and economy respectively, RIshi :)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 388
Poorly run airline that is forever changing frequencies!! It's hard to keep up. Such a shame as the 777 looks very good in business.
23 Jan 2014
Total posts 11
Poorly run airline; based at a poorly run airport and regulated by a poorly run government. Pass thanks.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 May 2011
Total posts 732
Poorly run or not, their J product and service is outstanding! Great seat, food and beverage and even their J lounge in CGK is not too bad. Best part is the dedicated chekc in and escort through security for C class passengers.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
KG, you cannot divorce the two. Investment in product will come to nought if the other factors are not chiming in. It is simply not good enough!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 May 2011
Total posts 732
TRB - I am saying the experience I had was above standard and it seems their investments (for now) paid off. Both airport experience at CGK as onboard. I really do not care about whether the government owns it and whether they run their country poorly, I frankly only care if they deliver a good product when I am purchasing a ticket. I also wonder on what base grug judges that it is a poorly run airline?
23 Jan 2014
Total posts 11
They can't make up their mind what planes to fly on what routes and when. No more or less. Granted QF same problem. And also a poorly run airline in my view.
And I also don't care that they are government owned or that their government doesnt align with my politics. Same is true of Singapore, MAS and gulf carriers. My point is I don't trust their government air safety regulators.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
To me the quality of a good airline is reflected when things don't go to plan, i.e. delays, aircraft maintenance issues, terminal/runway issues, acts of god etc. I simply do not trust GA to do right by me when these events occur.
It is precisely these contingencies, systems and processes that we need to be well designed, robust and operating effectively for investments in product to be realised.
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