The best seats in business class on Garuda's A330-200

Flying in Garuda's excellent new business class -- with fully flat beds -- between Sydney and Jakarta? Here's our on-the-plane insider's guide to picking the best seats on the plane.

The plane

Garuda uses its new Airbus A330-200 planes on its longest flights, including between Sydney and Jakarta. Make sure you're looking at the right plane, though: this is the A330-200 series, not the -300, which has a different seating layout and seat.

Since Garuda doesn't offer online check-in or seat selection, you might want to load this page up on your phone or tablet (or even print it out!) before checking in at the airport, when you'll have your choice of seat.

The business class cabin

Business class is split into two cabins with three rows of seats, in a 2-2-2 configuration.

You're generally best off in the forward cabin, since it's quieter and further away from potential screaming babies in the bassinet crib seats at the front of the economy section.

The seats are a comfortable fully flat bed -- not an angled lie-flat seat. Check out our review of the business class service from Sydney to Jakarta: this isn't the old Garuda.

The best seats on the plane

1A 1K: if you're a window fan, these are the seats to pick, since they're quieter (at the front of the plane) and at the bulkhead, meaning it's easier to clamber over the aisle person to get out if their seat is reclined into bed mode.

1D 1G: if you're an aisle fan, though, these are the ones to go for: since the centre seat pairs each have direct aisle access, there's nobody clambering over you, and your video screen is in the armrest rather than mounted on the back of the seat in front of you.

2D 2G: since they're a little further back (and closer to the galley kitchens), these aisle seats are slightly less quiet than their row 1 equivalents.

4A 4K: for window fans, these bulkhead seats at the front of the second cabin are a good second best choice if 1A and 1K aren't available.

Aisle seats D and G: if you can't get one of the aisle seats above, go for any of the centre pairs, especially on the overnight flights from Jakarta to Sydney, so there's nobody climbing over you to get out.

The worst seats on the plane

Row 6: with the potential of screaming babies from the economy bassinet crib positions in the row immediately behind, these are seats to skip if possible.

3C 3H 4C 4D 4G 4H: these seats are closest to the galley kitchens and lavatories that split up the two cabins. Avoid these for noise and light reasons, especially on overnight flights.

Aisle seats C and H: if you're an aisle fan, there's no reason to pick these unless you specifically want to sit next to someone you're travelling with who wants a window seat.

Also in our extensive series on the best seats to pick for your journey:

• Business Class on Etihad's A340-600
• Business Class on Emirates' A380
• Business Class on Singapore Airlines' A330
• Club World (Business Class) on British Airways' 747
• Business Class on Singapore Airlines' A380

John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.