Hi everyone!
A sudden change of plans calls for a quick trip to Surabaya during the Christmas period. From a few friends, words have been spreading that Garuda has been operating its jumbo jets (now only two remaining) between Jakarta and Surabaya every Sunday. I did a search on Garuda's website and true it was, the flight on Christmas day was operated by the B747-400 jumbo.
The Garuda B747 used to be integral part of its fleet, back in the 1980-1990s where Garuda had an extensive worldwide network. Unfortunately, as Garuda cuts down its network due to financial crisis in 1997, the number of jumbos on its fleet also shrunk to just two today, making it difficult to catch on a regular scheduled flight.
Based on the fact above, I did not waste any second to book the flight.
It was a chance too good to be missed!
FLIGHT DETAILS:
Garuda Indonesia, GA 328
Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta (CGK) - Surabaya Juanda (SUB)
Boeing 747-4U3, PK-GSG
Delivered 19/12/1993, msn 25704
ETD 2020 (Actual around 2040)
ETD 2150 (Actual around 2154)
Seat Number 10G
Skip to the d-day, I headed straight to Garuda's new home in Jakarta, namely T3 Ultimate. The terminal was grand and certainly more capable of handling the amount of passengers CGK have to deal with everyday. However, there are still signs of construction works around the terminal, as some argued the terminal was opened for business way too prematurely.
My journey began at Garuda's Premium Check-in area in T3, where Business Class and GFF platinum members check-in for their flight. The courteous and professional ground staff managed to secure the two center seats in Business Class, seats 10D&10G for us. We were thrilled!!
Garuda Indonesia Terminal 3 Business Class Lounge
Following check-in and security screening process, we still had approximately 80 minutes before our boarding time, so we checked out the new Garuda Indonesia Business Class lounge in T3 airside.
It was a huge facility and certainly an improvement over the previous lounge in T2. The colour selection of the lounge provides a good combination Indonesian heritage and the modern architecture of the terminal. The food & beverage selection was impressive for a domestic lounge, while some new cool features are appreciated. More to be discussed on next post about the lounge, stay tuned!
In-flight: Jakarta to Surabaya
Upon boarding time, we were able to be one of the first few to board. The two FAs standing in door L1 warmly welcomed us on to the flight and showed us our seats. Hot towel packs and welcome drinks of apple and orange juice follows, a very efficient service!
About 15-20 minutes have passed and I asked the crew in charge of our cabin if there's any more passengers boarding in the Business cabin, and she answered no more. Wow! That means we'll be having a private cabin on the nose of our jumbo!!
As every passenger is all accounted for, the doors were closed and we were taxing towards the runway. The safety videos were played on a projector screen which have to be rolled down by the FA every time a video was played. Really back like it was the 90s.
22 business class seats on the B747-400 nose, with only 2 seats occupied!
Finally, after waiting for about another 15 minutes for our turn to take-off, the four engines of our aircraft spooled up to full power. The double-decker aircraft lifted off CGK approximately 2155 local time, for a 1 hour 20 minutes trip to Surabaya.
As soon as seat-belt signs were switched off, the crew took no time to prepare dinner services. The two cabin crew dedicated for Business Class cabin started with setting up the white cloth on our tables.
My brother had siomay as his dinner
Meanwhile, I opted for a rice and spicy fish. It was delicious!
Rear economy class configured 3-4-3. The load on our aircraft was quite full tonight, with approximately 70-80% of the 428 economy class seats were occupied.
Stairway to upper deck.
The upper deck consists of around 60 economy class seats.
I took the opportunity to drop by and meet my friend Hafid, who were seated in the upper deck. He is a fellow enthusiast who was flying solely for the jumbo jet experience!
Section between door L1 and L2 was configured in a 3-2 Economy Class seats.
And those seats are configured 3-2 because... the other half of the cabin is a galley. Such a huge galley but you sure need one to cater for 450+ passengers on a long haul flight.
Arrival into Surabaya
Enjoying the rest of the flight in our "private" Boeing 747. It does feel like a ride back in time, reminding me of those 1980 movie scenes where Pan Am etc was still leading the industry with their legendary jumbo jets!
About 15 minutes later, the Captain announced through the aging PA system that we were on descent to Surabaya's Juanda Airport. Seated in the nose section of this gigantic aircraft, we can hear clearly the sound of the nose gear being deployed and locked for landing. Kind of an eerie but exciting sound, probably because of my first time sitting on the nose!
Our aircraft touched down safely in Surabaya at around 2155 local time, and was docked at Terminal 2 in Surabaya. Apparently, only one aerobridge is connected to our aircraft, which means everyone have to disembark through door L2.
As I was about to leave the aircraft, Hafid called me from the stairs asking me if I'd like to join a cockpit visit. Sure I was in. Earlier queries about post-landing cockpit visit was turned down by the main deck crew, but seems like the Captain changed his mind at last minute.
There was queue forming to visit the cockpit of this aging beauty, but all was well coordinated by the friendly upper deck crew. Seems like there was a number of enthusiasts were on board to experience the jumbo. Thank you to the Captain/FO and the upper deck crew for the opportunity to have a cockpit visit!
Thank you to Ms Bina and the entire team aboard GA328 for the warm hospitality, making it a memorable ride on the rare Garuda jumbo jet!
Final thoughts of the flight
Mission accomplished: Flying on both of GA remaining 747s
The product may be outdated, but personally it was a priceless experience to be flying on a legendary aircraft type that was once Garuda's backbone. The comfortable recliner seats with almost unlimited legroom was more than one can ask for a 90 minutes flight. Dinner served was tasty and well executed. The experienced crew serving our cabin was attentive to our needs, and every service was done with a smile. The opportunity to visit the cockpit was also appreciated and certainly tops off the experience.
Certainly, I had fun and it was an experience that time could not turn back. Thank you to Hafid, and also to the entire team of GA328 for going all out on making our jumbo ride one that will stay in our memories for years to come!
Thank you for reading. Feel free to leave a message to let us know what you think!