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The Garuda Indonesia Experience : Airline Review

Posted on January 4, 2018 March 23, 2018 by Divsi by Divsi

It was the first time, I was flying Garuda Indonesia, the official airlines of Indonesia.

As I entered the Mumbai Airport and checked in the luggage for my flight to Bali, little did I know that this will be one of the many firsts in my journey to Indonesia with Garuda.

If you thought this review is merely based on a return flight between Mumbai and Indonesia, then here’s a clarification : it is based on my experience of flying Garuda Indonesia a total of seven times throughout my Indonesia trip.

In 2016, Garuda Indonesia was ranked a 5 star airline, after years of continuos improvement. Here is my detailed account and review of each parameter as a passenger.

Usually, the food lover and vegetarian in me is extremely apprehensive of the food served in a South East Asian airline. So I immediately grabbed a sandwich before the departure. It was clearly not a very good decision.

Forty minutes post take off, when the crew served us the inflight meal, I was in for a pleasant surprise. 

I was face to face with piping hot Samosas, Chhole (chickpeas) served with buns and assorted chutneys. The icing was being served  Gulab Jamun at 12 am. 

Need I say more?

The food served on the Bangkok-Jakarta sector was also Indian (it was a pre-booked meal) –  Parathas with Aloo Subzi and fruit yogurt with fresh fruits served separately. 

On the Jakarta-Bali sector, another delight awaited– pesto sauce pasta! 

Not once was I disappointed with the meals served on Garuda Indonesia.  And this comes from a person who has  never managed to complete a meal in a flight. 

The shorter flight from Denpasar to Lombok had a snack, the rest had meals. Beverages were served on all flights. 

On the Jakarta- Bangkok sector, we were served chips with a mango dip, fresh salad, Baingan Bharta (brinjal) and spinach, while the next and final leg was home style rajma (kidney beans), Gobi aloo (cauliflower) with fresh salad and cut fruits.

The plate was wiped clean. A first ever for me on a flight. 

Somewhere between Jakarta and Bangkok,as I curled into my seat snuggly, post my meal, I feel a gentle pat on my head. She has read my ‘Thank you’ note , a small one that I left on the tray, expressing gratitude for their stellar service. 

This is how I felt about the service on board Garuda Indonesia.

I flew economy throughout and the cabin crew had no idea that a review is going to be done, hence I was treated as just another passenger and the experience justified why Garuda’s crew is rated as the no. 1 cabin crew in the world for the fourth year in a row.

The on ground service is impeccable too . At the Lombok airport, post Check in , I realised I left my jacket in the bus. As I sprinted out and tried communicating with the security guards, a Garuda on ground staff, guided me, not only did he call the bus back, but assured me firmly that I will not miss my flight as long as he is there. I was escorted right till the boarding gate by him and my heart melted at this hospitality.

The icing on the cake of my journey was when a gentle request was made to the ground staff at Jakarta for a window seat and I got the entire row to myself. Another first in any International flight for me. 

Flight timing and Boeing type: 

We flew Boeing 737 which departed from Mumbai at 11 pm. I felt the departure time of 11 pm is a very good time for an international flight as I could sleep 6 hours in a row on my way to Bangkok.

The seats were comfortable with sufficient leg room and each seat had a pillow and blanket for all passengers by default.

Seat configuration is 2-2 on the Explore branded aircraft (Denpasar -Lombok ) and 3-3 on the 737 aircraft.

Seat width is 17 inches in all 737 aircrafts and 18 inches onboard the A330 and 777 aircrafts.

Flights taken were:

Mumbai- Bangkok- Jakarta

Jakarta- Denpasar

Denpasar to Lombok

Lombok- Jakarta

Jakarta- Bangkok-Mumbai

From the above , all the planes were Boeing 737 except the short flight from Denpasar to Lombok that was an Explore jet.

Almost all the flights were exactly on time except the Lombok one, which came as a surprise even to local guides, as they say “Garuda is never late!”.

The Garuda Indonesia fleet (140 aircrafts) majorly consist of A330-200, A330-300,  Boeing 737-800 and ATR-72.

Connectivity:

Garuda Indonesia operates flights to over 133 destinations across 14 countries of Asia, Australia and Europe. There are approximately 500 daily departures from Jakarta, Denpasar, Medan and Makassar and the airline is well connected to Bangkok, Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, London, Amsterdam.

Flights to Moscow, Los Angeles (via Tokyo) and Manila are planned to resume soon.

From Mumbai , the route is Mumbai- Bangkok- Jakarta.

UPDATE : There are now DIRECT flights to Bali from Mumbai! 

Garuda Indonesia will be starting flights from Mumbai to Bali effective 23 April 2018 twice weekly  on Monday  and  Thursday . From  02 June  onwards, they will be increasing the frequency to thrice weekly  on Monday ,  Thursday  and  Saturday .

Currently, this flight commencement makes them the one and only non-stop carrier to Bali from Mumbai.

Economy class fare BOM – DPS  starts form INR 22,956 (USD 350) for sales now till  30 Apr  and travel up till  31 May 2018 .

Garuda Indonesia is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance , thus helping them expand across Asia, Middle East and Western Europe. It shares a code sharing agreement with Jet airways of India.

Inflight entertainment :

Long flights need fool proof methods of killing time.

Garuda Indonesia’s in-flight entertainment comprised of a host of options including a variety of movies Hollywood, Bollywood, and local (with sub-titles), a great collection of music, games for children and  a whole lot of factual information for those who wish to know more about Garuda.

On most 737s, seat-back inflight entertainment is offered, while  all A330s and 777s have it.

Every seat has a 9 inch seat-back touchscreen.

What caught my interest immediately was that passengers to scroll through e-versions of past issues of the in-flight travel magazine. So it is not just the current print issue that you can read, but also the past issues.

The safety instructions are also displayed on the screen.

What you need to know: 

An entire terminal in Jakarta is dedicated ONLY for Garuda Indonesia flights.

You need to check out the signature cologne in the lavatories. A unique fragrance developed for Garuda Airlines.

The boarding pass has a code that offers you discounts on various retail shops for a week.

GarudaMiles is Garuda Indonesia’s frequent flyer program, which allows members to earn miles on domestic and international flights and has four tiers of membership covering GFF Junior, Blue, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels. Passengers can earn GarudaMiles, by flying on any of the codeshare airlines flights like Korean Air, Jet Airways, Etihad airways.

There is Executive class in almost all the aircrafts, with a spacious 2×2 seating, in seat laptop power supply, free Wifi and signature Indonesian cuisine. 

The Business class passengers have access to the Garuda Lounges at the airports.

In case you want Veg Asian meals, you need to pre book meals so you can be rest assured of being served veg food on board.

Verdict: I am definitely flying them again, now that direct flights have begun, there are lesser stops!

Absolutely pleased with the experience!

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44 thoughts on “ The Garuda Indonesia Experience : Airline Review ”

Okay done deal, you convinced me to travel only by Garuda if I want to travel to Indonesia which as you know is on my bucket list! Really good catering and hospitality changes the whole equation, doesn’t it?!

Haha! Yes and hopefully we do it together to shop in Bali 😀 That’s true Kala, catering and hospitality is a game changer:)

It looks like you had a swell time even before getting to Indonesia. hope to board on this oneday. I love airline food and this one does look like it takes it up a notch.

Yes, it really really took it to another level with it’s service:)

For most people the best connection to make with your brand is through great food. I always rate airlines by quality of food they serve. If they fail here, well….. Happy to know that you enjoyed great Indian menu, Divsi!

Keep sharing your travel insights!

Garuda indeed has a great expereince. I flew From Denpasar Airport Bali to Yogyakarta, towards Borobodur. It was such a great expereince. Hospitable and comfortable.

I would love to go with these airlines mainly because of the food. It looks absolutely delicious. In fact, I am so hungry now. I usually go for a vegetable options if possible 🙂

Looks like a great experience on Garuda. Food looks delicious, which is always important on a long flight! I’ll have to check out this airline out if/when we travel to Indonesia!

I think, from other airlines in indonesia who offer domestic flight, garuda really doing a great job. it comes with meals every time, the crew was amazing and vice versa. If I remember well, in 2010 Garuda was voted as the most improved carrier in the world. Garuda’s management certainly did a fantastic job and can praise itself as a 4-star airline 😉

I’ve flown them once, about 7 years ago. In-flight service was fine, but one aspect to inspect is buying your ticket. First: the price of a Garuda ticket when seen through a booking website such as Expedia or Kayak is very much higher than you’ll get buying direct from Garuda. Second: their website was awfully flakey, especially when it comes to payment. They had a million ways to pay, most involving bank transfers or ATM machinese in which you get a receipt, then take it to the airport. I hope things are better now–did you have any trouble paying?

The airplane food looks yummy! (I actually like eating the food on flights haha). I never made it to Indonesia while I was over in Asia, so I didn’t have a chance to fly with this airline. I actually have never heard of it before.

The food on Garuda Indonesia airways looks pretty darn good for airplane food! The tropical fresh fruit cup looks super tasty. And I really love that they have their own signature cologne in the restrooms – very unique. Other airlines should perhaps follow suit. Thanks for the informative review! I look forward to flying with them one day.

Wow, indeed the best cabin crews for giving importance always for their passengers. The food served looks so yummy. Well, if I will be served with these kind of foods, I can eat them all and will definitely leave a clean tray. Thanks for sharing!

I hv flown Garuda the National carrier quiet a few times and hv found they always improve then what I had experienced on my last flight. Always looking forward to fly Garuda.

Wow! Not one but 7 flights? I am pretty much sold by your review. The food looks delicious and the service seems impeccable

I have to admit, for airline food, the photos do make the food really yummy compared to a lot of other airlines. This airline does look like one of those I would want to fly one if I ever get to Indonesia. Great review.

Thanks for the informative review! I almost always book exclusively on price, but it’s good to know that Garuda is a solid choice for SE Asian flights! I’d never heard of them before, so this was super helpful. The food does look delicious! 🙂

After having had a bad rep for a while, Garuda actually improved a lot. I flew with them within Indonesia and can only agree: The service was impeccable.

I haven’t been to this part of the world so I’m not familiar with this airline. Sounds like they passed with flying colors! Good to know!

I honestly didnt even know Indonesia had an airline but I can tell you I am sold on the food alone. I suppose i took an international flight fro the states into Bali but did not island hop – which is my dream to go back!

I had recently flown Garuda 45 days back, and I too hold them in good esteem. Its so nice as a vegetarian to get some variety on an international trip going far east. Your photos of the food indeed is making me happy, as though its in front of me. I flew Garuda on the Singapore-Jakarta route and loved them because they looked more premium than the earlier airline I flew (Jet Airways). Good veg food and window seat should be enough to keep travellers happy :-). I also liked their in-flight entertainment system and caught up on an Indonesian movie which taught me about a new place to explore (Labuan Hati). General feel good factor on the airline!

Such a great review! I have never flown with Garuda and this post was really enlightening and informative, Divsi! 😉

Garuda Indonesia Airlines looks like quite nice option. Food and hospitality are the important ingredients for flight and here food and hospitality both looks quite awesome. Entire terminal for Garuda airlines, that is just superb. Discounts mentioned on the boarding pass, cool! Nice review and pictures.

I’m sold! Honestly, the food descriptions alone got me! As a veggo, it’s hard to get good in flight food and that looked almost like restaurant fare. Bon appetite 😉

I really appreciate this post because I was skeptical about flying Garuda in the past. I have flown them once, short flight so I didn’t get a chance to experience it like you have. Wow, the food looks great, entertainment, service – it has it all, this post has changed my view. Thanks!

I’ve never actually heard of Garuda, I would definitely give them a try, though. Their food looks absolutely delicious – the food on flights is very important to me. Haha. I’m glad to hear that the service is great as well. This is definitely an airline to consider the next time I travel in the region!

I traveled to Bali, but on a different airline. Obviously I missed out! Garuda seems like a great airline, especially with the impressive food and customer service!

I have never heard of this airline before, so I’m really glad to read about it. I’m sure we’ll be traveling around Indonesia someday and this info will come in handy.

I hadn’t heard of this airline but it looks like I’m missing out! Heading to Indonesia this year so will need to look into it. The food looks amazing for aeroplane meals!

Wow! Sounds like an amazing airline. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of them before. The meals definitely seem exceptional!

Have never flown Garuda Airlines but by the look of it flying with them seems to hold the promise of safe and comfortable fights. I am impressed by the quality and range of food. Not many airlines have this kind of variety in terms of vegetarian meals. The seats and the aisle and leg space seems pretty comfortable too.

Great to know that you had a good time flying with Garuda 🙂

ok so this might sound crazy but I kind of really legit like airplane food….that or I’m perpetually hungry…one of those. This looks OUTSTANDING to me. I have noted it 🙂

7 times with the same airlines – definitely it might have something very special. The meals look great and hardly any airlines these days offer good food. Thank you for writing such an honest review. I would definitely love to fly with Garuda sometime. The pictures are lovely.

Haha, who doesn’t have midnight craving for gulab jamun. I am surprised to see that samosa and other Indian food was available on Garuda flight! I prefer reading on flights. However, if there are good selection of in movies on board, I don’t mind watching them. Good to see that you can read past issues of the magazines as well.

I never flew through Garuda but loved the services provided by them. Vegetarian food with Indian choices are amazing. Samosa and Gulab Jamun on flight is like a treat. Hopefully they start direct flights from India to Bali which must be time saving for all travelers.

I am actually planning a trip to Indonesia and I sure will check out Garuda. It seems you have been having a great time on this flight. The food platter in particular impressed me too. because just like you, I am never able to wipe my plate clean on a flight!

Very nice review with attention to every detail. Food and onboard entertainment options are pretty impressive. You certainly had a great flight with them. ☺️👌

Living in Singapore, I’ve heard of Garuda quite a lot but I did not know that they offered such good service and food. I’ll try it out someday, thanks for sharing!

Very nice balanced review of the flight services, Information packed yet with a personal touch

nice review- looks like you spent more time in air than in Bali….. Food options look great

Garuda air is perfect air line service. i loving its. thanks

Hi, thank you for your pleasant review. We are about to fly Garuda airlines for the first time, should we be selecting Veg Hindu meals or Veg asian meals for a pure vegetarian? thank you for your help and suggestion

Hi Karan! Happy you liked the review. As a pure vegetarian both Asian veg meal as well as veg Hindu meal don’t have eggs or meat. Veg Hindu meal is likely to have Indian specialties like Chole, Samosa chutney whereas Asian veg meal would have oriental options like noodles. You can book as per your preference. But both are without meat and eggs. Hope this helps! Have a great trip!

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Garuda Indonesia: The Complete Guide To Earning & Redeeming GarudaMiles

Garuda Indonesia is the second-largest airline of Indonesia and a member of SkyTeam. The carrier flies to over 90 destinations across Indonesia, Asia, Europe and Australia. Although Garuda does not fly to the United States, it does service popular destinations like Bali and Amsterdam. Plus, Garuda Indonesia has been recognized as Skytrax as the Best Regional Airline Worldwide.

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• Economy Plus
• Inflight food, beverages, Wi-Fi
• Other United charges

You’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Other benefits include up to $100 as a statement credit for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck™ application fee every 4 years. You and a traveling companion on the same reservation will each receive the first standard checked bag free. This card provides priority boarding privileges and 2 one-time passes each year to United Clubs.

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GarudaMiles Elite Status

When you join GarudaMiles and take one flight with Garuda Indonesia, you’ll automatically become a Blue member. Move up status tiers when you collect enough Tier Miles within a 12-month period:

Status benefits include:

Earning GarudaMiles

Earn GarudaMiles Tier and Award Miles when you fly with Garuda Indonesia and all SkyTeam airlines:

• Aerolineas Argentinas
• China Airlines
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You can also earn miles with non-SkyTeam partner airlines, including ANA and Etihad Airways .

The amount of miles you’ll get for your flight depends on which airline you’re flying as well as the ticket fare class.

Earn GarudaMiles when you:

• Book your stay at Trip.com, Swiss-Belhotel, Melia, AYANA and more.
• Book your vacation with Garuda Indonesia Holidays.
• Shop onboard a Garuda Indonesia flight, or at Grand Indonesia, Pacific Place and RebateMango.

If you find yourself short on miles for an award, you can purchase 1,000 miles for $30. GarudaMiles allows a maximum purchase of 100,000 miles per calendar year.

Redeeming GarudaMiles

GarudaMiles expire after 36 months of inactivity. To keep your account active, make sure to earn or burn miles at least once every three years.

Use your GarudaMiles for free flights with Garuda Indonesia and their airline partners. Bear in mind, you must adhere to the following procedure:

• Contact a Garuda Call Center to place a hold on your ticket.
• Download the award ticket application form from the Garuda website and sign it.
• Submit the form with your GarudaMiles membership card and proof of identity to a Garuda Indonesia Sales Office (Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, New York City) in person.
• Return to the office and claim your ticket, which must be in person.

The process to upgrade with miles is similar, but with a different form to fill out and submit.

You can also redeem your GarudaMiles for:

• CMK Jewelry shopping vouchers
• PCR swab and antigen services
• Charitable donations

GarudaMiles Best Redemptions

The best way to redeem your GarudaMiles is for short-haul domestic flights on Garuda and Citilink. You won’t find a better deal if you want to explore Indonesia.

Bottom Line

Garuda Indonesia isn’t a popular airline, nor does it serve any cities in the United States. That said, GarudaMiles can be a valuable program if you plan to travel to Indonesia.

However, it doesn’t provide many ways to earn GarudaMiles. For better earning potential, consider Flying Blue . The Air France/KLM frequent flyer program allows point transfers from American Express Membership Rewards® , Capital One Rewards , Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Citi ThankYou® Rewards .

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Diana Mason

My passion for travel eventually led me away from the 9 to 5 office life and into the embrace of freelance work. Born in Cali and raised in Philly, I am a creative professional with a delightful knack for words. When I'm not gallivanting across the globe, you can find me writing (of course), teaching yoga, and dreaming of my next big adventure.

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10 ways to experience Indonesia on a budget

Dec 2, 2023 • 7 min read

Budget for your trip to Indonesia with these top tips along with a guide to daily costs © fernanda photos / Shutterstock

With a million rupiah currently equal to around US$65, you’ll be transformed into a millionaire the moment you touch down in Indonesia .

If you choose the simple beach-bumming lifestyle, you should budget to spend around a million rupiah a week. Alternatively, live the high life with some of the most luxurious five-star hotels on the planet at low-season prices that are a fraction of the cost elsewhere. 

This guide to daily costs, along with tips on saving money, can help you budget for your visit to Indonesia.

Daily costs

• Local coffee in a streetside  warung (stall): $1
• Cappuccino in a fancy cafe: $2.50
• A hearty plate of fried rice/noodles: $1
• The same meal in a tourist venue: $4
• Cocktail at a happy-hour beach bar: $5
• Beer in a hotel bar: $3
• Glass of house wine at a resort: $6 (sometimes up to $25!)
• 1.5L (50oz) bottle of water: $0.25
• Surfboard rental: $3.50 per session
• 90-minute yoga class: $10 (less if you get a package price )

1. Take your pick from thousands of islands

Bali  is substantially more expensive than neighboring Java , which is in turn slightly more expensive than Sumatra , but the sheer amount of competition vying for the tourist dollars means you can stay very cheaply. In Bali, two people could spend around $20 a day, including a private room, meals and scooter rental.

In general, as you go further to less touristed islands, the cost of living diminishes. Bear in mind, though, that at the extremes of the world’s greatest island nation – in the Alor archipelago, for example, or in the distant Maluku islands – prices are higher due to the transportation costs of getting goods (and vehicles and fuel) to remote regions.

2. Choose the cheapest time to go

October to April is rainy season in Bali and central Indonesia, and the cheapest season to travel here. Unless you are going far off the beaten track – jungle trekking or volcano climbing, for example – this is often a lovely time to be in Indonesia. The rains are usually short and sharp, and interspersed with blissful sunny days (avoid Christmas school holidays and New Year, though.)

3. Find an inexpensive flight

Sign up to Jack’s Flight Club for prompt updates about cheap flights to Jakarta or Bali. Within Indonesia, national carrier Garuda Indonesia , Air Asia or Lion Air link all the other main islands. For a rough idea of flight prices, you can travel one way between Jakarta and Bali from around $40, or from Bali to Labuan Bajo (for access to Komodo) from around $36.

4. Book the best-value accommodations

You can book in advance, of course, but if every dollar counts, consider booking just the first night or two, because the best deals – in hostel-packed Kuta , for example – are often found by asking around. With private rooms available from as low as $2 in some parts of Indonesia, dorms are rare.

It can often be more cost-effective to rent a long-term bungalow or villa through an apartment rental site than to pay for a nightly hotel room. A good air-conditioned double room in Bali will cost $8 a night (breakfast included), but a self-catering bungalow in the central  Ubud area  with its own garden and kitchen might cost around $6 a night if you book a full month.

5. Car and scooter hire is inexpensive

Public transportation in Indonesia is cheap but erratic, so most travelers opt to rent a vehicle. To keep costs at a minimum, consider renting long-term. Scooters are cheap (often around $2–3 a day if you rent for a week or more), but for the sake of safety and security, consider upgrading to a car, which will set you back around $15 per day – which is especially affordable if you're traveling with friends. With petrol costing less than $0.65 per liter ($0.17 per gallon), self-driving in Indonesia is inexpensive.

Driving in Indonesia – especially in Bali with its swarms of motorbikes – is not for the fainthearted, so if you prefer not to drive yourself, you can hire a car and driver for around $30 per day.

6. Use taxicab apps for local rates

Bluebird Taxis has 23,000 vehicles throughout Indonesia, and while convenient, they can be about twice the price of Grab , the Singapore-based company that acquired Uber in Asia.

Before leaving home, download the apps for Grab and Gojek , which claims to have two million motorbike taxis across Southeast Asia. These options mean you'll only pay local rates for transport, so no haggling every time you need to take a car or motorbike taxi, and no need for complex multilingual conversations trying to confirm destinations or give directions.

7. Ferries, buses and trains are cheap but take a long time

Ferries connect some of the islands, and they're inexpensive, though erratic and time-consuming. Take the trip from Labuan Bajo to Bali, for example: the weekly ferry costs less than $20, but it's a 33-hour ride compared with an hour-long flight.

On larger islands, long-distance buses connect all the main cities, but only on Java and parts of Sumatra can you count on getting around by rail. As a general rule, you can figure that a seat on a train will cost you about $1.50 for each hour of travel, and you can book through Kareta Api Indonesia . A bus ticket is usually slightly cheaper and almost always faster than Indonesian trains.

8. Eat local to eat cheap

While Indonesia lacks the culinary variety of much smaller Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, you can count on finding hearty local food at affordable prices. Unless you are in a tourist center, you can usually find a single-plate meal – normally nasi goreng (fried rice) or mie goreng (fried noodles) – for less than $1. Because they are cooked on the spot, ingredients are usually fresh and frequently delicious.

The West Sumatran city of Padang has exported its fine gastronomic traditions, and you will find Masakan Padang (literally Padang-style cooking) eateries – typically a buffet where you're given a plate of rice and simply point to whatever extras you fancy – in virtually every town throughout the country. You can often grab a veritable feast for around $2; try to pick establishments that seem to have a constant turnaround of diners.

9. Stay off the booze

The best way to keep costs low in Indonesia is simply to avoid alcohol. A bottle of Bintang, the standard local beer, is about $2, a bottle of "cheap" wine starts at around $10, and a bottle of imported gin or whisky will likely set you back $30 or more. Those are supermarket prices – the figures will likely triple in a trendy bar. If you want to party without breaking the bank, look out for the ubiquitous two-for-one sundowner happy-hour deals.

10. Haggling is part of the culture

Haggling is a way of life in Indonesia, and outside of big, fixed-price malls and supermarkets, you will be expected to haggle for most things. Although many travelers are uncomfortable about bargaining for purchases, you’ll soon find that a smile, a joke and a couple of reliable stock phrases can transform a boring shopping trip into an opportunity to bond with local people. At its best, haggling turns a mere business transaction into something far more human.

"Bukan harga bule"  (not foreigner price) is good for a smile.

"Saya sudah bankrupt"  (I’m already bankrupt) guarantees outright belly laughs.

Remember, though, that your haggling should only be driven toward establishing a fair price that is good for both parties. Some travelers pride themselves on their tough haggling skills, believing that a street vendor will always be making a profit regardless. This is not always true: most store-holders will prefer to sell at a loss if it is the only way that they can feed their family that night.

This article was first published Mar 30, 2022 and updated Dec 2, 2023.

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Garuda, Singapore Airlines broaden partnership

GARUDA INDONESIA and Singapore Airlines have extended their commercial partnership by signing a frequent flyer programme agreement. The pair also said they will potentially implement a revenue-sharing deal on flights between the two countries, subject to regulatory approval.

The frequent flyer agreement will allow members of the GarudaMiles and KrisFlyer scheme to earn and redeem miles on codeshare flights operated by both airlines. The agreement between the pair currently sees Garuda place its code on Singapore Airlines flights from Changi airport to the Indonesian cities of Bali, Jakarta, Medan and Surabaya, plus international routes to London/ Heathrow, Johannesburg and Mumbai. Meanwhile, the latter adds its SQ IATA code on Garuda flights from Singapore to Bali, Jakarta and Surabaya.

Garuda’s CEO, Irfan Setiaputra, explained that the agreement forms part of the airline’s efforts to improve its performance. “Having the same mission in optimising the potential of the aviation business ecosystem in South East Asia after the pandemic, this initiative is certainly an important manifestation of both airlines’ commitment to continue strengthening our well-established co-operation,” Setiaputra explained.

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Indonesia’s threat to ban X for allowing porn may hurt digital economy and be ineffective: Experts

Wednesday, 12 Jun 2024

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X said it will now formally allow users to post, view and share adult nudity and consensual sexual content, as long as it is clearly labelled as such. - AFP

JAKARTA: A familiar approach was floated by Indonesia when news broke about social platform X’s decision to officially allow pornographic content: Ban and block it.

Should this happen, X will join the list of “problematic” online platforms and sites Indonesia has previously blocked, including social news website and forum Reddit, gaming marketplace Steam and payments solution PayPal.

But in an age of virtual private networks (VPNs) and other workarounds, simply disallowing access to parts of the internet might not be effective in getting Indonesians to stay away from them, said experts, who advocated more robust internet safety education.

In an update on its website on June 3, X said users “should be able to create, distribute, and consume material related to sexual themes as long as it is consensually produced and distributed”.

The San Francisco-based company said it will now formally allow users to post, view and share adult nudity and consensual sexual content, as long as it is clearly labelled as such. The move makes official a policy already in place when the platform was known as Twitter, before billionaire Elon Musk purchased it in 2022.

Indonesia’s Communications and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi said on June 5 that X has to abide by the country’s laws, which prohibit the dissemination of pornographic content, if it does not want to be sanctioned or banned.

On June 10, he said that he had sent a letter to X conveying his concerns, and reiterated that Indonesia will block access to the platform if it displays such content. There has been no official response from X to the minister so far.

There are more than 24 million accounts in Indonesia using X, according to estimates from global data gathering platform Statista, making it among the nations with the highest numbers. That does not necessarily correlate to the number of X users, as some may have multiple accounts. Indonesia’s population stands at more than 270 million.

Dr A’an Suryana from the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute believes what is likely to happen is a “partial ban”, where some features might not be accessible to users in Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country that embraces conservative values.

“Regardless of whether it is a partial or full ban of X, the practice has been common. The government has regularly banned internet platforms or websites due to various reasons,” said Dr A’an, who is a visiting fellow at the institute’s regional social and cultural studies programme.

“This includes being held responsible for promoting pornographic content, for bringing harm to small-scale and medium enterprises, for failing to prevent users from using the platforms to incite religious hatred,” he told The Straits Times.

In 2014, amid a similar online porn crackdown, social networking site Reddit and video-sharing platform Vimeo were blocked in Indonesia, and still are.

In 2017, messaging platform Telegram joined the list, as it was being used to spread “radical and terrorist propaganda”.

Telegram was unblocked about a month later after it agreed to work on removing the content in question. And in 2020, Indonesia banned online payment platform PayPal, Yahoo’s local website, and digital distribution platform Steam for failing to adhere to some of its user protection policies, but lifted the bans shortly after pushback from the public.

Banning has worked in some cases, and Dr A’an highlighted how it has seen some success in countering online gambling. In the 11 months to May, he said Indonesia had banned 1.9 million pieces of content related to online gambling.

“Had the Ministry (of Communications and Informatics) not been imposing a tough policy on online gambling, many more people would have been exposed to online gambling,” said Dr A’an.

“The situation also applies to the dissemination of pornographic content. Had the ministry not been diligent in banning pornographic sites, many more people would have been exposed.”

Pradipa Rasidi, from the digital rights and research department of non-governmental organisation EngageMedia, said that a complete ban of X is unlikely, given how it is something that the government uses to disseminate information.

“Realistically, it’s not a viable move for Indonesia to block Twitter,” said Pradipa, who is a project coordinator in his department. “It is also something that government supporters and the government itself use to create a positive public image.”

A possible future for X in Indonesia would be an arrangement under which the government can submit “takedown requests” to remove unwanted content from Twitter, he added.

Indonesia has banned thousands of adult sites before, and being “anti-pornography” is a common cause among different political groups in Indonesia, said Muhammad Habib Abiyan Dzakwan from Indonesian think-tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

However, banning platforms as a “blanket” approach to address thorny issues stands to hurt Indonesia’s chances of becoming the competitive and digital economy it wants to be, added Habib.

“We will expect overwhelming pushback and resistance from the users,” he said. “I think we have witnessed it in the case of PayPal. The ban was only sustained for less than a week after full pressure exerted by the public on the Ministry of Communications and Informatics.”

Habib noted how average Indonesians enjoy connecting with one another on X, and even find job opportunities on the platform.

“Unemployment has been a main issue in Indonesia’s society, with news outlets regularly running stories about how many in the country cannot find work,” he added.

As at August 2023, Indonesia’s general unemployment rate was 5.3 per cent, with 7.9 million jobless people out of a workforce of 147.7 million, according to Statistics Indonesia. The unemployment rate of those aged 15 to 24 was much higher, at 19.4 per cent.

No matter the restrictions, Indonesians have found and will continue to find ways to access the content they want, experts say. Many users, for instance, continue to access Reddit through VPNs or other means now, and the local r/indonesia subreddit page has more than 550,000 members.

If the government wants to address the problem of unfiltered access to pornography, gambling or even other online harms like fake news, a whole-of-society effort is needed, said Dr A’an.

For example, law enforcement needs to work with places like schools to implement programmes and teach students to be more aware of harmful content online.

Continuously exerting control and banning platforms runs the risk of making Indonesia an isolated country, and what should instead be done is to provide incentives for platforms to focus more on reducing negative and harmful content, said Habib.

“Banning any digital platform must be placed as our last resort and pursued only if it endangers national security or cyber security of individual Indonesians,” he added. - The Straits Times/ANN

Tags / Keywords: Indonesia , X , porn , ban , economy

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