3 Best Airlines in Indonesia for International Travellers

Are you planning to see the beautiful islands in Indonesia? These three airlines recommendations will make your visits to Indonesia easier!

Travel with airplanes is the quickest yet the most convenient way to get around Indonesia. Most of the time, air travel is also the only way to reach remote parts of the country. The number of domestic flights continues to grow as well as the schedules. However, these days, the prices are generally expensive. You can see in every online booking website that the price for domestic flights is mostly higher than the international ones, but those beautiful islands are not easy to be ignored, particularly for international travellers.

Best airlines are often related to low-cost ones. However, the prices are also related to the services provided and safety issues. As we know, choosing the airplanes only based on the cost is not the right choice. For me, safety should be the spotlight. Also, please bear in mind that despite the number of domestic flights these days, the ones to remote areas are prone to be cancelled, especially when bad weather happens. It is also affected by the safety concerns since the airport in remote areas mainly very small, and the airplane’s landing would not be that easy in the bad weather.

I know that getting reliable information about the best airlines in Indonesia might be a challenge, especially for tourists, but here are 3 best airplanes in Indonesia for international travellers that you can consider:

1. Garuda Indonesia

Garuda Indonesia is the first Indonesian airline that joined the Skyteam. In 2013, this airline got an award from Skytrax as ‘The World’s Best Economy Class 2013’. The airline is well-known for having the hospitable cabin crews. Though, the flight schedule is not as much as the low-cost airlines, flying with Garuda Indonesia is much more comfortable. The onboard entertainment is also excellent. They always provide the touch screen in front of our seats for every flight destination. Also, I like the meal they provide since the taste is always good.

However, the price is higher than any Indonesian airlines. For instance, if I want to go to Bali from Jakarta, I need to spend more than 1,5 million rupiahs for a one-way flight. This price will be higher if I go to Bali on the weekends. Due to the increasing prices of domestic flights in Indonesia, Garuda Indonesia had limited the number of flight schedule to remote areas, such as to Morotai, Maumere, and Bima.

2. Batik Air

Batik Air is a full-service airline and a member of Lion Group. The airplane offers comfortable level rivals to Garuda Indonesia. The refreshment on-board also tastes good, and Batik Air has a wider pitch-patch seat compared to Garuda Indonesia. It has 45-inch extra legroom. The onboard entertainment offer is also similar to Garuda Indonesia. Lately, Batik Air had removed the in-flight entertainment to several domestic destinations. It might be not an issue if you only take the short flight. But, if you need to stay in the air for 2 hours without any entertainment, it would be boring.

Batik Air offers the passengers a free 20 kg baggage, and the price is even lower than Garuda Indonesia. I only need to spend less than 1,5 million rupiahs from Jakarta to Denpasar for a one-way ticket. Due to the bad reputation of its parent's company, Batik Air often offers special promotions that can be accessed on their website. As well as Garuda Indonesia, the cabin crews of Batik Air is also nice and helpful.

3. Air Asia

One of the most popular budget airlines in Indonesia is AirAsia. Although it is a low-cost airline, it also offers not only domestic flights but also international flights. The airline is much cheaper than Garuda Indonesia and Batik Air. However, I need to spend an additional cost if I do the online check-in and pick my own seat. Also, based on my experience, I need to pay more if I want to take any meal, drink, or luggage on international flights. The airline does not provide any refreshment for domestic flights.

The distances between the seat rows are too tiny, so the cabin is a bit tight. It will be okay for a short flight since the flight schedules are also plentiful. The airline is also always on time, and the company was honored an award as the Best Low-Cost Airlines in the World by Skytrax for many years. It takes less than one million rupiahs for domestic flight from Jakarta to Denpasar. Until last year, we can easily book the airline through the Traveloka app, but since the beginning of 2019, we only can book the airline ticket via AirAsia website or from AirAsia application in App Store or Play Store.

Well, taking road trips in Indonesia can be quite stressful. Traffic congestion and pollution can reduce the enjoyment of travelling. Hence, taking air travel is the best option. Hopefully, these recommendations of best airlines in Indonesia for international travellers will give you some insight about the flight quality so you can put more thoughts into enjoying your vacation in Indonesia.