Garuda Airlines - fly ahead experience?

[LadyC]

I have a flight booked for next year (as part of a great fare I picked up flying YVR-DPS on JL) flying a GA domestic business class flight DPS-CGK. The flight is booked leaving DPS at about 9.30pm and arriving around 10.30pm and we have a flight the next day CGK-NRT-YVR with JL at around 6.30am. It would be much better if we could pick up an earlier flight from DPS-CGK to get a longer overnight layover in CGK. GA usually run at least 10 flights a day from DPS-CGK so they should have availability (in theory). Does anyone have any experience of trying to get on an earlier flight with GA? If there is availability, are they happy for you to fly ahead?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This isn't a question that I have seen raised before! If it is a paid fare, can you change without penalty? Otherwise, prolly nothing to lose if you turn up to the airport early, if they don't allow you to fly ahead you can wait in the lounge. (Alternatively there's a very nice Novotel attached to Bali airport, you could get a room there and hang out until 8pm or so.)

 

[LadyC]

This isn't a question that I have seen raised before! If it is a paid fare, can you change without penalty? Otherwise, prolly nothing to lose if you turn up to the airport early, if they don't allow you to fly ahead you can wait in the lounge. (Alternatively there's a very nice Novotel attached to Bali airport, you could get a room there and hang out until 8pm or so.)

It's a bit tricky as the GA part is an add on to a ...... let me say promotional JL fare. So I am loath to try and change anything because
1) the change fee is about $500 per ticket;
2) the risk of the the whole ticket being repriced.

It's not the end of the world if we can't fly early, it's more I am considering the odds of being able to fly a bit earlier and book a nice hotel in the city that we can enjoy or if we will just need to stay at an airport hotel because the layover is only about 8hrs total.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It's a bit tricky as the GA part is an add on to a ...... let me say promotional JL fare. So I am loath to try and change anything because
1) the change fee is about $500 per ticket;
2) the risk of the the whole ticket being repriced.

It's not the end of the world if we can't fly early, it's more I am considering the odds of being able to fly a bit earlier and book a nice hotel in the city that we can enjoy or if we will just need to stay at an airport hotel because the layover is only about 8hrs total.

Ah, ok. I thought this was a separate ticket you'd purchased to connect with the deal If part of the one ticket I'd prolly try my chances on the day. Have you been to Jakarta before? I heard it can take hours to get into town from the airport. I'd probably recommend staying at the airport anyway?

 

[LadyC]

Ah, ok. I thought this was a separate ticket you'd purchased to connect with the deal If part of the one ticket I'd prolly try my chances on the day. Have you been to Jakarta before? I heard it can take hours to get into town from the airport. I'd probably recommend staying at the airport anyway?

No, part of the same ticket. I haven't been to Jakarta before and I have also heard traffic is a bit crazy so as you suggest, we may well stay at the airport anyway. I usually prefer a city hotel as they are generally much better for not much more money (where feasible).

 

[jase05]

No, part of the same ticket. I haven't been to Jakarta before and I have also heard traffic is a bit crazy so as you suggest, we may well stay at the airport anyway. I usually prefer a city hotel as they are generally much better for not much more money (where feasible).

Have been to Jakarta plenty of times and traffic can be hit or miss.
There are a few hotels around the airport but on our last trip there we stayed at the Mercure PIK and thought it was great. Only 10-15 minutes from the airport but as you are getting in late one of the airport hotels might be more suitable