Batik Air 737 Max 8 Business Class Initial Thoughts
Intro
Holy smokes, color me impressed; Batik Air might have jumped the gun into my top 4 business-class carriers in Asia.
I recently had the opportunity to try out Batik Air on a flight from Denpasar to Kuala Lumpur for a very reasonable price, and I had the time of my life! For those unaware, Batik Air is a full-service carrier (supposedly) with bases out of Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manado, and Subang operating narrowbody aircraft.
Interestingly, one of my first reports ever was on Batik Air, but it was brief, and I wanted to do a full review of this magnificent airline.
Even if they are a full-service carrier, Batik Air offers business-class fares that are vastly lower than the competition in the market. I paid 267$ for a 3-hour flight in Business Class... when MH was almost double...
The Lounge
Usually, passengers booked into the discounted business class fare do not gain access to the lounge. However, the agent at the check-in was unbelievably nice and gave me a lounge pass to the Premier Business Class Lounge.
It's wild to think that Batik Air sends passengers to the same lounge as Qatar and Eithad... Props here, Batik Air...
The Seat/Cabin
Seats on the Max 8 are laid with 4 rows of business class in a 2-2 configuration. While nowhere near cutting edge, like the Copa Max 9, Batik Air did a marvelous job with the color scheme. The seats were very comfortable, featuring nice adjustable headrests, universal power ports, and a decent recline+ footstool.
Interestingly, the cabin went out about half full to Kuala Lumpur.
IFE
In my last report on Batik Air, one of the main issues that I had was with the IFE system. On that flight, specifically, there was a grand total of about 8 movies. However, it seems that Batik Air has upgraded its IFE and added some of the latest hits to the database, such as Barbie.
Additionally, I was overly impressed at the quality of the headphones that Batik Air provided. These Panasonic headphones were top-notch. My only complaint is that they collect them before lAAnding.
Amenities/Service
Most narrowbody flights (sub 3 hours) around the world might entitle customers to a small pillow or so. However, Batik Air not only provided customers with a pillow but also a comfy blanket.
Now, this is where the service truly shined. I have to wonder if they thought I was somebody famous or something, as they brought over a sleep kit for me free of charge. It was intriguing as I was the only one who received this in the cabin, and yet I did not pay for it...
That brings me to service. It was polished to a T where the flight attendants would check on you enough to make sure that your drink was filled, but not enough where they were in your face. Props again to you, Batik.
Meal Service
Before takeoff, the cabin crew came around to offer a pre-departure beverage of orange juice or water, as well as a package of nuts (I HATE HAVING A NUT ALLERGY). In theory, it is nice to be able to snack on something before takeoff.
The crew also took our meal orders for the flight. While there were no printed menus, the flight attendant read out a list of 5 different options for a main course. 5 different options for a 2-hour and 30-minute flight? By the time she was done, I had forgotten the first two options😂. Very impressive.
Within 20 minutes after takeoff, I received my chicken teriyaki with rice dish. Even though I was seated in the back row, for some reason, I still received my meal first (hence the points above). Peculiar...
The food was really good and filled me up🙂.
Arrival
Due to the singular runway at Denpasar, we had a 35-minute taxi. The captain made up a little bit of time, and we only landed 15 minutes late into Kuala Lumpur.
This was probably the best narrowbody landing I have ever experienced in my life. I guarantee that no drop would have spilled if I had a glass of water on the table.
Final Thoughts
While this is just a post sharing my initial impressions of Batik Air between Denpasar and Kuala Lumpur, I was overly impressed with this airline. For the price that they offer in business class, this experience is worth it by a mile!
Stay tuned for a full review soon (ish)!
Comments