SEATS FEATURED:
Business: Collins Millenium/MiQ seats
Economy: Recaro CL3510 seats
*4th of July special! Happy Independence Day, US viewers!
I was torn on deciding whether this flight was a showstopper or a bad apple.
I came into the check-in counter from the airport train and actually had a good first impression of the ground staff working there. They were fast to check me and my family members in, professional, and caring, and even went as far as asking where I would like to sit. I was assigned seat 13A, and I thought the flight would be great. I passed the ID check and security check area fairly quickly, and I was soon headed to my gate.
Boarding was done slightly late but was not too chaotic at the gate. I was then welcomed by the crews, some of which were still warming up to reach their peak friendliness. The aircraft was an ex-Royal Jordanian Airbus A320-200, still bearing the Recaro CL3510 seats from Royal Jordanian, only with a replaced cushion. The overhead bins have been slightly modernized, but the rest of the interiors remain the same, which was the original old interior from Royal Jordanian.
Unfortunately, this was where the thought of having a smooth flight went down the drain.
I was assigned a seat that didn't even exist. I was assigned seat 13A, but there were no rows 13 and 14. As a result, a mini-chaos ensued because I was directed to sit at row 12, but row 12 had already been booked by someone else. For me, the check-in staff should have known this, since this same aircraft is a regular YIA visitor. That being said, I assign most of the fault to Batik Air's management, because ultimately, they were the ones deciding not to standardize the interior (this is one of the two A320s with C12Y138 configuration, others being C12Y144 or C8Y156), renumber the seat, and provide the check-in staff with the correct seat diagram. Luckily, the team of cabin crews and ground staff came up with a quick-thinking win-win solution that satisfied everyone onboard. Still, I felt sorry for the original owner of the seat, despite him also knowing that it was Batik's fault.
This contributed to the 33-minute delay during take-off, but honestly speaking, aside from this and the slow baggage delivery upon arrival, I didn't find anything else major enough to be called out. The cabin, unlike my previous Batik Air flights, was perfectly air-conditioned. The seat had headrests which boosted comfort significantly, despite being jammed in the recline position, and had some disused relics like the old IFE box and dismantled cup holder. The whole cabin and seat were covered in a minor amount of grime, but that was due to age. The cabin crews were fantastic throughout the flight, especially with their problem-solving skills. We had some light talk together after the flight, discussing how busy they were. The In-Flight Entertainment was truly fast, responsive, and well laid out, with up-to-date content thanks to the updated Tripper app. The meal was absolutely delicious.
Landing was only a few minutes behind schedule, and I waited 1 hour for my bag to arrive. Overall, I was torn on how I should decide the verdict of this flight. That being said, I found the slow baggage handling and the erroneous seat assignment ironic, because had both not happened, this would have easily become one of the best Batik Air flights I have ever taken so far. Batik did make a huge mistake, but how they mitigated those errors was worth two thumbs up.
Thank you for watching my video. Embedding and using parts of my video apart from the music is strictly prohibited by local law.
Score & Summary: lsflightreviews.wixsite.com/l...
Skytrax: www.airlinequality.com/airlin... (title: Chaos during boarding)
**The pictures with the cabin crews are just for memories and have no (and will never show) dangerous contents. It has no other intentions.
Music Details
Intro: Ikson - Skyline
Artist: Ikson
Link: • #43 Skyline (Official)
Credit: / @tellyourstorymusicbyi...
Video: Julia Ward Howe - Battle Hymn of the Republic/Glory Glory Hallelujah
Artist: Julia Ward Howe
Arrangement & reinterpretation by Christopher Jermia
Piano & MIDI Sequencer by Christopher Jermia
Song is in public domain, but arrangement may not be used without permission.
Taken date: June 23, 2024
Cameras used: Sony ZV-E10, Samsung Galaxy A54
Additional tools: Yamaha Clavinova CVP605
- S.D.G. Copyright Lone Star Flight Reviews 2014-2024. All Rights Reserved,
A series of #FRITS (Flight Review in the Sky) by Lone Star Flight Reviews