November 6, 2024
Jakarta to Colombo
Sri Lankan Airlines Business Class
Airbus A320-NEO 4R-ANA

Thank goodness for wheelchair assistance! Jakarta’s Soekarno–Hatta International Airport is a big, sprawling place, with a good 120-150 yards between gates. I kid you not. The distance between gates is ridiculously long.

When I was a kid, I used to ride my bike 13 miles out to Denver’s Stapleton International – there to roam the concourses in search of exotic DC-9s from North Central, Texas International or Ozark – or, if I was really lucky – a colorful Boeing 720 or DC-8 from Braniff International, or maybe a Convair 880 from TWA. My point is, I’ll bet those gates at Stapleton weren’t more than 100 yards apart. I mean, c’mon – those little DC-9s and 727s of the day were much smaller – a 727 had a 108’ wingspan, which means about 55’ on each side of the aircraft. Throw in a 100’ safety cushion between wings and gates and you still have only about 200’ between fuselages. One hundred yards means 300 feet between jetways – or easily enough room for a pair of 727s.

Anyway, CGK provides more than enough room for a pair of widebodied jets, which are much more common here than they were at Denver in the Seventies.

As an aside, on a couple of occasions I’ve had the pleasure of meeting FlyerTalk’s own HawaiiTrvlr, who lives in the neighborhood surrounding the old Stapleton. We’ve met a couple of times at a bar/restaurant located directly beneath the old Stapleton tower. It’s got a nice variety of locally brewed beers – of which there are dozens in the Denver/Boulder area – and I most definitely look forward to the pleasure of HawaiiTrvlr’s company on my next visit to the Denver metro whenever that may be. I believe it’s my shout.

Anyway, where was I? Ah – the vastness of Jakarta’s International Airport. As always, check-in was a breeze. There was no one ahead of me in the Business Class aisle, so I was efficiently processed, handed a boarding pass with a lounge invite card and directed to take a seat until a wheelchair arrived – which it soon did.

My departure gate was gate 5, just a short 150 – maybe 200 yard walk down from the Plaza Premium Lounge located next door to gate 6. My wheelchair jockey dropped me off with a promise to return at 130pm, just 55 minutes in advance of my 225pm departure. I suggested that I could probably hobble on down to gate 5 on my own, but she’d have none of it. She’d been given her marching orders, and by golly, she was going to carry them out!

From what I gather, tipping – and the expectation of tips – is refreshingly rare in Indonesia. I say “refreshingly” because in America – especially after Covid – tipping has gotten way out of hand. Nowadays, people expect tips for the littlest thing – like selling you a donut at Winchell’s or pouring you a cup of already brewed coffee at Starbucks.

Mind you – I’m not against tipping. I grew up with it, and I’d like to think I tip better than most folks these days. But let’s get real! At least do something worthy of a tip. Great service – or even average service - at a restaurant is an example. Or taking time to make one of those pricey foo-foo coffees at Starbucks. I never order the darned things – they take too long to make and they’re too expensive – but I see the time and effort that a good barista puts into one, and that would definitely be tip worthy for me.

The same goes for pushing my butt and a bag through a half mile or more of airport terminals and concourses. Depending upon the distance, it’s worth $5-10.00 USD to me. Last month, I gave a gal at Denpasar $20 US because her service was way over and above for me. She pushed me and my bags all over creation, plus she filled out my E-Customs and the new Indonesian Wellness Check protocol. Then, she even stopped so I could hit up the currency exchange place before wheeling me out to Arrivals and my waiting ride to Bali Tropic.

At the same time, I don’t want to go against the grain of established custom. For example, in America 20% (or more) has become the norm for good service in a restaurant, whereas in other parts of the world tips are not expected for the same caliber of service, or the acceptable amount of a tip would be much less. The last thing I want to do is rock the boat or inadvertently “Americanize” any aspect of the local culture. To that end, some might say my $20 tip was an example of just what I’m talking about, but I’d say you had to experience this girl’s over and above effort to better appreciate why I gave her more than usual.

Heck, people have done the same for me in my job as a driver in Denali National Park. I get handed tens and twenties all the time, but every now and then, some people feel moved enough to lay a fifty or even a hundred on me. This – on a $45 bus ride.

But I digress. Again. Sorry.

A word on the Plaza Premium Lounge. I’ve been here before – two years ago when I was flying out of Jakarta on Etihad to Abu Dhabi and beyond. I found a great Business Class fare through Expedia that gave me the following routing between Jakarta and San Francisco.


Day One
Jakarta to Abu Dhabi ~ Etihad 787-9 ~ Business Class

Day Two
Abu Dhabi to New York JFK ~ Etihad 787-9 ~ Business Class
New York JFK to San Francisco ~ JetBlue A321-200 ~ Mint Business Class


If ever there were a routing worthy of a Seat 2A trip report, this one would certainly qualify. Those of you wondering why you don’t recall having read any trip report covering that trip is because I never wrote one.

Shortly after departing Jakarta, I fell ill with what I thought was food poisoning. In a sense, it was. Tests later revealed that I’d ingested campylobacter bacteria, a rather nasty little bug endemic to Southeast Asia and Indonesia in particular. I initially thought I might have contracted it from some tepid, seemingly undercooked sausages I’d eaten in the Plaza Premium Lounge before the flight to Abu Dhabi. And that may well have been the culprit, but post trip research revealed it was more likely that I’d contracted it two or three days earlier, when I ate some fried chicken bought off the street.

In any event, I spent most of the Etihad and JetBlue flights feeling miserable, eating little and visiting the toilet often. It wouldn’t have been any more enjoyable to write about than it was to fly, and that’s a real pity because both Etihad and JetBlue have quality premium class products that I’ve not seen reported upon here very often.

As for the Plaza Premium Lounge, I enjoyed it. I like the floor to ceiling windows and all of the natural light they allow in. I also liked the ivy-like leaves ringing the bar and service station. There’s a nice variety of foods available – both on display for self service as well as items cooked to order (watch out for those sausages, though) and the seating offers a variety of two and four seat alcoves. There’s even a children’s play area.

At 130pm sharp, my wheelchair showed up and it turned out to be a good thing, too, because my flight’s gate had been switched from 5 to 2 – a seemingly minor change but in reality a good quarter mile or more down the concourse, around an ell, and then down a further hundred and fifty yards or so. And then – after all that – the plane wasn’t even at the gate.

Two o’clock came and went. Scheduled departure time was 225pm. When I asked the gate agent if there were a new departure time, he said we’d be boarding in ten minutes. When I pointed out that the plane wasn’t even at the gate, he laughed nervously and said “Ten minutes.”

Ultimately, we were wheels up at 310pm, and the rest of the flight progressed relatively smoothly after that.

I should note that the aircraft was 4R-ANA, an A320-251N with the N denoting NEO or New Engine Option, meaning Geared Turbofan. Though she was now seven years old, ship ANA was Sri Lankan’s first NEO.

A pair of attractively outfitted flight attendants welcomed us at the door. Inside, the Business Class cabin sported three rows of teal blue leather clad seats that looked much more comfortable than they actually were.



Sri Lanka’s A320 Business Class Cabin
Photo courtesy of Sri Lankan Airlines


Sri Lanka’s A320 Business Class Seats
Photo courtesy of Sri Lankan Airlines


Menus had been placed at each seat, though surprisingly they consisted of just a plain sheet of paper. Alas, there was no colorful menu cover offering the visual titillation of the epicurean delights yet to come. As a long time collector of First Class menus, this was a bit of a disappointment. On the other hand, of equal importance is what’s inside the menu cover, and today’s offerings looked reasonably good for a four and a half hour flight.


LUNCHEON
Jakarta to Colombo
4 hours 50 minutes

Salad
Potato and green bean salad with celery, olive rings, cherry tomatoes and fennel

MAIN COURSE

Grilled Chicken Breast
Accompanied with tomato, caper and olive sauce, carrot and zucchini
batons with crushed parsley potatoes

Prawn Baduma
Crispy fried prawns accompanied with potato white curry, steamed rice
and bean and mushroom curry

Stir-Fried Beef
Accompanied with oyster sauce, vegetable chop suey, spinach with
sesame and jasmine rice

Vegetarian Choice
Palak paneer and vegetable jalfrezi served with onion rice and a
vegetable cutlet


8 * 8 ~ 8 * 8


Fresh Fruit

A seasonal assortment of the finest fresh fruit is available on request

Dessert
Passion fruit mousse

Hot Beverages
Finest Ceylon tea brewed to perfection
Flavored Tea selection
Freshly brewed international coffee


No sooner had I finished perusing the menu than a flight attendant clad in a turquoise blue uniform - complete with a bare midriff - arrived with a tray of hot towels. These were real, nice quality towels too – not the cheap disposable type often encountered on airlines closer to home. Even better, they were actually hot and nicely scented to boot. I blew on mine a few times before tossing it atop my face and inhaling deeply.

Ahh…

Next up was a tray of juices. I availed myself of what looked and tasted kinda like mango juice. We don’t see a lot of that up in my part of the world, so I couldn’t be sure. My only complaint with this juice service also extends to most all airlines that offer it. To wit – I wish they’d serve the juice properly chilled rather than at room temperature. Given the limitations of aircraft galleys - that so far as I know do not include refrigerators – such an expectation may be a tad unrealistic. Oh well, I’ll make up for it with plenty of ice in my initial glass of 18 Year Old Chivas.

Taxiing around Jakarta’s Soekarno–Hatta International Airport is always a plane spotter’s pleasure, with all manner of Indonesian discount carriers on view, including rarely seen (for me, at least) A330s from both Lion Air and Batik Air. I also spotted a Comac ARJ-21 sporting the livery of Indonesian carrier Trans Nusa. I believe Trans Nusa is the first (and perhaps only) airline outside of China to operate this aircraft. I investigated Trans Nusa’s schedules out of Denpasar in an effort to book a flight on one, but alas – none were scheduled anywhere near where I was going.

Inflight service commenced shortly after we’d taken off. I liked that we didn’t have to wait 30 minutes or more for the flight attendants to get their act together. Champagne was offered, and I accepted with the stipulation that I be served just a half a glass. If it’s an appropriate hour, I’m always willing to try a bit of whatever’s on offer in the hope that I might someday find one worthy of a second glass.

Alas, the search continues…

Right. Bring on the Chivas, please. Per my experience, most airlines pour Chivas 12 Year Old in their Business Class cabins – even much lauded Qatar Airways – so I was both surprised and pleased to see the 18 Year Old listed on the menu. The only other cabin where I’ve seen the 18 Year Old poured was aboard Qatar’s First Class.



Still Life with Chivas and Passport


On the seatback in front of me was embedded an approximately 10” television screen. I’m not a big fan of inflight entertainment on anything less than a 24-30” screen, more often than not preferring to wait until I get home to watch movies on my 50” TV. That said, I did make a quick perusal of the entertainment options and they looked pretty standard for an A320 sized aircraft on a regional flight – if you can call the 2040 mile sector between Jakarta and Colombo a regional flight. At least they looked pretty close on the Skymap – only a couple of inches apart, at most.



Flight Map between Jakarta and Colombo


Also posted within the TV screen was a much nicer presentation of our menu, including the fairly limited wine listings. To wit:


WINE LIST

Champagne
Joseph Perrier – Cuvee Royale Brut

White Wine
Calves Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Stone Cross Chenin Blanc 2022

Red Wine
Calves Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Chateau La Gamaye Cuvee Prestige – 2021


When the time came to serve the meal, I was disappointed to find that everything was presented atop a single tray. In reviewing published trip reports of Sri Lankan’s Business Class service on flights of this length, I’d been led to believe that the meals were served course by course, including a nice appetizer.

Perhaps they once were, but alas, times have evidently changed. Be that as it may, I found the small potato and green bean salad to be very nice while my Prawn Baduma main was quite filling and tasty – and even a bit spicy. Coffee and a passion fruit mousse brought this meal to a satisfying close.



Prawn Baduma dinner aboard Sri Lankan Airlines


Coffee & Passion Fruit Mousse


Shortly after the dinner plates had been cleared, the purser stopped by to say hello. We got to chatting for a bit and discovered our shared interest in commercial aviation, particularly with regard to in-flight service. “Shane” had worked for Sri Lankan since back in the Air Lanka days, and he had fond memories of working the First Class cabin aboard Air Lanka’s 747s, L-1011s and A340s. For my part, I’ve been flying International First Class since 1976 and have an abundance of photos on my computer depicting the “Good Old Days” of First Class air travel, when most all airlines – even those from smaller nations like Sri Lanka offered First Class cabins and service. We both had a good time revisiting some of those old photos.

The skies began to clear somewhat as we commenced our initial descent into Colombo, and it was cool to see some of the island’s verdant mountain peaks rising through the clouds.



On Descent into Colombo


The landing – like so many of them these days – was smooth as can be. As we made our way toward the terminal at Colombo’s Bandaranayake International Airport, my eyes widened as we taxied past the weather beaten hulk of a 727-200 wearing the faded livery of Lankan Cargo. It’s always a treat to see an old 727 and, as always, I took note of the N-Number. I was pleased to later discover that back in 1981, I’d once flown this exact same aircraft between Denver and Dallas while it was in the service of its original operator – American Airlines.

Here’s its history:

American Airlines 1969-1993 N6837
Express One 1993-2003 N315NE (Converted to freighter)
Emery Worldwide 2003-2007 N315NE
Ivoirienne de Transports Aeriens 2007-2008 TU-TAB
Lankan Cargo TU-TAB 2008
Civil registration N315NE / TU-TAB cancelled 2008

It looks like Lankan Cargo didn’t fly the airplane long – if at all – and probably bought it mainly to cannibalize it for spares.

I was hoping that we’d park at a terminal gate next to a good looking Sri Lankan A330-300, but alas, we were instead directed to a remote parking stand.



Remotely Parked at CMB


Since I’d pre-ordered wheelchair assistance, I and two other passengers waited until a food service type truck pulled up to the galley door at 1R. We were then rolled aboard, lowered, and taken to our own private bus for the short ride to the terminal building.

This was my first visit to Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport, and I wasn’t sure what to expect insofar as the terminal design and modernity – or possible lack of such. I was kind of expecting something along the lines of Jakarta’s international airport when I first visited there in 2013. The concourses were open air with Indonesian roofing. I really liked that design, and I’m happy to report that the old terminal is still there and operational. Today it is home to Indonesian low-cost giant Lion Air

Colombo’s airport was more traditional, and despite the main terminal building having been built in 1967, I found it to be well lit and reasonably modern inside with the usual array of airport shops and eateries.

Word has it that a new terminal – Terminal 2 – is due to open in 2025. In the meantime, I was wheeled down into customs and immigration – which went very smoothly – and thence on to the chaos of the Arrivals Hall. I’d made arrangements through Booking.com to have a car meet me and drive me to the Morino Beach Hotel, located in downtown Colombo. Unfortunately, there was no sign bearing my name amidst the morass of humanity awaiting behind the waist high barrier. We did however find a booth for the Morino Beach hotel. Though they acknowledged my reservation, they knew nothing about a ride because my ride had been privately arranged. Ultimately, I went back to the Booking.com app where I found that my driver’s name and number had recently been posted. We gave him a call only to discover that he was waiting outside. And he did not have a sign with my name on it. Oh well. At least we found each other.

The car – some type of an SUV – was blissfully air-conditioned and, as my driver exhibited very limited English language skills, we made the 25 mile drive into town accompanied by music off a radio station that – if I didn’t know better – could have been located in Des Moines, Iowa or Portland, Oregon. The lady DJ sounded American and the music was the standard pop that’s passed for music over these past thirty years.

It’s also worth noting that the billboards along the wide and well lit highway were primarily in English. Very surprising given that the two main languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhalese and Tamil. Also, unlike Indonesia, I saw relatively few motorcycles. Oh, there were some, to be sure – but nothing like the hundreds if not thousands that I would have seen by now if I were in Jakarta or Ho Chi Minh City.

Ah… the Morino Beach Hotel. I’ve gotta tell you – I’m taking quite a liking to these upscale accommodations. My days of staying in communal hostels are effectively over, especially given that many hostels are priced at $80 USD and above these days. In my younger days, a typical hostel went for $6-15 USD/night, and even factoring in inflation, you’d think they’d price out at about $45-50 these days. Some probably do, but when I see $80 or more per night – which is fairly often – I figure why not toss in an extra $30 or so and get a decent room to myself.

Well, let me tell you – my room at the Morino Beach ran me $131.00 USD, but I liked what I saw from the pictures and that was enough to cement my booking. Upon check in, the staff couldn’t have been more accommodating – even offering me wheelchair assistance through the lobby and up to my room “Ah, thank you, but no. I’ve got it, thanks!”

One pleasant surprise was that the tour company through which I’d booked tomorrow’s train ride up into the Sri Lankan highlands had left an envelope at reception with my tickets and a note indicating that my ride to the Colombo Fort Railway Station would be at the hotel tomorrow morning at 730am. Right on!



My Room at the Marino Beach Hotel


As you can see above, I was provided a clean, modern room complete with a spacious balcony and sitting area. The air-conditioning was top notch and the bed was comfortably firm – something genuinely appreciated by my aching back.

Following a short room inspection, I made my way down to the 2nd floor restaurant where a bevy of waiters stood ready to cater to my every whim. I kid you not! There were like four of them clustered outside the elevator, seemingly waiting to pounce upon whatever hungry soul stepped off the elevator.

The restaurant was large and very stylish in a modern kind of way. It offered both a buffet and a la carte meals. So I opted for the latter and settled on a “Country Style” red curry with all the trimmings. One waiter in particular seemed a bit concerned that the curry might be a bit too hot for me, but I assured him that I grew up with spicy food and was looking forward to enjoying my first taste of authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. Just to be on the safe side though, I took advantage of the three Carlsberg Lagers for $2700 (About $9.75 USD) and awaited my meal.

When it was presented, featuring a large bowl of rice and curry accompanied by a variety of smaller bowls filled with veggies and assorted spices, I was reminded of Korean Bibimbap. I mixed everything together like a Bibimbap and thoroughly enjoyed this new taste sensation. I did notice, however, that the waiter who’d expressed concern over my ability to handle Sri Lankan curry tended to hover in the area behind and off to my right, as if he just had to see it to believe it that some white dude could polish off a typical Sri Lankan curry without any ill effect. I thought the curry was quite good. I’ve had hotter, but I’m glad I ordered the red and I look forward to doing so again on my next trip to Sri Lanka.



Deliciously Spicy Red Curry Country Style


The Rooftop Bar at the Marino Beach Hotel
Photo courtesy of the Morino Beach Hotel


The hotel also featured a well regarded and popular roof top bar, but the time was pushing ten o’clock and I had an early wake up call to commence my ten hour rail adventure up into the Highlands tomorrow. As such, I opted to call it a night and check out that nice firm mattress.