Garuda Indonesia dealing with its corruption problems
Indonesia’s national carrier, Garuda Indonesia has been in economic difficulties for a while. The government has bailed them out before, and they still have much debt. I’ve flown on Garuda many times and think they are a decent airline, despite my dramas with them in London.
As national carrier they get new planes, attentive flight staff, good pilots and decent maintenance. BaliDiscovery reports that a corruption scandal is the latest thing Garuda has had to deal with. Apparently staff were selling tickets, on the Guam–Bali–Surabaya route in US$, then forcing a refund in rupiah. As anyone who has bought a ticket in Bali knows, the prices are in US$, if you can’t pay in US$, you get charged the ‘airline exchange rate’, which is way out whack. Staff were pulling the old ‘bait and switch’ routine, doing the reverse conversion, and keeping the difference.
According to BaliDiscovery’s article, as well as the ticketing scam, Garuda has other major corruption issues, involving cargo, employee’s welfare foundation and the buying of new jets. Apart from that they’re totally clean.
By Nick | Permalink
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Thought you might see a story here
This letter was emailed to Garuda Indonesia on our return from Bali this week
Not only are we being hit a Visa fee on arrival $25.00us.and a departure tax of $20.00 but are also getting hit now with an aggressive excess baggage fee. Which appears to be an organized thing because the excess was the same weight for each person I spoke to 37kg? And your bags are taken and held and your tickets are held until you pay or do a deal or pay a bribe
To Garuda Indonesia,
We have flown Garuda more than 25 times to Bali and enjoyed the flights every time. However on our last trip at departure we were subjected to corruption at its worst by Garuda staff over excess baggage fees. .Counter staff were taking bribes from travelers and/or sending them to the Garuda window to pay excess fees. in our case $380.00us.which when we complained a deal was done and reduced to $200.00 then again after pleading reduced to $70.00 whets going on?
My friends were able to bribe 100000.00rup. And got through…it were total chaos people complaining ever where to your Garuda staff. I took a group of 14 people for there first trip to Bali who were all subjected to this embarrassment by Garuda Indonesia. This is not the first time I have been subjected to this corruption at the airport I have had to pay bribes on most occasions, it was the accepted thing but normally only $5to$10 dollars, but this time it was organized corruption by Garuda staff they are now going for the big dollar I now have two choices 1. Another destination.2.Fly Qantas I am sending a copy of this to the Minister for Tourism Indonesia and the Australian Travel Authority .Aussies will not fly Garuda if this is to continue.
Louis L Kesby
louscafe@exemail.com.au
02 65624869
Thought you might see a story here
This letter was emailed to Garuda Indonesia on our return from Bali this week
Not only are we being hit a Visa fee on arrival $25.00us.and a departure tax of $20.00 but are also getting hit now with an aggressive excess baggage fee. Which appears to be an organized thing because the excess was the same weight for each person I spoke to 37kg? And your bags are taken and held and your tickets are held until you pay or do a deal or pay a bribe
To Garuda Indonesia,
We have flown Garuda more than 25 times to Bali and enjoyed the flights every time. However on our last trip at departure we were subjected to corruption at its worst by Garuda staff over excess baggage fees. .Counter staff were taking bribes from travelers and/or sending them to the Garuda window to pay excess fees. in our case $380.00us.which when we complained a deal was done and reduced to $200.00 then again after pleading reduced to $70.00 whets going on?
My friends were able to bribe 100000.00rup. And got through…it were total chaos people complaining ever where to your Garuda staff. I took a group of 14 people for there first trip to Bali who were all subjected to this embarrassment by Garuda Indonesia. This is not the first time I have been subjected to this corruption at the airport I have had to pay bribes on most occasions, it was the accepted thing but normally only $5to$10 dollars, but this time it was organized corruption by Garuda staff they are now going for the big dollar I now have two choices 1. Another destination.2.Fly Qantas I am sending a copy of this to the Minister for Tourism Indonesia and the Australian Travel Authority .Aussies will not fly Garuda if this is to continue.
Louis L Kesby
louscafe@exemail.com.au
02 65624869