Garuda's better way to Bali

Bali is a most multifarious of destinations, so it's no surprise that while many of us think of it as a place for a budget getaway - for lazing by the pool, bargaining at the markets and buzzing about on scooters, all at bargain prices - for a great many travellers, it's the last word in luxury, a land of six-star resorts and exclusive villas, all with a price tag to match.

So, while plenty of holiday- makers, even those of us splashing a fair bit of cash on accommodation, are happy to seek out one of the numerous budget-airline options prominent on the Perth-Bali route, others might prefer to pay a little more for a more comfortable option for the 3 1/2-hour flight. To start their holiday relaxation the moment they step on the plane, rather than when they step off it at Denpasar.

This is the thinking at Garuda Airlines which, since September, has operated its Perth-Denpasar flights with an Airbus A330. Comfort was a key driver behind the move - the A330 is a wide-bodied aircraft, in contrast to the narrow-bodied planes used by its competitors on the route, so it provides a more spacious seating configuration in economy and, in business, lie-flat seating.

What's more, the flight times for the route were tweaked to make them a little friendlier to travellers in holiday mode. The flight now leaves Perth slightly later, at 7.50am, arriving in Bali at 11.35am. The return flight departs Denpasar at 7pm and arrives in Perth at the earlier time of 10.50pm.

Add to that the fact that Garuda is a full-service airline - meaning things such as meals are included in the ticket price - and that its included baggage allowance is notably generous, allowing for 30kg per passenger in economy class and 40kg in business, plus a free sporting goods allowance of 23kg for golf clubs, surfboards and the likes, and it sounds like a promising proposition.

All very good in theory, and when I board the flight one Friday morning a couple of weeks ago, things get off to a promising start. I'm welcomed warmly by the cabin crew, elegantly decked out in shades of orange, bright blue, turquoise and magenta, and find I have not one but two business-class seats all to myself, which strikes me as just about the luckiest a person could be on a plane.

I'm offered a warm towel on a little bamboo tray and a choice of orange juice or champagne - given the hour, I choose the former, though I notice a woman across the aisle getting heartily stuck in to a flute of the latter.

Wi-fi is available aboard (from about $3 for 3MB of data) but I break out the very snugly blanket - more a doona, really - and amuse myself with looking through the toiletry bag, which is full of nice stuff by L'Occitane, and perusing the breakfast menu. This morning there's a choice of chive omelette with grilled chicken sausage, potato rosti and cherry tomato; Indonesian coconut rice with stir-fried chicken in sambal, boiled egg and spicy peanut sauce; or buttermilk pancakes with berry compote and crushed pistachios.

Once we're in the air, the in-flight entertainment is switched on. The selection of movies and TV shows is diverse and while it's not as exhaustive as, say, Emirates' excellent ICE system, given the flight is relatively short, there's more than enough. (There's also a selection of music, radio shows and games.)

The introduction of the A330 on this route has come at a time of growth for Garuda in the Perth market, with the airline having also launched a connection from Perth through to London Gatwick via Jakarta and Amsterdam.

The new routes and new aircraft are part of its ongoing Quantum Leap program, announced in 2009 to get the airline back on track after a difficult period of economic setbacks and safety troubles, with the overall aim of boosting annual passenger numbers from 10.1 million at the launch of the program to 27.6 million by next year.

Disembarking in Bali, I think back to the last time I landed at Denpasar, when I'd been squashed on a window seat with no in-flight entertainment, the distinctive smell of a stranger's feet wafting in my direction as I ate a packet of chips I'd paid well over the odds to buy aboard.

That flight was pretty cheap, of course, but today I can appreciate that there's a value in arriving feeling fresh, relaxed and ready for anything.

• fact file *

·Return fares from Perth to Denpasar with Garuda Indonesia start from $1408 in business class. garuda-indonesia.com or 9214 5100.

Gemma Nisbet was a guest of Garuda Indonesia.