Avoid Batik Air for Time-Sensitive Travel
I rarely leave negative reviews, but my experience with Batik Air was so poor that I feel other travellers should be warned. My journey was marked by repeated delays, poor communication, conflicting itinerary information, and a clear lack of professionalism from Batik Air staff. On 4 July, I was booked on Flight OD194 from Perth to Kuala Lumpur, scheduled to depart at 11:59 pm. The departure was delayed multiple times, first to 3:15 am and then again to 3:50 am. As a result, I missed my 9:30 am connecting flight to Mumbai. What made the situation worse was the lack of communication. The check-in staff had little useful information to provide, leaving passengers unable to plan properly or understand what was happening. Batik Air provided me with a meal voucher, but when I requested temporary accommodation during the long wait in Kuala Lumpur, that request was refused. In the end, my travel agent, Gotogate, had to step in and rebook me onto a Malaysia Airlines flight departing at 7:35 pm. Another major issue was the conflicting itinerary information Batik Air sent me for my return journey. The itinerary written in the body of the email was different from the itinerary shown in the attached electronic e-ticket. The attached electronic e-ticket was the correct version, which made the email itself misleading and unprofessional. Passengers should not be sent two different versions of the same booking, especially for an international journey. The return journey was no better. My Flight OD216 from Mumbai was scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 7:00 am but did not land until about 8:37 am. My onward Flight OD193 from Kuala Lumpur to Perth, scheduled to depart at 2:00 pm, was then delayed until 5:00 pm. By that point, it was obvious that this was not a one-off problem but a pattern of disruption across the trip. The customer service throughout was also disappointing. The ground staff showed very little engagement with passengers, and even basic courtesies often seemed absent. The cabin crew appeared underprepared, with repeated mistakes during announcements followed by multiple apologies. Overall, the service felt disorganised and well below the standard expected of an international airline. This trip was especially important to me because I was travelling to India to see my seriously ill grandfather. Every hour mattered, and Batik Air's delays cost me valuable time with him that I can never get back. Delays can happen with any airline. What matters is how the airline communicates, supports passengers, and handles disruptions. In my experience, Batik Air failed badly on all three. Based on this experience, I would strongly advise travellers to avoid Batik Air, especially for international or time-sensitive travel