Garuda Indonesia GM grows with China
Print Edition
Sentot Mujiono, a 47-year-old Indonesian and general manager of Garuda Indonesia in Shanghai, says he hopes Chinese travelers who are visiting his country more often will make his company their top choice of airlines, too.
Indonesian Sentot Mujiono has witnessed the growth of Garuda Indonesia airline for more than two decades. For the past five years, he has been watching that growth while based in China.
Now that Indonesia has become one of the most popular holiday destinations for Chinese people, Mujiono hopes “The Airline of Indonesia” will become the No. 1 choice for Chinese travelers.
As general manager of Garuda in Shanghai, the 47-year-old believes that getting to know a country starts with experience with the country’s airline companies. In his opinion, Garuda’s advantage is winning customers through their senses: People can feel or touch the environment of Indonesia on board; hear traditional folk music during the flight; see the cabin crew wearing Indonesia batik; taste the country’s food and beverages on board; and smell traditional aromatic fragrances at the company’s ticket offices.
“We believe taking Garuda’s flights will help people find the uniqueness of Indonesia,” said Mujiono.
The company has daily flights from Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou to Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. But to Mujiono, that’s not enough. He said the company hopes that not only will Chinese customers fly Garuda from China to Indonesia, but within Indonesia, or even to Australia.
“China is a huge market, so we want to grow here more than we have,” he said. “We’re also considering opening new routes in secondary cities in China, such as Chengdu and Chongqing. New aircraft will be put into operation in the Chinese market to make our customers more comfortable.”
Garuda serves Chinese routes with the Airbus 330-200, but as of November, it will fly the Boeing 777 from Shanghai to Jakarta.
“We revitalize our aircraft fleet frequently,” said Mujiono. “The average age of the aircraft serving our routes is five years.”
He said most Chinese customers love group travel to control costs. Some are price sensitive and some pay more attention to service, so the company combines both, providing good service with competitive prices.
Garuda has been recognized as the World’s Best Economy Airline and the World’s Best Seat Economy Airline this year by SKYTRAX, a United Kingdom-based consultancy, which runs an airline-and-airport review and ranking site.
“Providing good service in economic cabins helps us attract Chinese customers as the volume of out-bound tourists in China has increased rapidly for the past several years,” said Mujiono.
In 2008, more than 40 million people on the Chinese mainland traveled overseas, and that number doubled last year. Meanwhile, Indonesia, especially Bali Island, is among the favorite overseas travel destinations and honeymoon destinations for Chinese people.
For the past 25 years, Mujiono has worked in several different posts for Garuda. He started in reservations and ticketing, to sales and marketing, then to sales manager, and finally became a region general manager.
“Garuda is my first company,” he said. “I’m a very loyal employee and the company is totally worth my loyalty.”
Before coming to Shanghai in 2011, he worked as general manager in Beijing and northern China for three years. “As I have spent a long time in China, I have adapted well here, including the environment and weather,” he said. “And my family is also doing well here.”
Mujiono said at first there was something that confused him. For example, Chinese people speak louder in public than Indonesians, but he didn’t know that, and he assumed they were having a fight.
“We were wondering why people always quarreled on the street here,” he said. “But later on we found that it’s just that they were trying to make themselves clear.”
Once he adapted, life became easier. Outside work, Mujiono enjoys playing sports, such as badminton, which Indonesians are proud of, to relax.
“I would like to stay in Shanghai longer and witness more of the company’s growth here as well as the country’s growth,” he said.Q: What is your favorite holiday destination?
It is not easy for me to choose a favorite destination for my holiday. Every place leaves me with a special impression. For Indonesian destinations, I more frequent visit Bali and Jogjakarta, where there are good beaches and traditional heritage.
Q: What do you think is ideal airline service and hotel service?
If we put ourselves in the customer’s position, of course we want to get good service from an airline that makes their passengers comfortable. Going by air is the fastest mode of transportation, so I think all passengers want fast service and convenience. Meanwhile, airline companies see how important customers are. How to win customers’ hearts is the key point for being successful in service industries.
Q: What is your favorite way of travel?
Traveling by air is my favorite choice because it is the most efficient way. For me, time is really limited, and I don’t want to spend too much time getting to a destination, so taking flights is the most ideal for me.
Q: Have you traveled in China and where is your favorite place?
I have visited many places. China is a big country with many resources and beautiful places. I really admire the country’s rapid development and its efforts to protect its historical heritage, maintaining its attraction. I think Guilin, for example, is a great place, I believe there are still many others waiting for me to explore.
Q: What is your motto of life?
Living your life like flowing with the water and always learning from yesterday.
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