Inflight Review : Pelita Air Flight IP988; Inflight Pictures : Flight IP989

 Review, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Review : Pelita Air is a low-cost but free-meal service airline. Flights depart on time. There is only one standard free meal onboard its Flight IP988 to Changi from Cengkareng, i.e. milk custard bread, which is better than Cambodia Airways' free tasteless cake on the Sanya flight.

The safety cards are beautiful in design. The colourful barf bag is original open. Pelita Air is the second airline after Parata Air of South Korea to provide original open barf bags.

There is no inflight duty-free service on Pelita Air's international flight although Pelita Air provides PAS Sky Shop, its inflight duty-free magazine, in seat pockets. The duty-free items including the foldable tote bag with side pockets are only for sale onboard the airline's flights to Denpasar.

The air hostesses and host can speak English very well.

The outbound flight IP989 for Cengkareng also departs on time.

Pelita Air only flies once a day daily to Changi from Cengkareng at 7.20 am. It should increase its flight frequency to Changi to meet demand.

Book Pelita Air tickets on its web-site in Bahasa Indonesia or through third-party platforms such as Trip and Agoda.

Rating : ***

Inflight Review : TransNusa A320 on 5 March 2025 vs TransNusa A321 on 6 June 2026

 Review, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Photos below taken on TransNusa A320 in 2025 in Singapore, mid-air and Cengkareng in 2025:

Photos below taken on TransNusa A321 on 6 June 2026 in KLIA, mid-air and Cengkareng:

Review : TransNusa claims that it has upgraded its service to be on par with a premium airline. However from the way the airline is cutting costs, it is battling increasing costs of service. In 2025, its onboard menu was made of thick plastic but in 2026  it has chosen to laminate its onboard menu instead, as seen in the double-sided laminated onboard menu in the seat pocket.

It is not easy to manage booking on TransNusa's web-site. Costs of checked-in baggage and food selection are quoted in Japanese Yen whereas the currency use to pay for such services is in Indonesian Rupiah. To increase the frequency of web-site use to book ancillary services, TransNusa should consider making improvements in ancillary on-line booking such as to quote the payment in Indonesian Rupiah, Malaysian Ringgit. Singapore Dollars or Chinese Renminbi.

Next, there is nothing to read onboard TransNusa A320, A321 and Comac C909 planes. There are also no barf bags in each seat pocket. 

There is room for service improvement at TransNusa. 

Rating : **

Arkia Israeli Airlines launches flight to Narita on 25 October 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Arkia Israeli Airlines launches scheduled flight from Tel Aviv to Narita on 25 October 2026.

On 25 October 2026, according to schedules, Arkia flight IZ881 departs from Tel Aviv for Narita at 4.15 pm, touches down in Narita at 11.30 am on 26 October 2026 before leaving Narita for Tel Aviv at 1.30 pm and arriving in Tel Aviv at 9 pm under flight IZ882.

The above schedules are effective for travel on Sundays to Narita and on Mondays to Tel Aviv.

Arkia also flies to Narita on Wednesdays but at different timing: Flight IZ991 leaves Tel Aviv for Narita at 1 am, lands in Narita at 8.15 am before IZ992 takes off for Tel Aviv from Narita at 11 pm and lands in Tel Aviv at 6.30 am on Thursdays.

The airline flies to Narita with an Airbus A330-200 leased from Hi-Fly.

Vietjet Air postpones inaugural flight to Cam Ranh to 11 December 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Vietjet Air has postponed Changi Airport inaugural flight to Cam Ranh to 11 December 2026 from 1 June 2026.

Thai Vietjet Air launches flight to KLIA on 9 October 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Thai Vietjet Air launches daily scheduled flight from Suvarnabhumi to KLIA on 9 October 2026.

On 9 October 2026, according to schedules, That Vietjet Air flight VZ680 takes off from Suvarnabhumi for KLIA at 11 am, touches down in KLIA at 2.10 pm before leaving KLIA for Suvarnabhumi at 3.15 pm under flight VZ681 and arriving in Suvarnabhumi at 4.30 pm.

The airline flies to KLIA with its 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Tigerair Taiwan adds new routes including to Komatsu in September 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Regular JATA Tourism Expo airline exhibitor Tigerair Taiwan launches new routes from Kaohsiung in September 2026. 

From 2 September 2026 (Tuesday), Tigerair Taiwan flies twice a week from Kaohsiung to Ishigaki on Wednesdays and Sundays with flight IT762 taking off from Kaohsiung for Ishigaki at 8.15 am, touching down in Ishigaki at 10.10 am while IT763 leaves Ishigaki for Kaohsiung at 11 am and arrives in Kaohsiung at 11.10 am local time.

From 3 September 2026 (Wednesday), Tigerair Taiwan flies regularly to Komatsu from Kaohsiung on Wednesdays and Sundays at different timings.

The Wednesday schedules are as follows:-

Flight IT294 leaves Kaohsiung for Komatsu at 8 am, arrives in Komatsu at 12.05 pm before departing from Komatsu for Kaohsiung under flight IT295 at 12.55 pm and landing in Kaohsiung at 3.25 pm.

The Sunday schedules are as follows:-

Flight IT294 departs for Komatsu from kaohsiung at 8.15 am, lands in Komatsu at 12.15 pm before IT295 takes off for Kaohsiung at 1.05 pm and arrives in Kaohsiung at 3.25 pm.

The above flights are operated by Tigerair Taiwan's A320-series jets.

JATA Tourism Expo 2026 takes place at Tokyo Big Sight from 24 to 27 September 2026. The first two days are opened to tourism industry business visitors and tourism media while the last two days are opened to all.

TransNusa launches Cengkareng-Cebu-Pudong flight on 8 July 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Indonesian airline TransNusa launches scheduled flight from Cengkareng to Pudong via Cebu on 8 July 2026.

On 8 July 2026, according to schedules, TransNusa flight 8B801 departs from Cengkareng for Pudong via Cebu at 4.50 pm, stops over in Cebu at 9.20 pm before leaving Cebu for Pudong at 9.55 pm and arriving in Pudong at 1.35 am on 9 July 2026.

On 9 July 2026, outbound flight 8B802 leaves Pudong for Cengkareng via Cebu at 2.35 am, stops over in Cebu at 6.35 am before taking off from Cebu for Cengkareng at 7.10 am and landing in Cengkareng Terminal 3 at 9.40 am.

TransNusa flies to Cebu and Pudong with its Comac C909 aircraft on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It returns to Cengkareng on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Neos launches flight to Phuket via Budapest on 22 February 2027

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Neos launches scheduled charter flight from Milan to Phuket via Budapest on 22 February 2027 and leaves Phuket for Milan on 23 February 2027.

On 22 February 2027, according to schedules, Neos flight NO126 departs from Milan for Phuket via Budapest at 9.30 am, stops over in Budapest at 11.05 am before taking off from Budapest for Phuket at 12.30 pm and landing in Phuket at 6 am on 23 February 2027.

Later on 23 February 2027, flight NO127 takes off from Phuket for Milan non-stop at 8 am and arrives in Milan at 2.15 pm on 24 February 2026.

Neos flies to Budapest on Mondays and arrives in Phuket on Tuesdays before returning to Milan on Wednesdays with its 787-9 Dreamliner.

Belavia launches flight to Mattala on 27 October 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Belavia Belarusian Airlines is continuing route expansion to Asia. On 27 October 2026, it launches non-stop scheduled flight to Mattala, the airport of the port of Hambantota in Sri Lanka, from Minsk.

On 27 October 2026, according to schedules, Belavia flight B2791 departs from Minsk for Mattala at 12.50 am, touches down in Mattala at 12.40 pm local time before leaving Mattala for Minsk at 2.40 pm under flight B2792 and arriving in Minsk at 10.10 pm local time.

Belavia Belarusian Airlines flies to Mattala on Tuesdays with its A330-200 jet.

EL AL resumes flight to San Francisco on 25 October 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

EL AL Israel Airlines resumes scheduled flight from Tel Aviv to San Francisco on 25 October 2026.

On 25 October 2026, according to schedules, EL AL flight LY49 departs from Tel Aviv for San Francisco at 1.05 am, touches down in San Francisco at 6 am before leaving San Francisco for Tel Aviv at 2 pm and arriving in Tel Aviv on 26 October 2026 at 1.40 pm under flight LY50.

EL AL flies to San Francisco on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays with its 787-9 Dreamliner.