In case anyone reading this was expecting to head for Bali on Garuda from Brisbane today, this may explain what happened to the plane which should have come in from Auckland.
We have just returned from Auckland airport after a nightmare of a day. We boarded at 1 pm and sat in a totally full plane on the tarmac for three hours before we were advised that there was a mechanical fault. During that 3 hours the inside temperature ranged from icy cold to stinking hot. Because it is school holidays the plane had a great many distressed children and their even more distressed parents on board. We were disembarked at 4pm and were each given a $8 food voucher (which buys about half a glass of water at Auckland airport) but told nothing. Then we were all left sitting in the departure lounge with zero communication from Garuda for another 4 hours until advised that we would be taken to a hotel unless we wanted to go home. No advice at all given about when the replacement plane would be leaving or what hotel it would be or whatever. Anyway we then waited outside the terminal at 9pm with about 300 other passengers for the promised bus to take us to a hotel. After half an hour the bus had not turned up so we got a taxi home. It was a complete shambles and made worse by a total lack of any communication from Garuda to the passengers.
Anyway, we are home now and will be heading back to the airport tomorrow morning.
Come back Qantas, all is forgiven.