Skip to content

Garuda Indonesia (GA) Guide

No reviews yet Airline
Flights from Jakarta and Bali across Indonesia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe, fleet and cabins, baggage, check-in and how to find cheaper Garuda fares. Ask a question
Claim Flag
In short

Garuda Indonesia is the flag carrier of Indonesia, based at Soekarno–Hatta International near Jakarta. It flies to 53 destinations in Indonesia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe, covering both the islands and long-haul links. Garuda is a SkyTeam member and runs GarudaMiles. Cabins are Economy and Business, with First on the Boeing 777.

Garuda Indonesia is Indonesia’s national airline, named after the mythical bird on the country’s coat of arms.

Please note: bookingMentor is an independent travel service and is not affiliated with Garuda Indonesia. Routes, schedules and baggage rules change, so always confirm the details of your booking with the airline.

What to expect

Garuda Indonesia (IATA GA) is the full-service flag carrier of Indonesia, with its head office at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport near Jakarta. It flies across the Indonesian archipelago and to Asia, the Middle East and Australia, and it suits travellers who want a full-service domestic connection to Bali, Sulawesi or Sumatra after a long-haul arrival in Jakarta.

From Indonesian Airways to Garuda

The airline began on 26 January 1949 as Indonesian Airways, and its first flight ran from Calcutta to Yangon during Indonesia's independence struggle. Its first aircraft, a Douglas DC-3 named Seulawah, was bought with money raised by the people of Aceh. The company became Garuda Indonesian Airways on 28 December 1949 and was incorporated on 31 March 1950 as the successor to KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf, a KLM subsidiary. The Indonesian government bought out KLM's shares in 1954. The name comes from Garuda, the bird that carries Vishnu in Hindu mythology, chosen at the suggestion of President Sukarno.

Garuda flew its first Hajj flight to Mecca in 1956 with 40 pilgrims, and Hajj charters remain a large part of its year. Between 2009 and 2014 a five-year plan called Quantum Leap brought a new logo, livery, uniforms and fleet growth, and ended with a Skytrax five-star rating in 2014. Skytrax cut that rating to four stars in 2026.

Ownership and recent years

Garuda has been listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange under the code GIAA since February 2011. At the end of 2025 the state investment manager PT Danantara Asset Management held 92.03 per cent of the shares. In 2025 it reported revenue of about US$3.2 billion and a net loss of about US$319 million, and in November 2025 Danantara approved a capital injection of Rp23.67 trillion.

Jakarta, Denpasar and Makassar hubs

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta is the main hub. Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, and Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar are secondary hubs, and Surabaya is a focus city. In 2025 Garuda served 53 destinations, 38 of them in Indonesia and 15 abroad. Its low-cost subsidiary Citilink, 99.99 per cent owned and flying on its own operating certificate since 2012, takes many shorter domestic routes.

Garuda joined the SkyTeam alliance on 5 March 2014, and it has codeshare agreements with 27 airlines, among them Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Delta. A joint business with Japan Airlines started in April 2025, linking fares and schedules between Indonesia and Japan.

Connecting from international to domestic flights

If you land in Jakarta or Denpasar on an international Garuda flight and connect to a domestic one, you clear immigration and customs at the first Indonesian airport, so leave time before the next departure. Domestic and international flights follow different baggage rules, and the allowance also depends on the fare, so check yours on the Garuda Indonesia website.

Travel tip: if your trip covers several islands, booking the domestic legs on the same Garuda ticket as your international flight keeps your bags checked through and protects the connection.

Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change

Checked against trusted sources:
Garuda official website

See the source
  1. Garuda official website
–/5 No reviews yet
Travelled through Garuda Indonesia? Your review helps other travellers.

Good to know

  • Founded1949
  • Other gatewaysDPS / UPG / SUB
  • Online check-inYes

Everything you should know

Airline codes

GA · GIA

IATA · ICAO · callsign “INDONESIA”

Garuda’s IATA code is GA, its ICAO code is GIA, and the radio callsign is INDONESIA. Type GA and your flight number into a status search to follow a Garuda flight.

Key facts

Main hub

Jakarta (CGK)

Soekarno–Hatta International

Also flies abroad fromDenpasar, Bali (DPS) · Makassar (UPG) · Surabaya (SUB)

Network

53 destinations

Indonesia · Asia · Middle East · Europe

Most of Garuda’s network is domestic, linking Jakarta and Bali with islands across Indonesia; abroad it flies to Asia, Saudi Arabia for Hajj and Umrah, and Amsterdam.

Destinations

Cabin classes

Economy

and Business, First

Economy and Business on most flights, with First class on the Boeing 777-300ER. Garuda sells three classes, though only some aircraft have all of them. First Class arrived in 2013 on the Boeing 777-300ER, with eight suites at the front of the aircraft. Business Class has flat-bed seats in a staggered layout on the wide-bodies. Economy is laid out 3-3 on the 737, 2-4-2 on the A330 and 3-3-3 on the 777. An Economy sleeper product tried on London flights in 2019 has since ended.

Compare cabins

Good to know

Garuda went through a major debt restructuring in 2022 and has since rebuilt its network, ending 2025 with 53 destinations. Its low-cost sister airline is Citilink. Official website: garuda-indonesia.com.

Frequent flyer

GarudaMiles

Member of SkyTeam

Garuda is a SkyTeam member; its programme GarudaMiles earns on Garuda and SkyTeam partners.

How it works

Start a new search

bookingMentor lists GA fares beside the other carriers on the same route, which shows quickly whether Garuda is the cheaper way to reach Denpasar (Bali).

Bon voyage on your next Garuda flight.

Select dates

At a glance

Garuda Indonesia (IATA: GA, ICAO: GIA) is the flag carrier of Indonesia, founded in 1949 and based at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Jakarta. A SkyTeam member, it flies Boeing 777, 737 and Airbus A330 aircraft to about 53 destinations in Indonesia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe, with Economy, Business and, on the 777, First class.

Key facts about Garuda Indonesia
HeadquartersGaruda City Center, Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten
Fleet typesBoeing 777-300ER, Airbus A330, Boeing 737-800
Frequent flyerGarudaMiles
Official websitegaruda-indonesia.com

Flight routes

Destinations and routes

Direct routes
These are the cities on Garuda’s published route map. Timetables change through the year, so check the Garuda schedule before you plan around a route. Search flights

Indonesia

Jakarta (CGK) departures7 destinations

Check all

Fleet and aircraft

Garuda had 78 aircraft on 31 December 2025. The long-haul and regional wide-body fleet was eight Boeing 777-300ERs and 24 Airbus A330s: three A330-200s, 16 A330-300s and five A330-900s. Domestic and short international routes use 45 Boeing 737-800s and one 737 MAX 8. The group's own maintenance company, GMF AeroAsia, looks after the fleet.

  • Boeing 777-300ER Wide-body · 8 Long-haul and Hajj/Umrah routes
  • Airbus A330-200 Wide-body Asia, Australia and the Middle East
  • Airbus A330-300 Wide-body Asia, Australia and the Middle East
  • Airbus A330-900 Wide-body Asia, Australia and the Middle East
  • Boeing 737-800 Narrow-body · 45 Domestic and short regional routes
  • Boeing 737 MAX 8 Narrow-body · 1 Domestic routes

Cabin classes

Garuda sells three cabins, Economy, Business and First. The aircraft and route decide which Garuda cabins you can book.

Economy All flights

Full service, even on domestic routes

Garuda is a full-service airline, so Economy includes a meal or snack and checked baggage on most fares.

Meals and drinksChecked bag includedSeat selection

Business Most aircraft

Flat-bed seats on long-haul wide-bodies

Business adds lounge access, priority check-in and boarding, more baggage and an upgraded meal service.

Lounge accessPriority servicesExtra baggage

First Boeing 777-300ER

A small premium cabin

First class is available only on the 777-300ER.

Private suite-style seatFine diningChauffeur services where offered

GarudaMiles

Earn points on GA flights with GarudaMiles, which you can join on the Garuda website.

Members earn miles on Garuda and SkyTeam partner flights and redeem them for award tickets and upgrades. SkyTeam status earned with GarudaMiles is recognised across the alliance.

The loyalty programme is GarudaMiles. Members earn miles on Garuda flights and on SkyTeam partner flights, and can spend them on Garuda reward tickets.

Baggage allowance

On Garuda, the bag allowance follows your fare type, cabin and route, and the exact figure is printed on your GA e-ticket.

Checked baggage
On your e-ticket
Cabin baggage
Depends on fare
Extra bags
Cheaper before you fly
Power banks
Cabin bag only

Allowances differ between domestic and international flights and by cabin and fare. Flights to Saudi Arabia for Hajj and Umrah often have their own rules, including for Zamzam water.

Pro tip: check your e-ticket for the exact allowance; domestic connections in Indonesia may follow the domestic rule.
Travel day

Online Check-in

Here is the order to follow for a GA flight: check in, sort your documents, meet the airport deadline and drop your bags.

  • Online check-in available
  1. Step 1

    Check in online

    Use garuda-indonesia.com or app to check in for eligible flights. Have your Garuda booking reference or e-ticket number and your surname ready.

    Booking ref + surname
  2. Step 2

    Prepare your documents

    Before leaving for the airport, check that your passport is valid and that you hold any visa or entry document needed at the other end of your Garuda flight. Domestic GA passengers should bring a photo ID the airline accepts.

    Passport · visa · ID
  3. Step 3

    Arrive early

    Each airport has its own Garuda check-in and bag-drop deadline, listed in your booking. Allow extra time for busy terminals and international GA departures.

    Well before departure
  4. Step 4

    Drop your bags

    At the airport, take your bags to the Garuda bag-drop point. Collect a printed GA boarding pass there if you have not saved one to your phone.

    Garuda counter
Ready to check in? Check in and manage your booking on the official Garuda website.
Check in with Garuda
Save money

Cheap tickets

Garuda fares out of Jakarta move with the season and the fare brand. These habits help keep the price down.

  1. 01

    Try midweek GA flights

    Compare a full week of Garuda departures; midweek days are often priced below Fridays and Sundays.

    Midweek flights
  2. 02

    Avoid peak seasons

    Fares and demand spike around Lebaran (Eid al-Fitr) and year-end holidays as Indonesians travel home.

    Lebaran (Eid)
  3. 03

    Check what each Garuda fare includes

    The lowest GA fare is not always the cheapest trip once bags and seats are added. Compare the fare types before you pay.

    Baggage & changes
  4. 04

    Compare with Citilink

    Garuda’s low-cost sister Citilink flies many of the same domestic routes.

    Domestic routes

  5. Ready to compare fares?

    Search Garuda alongside every other airline on your route, with flexible dates.

    Search Garuda flights

Reviews and questions

Contribute:
No reviews yetFlown Garuda Indonesia recently? Be the first to share your experience with other travellers.

Visitors are asking

Still looking?

Get an answer from the bookingMentor travel team and travellers who have flown Garuda.

Need help?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Everything travellers ask before flying Garuda Indonesia.
Checked against garuda-indonesia.com and public aviation references, with a review each season.

Getting there

Yes. Garuda Indonesia has been a SkyTeam member since 2014. Eligible passengers can earn and redeem miles on SkyTeam airlines such as Delta, Air France, KLM and Korean Air, and use partner lounges where their status or ticket allows.

General