Garuda Indonesia is the second-largest airline of Indonesia and a member of SkyTeam. This carrier will be able to fly to more than 90 destinations across Indonesia, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Even though Garuda doesn’t fly to the United States, it will service popular locations like Bali and Amsterdam. Additionally, Garuda Indonesia is recognized as Skytrax as the Best Regional Airline Worldwide.
Check out our list of credit card bonuses here.
With GarudaMiles, it’s the airline’s frequent flyer program, letting members earn and spend miles on flights, upgrades, and more with their partners.
Read below for more information on what you need to know about Garuda Indonesia and their frequent flyer program.
GarudaMiles Quick Facts
Hubs | Jakarta, Bali, Makassar, Medan |
Alliance | SkyTeam |
Redemption Options | Flights, upgrades, shopping vouchers, COVID-19 testing, donations |
Average Mile Value | $0.0008 |
Featured Airline Credit Card
The United Explorer Card offers 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. You'll earn: • Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays, and United purchases • Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining including eligible delivery services Perks of this card include: • Getting up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit • Get your first bag checked for free (up to $140 savings per roundtrip). Terms apply. • Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary • 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks • Get one-year complimentary DashPass, a membership for both DoorDash and Caviar that provides unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders. After that, you are automatically enrolled in DashPass at the current monthly rate. Activate by 12/31/24. This card does come with a $95 annual fee, however, the annual fee is waived for the first year. |
GarudaMiles Elite Status
When you sign up for GarduaMiles and take one flight with Garuda Indonesia, you’ll automatically become a Blue member. Plus, you can move up status tiers when you get enough Tier Miles within a 12-month period.
Status Tier | Tier Miles Required |
Silver | 10,000 |
Gold | 20,000 |
Platinum | 30,000 |
Status benefits will be:
Blue | Silver | Gold | Platinum | |
Welcome bonus | up to 1K miles | |||
Tier bonus | 25% | 25% | ||
Priority waitlist | x | x | x | x |
Baggage allowance | 5kg | 15kg | 20kg | |
Dedicated check-in counter | x | x | x | |
Priority boarding | x | x | ||
Free Garuda Executive Lounge access | x | |||
Priority baggage handling | x | |||
Special mileage gift renewal | x |
Earning GarudaMiles
Earn GarudaMiles Tier and Award Miles when you fly with Garuda Indonesia and all SkyTeam airlines:
- Aeroflot
- Aerolineas Argentinas
- Aeromexico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- Alitalia
- China Airlines
- China Eastern
- Czech Airlines
- Delta
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- MEA
- Saudia
- TAROM
- Vietnam Airlines
- Xiamen Air
You can also earn miles with non-SkyTeam partner airlines, including ANA and Etihad Airways.
The amount of miles you’ll get for your flight depends on which airline you’re flying as well as the ticket fare class.
Earn GarudaMiles when you:
- Book your stay at Trip.com, Swiss-Belhotel, Melia, AYANA and more.
- Book your vacation with Garuda Indonesia Holidays.
- Shop onboard a Garuda Indonesia flight, or at Grand Indonesia, Pacific Place and RebateMango.
If you find yourself short on miles for an award, you can purchase 1,000 miles for $30. GarudaMiles allows a maximum purchase of 100,000 miles per calendar year.
Redeeming GarudaMiles
GarudaMiles expire after 36 months of inactivity. To keep your account active, make sure to earn or burn miles at least once every three years.
Use your GarudaMiles for free flights with Garuda Indonesia and their airline partners. Bear in mind, you must adhere to the following procedure:
- Contact a Garuda Call Center to place a hold on your ticket.
- Download the award ticket application form from the Garuda website and sign it.
- Submit the form with your GarudaMiles membership card and proof of identity to a Garuda Indonesia Sales Office (Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, New York City) in person.
- Return to the office and claim your ticket, which must be in person.
The process to upgrade with miles is similar, but with a different form to fill out and submit.
You can also redeem your GarudaMiles for:
- CMK Jewelry shopping vouchers
- PCR swab and antigen services
- Charitable donations
GarudaMiles Best Redemptions
The best way to redeem your GarudaMiles is for short-haul domestic flights on Garuda and Citilink. You won’t find a better deal if you want to explore Indonesia.
Conclusion
When you use Garuda Indonesia, it’s not the most popular airline there is. Nor does it serve any cities in the United States. With this in mind, GarudaMiles can be a valuable program if you plan to travel to any of the destinations they fly to.
But, it will not give you many ways to earn GarudaMiles. For a better earning rate, consider Flying Blue. The Air France/KLM frequent flyer program allows point transfers from American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards.