PT (Persero) Perusahaan Penerbangan Garuda Indonesia is the national airline of Indonesia. It is named after the mythical bird Garuda. In Indian Vedic tradition, Garuda is the carrier of the Hindu god Vishnu; a representation of Garuda appears in the coat of arms of Indonesia. The airline is based in Jakarta at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, with hubs at Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, Polonia International Airport, Medan, Sepinggan International Airport, Balikpapan, and Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore.The airline flies to a number of destinations in South-East,East Asia, the Middle East and Australia. It also previously flew to several destinations in Europe. However, as of June 2008, Garuda, along with all Indonesian airlines, is banned from flying to the EU. It is wholly owned by the Indonesian Government and employs 6,285 staff (as of March 2007).
In-flight services
Garuda Indonesia is a full-service airline, in contrast with the ‘no frills’ low-cost carrier. The class configuration is divided into executive (business) and economy class. The airline lacks products often associated with the top international airlines, such as personal TV screens in all classes and business class seats which convert into beds. However, the introduction of such products may become viable in the coming years due to the recent restructuring and consolidation of the airline, which has delivered good profits in the first half of 2007.
Executive Class
Executive Class is available on board all Garuda Indonesia aircraft with seat pitch ranging from 41-58″. On selected aircraft, in-seat TVs are available. A range of hot and cold food and beverages is available, and snacks or meals are offered depending on the length of the flight. Fine wines are offered on international flights.
Economy Class
Similarly, Economy Class is available on board all Garuda Indonesia aircraft. Seat pitch ranges from 30-35″ depending on the aircraft. Hot and cold meals or snacks and beverages, are offered depending on the length of the flight. Fine wines are offered on international flights.
In-flight entertainment
In-flight entertainment is available on board selected aircraft. Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 747-400 aircraft feature cabin screens with Airshow, a moving map system to allow passengers to track the progress of their flight, as well as feature films and short movies. Audio programming is also available.
In addition, Garuda Indonesia ordered 10 Boeing 777-300ER and 50 Boeing 737-800 during the Singapore Airshow. These new aircraft will be fitted with a new in-flight entertainment program and a new cabin ambience.
Newspapers and magazines
Newspapers and magazines are provided to all passengers on board Garuda Indonesia flights free of charge. An in-flight magazine, Garuda In-Flight Magazine, is also available as free reading material.
Destinations
Garuda currently operates flights to a total of 43 destinations (23 domestic, 20 international) throughout East and South East Asia, Australia and the Middle East, with Australia and Japan being vital tourism markets.
Codeshare
Garuda Indonesia also offers flights to 13 other international destinations through code-share agreements with:
China Airlines
China Southern Airlines
Gulf Air
Hainan Airlines
Korean Air
Singapore Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Philippine Airlines
Qatar Airways
SilkAir
Vietnam Airlines
Oman Air
Ticketing
A 24-hour call center is available for local customer access and is a means of booking flights since the airline’s website does not handle bookings. However, passengers from worldwide can also book all Garuda flights online via http://garuda-indonesia.co.uk. It is the airline’s official UK-website. The e-ticket system (using paperless or electronic tickets) has been introduced on all domestic flights and flights to Singapore originating from Jakarta. This system computerizes the ticketing method, in which a traditional paper ticket is no longer required.
Frequent flyer program
Garuda Frequent Flyer was launched in September 1999.In 2005, Garuda Indonesia relaunched its frequent flyer program called Garuda Frequent Flyer (GFF) with a new look, new benefits, and new services. The new program allows members to earn miles on domestic and international flights and has four tiers of membership covering GFF Junior, Blue, Silver, Gold, and Platinum benefit levels. New services for GFF members include a new website at http://gff.garuda-indonesia.com, including an on-line mileage calculator for earning and redemption, on-line mileage balance, on-line personal profile management, and downloadable forms.
Executive Lounge
The Garuda Executive Lounge is open to passengers travelling in Executive Class, as well as those holding a Gold or Platinum Garuda Frequent Flyer card. Passengers with an Executive Card Plus card or Garuda Indonesia Citibank credit card can also gain access to the lounge. Lounges are located at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and throughout Indonesia,offering food and drinks, wireless internet, showers, meeting rooms and business services.
Jakarta Indonesia
