Garuda Indonesia is the second-largest airline of Indonesia and a member of SkyTeam. The carrier flies to over 90 destinations across Indonesia, Asia, Europe and Australia. Although Garuda does not fly to the United States, it does service popular destinations like Bali and Amsterdam. Plus, Garuda Indonesia has been recognized as Skytrax as the Best Regional Airline Worldwide.
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GarudaMiles is the airline’s frequent flyer program, letting members earn and spend miles on flights, upgrades and more, with Garuda and its partners. Keep reading for everything you need to know about GarudaMiles.
| Hubs | Jakarta, Bali, Makassar, Medan |
| Alliance | SkyTeam |
| Redemption Options | Flights, upgrades, shopping vouchers, COVID-19 testing, donations |
| Average Mile Value | $0.0008 |
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CHASE UNITED℠ EXPLORER CARD
The Chase United℠ Explorer Card from Chase has an offer for up to 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 total in the first 3 months. We value these 50k miles at around $700.
The card earns 2X miles on dining and eligible delivery services, hotel stays and United® purchases. United purchases include:
- Tickets
- Economy Plus
- Inflight food, beverages, Wi-Fi
- Other United charges
You’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Other benefits include up to $100 as a statement credit for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck™ application fee every 4 years. You and a traveling companion on the same reservation will each receive the first standard checked bag free. This card provides priority boarding privileges and 2 one-time passes each year to United Clubs.
The Chase United Explorer Card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 thereafter.
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GarudaMiles Elite Status
When you join GarudaMiles and take one flight with Garuda Indonesia, you’ll automatically become a Blue member. Move up status tiers when you collect enough Tier Miles within a 12-month period:
| STATUS TIER | TIER MILES REQUIRED |
| Silver | 10,000 |
| Gold | 20,000 |
| Platinum | 30,000 |
Status benefits include:
| 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.
Bottom Line
Garuda Indonesia isn’t a popular airline, nor does it serve any cities in the United States. That said, GarudaMiles can be a valuable program if you plan to travel to Indonesia.
However, it doesn’t provide many ways to earn GarudaMiles. For better earning potential, 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.
READ MORE: SEE THE BEST BANK BONUSES HERE AND THE BEST INVESTING BONUSES HERE.
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