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Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles Program Review

Andy Shuman

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July 3, 2020

Garuda Indonesia isn’t well-known in the United States. It doesn’t serve any cities in America, and it has a relatively small footprint, with only 21 international destinations in 14 countries. But this luxurious airline is worth getting to know, particularly if you’re traveling to Indonesia. Its frequent flyer program, GarudaMiles, offers excellent redemption rates on domestic flights within the country.

One major hurdle to using GarudaMiles is that award tickets cannot be booked online or by phone; you have to go to a Garuda ticketing office. The airline’s U.S. offices are limited to New York, Chicago, Houston and Encino, California.

While Garuda can’t compete with the number of routes offered by major airlines, it does compete in quality. Garuda was ranked eighth in Skytrax’s top 10 airlines of 2015, above the well-respected Taiwanese carrier Eva Air and Australia’s Qantas Airways.

Garuda’s fleet is one of the youngest in the industry, with an average aircraft age of only four years. It’s growing, too. By the end of 2015, Garuda will have added 15 planes, to a total of 145.

GarudaMiles best redemption rates are on domestic flights within Indonesia.

How Can You Use GarudaMiles?

In addition to being a SkyTeam member, Garuda is a partner with ANA, Jet Airways and Etihad Airways. You can also use GarudaMiles with the airline’s domestic subsidiary, Citilink.

GarudaMiles is a distance-based program with a separate award chart for every partner, but they all have similar redemption rates. Here is the chart for Delta, which is representative of redemptions on all partners:

Garuda doesn’t publish an award chart for its own flights; instead, it has a mileage calculator.

Program Perks:

Kids’ frequent flyer program available
300 miles for enrolling in GarudaMiles
Excellent redemption rates for domestic flights on Citilink
Comfortable seats and outstanding service in all classes
Citi ThankYou transfer partner
One-way awards allowed

Program Quirks:

Award tickets must be booked at a Garuda ticketing office
Expensive award flights for most routes
Fuel surcharges

Best Value Awards:

The best GarudaMiles redemptions are for short-haul domestic flights on Garuda and Citilink. If you want to explore Indonesia, you won’t find a better deal.

Worst Value Awards:

Long-haul award flights on Garuda and its partners are expensive. A business class round-trip ticket between the U.S. and Indonesia costs 220,000 miles each way. That’s 40 percent more than United Airlines charges for partner flights.

The Good Stuff: Upgrades and Elite Status

You can use miles to upgrade cash tickets one class: from economy to business, or from business to first. You can’t upgrade an award ticket.

Award chart for flights between Jakarta and Amsterdam

Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles Elite Levels and Perks

GarudaMiles has three elite levels: Silver, Gold and Platinum. The base level, Blue, is assigned upon enrollment.

Each level includes the perks of the previous level.

Silver: Preferred check-in counter in some domestic airports; ability to redeem miles for lounge access; 5 kg of excess luggage; priority reservation wait list; preferred seating
Gold: Executive class check-in counter; free domestic lounge access for member; free lounge access for one guest on international flights; 15 kg of excess luggage; priority boarding, baggage handling and standby; 25 percent bonus miles on flights
Platinum: Free domestic, international and business class lounge access for member and one guest; 20 kg of excess luggage; mileage gift on membership anniversary

Associated Credit Cards

Garuda Indonesia does not offer a co-branded credit card for U.S. residents.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

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How to Reach SkyTeam Elite Status Using Credit Cards

Andy Shuman

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June 25, 2020

Did you know you can get elite status on an alliance? Well you can. Here’s how to achieve it on SkyTeam. There are 20 member airlines that make up SkyTeam Alliance: Aeroflot, Aerolíneas Argentinas, AeroMéxico, AirEuropa, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Delta, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, and XIAMENAIR.

Benefits of SkyTeam Tier Status

SkyTeam has only two levels: SkyTeam Elite and SkyTeam Elite Plus. SkyTeam Elite has only a few benefits, but one of them is quite tangible – the Extra baggage allowance:

Priority check-in
Priority seating
Priority boarding
Priority airport standby
Extra baggage allowance: 22 lbs or one extra piece

While an extra baggage allowance is a nice benefit, the real value comes with attaining the Elite Plus level. SkyTeam Elite Plus includes all the benefits of SkyTeam Elite plus the following perks:Guaranteed reservations on sold-out flights:

SkyPriority recognition
Priority at transfer desks
Priority at immigration and security lanes
Priority baggage handling
Access to over 600 airport SkyTeam lounges worldwide for member and a guest
Extra baggage allowance: 44 pounds or one extra piece

Earning SkyTeam Elite Status With Delta

Delta Silver status gets you SkyTeam Elite
Delta Gold, Platinum and Diamond get you SkyTeam Elite Plus

To reach Silver, you will need 25,000 MQMs (Medallion Qualification Miles) or 30 MQSs (Medallion Qualification Segments ) and $3,000 MQDs (Medallion Qualification Dollars). To reach Gold, you will need 50,000 MQMs or 60 MQSs and $6,000 MQDs. Reaching Gold will get you the highest SkyTeam Elite Plus level.

Credit Cards Can Help

Delta is the only U.S. airline that makes it extremely easy to reach the top alliance status with credit card spending alone.

Granted, going down that route requires paying a few high annual fees and channeling a lot of spending through cards. But if you regularly fly on SkyTeam airlines regularly, it may well be worth it.

Four Credit Cards That Can Get You to the Top SkyTeam Status

There are four American Express Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards that offer MQMs for meeting spending requirements:

One of the unique features of Delta-co-branded credit cards is that you can combine MQMs earned from any combination of these cards. Not just that, but you can even gift MQMs to another person or have them gifted to you. And Delta also has a feature called Rollover MQMs in case you’ve earned more MQMs than you need in a single year. The MQMs accrued beyond what you need for the qualification in any given year will roll over to the next qualification year.

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express card gives a substantial MQMs welcome bonus among other perks. Earn 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. In addition, earn a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. Also you will earn 2 miles on every dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases. Miles don't expire. Miles Boost® - Make $25,000 in purchases on the Card and earn 10,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs each calendar year; make $50,000 in purchases on the Card and earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs each calendar year.

Each card carries a $195 price tag, but the statement credit in the first year will offset the cost.

Each Delta Reserve card (personal and business) also gives you MQMs welcome bonus. You will earn 2 Miles on every dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and 1 Mile on every eligible dollar spent on all other purchases. Also you can get 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 15,000 bonus miles after you spend $30,000 on purchases on your Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card in a calendar year. Each of these cards have a $450 annual fee.

Two Approaches to Qualify for SkyTeam Elite Plus Without Flying

As a reminder, you need to earn 50,000 MQMs to achieve Gold and the corresponding SkyTeam Elite Plus. The MQD requirement will become a non-issue because Delta will waive it if you spend $25,000 or more across all your American Express Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards. To earn 50,000 MQMs you will need to spend much more.

While it’s unlikely that you will need to earn the whole 50,000 miles (because your flights on Delta or its SkyTeam partners will also contribute), but if you had to do this without ever stepping foot on a plane there are two paths to reach this goal.

Use Two Platinum Delta SkyMiles Cards to Save Money

If you get both personal and business Platinum Delta SkyMiles cards (you can apply for a business card even if you don’t have an official business), you will receive the following twice:

5,000 MQMs after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
10,000 MQMs after spending another $25,000 in a calendar year
10,000 MQMs more after spending another $25,000 in a calendar year

So, if you spend $51,000 on each card (or $102,000 total), you will get 50,000 MQMs and reach the Delta Gold/Skyteam Elite Plus status.

This is the most economical way to earn status, because you will also get a $100 statement credit, which will reduce your annual fee to $95 per card.

Use the Platinum Delta SkyMiles and Delta Reserve Cards for Less Spend

If a Platinum Delta SkyMiles card lets you earn 20,000 MQMs after spending $50,000 in the first year, the Delta Reserve card lets you earn 40,000 MQMs.

Let’s recap. You get 10,000 MQMs after the first purchase, 15,000 MQMs after spending $30,000, and an additional 15,000 MQMs after spending another $30,000 in a calendar year. However, you don’t need to spend all $60,000 on Delta Reserve.

Add the 20,000 MQMs you earn after spending $50,000 on the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card, and that’s enough to reach the Delta Gold/Skyteam Elite Plus status.

Cost/Benefits Comparison

With two Platinum Delta SkyMiles cards, you must spend $102,000 to reach Skyteam Elite Plus. You will only spend $195 in the annual fees and you will get more bonus redeemable SkyMiles. Follow this approach if you don’t have a problem putting $102,000 on your credit card.

With the Platinum Delta SkyMiles and Delta Reserve cards, you must spend $81,000 ($21,000 less) to reach SkyTeam Elite Plus and you get free access to SkyClubs. However, your annual fee for the first year will be $545, and you will earn less in bonus redeemable SkyMiles. Use this approach if you are struggling to put enough spend on a credit card and/or if you value free SkyClub access.

Please remember that the math will change after the first year, since there won’t be any statement credits or welcome bonuses. On the other hand, the MQM rollover feature ensures that whatever “extra” MQMs you earn in the preceding year won’t go to waste. So if you can spend more, do it to ensure you get the status beyond the first year.

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