Garuda Indonesia Replaces Weight-Based Baggage System With Piece Concept

JAKARTA, Jakartaweekly.com — PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk will change its checked baggage policy from the weight concept to the piece concept, effective September 1, 2026.

Under the new scheme, checked baggage allowances, which were previously determined by the total combined weight of passengers’ luggage under the weight concept, will instead be based on the number of checked bags, with a maximum weight limit assigned to each individual bag.

Garuda Indonesia Director of Transformation Neil Raymond Mills said the implementation of the piece concept is part of the airline’s commitment to delivering a more modern, consistent, transparent, and user-friendly travel experience.

“The implementation of the piece concept is part of Garuda Indonesia’s broader transformation to modernize our services while providing greater certainty and convenience for passengers,” Neil said in Jakarta recently.

Neil explained that the new policy will apply to tickets issued on or after September 1, 2026, for travel commencing on or after the same date.

Passengers who purchased tickets before September 1, 2026, however, will remain subject to the previous baggage policy stated on their tickets, even if their flights are scheduled after the implementation of the piece concept.

According to Neil, the revised policy offers passengers greater transparency and certainty when planning their baggage.

Under the new scheme, Garuda Indonesia is also increasing the checked baggage allowance to up to two pieces, with a maximum weight of 32 kilograms per piece, or 64 kilograms in total, depending on the route, travel class, and fare category.

“With a clearer limit on the number of bags and the maximum weight permitted for each piece, passengers can prepare their luggage more easily from the travel planning stage through departure,” he said.

For domestic flights, Economy Class passengers will be entitled to one checked bag weighing up to 23 kilograms. Business Class and First Class passengers will each receive an allowance of two checked bags, with a maximum weight of 32 kilograms per bag, or 64 kilograms in total.

On international flights, Economy Class passengers will be entitled to two checked bags, each weighing up to 23 kilograms, for a combined allowance of 46 kilograms. Business Class and First Class passengers will each receive two checked bags weighing up to 32 kilograms per bag, or 64 kilograms in total.

Neil said the transition to the piece concept represents an increase in baggage allowances across all travel classes compared with the previous weight-based system.

For domestic routes, the Economy Class baggage allowance will increase from 20 kilograms to 23 kilograms, Business Class from 30 kilograms to 64 kilograms, and First Class from 40 kilograms to 64 kilograms.

On international routes, the Economy Class allowance will rise from 30 kilograms to 46 kilograms, Business Class from 40 kilograms to 64 kilograms, while First Class will increase from 50 kilograms to 64 kilograms.

According to Neil, the new policy enables passengers to receive up to 34 kilograms of additional baggage allowance, provided they comply with the specified number of bags and maximum weight per bag.

He added that adopting the piece concept will also strengthen service consistency across Garuda Indonesia’s domestic and international network.

Neil noted that the piece concept has become the prevailing standard across the global aviation industry. Its implementation at Garuda Indonesia is expected to improve service standardization, streamline baggage handling, and provide greater certainty for passengers, particularly those connecting to international flights.

“This will also benefit passengers connecting to international flight networks,” Neil said.

He added that the implementation of the piece concept will continue to be evaluated and refined based on customer feedback to further enhance the travel experience.

Passengers can check the applicable baggage policy by referring to the date of issue and date of travel through Garuda Indonesia’s official channels.