Garuda is the national emblem of the Republic of Indonesia and hence the airline takes the name after this legendary bird. It was founded in Jakarta in 1949 but it was not until 1963 that the Indonesian flag carrier operated its first long-haul flight, and made its maiden trips to Europe, first to Amsterdam and later to Frankfurt.
It qualifies as a five-star carrier and has also been voted as the world’s most-improved airline. Amongst all the international destinations, Australian cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth have the maximum Garuda landings. This is because Australians love to travel to Bali – their favorite hotspot, at least once in their lifetime.
Garuda Indonesia is part of the SkyTeam Global Alliance. Garuda Indonesia has successfully implemented various competitive strategies to stay afloat in the top ranks in terms of customer satisfaction, onboard entertainment and meal services, flying safety, and overall business ROI. It is considered Indonesia’s best national flier. It serves more than 90 global destinations. Garuda has worked hard upon improving its brand reputation in the past several years, and today it comes across as a popular airline with the most robust operations and services both in the domestic and international markets.
Garuda is top-rated in terms of seat configuration, spaciousness, onboard amenities, food and beverages, cabin crew behavior, and cleanliness. The carrier touches many international frontiers and countries in continents like Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, and North America. Some of the popular hubs are China, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, and Indonesia.
On a different note, what would you do when you lose your things with an airline, in this case, Garuda Indonesia? It can be a sinking feeling not to find your suitcase at the baggage claim, but fortunately for you and everyone like you, there are proper steps for luggage retrieval provided you are quick with initiating those. Let’s walk you through them.
1. Look for the Lost Property Office
The moment you realize that your bag must have been dropped elsewhere other than the destination intended, hurry to contact Garuda Indonesia officials in person at their lost property office at the airport. This could be your fastest process as you meet a representative physically to explain what you lost, how, when, and where. Complete the airline form to submit a claim if it’s applicable. You will be provided a toll-free number to receive updates about your lost luggage claim, or a claim number that will help you to track the status online instead of having to follow up on the phone.
Please refer to Garuda Indonesia’s Lost Luggage page to read their policies, the usual time taken to trace and return lost properties to their owners, and how to file a claim for reimbursement in case of loss or damage on the part of the airline. Please note that the airline will not take any responsibility for damage to valuables in checked-in baggage.
You must leave complete contact information with your name, address, and phone number so that the airline can arrange to hand-deliver your things to your doorstep once found. This can save another needless trip to the airport to claim your belongings. If your items are delayed beyond 12 hours, you can ask for reimbursement for essentials like medicines, clothes, and toiletries.
2. Request Compensation for Lost Items
You may approach the authorities for compensation if you are unduly detained and your bags are lost for more than 24 hours. At this point, you may be required to submit a baggage claim form. This is where you give a full-length description of the items lost, a full inventory of the packed items, their net value in rupiah/dollars, and any incidental expenses you incurred in the absence of your things in the foreign land. The airline will use the information you provide on the form to determine your compensation for the lost/delayed/damaged items.
A word of advice here – please remember to click photos of your suitcases and packed items so that nothing skips your memory and you can provide the authorities proof of photos to help verify your claim should a situation ever arise. For reimbursements of incidental expenses, retain all the receipts to provide to the authorities.
On average, 97% of passengers get back their things in less than 2 days; mostly they travel by the next flight. It is only a slim percentage that never gets their things back. Hence, there’s always a strong chance to be reunited with your lost items, you only need to keep patience and faith in the Garuda Indonesia authorities.
3. Reach the Customer Service via Phone
The customer care desk can be reached via phone or email. Their email ID is customer@garuda-indonesia.com. Alternatively, you may call to speak with their call center executives at (62-21) 23519999 or 0804 1807 807. It is their 24-hour helpline number. You may even connect with an agent on their WhatsApp hotline for a quick conversation. You will get all contact information on their official website.
Again, social media today is a powerful and the fastest tool to use to raise and escalate an issue. For all lost/delayed/damaged baggage-related complaints, you can post on their Facebook or Twitter pages for a quick revert.
