Garuda Indonesia switches to piece-based checked baggage from 1 September

Denpasar — Garuda Indonesia has switched its checked-baggage policy from a weight-based system to a piece-based allowance for tickets issued on or after 1 September 2026, with the change applying to travel on or after that date, according to the airline and multiple Indonesian outlets reporting its announcement.

The new rule replaces the former Weight Concept with a Piece Concept, meaning checked baggage is now counted by the number of bags and the maximum weight allowed for each bag rather than by total kilograms alone. Garuda said the policy applies to all tickets issued from 1 September 2026 for flights operated by the airline.

Under the revised allowance reported by local media, domestic Economy Class passengers receive one checked bag up to 23 kilograms, while Domestic Business and First Class passengers receive two checked bags up to 32 kilograms each. On international routes, Economy Class passengers receive two checked bags up to 23 kilograms each, and Business and First Class passengers receive two checked bags up to 32 kilograms each.

The airline’s announcement, as reported in Indonesian media, also said tickets bought before 1 September 2026 continue to follow the previous weight-based rule, even if the travel date is later. Tickets bought on or after 1 September 2026 follow the new piece-based rule, including tickets that are reissued after that date.

Garuda said the policy change is part of a broader service transformation and was intended to make baggage entitlements clearer and more consistent for passengers. Under the new system, passengers cannot combine all of their baggage allowance into a single oversized bag if the ticket specifies a limit per piece.

The airline’s move has been reported by several Indonesian newsrooms and echoed in an official transport-sector publication, which described the policy as a shift from counting total weight to counting the number of bags. The publication also said passengers should check the baggage allowance shown on their ticket, especially when travelling on different fare types or updated bookings.

What travellers need to know

Passengers with tickets issued from 1 September 2026 should check the number of bags and the maximum weight for each piece shown on their booking or e-ticket. The allowance now depends on both the route and cabin class, rather than only on total baggage weight.

For travellers who booked earlier, the older weight-based allowance remains relevant under the airline’s stated rule. That means the date a ticket was issued can matter as much as the departure date when determining which baggage standard applies.

Garuda’s published explanations reported in Indonesian media focus on the standard allowance and the implementation date. They do not lay out additional fees or handling rules for every possible baggage scenario in the reporting reviewed here.

Sources

• CNN Indonesia
• Bisnis.com
• Direktorat Jenderal Perhubungan Udara
• Tribun Bali