Garuda Indonesia to join SkyTeam
 

Garuda Indonesia to join SkyTeam

Rangga D. Fadillah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 11/19/2010

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia sets to officially join international airline alliance SkyTeam in a bid to reach its target to become one of the top ten best airlines in the world.

The carrier will meet delegates from SkyTeam partner airlines on Nov. 23 in Jakarta to sign an official agreement and discuss detailed practical matters.

The president director of Garuda Indonesia, Emirsyah Satar, said Thursday that after officially joining the alliance, his carrier could fly passengers from the alliance's partner airlines and vice versa, so the flight frequency of his carrier could be added.

“It means that our passengers can fly anywhere with one ticket only,” he said as quoted by Gatra magazine.

He continued that joining SkyTeam was one of Garuda Indonesia's efforts to provide traveling convenience and more choices for its passengers.

Currently, 13 airlines – Aerosoft, Aeromexico, AirEuropa, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern, Czeh Airlines, Delta Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, TAROM, and Vietnam Airlines – have joined the alliance. SkyTeam member-airlines travel to 841 destination cities in 162 countries servicing 16,409 flights per day.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2...n-skyteam.html

After struggling for years with only one ST member (KE) based in Asia/Oceana, there will soon be six. I woulda guessed MH long before GA.

Phew, I was afraid my Garuda flights wouldn't earn MQMs.

Yeah, I was commenting yesterday on my situation where I'll be going to the EU from AUS rather than from the US next year (temporary) and would like to not have my MQM accruals drop from having to take MH even when they code share with KLM. (Not sure if full ST membership will come online when I need it though).

I'm just about to book a flight and was looking at them. I'm flying like Dec. 11, but it sounds like this isn't going to be done on time.

Then again, I'm just about start another thread on how Skyteam is kinda useless for miles redemption after my attempts to redeem miles for a flight on KE this morning.

Garuda??? Kidding?
 

You must be kidding. Only a few years ago the EU banned this carrier from flying to any European airport because of safety issues. Like many in the developing world, there was no culture of safety.

SkyTeam will be the laughing stock.

I was just about to say, didn't the EU ban flights from Garuda until relatively recently (i.e. 2009) because of completely inadequate safety standards? Also, I think some countries still ban flights from them separate from the EU (or at least ban most of their fleet). Awesome, SkyTeam just keeps getting better. Race to the bottom. I was so worried that my upcoming flight from East Timor to Papua New Guinea wouldn't get MQMs.

Will be? I think it's already there...

Don't forget your other options when discussing GA safety. It's not like driving is any safer in Indonesia.

They no longer fly to the U.S. so I am not as excited about this as I would have been otherwise. I have flown them several times and they are ok. I think that they have a long, long, long ways to go to be a top ten airline. But, then again, so does every other airline in Skyteam.

Why does Air France ... er, I mean Sky Team (yeah, right :rolleyes: ) find it so hard to find decent partners?

I wonder if DL will start NRT-CGK to at least link the two hubs.

Are there any more third rate airlines SkyTeam can pick up?? Talk about a collection of fat girl prom dates!

Any possibility of any *A or OW members defecting to beef-up the quality of the ST alliance?

As I recall, NW ended their partnership with Garuda several years ago due to these safety issues.

My 2 cents

-My understanding is that GA has had a management change
-Sky Trax has rated GA as the most improved airline.

All I can say is I hope things have changed for the better and I know someone who flies them regularly and they have mentioned it has improved.

Truthfully time will tell if this is the right call.

But anyways I would love to have MH to get MQM on if it could happen one day.

Yeah - US Air :rolleyes::)

I think they are now a Skytrax 4 star airline (Delta is currently 3). I am not completely familiar with their rating system but I believe it does include safety.