Garuda Indonesia vs Malaysia Airlines

Overview

Garuda Indonesia is the flag carrier of Indonesia. According to Wikipedia, it began operating in January 1949 and is headquartered at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport near Jakarta. It is a member of the SkyTeam alliance. The state investment body Danantara Asset Management holds 92.03% of the shares (2025), and the company is listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (GIAA). It also owns the low-cost subsidiary Citilink, which has its own air operator's certificate.

The airline reported a net loss of US$319.39 million on revenue of US$3.217 billion for 2025. In 2026 Skytrax lowered its rating from five stars to four, as reported by Seasia.

Network and hubs

• Main hub: Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta.
• Secondary hubs: Denpasar (Bali) and Makassar; Surabaya is a focus city.
• Wikipedia gives 53 destinations in 2025, across Indonesia, Asia, Europe and Australia, plus seasonal Hajj charters.

Fleet

The mainline fleet totalled 74 aircraft at 31 December 2025 (Wikipedia; the infobox gives a separate figure of 78, which may count other aircraft):

• Airbus A330: 17 (2 A330-200, 10 A330-300, 5 A330-900)
• Boeing 737-800: 48
• Boeing 737 MAX 8: 1
• Boeing 777-300ER: 8

Reporting in 2025 and 2026 indicates that a significant share of the fleet has been out of service for maintenance, funded partly by Danantara capital injections (Tempo).

On board

Garuda is a full-service airline with Economy and Business cabins. First class was introduced on the 777-300ER in 2013, and a Premium Economy product was introduced in 2019 on London–Denpasar; check current availability when booking. Refurbished cabins offer audio and video on demand. Seat pitch and meal details vary by aircraft and route and are not confirmed here.

Good to know

• Cabin baggage: 7 kg in Economy, size 56 x 36 x 23 cm, plus a personal item (Cabin Zero).
• Checked baggage: 20 kg in Economy on domestic routes (Upgraded Points). International allowances are typically 30 kg, and US routes use two 23 kg pieces (FTN News). Confirm with the airline before travel.
• Lounges: The Garuda Business Lounge is open to Business Class passengers and Platinum GarudaMiles members, at Soekarno–Hatta and other Indonesian airports.
• Loyalty: GarudaMiles, and SkyTeam partner benefits.

Overview

Malaysia Airlines is the flag carrier of Malaysia. According to Wikipedia, it traces its origins to Malayan Airways, founded on 1 May 1947. It operated as Malaysian Airline System from 1972 and as Malaysia Airlines Berhad from 1 September 2015. The parent company is Khazanah Nasional Berhad. Its headquarters are at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), and it has been a member of oneworld since 1 February 2013 (oneworld). It is part of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG).

Network and hubs

The main hub is KLIA. Kota Kinabalu is a secondary hub and Kuching a focus city. Malaysia Airlines serves domestic, regional Asian, Australian, Middle Eastern and European routes. MAG as a group describes a network of over 900 destinations in 170 territories including partners (The Star). Subsidiaries include Firefly, Amal and MASkargo.

Fleet

Wikipedia lists a fleet of 86 aircraft (page retrieved 21 September 2026). The airline operates Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 737-8 aircraft, among other types. On 24 May 2026 it received its fourth 737-8 of the year, 9M-MVR. MAG has taken 18 of a total order of 55 Boeing 737-8 aircraft.

On board

Long-haul A350-900s have Business and Economy cabins. According to the airline, Business has 35 seats in 1-2-1 and 1-2-2 layouts, a 44 in pitch, a fully flat 78 in bed and a 16 in HD touchscreen. Extra-legroom Economy seats have a 36 in pitch. Reviewers report standard Economy pitch of 31-32 in on the A350 (Urbanist Wanderer). Meal and Wi-Fi details vary by route and aircraft and are not covered here.

Good to know

• Cabin baggage: one 7 kg piece in Economy; two pieces totalling 14 kg in Business.
• Checked baggage: depends on the fare family. Most routes use a weight allowance, and routes to the Americas use pieces. Check the fare rules when booking, as allowances have changed over time.
• Punctuality: 88% on time in Q1 2026, and above 90% in April 2026, according to the airline.
• Lounges: the Golden Lounge serves Business and Business Suite passengers and eligible Enrich Platinum and Gold and oneworld members.
• Loyalty: the frequent-flyer programme is Enrich.