Whether you are planning your first surf trip to Indonesia, or your 100th, navigating Indonesian Airlines surfboard baggage fees can be a bit of a pain.
We hear so many stories about surfers getting caught out by baggage limitations or changes to fees when they come to check in to their Indo flights. Surfboards left behind cause they weren’t allowed to check them in, or in some cases arriving smashed to bits.
Before you book your flights, it’s important to understand the surfboard fees for different Indonesian airlines and their limitations to size, weight and the number of boards you are technically allowed to carry.
These fees can significantly impact your travel budget, so if you are heading to Aceh, Mentawai, Batukaras, Krui, Bali, Lombok, Sumba, Sumbawa, Rote or anywhere across the amazing Indonesian archipelago in search of waves, here is the information you need.
Garuda Indonesia Surfboard Fees
- Accepts Surfboards? Yes
- Counts as Checked Baggage? Yes
- Cost: FREE
- Max Weight: 23Kg
- Max Length: 300cm
- Website: https://www.garuda-indonesia.com/
Garuda Indonesia stands out as the most surfboard-friendly airline in the country. They give a free 23KG for sports equipment which includes surfboards, on top of your standard baggage allowance. While their tickets are often the most expensive options, this generous allowance can make up for it on certain routes.
We highlight the certain routes as they only fly between more major Indonesian destinations. If you are travelling to some of Indonesia’s more remote islands, there is a strong chance Garuda will not operate that route.
You are allowed one free sport equipment piece which includes surfboards. The maximum weight is 23kg and boards can be up to 300cm in length, so even longboards are included.
One big thing to note here, is if your Garuda route uses of the ATR aircraft the maximum board size is 160cm.
Garuda operate most of their flights from Jakarta. Good Garuda routes for surfers from Jakarta include:
- Jakarta – Medan: Good for connecting flights onto Nias, Banyak Islands, Telos, Simeulue
- Jakarta – Padang: The gateway to Mentawai
- Jakarta – Bandar Lampung: Good for Krui
- Jakarta – Bali Denpasar: No explanation needed.
- Jakarta – Praya Lombok: Good for exploring all of Lombok. Also West Sumbawa spots like Super Suck and Yoyos by connecting with a ferry crossing from Lombok.
With Garuda flying international routes to Jakarta from Melbourne, Sydney, Japan, Seoul and Amsterdam it can be a great option for people looking to surf in Indonesia
Lion Air Surfboard Fees
- Accepts Surfboards? Yes
- Counts as Checked Baggage? No
- Cost: 200,000 IDR per board
- Max Weight: 23Kg
- Max Length: 230cm
- Website: https://www.lionair.co.id/
Travel anywhere across Indonesia and you are likely to come across a Lion Air flight. Even way back in 2018, Lion Air carried almost 35% of all Indonesias air travelers. With over 440 flights per day, to 41 domestic locations, and 269 routes, it’s an airline that you will get used to if you spend any amount of time traveling and surfing in Indonesia.
They are very surfboard friendly, and we have never had an issue traveling with surfboards on Lion Air. You just need to know how it works.
Surfboards are charged at 200,000 IDR (about $20 AUD) per surfboard and they are charged per leg. They will ask how many boards you have in the bag, and they often will check. Pack slim and you can normally get 1 in the there for free, just don’t cause a scene if they check and charge you.
Surfboards are paid for in cash when you check in for your flight. You cannot pre-book surfboards on Lion Air.
Board can be up to 230 cm (7.6 ft) for jet aircraft, or 200 cm (6.5 ft) for propeller aircraft. But saying that, we have also flown with Lion Air with a double longboard bag 10ft long with no drama.
You board bag can weigh up to 23 kg and is completely separate to your regular baggage allowance. On most domestic Lion Air flights you get a 20kg checked bag included with your ticket. This is great for packing all the normal bits, then just pack your board bag as light as possible and pay at the airport.
One important note: Lion Air does state that it limits the total number of surfboards per flight to five. If this limit is exceeded, additional boards may be held for the next flight. However, we have never had this happen in our years of flying Lion Air.
Lion Air Surfboard Baggage Information
Wings Air Surfboard Fees
- Accepts Surfboards? Yes
- Counts as Checked Baggage? No
- Cost: 1,000,000 IDR per board (Yes you read that right)
- Max Weight: 23Kg
- Max Length: 200cm
- Website:
Wings Air is actually part of the Lion Air Group, that operate the smaller ATR type aircraft and provide access to many of Indonesias more remote corners. While it is part of the Lion Air Group, it has a completely different set or rules and fees for surfboards, and it is a big difference so make sure you read this.
Effective May 12, 2024, Wings air increased its surfboard fees from 200k per board to 1,000,000 (One Million) IDR, PER BOARD, PER FLIGHT! And they know to count how many boards you might have rammed into that slim travel bag. That means if you fly from Bali to Rote with 3 boards you will have to pay 3 x 200,000 per board on your Lion Air Flight, and then 3 x 1,000,000 per board from Kupang to Rote with Wings Air. Thats a whopping 3.6 million Rupiah to account for, just to get there.
Boards can be no longer than 200cm, and must be under 23kg in weight.
If you are traveling to Rote and want to avoid the high fees from Kupang to Rote, we recommend taking the Express Bahari fast ferry rather than the flight. It is considerably cheaper, and only adds a few hours to your travel time to Rote.
