Air Asia X is quickly becoming the world’s most prominent long haul budget airline. The Malaysian based carrier began with flights from Kuala Lumpur – Perth, Australia. These were followed by additional flights to Melbourne, Gold Cost, Taiwan, London and Abu Dhabi. A second foothold in Europe is just what the carrier needs.
Air Asia X has chosen to fly to Paris Orly airport instead of the regular international Charles de Gaulle airport. Again this is in line with its London route where the airline uses Stanstead airport. The strategy has proven successful for two reasons. Firstly, the landing fees are considerably cheaper as these are secondary airports. It also means that connecting passengers can use one of the many low cost budget carriers to make a connecting trip. As Paris Orly airport is the busiest French airport for domestic flights, this will put Air Asia X in a more prominent position to serve the whole of France and not just Paris.
Reports have claimed that approval for the route was granted when Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak spoke personally with French President Nicholas Sarkozy during their meeting at Elysee Palace. This followed a four day visit to France by Razak where he had lobbied various officials to grant the landing rights.
Budget airlines are now very common in Europe, though none of them appear to offer long haul services. What is interesting is that passengers can now fly from Europe via Kuala Lumpur, all the way to Australia on Air Asia x. This means there are some potentially ground breaking deals to be had for those who book far in advance. The main problem with the Stanstead route has been the sheer demand have increased prices dramatically and it is virtually impossible to get the £99GBP fares that were commonly available when the route launched.
Expect the usual array of newspaper bashing about budget airlines and small seats. In fact, as was discussed in our recent article 5 facts about choosing the best Air Asia X seat, the Air Asia X seat pitch is actually the same as many full service airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa and United. Like anything though, you get what you pay for and passengers should not expect luxury treatment here. Staff are very courteous, but everything from meals and drinks to pillow and seat assignments costs extra.
NeverFlyEconomy.com will bring you the latest on the new route are more information becomes available.
Air Asia Frequent Flyer Program
Officially Air Asia has no Frequent Flyer Program and has previously stated that as a budget airline it does not intend to introduce one. Most of Air Asia’s competitors do have their own frequent flyer program. This guide shows you how to earn up to 200,000 frequent flyer miles with Air Asia’s competitors – without stepping on a plane! Redeeming miles for flights is effectively free and therefore cheaper than any seat Air Asia can offer you.
Photo by hellolapomme
Blogger Chris Guillebeau recently wrote about his experience acquiring over 800,000 US Airways miles. This got me thinking about the risk element involved in much of air travel.
Most readers would view the risk of being stuck in a middle seat at the back of Economy Class on a longhaul flight as something to be avoided. Yet 90% of passengers simply don’t care or don’t know any better. They sit wherever the computer system assigns them. Continue Reading
The much anticipated George Clooney movie “Up In The Air” has gone on general release in the USA. Clooney Plays the role of a jet setting business man who spends his life in airport lounges. The movie is a comedy and is sure to be a hit with the holiday crowd.
Box office figures are positive and reviews are favourable. The movie has yet to be released on this side of the world, so I can’t comment on it yet. Rest assured, as soon as I get a chance to see it, I will let you know if it is any good.
In the mean time, check out the Wall Street Journal’s selection of opinions.
Photo by Jos Dielis
Changi international airport in Singapore is often regarded as one of the best airports in the world. Located smack in the middle of the European – Australian flight path, Singapore makes a great stopover point and a great gateway to Asia. Compared to other major international airports, such as Los Angeles or London Heathrow, Changi international airport is a breeze to pass through and is the epitome of Asian ingenuity and efficiency. This guide shows you how to make the most of your time at the airport and enjoy many different activities, mostly without spending anything. Continue Reading
