Flying a low-cost carrier can be worrying as the age old saying “you get what you pay for” conjures up thoughts of broken aircraft, seats with little room, chickens in baskets sat next to you and worse.
Truth is though, you get what you pay for is actually a good thing. If you only want to get from A to B without all the bells and whistles, then why should you pay for that?
AirAsia and its subsidiaries Indonesia AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, Philippines AirAsia, AirAsia X, Indonesia AirAsia X, Thai AirAsia X, AirAsia Japan and AirAsia India are flying to, as of February 2019, more than 165 destinations spanning 25 countries. For AirAsia itself, it has 180 flights daily, not including its subsidiaries airlines. While for AirAsia X itself, it has 21 flights daily.
Its main hub is klia2, the low-cost carrier terminal at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Kate Webster recently flew to Sri Lanka with Air Asia. Here is the verdict.
DETAILS
Flight: D7 207 Gold Coast (OOL) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) connecting AK 47 to Colombo (CMB)
When: 9 December 2018 / 10 December
Aircraft: Airbus A330-343 / Airbus A330-300
Class: Economy / Economy
Configuration: 3-3-3 / 3-3-3
Flight time: 6hr 12min OOL-KUL / 3hr 30min KUL-CMB
CHECK IN
AirAsia allows an online check-in on flights 14 days before departure to 1 hour before scheduled time of departure. AirAsia X flights allows online check-in on flights 14 days to 4 hours before scheduled time of departure. Alternatively, international flight guests can check-in at the airport 3 hours prior to departure with check-in closing 1 hour prior to departure. These are strict times so do adhere to them or you will risk missing your flight. I opted for the check-in at the airport so I could request my seat choice. The staff at check in at both Gold Coast and Kuala Lumpur airport were friendly and welcoming which is always a nice way to start your journey.
THE SEAT
I was pleasantly surprised to find the plane was new and not fully booked up which allowed room to spread out. I was lucky enough to have a window seat and a spare seat beside me to stretch out and have a comfortable flight. AirAsia have a choice when it comes to seating, all of which can be pre-paid at time of booking. Standard Seats have a pitch of at least 31inches and width of at least 16 inches. Hot Seats offer at least 17.5inches of legroom so you will have more than enough space to stretch out, as well as offering boarding first. For those travellers who seek a little peace and quiet, there is the Quiet Zone seats. These offer minimal noise with no disturbances, no kids below 10, soft ambient lighting and your meals will be served faster. Then of course is the Premium Flatbed Seats with a 59inch pitch and 19inch wide seat, located in the Premium Flatbed cabin, which converts to a full flatbed when desired, as well as other features that ensure your utmost comfort on board.
FOOD AND WINE
Meals and meal/drink packages can be purchased at time of booking or through the website at least 24 hours before the scheduled flight departure. If you miss both of these opportunities and decide in-flight that you are hungry, you can purchase meals and drinks at a higher price. There is so much to choose from for these meals, it is impossible to list. You can view the latest menu here. I purchased my meal on board as after I smelt everyone else with their meals, I got hungry. I chose the Chicken Teriyaki with rice which was actually quite tasty and filled me up.
Meals and meal/drink packages can be purchased at time of booking or through the website at least 24 hours before the scheduled flight departure. If you miss both of these opportunities and decide in-flight that you are hungry, you can purchase meals and drinks at a higher price. There is so much to choose from for these meals, it is impossible to list. You can view the latest menu here. I purchased my meal on board as after I smelt everyone else with their meals, I got hungry. I chose the Chicken Teriyaki with rice which was actually quite tasty and filled me up.
ENTERTAINMENT
Once again, if you want to access the in-flight entertainment this is a paid add on. For MYR49 pre-booked or MYR59 onboard purchase, you can access hours of movies, TV series, music, games, and magazines on the Xcite Tab. Pre-loaded with high definition content and approximately six (6) hours of battery life, Xcite Tab offers a seamless viewing experience from the comfort of your seat. Being the savvy traveller I am, I took my own tablet loaded with movies and a book to read, which kept me occupied.
THE VERDICT
Apart for the delayed flight departing Kuala Lumpur to Colombo, the overall experience with AirAsia was a pleasant one. I could not fault the service and on-board offering. You have to keep in mind that it is a Low Cost Carrier so you pay for what you want/need. A handy tip, if you have a long layover in Kuala Lumpur between connecting flights, do check out the Tune Hotels on offer. There is one located right at the airport and offer some great deals on day-use and layover rates. I was a massive fan of the Tune klia2 Airport Hotel.
THE DETAILS
For more on AirAsia visit www.airasia.com
Contact Phone: +61 2 8188 2133 – 9am – 6pm (GMT +10) – Monday to Friday
Travel Agent Log-in – https://www.airasia.com/my/en/login/travel-agent.page
