A holiday in the Maldives doesn’t need to break the bank, with Air Asia flying to the island paradise for a low price. You can even upgrade to Business Class and fly in style without paying a fortune.
There is often this perception that the Maldives is a place of luxury, unattainable for the average traveller and really just reserved for once in a life-time honeymooners. The truth is, the Maldives has something to fit every budget. Starting with the airline to get you there.
DETAILS
Flight: D7221 – Sydney (SYD) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) | AK 74 Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Male (MLE)
Aircraft: A330-300 | A320
Class: Economy Class – Quiet Zone
Configuration: 3-3-3
Duration: 8h 40m | 4h 25m
CHECK IN
You can do your online check in for a speedy bag drop at the airport. Self check-in opening time for AirAsia flights is 14 days to 1 hour before scheduled time of departure and for AirAsia X flights is 14 days to 4 hours before scheduled time of departure. There are some exceptions to this so please check with your booking agent if you can check in online. Otherwise, don’t fret as there are helpful staff at the airport waiting to assist you with check in. Airport check in is open 2 hours before departure for non AirAsia X (D7) flights, and 4 hours before departure for AirAsia X flights. Check in will close 1 hour prior to departure.
Frequent Flyer: You can join for free to become a BIG Member with AirAsia. This means you can pre-save your card details for faster one-click payment with BigPay Checkout, get instant member discount on flights, pay for your flights & add-ons with BIG Points for further savings, get 24-hour members-only priority access to sales, manage your upcoming flights & pre-book addons with MyBookings, get exclusive access to monthly sales and accrue points to be able to access full flight redemption for free flights. It is free to join so why not. You can join here prior to travel – https://www.airasia.com/member/
Baggage: The limitations on your baggage allowance is determined by the fare you purchase. Ticket holders (except infants) are allowed to carry on board 2 pieces of cabin baggage which must not exceed the dimensions of 56cm (H) X 36cm (W) X 23cm (D). This can include a laptop bag or handbag. Both pieces must not exceed 7kg combined weight. If you need more baggage allowance than this, you can purchase this at the time of booking your airfare. Prices vary but you can get an idea by visiting https://www.airasia.com/my/en/our-fares/fees-and-charges.page. The good news is, surfers are now entitled to take 1 x 15kg surfboard free of charge under the Free Surfboard Policy.
THE SEAT
Standard with low-cost carriers, booking a seat on Air Asia means you get what you pay for. Don’t need it? Then don’t pay for it. Starting with the Fare, at the time if booking, you then have the option to add the following:
Value Pack – 20kg baggage, standard seat selection, 1 x meal
Premium Flex – 20kg baggage, hot and standard seat selection, 1 x meal, lounge access at KLIA2 (up to 3 hours), 2 x change of date/time, express baggage delivery, boarding and check-in
Premium Flatbed – 40kg baggage, flatbed selection, 1 x meal, lounge access at KLIA2 (up to 3 hours), free change of date/time, express baggage delivery, boarding and check-in, Xcite inflight entertainment package, pillow and duvet (onboard use only)
I was sat in a hot seat which adds a little ease and convenience to the flight. Being in a window seat, I was luck enough to have a spare seat next to me to allow me to spread out. The seats were comfortable, nothing special, just the average plane seat.
FOOD
Meals can be pre-ordered at time of booking or prior to your flight and range from light snacks to full meals. If you miss out on pre-ordering there is the chance to pay for these on-board. Pre-order your meals here. I chose the chicken and chili rice for my meal and that chili certainly packed a punch (go easy on the sauce).
ENTERTAINMENT
There is no inflight entertainment for free so you have to take your own. The inflight magazine is a good read but do take a book, game or tablet with downloaded movies. Some Air Asia flights offer inflight wifi, but this was not available on my flights (which was a shame).
THE VERDICT
Overall the flight was pleasant and got me exactly where I needed to be, on time. The staff were friendly and happy to chat which I find always makes a big difference. I like that you pay for what you need and nothing more, makes you feel like you get value for your money.
DETAILS
For more visit https://www.airasia.com/en/gb
Agent Phone Number: +61 2 9009 0860
Agent Website: https://www.airasia.com/my/en/login/travel-agent.page
