Air Asia

Love it or hate it the fact is, that if you live in Asia you will at some point probably use Air Asia. Air Asia is a Malaysian airline which was founded in 1993 by Tony Fernandez. They are the equivalent of Easy Jet and Ryanair in Europe and provide budget flights throughout Asia. 

I personally have no problem with the service provided by Air Asia and am grateful that their existence allows me to visit places I perhaps wouldn't if cheap flights weren't available. I love the fact that I can leave work on a Friday evening head straight to the airport and be in Bangkok in one hour for a maximum of 1,500 baht. This gives me enough time to enjoy myself in the big city and return refreshed and well rested on Sunday evening ready for work on Monday. 

The problem people have with Air Asia and all low cost carriers is that they are sometimes not exactly entirely transparent with all the additional charges which will be added to the final bill. The business model employed by these companies is that you pay a low cost for a basic service (a flight) and that all additional services you require will be charged on top of this price. It is an interesting business model and allows Air Asia to proclaim quite rightly that 'now everybody can fly' unless of course they have a bag or more importantly they haven't read their bill correctly before paying. 

Let's start with baggage. Air Asia requires you to purchase baggage space under the aircraft but does allow you to carry on 7kg as hand luggage however the usual airport rules will apply so no liquids etc. This seems fair to me and although the baggage charges are perhaps high in proportion to the original ticket price it still usually works out cheaper then the full service airlines. The fact that you are not required to purchase baggage space within the cost of the ticket means that local tourists or people on weekend getaways can get cheaper tickets and travel more which is always a good thing. 

Most of the add ons available from Air Asia will quite honestly be of no need to the average traveller so their absence will also be of little matter. Add on's such as an inflight comfort kit and an inflight meal have little value because the flights are usually so short in duration. The cost of the inflight meals are naturally inflated dramatically and the quality is little better then the microwave meals you get at 7-11. The red carpet treatment is also available as an option but I don't know why anyone would want to 'hire' a red carpet to walk on when they are travelling on an economy flight for an hour.

The add on which I do have a problem with is the seat selection. I have no problem with them charging extra for their 'hot seats' which are the seats at the very front of the plane and the seats in the exit rows which provide additional leg room. I do however find it unfair that you are required to pay an additional fee to select seats so that the whole of your party is travelling together. The fact that you're away from your friend for an hour isn't particularly that big of a deal for adults but if a family is split this could cause problems. I am sure that if you were in the situation where you needed to sit next to your children then fellow passengers would be courteous enough to facilitate your request but the fact that Air Asia makes us pay to guarantee this privilege is a slight dour point. 

(Seat Selection on Air Asia)

The other add on which sits a little uneasy with me is the 'Air Asia Insure' insurance program. I have no problem with them providing an insurance program which protects against lost baggage and delayed flights etc and offering it as an additional optional service, in fact I am all for it. The thing I don't about like about it is that it is not presented to the customer as an option to include, but rather presented to the customer as an option they must remove. The 'Air Asia Insure' insurance policy WILL be included in your bill right up until the last screen where you have the option to remove it. The option to remove it though is not clear at all and i'm sure many people have purchased the policy without any knowledge of having done so or if they knew they had purchased it without the knowledge that the ticket could have been bought without it. It's these little additional charges as well as the administration fees which are charged to certain methods of payment which can turn that cheap getaway into an expensive trip. 

I am on the whole a huge fan of Air Asia's service because most of the time they suite my needs perfectly. I very rarely take heavy luggage with me on my trips and I find that having the option to carry on luggage for free is making me actively pack lighter, which is always a good thing.  I like the fact that I can pay for my flights at the local 7-11 and still take advantage of the web promos and discounted prices you may not find if you went through a travel agent. And most importantly I like the fact that I can take short trips to places I would never be able to if Air Asia didn't exist. 

Air Asia Tips

• Try to keep your luggage below 7kg and carry it on as hand luggage to save on baggage fees. Of course you can't take liquids on but you can always buy your shampoo and things at your destination and most of Air Asia's destinations are cheap. 
• Check the additional extras you have selected carefully before paying and decide beforehand whether or not you want to purchase insurance.
• The prices on Air Asia's website change almost daily so if you see a ticket to a place you want to go at a good price just go ahead and book it, but remember once its booked there is no cancellation with these web promo tickets.
• Sign up to Air Asia's email newsletter because they regularly have sales which are advertised on there.
• For a consistently competitive price book really early, before Air Asia have the means to evaluate demand and alter their price accordingly.