AirAsia and AirAsiaX Odds and Sods.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

I picked up a couple of snippets from a travel website that may be of interest ....

 

Firstly, Thai AirAsia has binned the last of its old Boeing aircraft. So, gone are the days of having to choose carefully which flight number you were opting for when traveling to KL or Penang.

 

As from today, AirAsia flies entirely Airbus aircraft. The airline says that using single make - with as few models as possible - increases efficiency in a number of ways:

 

- crew do not need to be trained on multiple aircraft types - a substantial cost for carriers with a mix of e.g. Boeing and Airbus and a range of different models and configurations

 

- the stock of spares required is much reduced, thereby cutting overhead and the risk that stock will become redundant and therefore significantly reduce in value

 

- servicing is cheaper: maintenance crews do not have to be trained on multiple aircraft and work more quickly because they work exclusively on one kind of plane.

 

AirAsia group inherited a mix of aircraft when it took over the airlines that became AirAsia Indonesia and AirAsia Thailand.

 

 

 

 

 

The second article refers to AirAsiaX and the changes to their product over the last 6 months or so.

 

AirAsia X, born as the long-haul child of AirAsia, is growing up fast. Already marked out from its regional carrier parent by its different internal colour scheme (the company felt that the AirAsia black leather was a bit too claustrophobic for larger aircraft and elected to adopt a light-grey and red interior) and reclining seats (a stiff upper back is fine for a couple of hours but a bit more space and a tilting seat are essential for long haul) were introduced.

 

But the "Premium" seats were, by AirAsia X's own admission, a failure. The airline says they were stuck in the ridiculous position that when they specified their interiors, only one seat manufacturer would offer a seat at a price that matched their budget. But the seats were uncomfortable and when installed did not offer the space that was expected.

 

In the past six months, AirAsia X has dumped the old interiors in what is - almost - their new business class. The number of seats has been reduced and full lie-flat seats have been installed. Even so, prices are a fraction of those on offer from other long-haul carriers. Arch rival Malaysia Airlines charges GBP1500 (approx) for its one-way LHR-KUL ticket in its "Economy +" fare - which is in fact a discounted full Business Class ticket with a slightly reduced weight allowance and slightly less air miles credit; AirAsia X charges a GBP776 including the UK's penal business class tax for departures before the tax goes up yet again.

 

For sure, the AirAsia X service is not full business class: no free fizz on board (what?), no pre-flight lounge, meals in a box and mineral water to drink meaning that other food and drinks must be purchased on board (no "own food and drink" is allowed) and there is no seat-back entertainment (this is said to be a positive, see below). But the "premium" price includes 20kg of luggage, seat selection, a blanket (to be handed back) and eyeshades (not handed back) and the option to purchase additional weight - a further 30KG bought in advance is approx GBP30 and an additional 15Kg at the airport (the max that can be purchased except at excess rates) is about the same.

 

There's some confusion as to the policy for carrying wheelchairs: one part of the AirAsia website (which handles AirAsia X Bookings) says that wheelchairs are free while another says they count as weight.

 

As AirAsia X prepares for its separation from its parent, it has just moved into new offices with a separate staff and it is offering heavy-discount flights on all its long-haul routes for travel in the middle of next year.

 

Critics who don't know London will argue that AirAsia X's flights landing at Stansted (STN) are not "real" London flights. That's nonsense: the Stansted Express takes travellers into London's Liverpool Street Station, right in the heart of the City: what American's bizarrely call "downtown." The M11 motorway takes cars directly into London's Docklands: the "new City" where many major financial corporations and others moved out of the "old City." And bus links go to Victoria and other parts of the West End. In fact, for business travellers, Stansted - where immigration, baggage retrieval and customs take a fraction of the mad times at LHR is an ideal choice. And for those heading north, it's already out of the London traffic, saving perhaps an hour's drive. STN has excellent links to the Continent and Ireland and even direct flights to New York. It's not a hub in the sense that LHR is, but it's an airport of manageable size, all on one level (so ideal for the aged and infirm) that has its own measurable benefits.

 

For sure, the hoo-ha that the airline makes about having a power-socket on its premium seats is a bit sad: but one thing is important to note - unlike the otherwise amazing premium economy seats on a Qantas A380, passengers don't have to grovel on the floor (or more likely get crew to grovel on the floor) to plug things in.

 

And what about the lack of seat-back entertainment. AirAsia X says bluntly that the kit is too expensive and too heavy. And that Hollywood demands too high fees for their output. So the airline has decided not to offer it (it's easy to forget that the service didn't exist until Virgin introduced it and everyone else decided it was a must-have). AirAsia X says it will offer travellers a personal entertainment device. That's what Kuwait Airlines does and it's infuriating. But if it means that travellers can carry their own DVDs, and play them, then fine: extra weight means more fuel and that means more cost so there is a trade-off. But in any case, business travellers have space to play things on their own laptops and many other devices now download and store films (albeit not new releases) or programmes (e.g. BBC iPlayer allows the last seven days' programmes to be downloaded to a PC and played back as many times as the viewer wants for 30 days).

 

That AirAsia X is now running a viable and relatively inexpensive service in comfortable seats, via what is, in effect, its own hub in Kuala Lumpur means that the airline has become an EU>Asia Pacific>Australasia carrier in a way that no other discount carrier has ever come close to achieving.

[bigdelta 46]

"what American's bizarrely call "downtown."

It's only bizarre because you don't understand it.

Edited August 21, 2010 by LTGTR

[CheshireTom 1,377]

"what American's bizarrely call "downtown."

It's only bizarre because you don't understand it.

 

Read the first line of the post. Anyway, you should know that I'd never waste an apostrophe on Americans. As it is, I was brought up on Pet Clark.

 

Are you back for good?

Edited August 21, 2010 by CheshireTom

[bigdelta 46]

Read the first line of the post. Anyway, you should know that I'd never waste an apostrophe on Americans. As it is, I was brought up on Pet Clark.

 

Are you back for good?

That tune is from '65-'66 IIRC.

Back until at least early November as my lease begins that month in Hawaii but the owner is flexible so we'll see............I did see one of 2 former Pinay g/fs today so that's a plus.

She works at a visa company and was explaining that for the princely sum of 25k baht,her company would get a retirement visa in 2 days or less and the applicant would not have to have the 8 gazillion/65k per month or combo thereof as they would furnish said amount and do all the necessary paperwork.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

That tune is from '65-'66 IIRC.

Back until at least early November as my lease begins that month in Hawaii but the owner is flexible so we'll see............I did see one of 2 former Pinay g/fs today so that's a plus.

She works at a visa company and was explaining that for the princely sum of 25k baht,her company would get a retirement visa in 2 days or less and the applicant would not have to have the 8 gazillion/65k per month or combo thereof as they would furnish said amount and do all the necessary paperwork.

 

I thought that if you're American you don't have to furnish anything. Just pop up to your friendly US Embassy in BKK and tell them you want a certificate of income.

 

As an aside, AirAsia (re)start the HadYai - KL route tomorrow so the AirAsiaX premium seating article is worth noting for me. If I can save 30k on a biz class flight back to UK and still get a good kip then I can do without champagne et al.

[bigdelta 46]

I thought that if you're American you don't have to furnish anything. Just pop up to your friendly US Embassy in BKK and tell them you want a certificate of income.

 

As an aside, AirAsia (re)start the HadYai - KL route tomorrow so the AirAsiaX premium seating article is worth noting for me. If I can save 30k on a biz class flight back to UK and still get a good kip then I can do without champagne et al.

I'm sure the rules apply to us also.But for someone who doesn't have or want to show the amount needed,I suppose it's a option for them.I saw on the Air Asia site the service to KL was restarting,so there's more competition now.

[wacmedia 277]

As from today, AirAsia flies entirely Airbus aircraft.

 

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for that excellent news.