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Air Asia X Review
NOTE: The seats on Air Asia X have now been replaced making flights as comfortable as any other low cost carrier. Budget airlines are a staple for any budget traveller. Last time I flew from Melbourne to Singapore I managed to get tickets with Emirates cheaper than the budgets were offering, the Emirates and a [...]
Wednesday February 3 2010
NOTE: The seats on Air Asia X have now been replaced making flights as comfortable as any other low cost carrier.
Budget airlines are a staple for any budget traveller. Last time I flew from Melbourne to Singapore I managed to get tickets with Emirates cheaper than the budgets were offering, the Emirates and a Jetstar flight on the same route boarded at gates opposite each other. The Jetstar flight was near full, Emirates about 30%, I was getting full service on a light plane at about $100 cheaper than the sardines on Jetstar. I’d done my research and it payed off and I wasn’t the only budget traveller with a smug look on my face that evening. This time though was high season I couldn’t find a deal as good or even a marginal one that might be worth paying a little extra for, I went for the cheapest seat I could find MEL-SIN or MEL-KUL, Air Asia MEL-KUL won out.
The aircraft they run on this route are Airbus A330s, on the outbound flight we got one of the newer ones with entertainment systems in the seats in front of you; on the return it was an older plane with only the portable players.
When booking my flights I did a little research and saw mention in some reviews that Air Asia that seats do not recline on these aircraft, others said that in fact they did. For some baffling reason Air Asia has opted for seats that do not recline, yes the seat moves forward giving some sort or increased comfort but it is hard to get it to stay there, the important bit though is that the backrest does not change its angle at all, you are stuck in that upright position the whole way. Many first time passengers don’t discover the seats do move until landing when they find themselves sliding forward under brakes.
The food is small and while it looks nice on the menu card once it gets to you it appears pretty unappetising. It is however still tasty for the most part and very cheap. While Malaysia is one of those countries that love Durian they know it stinks and they won’t serve it on an airplane, they will however serve equally stinky sardines, maybe it is just me but I don’t get that one either.
I’ve never seen bad service from flight attendants on any airline and Air Asia has been no exception.
Before the flight back to Melbourne I tried using their self check in stations, their in-flight magazine mentioned their new improved self check in systems that made checking in even easier and faster. It didn’t work, I hovered around watching others trying to use them as well, I didn’t see a single one without a confused or frustrated look on their face, if it works at all it must be only a small percentage who succeed.
One final nitpick is that on my return flight the service button on about 5 rows on my side of the aircraft did not work, along with the reading lights. Upon landing when the cabin lights are mostly out they remained on for these five rows, it didn’t bother me but I know it is a safety regulation that they are turned off, I do wonder how long this fault was there and how long it would be until it was repaired.
Air Asia has heaps of promotions and there are always good deals to be had but most of them are found in the Southeast Asia region and that is where Air Asia shines. As for their longer haul flights I’ll be avoiding them in the future, I just can’t get past the seats, if their short haul flights also had them it would make more sense but I just can’t figure out why they chose to limit their customers comfort on longer flights like that. Seats that don’t recline on any flight over two hours is a fail in my book. The seat situation is only on flights to Australia, short haul and other long haul flights do have reclining seats. I’ve heard a report that they will be replaced with reclining seats at some point this year.
danhaneveer
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8 Comments
LONDON KL LONDON seats are getting smaller and close to unbearable. This was not the case last year, it now feel uncomfortable and cheap- that is not acceptable for 12 plus hours. Found myself promising to look for alternatives for this regular flight.
Crew lazy and can be rude, offer little or no help, and will just stand at back galley laughing shouting and playing for whole flight. They get upset if have to work some very very grumpy and rude some try to make up for their bad coworkers.management seems to have failed here.
Summary- until decent seat size returns avoid airasiax, prices getting higher, seats smaller, crew lazier, better spend a bit more and fly in comfort
As Amer pointed out, while Air Asia X between KL and London (which is actually Stansted Airport and about an hour away from the city limits of London) might be cheap at first inspection, the prices soon mount up when you add in tax, your luggage and the basic things you expect on a long haul flight.
The only way these tickets are ever cheap is if you buy them way in advance.
Despite their cheap price, I’ve already vowed not to travel with AirAsia on long haul flights. I once found a ticket costing about 400quid return from London to KL. But then I’ve decided to skip since adding 100quid more would get me a full service airline with nothing else to pay. Plus I started flying Etihad on the cheap and had been gaining great airmiles with them. On the other hand I think stopping over (eg. via Dubai or Doha etc.) works better for me. I get more rest and can walk properly after 7-8hours of flying. In terms of food, I think AirAsia serves the best nasi lemak in the air. Though smallish portions, its cheap and tasty. I always have second helpings. Great review, looking forward for more.
I love Air Asia. Mainly because they are so cheap, but they have also been reliable in the flights I have taken. I do agree with you point about the aircraft with non-reclining seats. They are an absolute nightmare and they need to change them. Totally unacceptable, especially when it’s an overnight flight.
Most recently, my wife and I were stranded in Abu Dhabi when AirAsiaX announced they were canceling service to/from Abu Dhabi in January this year. They didn’t notify us (their stranded passengers) until Feb 10th. Neither did they offer any accommodation nor answer our emails asking for help. We had to get back to Malaysia on our own. They won’t reimburse our additional expenses either.
They said they would refund the Abu Dhabi/Kuala Lumpur portion of our trip, but it will take them 30-50 days to process the refund. Such an attitude!
Watch out for these guys. If you are considering using AirAsiaX, It might be a good idea to develop a plan B… just in case.
Yep, you should never assume the budget airlines will always be the cheapest or the best deal. Regular Air Asia in the SE Asia region are pretty cheap though and always has heaps of promotions on. I’d write a review for them but it would be pretty much the same except for that you seat will actually recline. I have a feeling they will have it sorted out by the end of the year and that won’t be a deciding factor anymore.
Good review Dan! I’ve never travelled with air asia but the seat thing seems pretty annoying. Sometimes paying a little more for a flight with another airline is worth it, so you can actually enjoy your vacation without a sore back and neck
Plus you can get some awesome deals with better airlines to if you look out for them. i got a ten hour flight from KL to Amsterdam with Malaysia Airlines for only 99 euro, that was a happy flight ;p
Thanks for this review. I’ve spent quite some time (too much, probably) staring at Air Asia’s exciting looking route map, dreaming about the places shown and the possible routes to take, but I’ve never considered what the flight itself would be like! Very helpful.
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