abrelosojos From Venezuela, joined May 2005, 4915 posts, RR: 55 Posted (9 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 8392 times:
Feedback always appreciated.
I > Background:
After a rather eventful visit to Lao PDR (strongly recommended), it was time to leave Vientiane and return to my project in Bangkok. Since I had a weekend day left, I decided to take a quick detour and visit a friend of mine in Kuala Lumpur. Having never flown Air Asia, the choice was clear – especially, as they provided the sole nonstop flight between the two capitals.
There has been several reports on Air Asia – but, I believe this is the first one on the VTE-KUL segment.
II > Pre-Flight:
a) Before Airport:
AirAsia is a pioneering Asian LCC based in Kuala Lumpur that has revolutionized air travel across the region. Incredibly profitable, AirAsia group operates scheduled domestic and international flights to over 400 destinations spanning 25 countries.
Like all pioneering LCC’s, Air Asia uses its online portal at www.airasia.com to act as the main point of distribution. While the website is easy to use, and you can easily add all the “ancillary products”, it took 3 attempts and credit cards issue in various countries to process my transaction. I found this unacceptable at a global LCC. Not everyone has credit cards in different countries, and I didn’t know why AK had not done more to make its site secure enough for global e-commerce.
Anyways, within minutes of purchase, my PDF e-ticket was promptly in my inbox. Besides the credit card glitches, the site works as magic with its infinite allowed changes and modifications, and the ability to choose a seat. Of course, each attracting a small “convenience” fee …
b) At Airport:
Wattay International Airport is sleepy like its capital and there wasn’t much going on. Since I had arrived 1,15 hours prior to departure, the counter was in their final stages of checking in. It took a wait for 10 minutes before I was attended to by a woman whose charm was not obvious. She robotically checked all the documents and even asked me for my onward ticket out of Malaysia. She then patiently verified all the ancillary stuff I had purchased before issuing me one of those nasty super market receipts. All in, a rather forgettable experience without drama.
Boarding pass in hand, I pushed myself quickly through the immigration and security check and was in the small gate area.
Boarding was called 30 minutes prior to departure, and we made our way on to the 320 aircraft where we were greeted by 2 of the flight attendants. Load was a light 60%.
Airport - External:
(Vientiane Airport)
*
*
Check-in:
(Air Asia Check-In)
Airport - Internal:
(Pre Security)
(Viewing Terrace)
(FIDS: Wonderfully informative)
(Post Security @ VTE)
Scenes of the tarmac:
Lounge
NONE
Boarding:
(Gate Area)
(Boarding)
III> In-Flight:
a) Service Schedule + Impressions:
After take-off, this short flight had the following:
+ Meal service for those who had purchased the same
+ Meal service for those who had not purchased
+ Beverage service
+ Duty free sales
b) Aircraft + Seats:
Air Asia’s 320 are as generic as they come, with this aircraft being no different. This particular aircraft was well kept and AK’s bright red colors meant it was never lost in the crowd. Inside the AK 320, we find relatively comfortable black faux leather seats – very reminiscent of Virgin America. While not the uber slim-line Recaro that Lufthansa made both uncomfortable and famous, the seats are on the slimmer side and equipped with padding less than one would find in aircraft one generation older. Surprisingly, recline was generous for a LCC with rather decent pitch in the “Hot Seats” that row 1 constituted. Further back, the seat pitch was extremely tight.
The bathroom left much to be desired – it could do with a thorough cleaning and it would not hurt if the crew checked on the amenities once in a while …
Aircraft:
(@ VTE)
(@KUL)
Views from Aircraft:
(VTE Airport)
(Over ASEA …)
General Seat Views + Seat Legroom
(Legroom: Bulkhead)
Seat Recline + Angle View:
(Recline)
*
(Angle view)
Cabin:
*
(Bathroom: Shouldn’t crew be checking this?)
*
c) Meal + Beverage:
For dinner, I had pre-ordered a Nasi Lemak which is a traditional “ASEAN” dish and found in many parts of the region. The version served on board Air Asia had all the traditional ingridients including rice, egg, pieces of chicken, some beans, and the rather spicy “sauce”. I found the other options on AK’s website equally appealing and in general find the meal service offerings they provide to be one of the better ones for a BOB LCC carrier. After my rather decent Nasi Lemak was finished, I downed it with a café which was a standard run-out-of-mill pre-packaged coffee that is famous in so many parts of Asia.
(My Nasi Lemak)
*
d) Inflight Entertainment:
There was the general Air Asia in-flight magazine which was OK and gave a decent overview of AK’s products and destinations. Alongside the in-flight magazine was the “café catalogue” which outlined all the meals that could be purchased. However, the lack of any audio and video programming was sorely noted and I wonder if AK could turn that into an additional stream for revenue. Actually, I don’t wonder why … I wonder when AK would do it .
(“In-flight magazines”, Boarding Passes, etc.: Just look at all the stuff I got)
e) Crew:
The 4 ladies on the VTE-KUL flight departed from the usual warmth one finds on Asian carriers. They were young women who did it the Air Asia way – brief, robotic, and without much of a character. Everything they did was mechanical, and they were pleasant enough. But none would win any accolades as they went about doing their work, and doing a lot of selling on board of duty free items. I wonder though – if they had genuine warmth, and if they made a connection with the passengers, would they be able to sell more? Perhaps, someone who works in consumer psychology could tell us more …
IV> Post-Flight:
This was my first time arriving at KUL’s LCCT and I was not particularly impressed. The rather industrial looking structure with the long outdoor walkways would not be fun during the summer day heat, but were OK for an evening arrival. It is a basic structure and I am sure AK would love a better facility than the one currently provided. Thankfully, immigration was rather smooth, and I was land-side within minutes.
(KL LCCT)
V> Impressions + Scores:
For a rather small amount of money, Air Asia was able to safely and efficiently take me from point A to B. This is a no-frill carrier that has opened up Asia for a whole generation of new travelers and seriously stimulated the middle class to travel. Keeping this in context, AK did a tremendously satisfying job. The in-flight food was a highlight as it was one of the best I had encountered on these type of airlines. Of course, it can do with better crew and some audio/video programming or WiFi on board. I am rather confident that the increasingly rich Asians onboard would pay a good amount for it.
I would definitely fly AK again – but always after checking other schedules and pricing. A one-thumb up for effort.
(Note on Codes: Y – Economy, J – Business, F – First :: I/D – International/Domestic :: SR/MR/LR – Short/Medium/Long Haul)
(Note on Date: Dates are modified to be +/- 3 days from actual flight date to not reveal actual flight pattern)
VII> Other Pictures:
(Purchased Comfort Kit)
* Unbiased view on how an actual traveler may view the flight
* Not a professional photographer (so please keep in mind)
* Commitment that I won’t identify myself to the airline as “reviewing them”
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6183 posts, RR: 79 Reply 2, posted (9 months 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 7923 times:
Hi Alex,
nice report about your first AK experience. I have always been satisfied with my AirAsia flights - I'd call it a kind of "quality LCC".
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): Air Asia’s 320 are as generic as they come, with this aircraft being no different.
AirAsia's livery isn't bad at all - and they have many special paintschemes.
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): For dinner, I had pre-ordered a Nasi Lemak which is a traditional “ASEAN” dish and found in many parts of the region. The version served on board Air Asia had all the traditional ingridients including rice, egg, pieces of chicken, some beans, and the rather spicy “sauce”. I found the other options on AK’s website equally appealing and in general find the meal service offerings they provide to be one of the better ones for a BOB LCC carrier. After my rather decent Nasi Lemak was finished, I downed it with a café which was a standard run-out-of-mill pre-packaged coffee that is famous in so many parts of Asia.
I also had Nasi Lemak on my first AK flight some years ago. I wasn't really satisfied with the food, though.
dc9northwest From Romania, joined Feb 2007, 1735 posts, RR: 4 Reply 4, posted (9 months 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 7662 times:
Hi Alex,
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): While the website is easy to use, and you can easily add all the “ancillary products”, it took 3 attempts and credit cards issue in various countries to process my transaction
That's really a shame! Might I ask what CC worked and what didn't? I rarely if ever have problems with my Romanian MasterCard with the SecureCode thingy, but the US Visa card which doesn't qualify for Verified can fail often...
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): Besides the credit card glitches, the site works as magic with its infinite allowed changes and modifications, and the ability to choose a seat. Of course, each attracting a small “convenience” fee …
That's indeed a plus. Someone needs to show BlueAir how it's done... apparently if I want to choose my seat they'll cancel the pre-paid checked luggage (and I'm not sure they'd return the money!)
817Dreamliiner From Montserrat, joined Jul 2008, 1402 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (9 months 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 7215 times:
Hey Alex
A bit surprised seeing a LCC report from you. Never thought you would actually fly on one! But nonetheless another great trip report! Glad you had positive stuff to say about your flight with AK. Looking forward to your nexr report
Blast Reality, Burst it into shreds! Banishment, This World!
MHTripple7 From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 1050 posts, RR: 5 Reply 7, posted (9 months 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 7169 times:
Nice report Alex!
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): AirAsia is a pioneering Asian LCC based in Kuala Lumpur that has revolutionized air travel across the region. Incredibly profitable, AirAsia group operates scheduled domestic and international flights to over 400 destinations spanning 25 countries.
Many aviation enthusiasts love to complain about LCCs, but what they do is very impressive. They are run like actual businesses and usually make money.
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): For dinner, I had pre-ordered a Nasi Lemak which is a traditional “ASEAN” dish and found in many parts of the region. The version served on board Air Asia had all the traditional ingridients including rice, egg, pieces of chicken, some beans, and the rather spicy “sauce”. I found the other options on AK’s website equally appealing and in general find the meal service offerings they provide to be one of the better ones for a BOB LCC carrier.
This looks pretty good, I'm impressed. Like you said, definitely above most other LCC carriers.
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): I wonder though – if they had genuine warmth, and if they made a connection with the passengers, would they be able to sell more?
I have no idea. The consumer needs of airline passengers make little sense to me. It seems they don't really care about service delivery from cabin crew.
abrelosojos From Venezuela, joined May 2005, 4915 posts, RR: 55 Reply 8, posted (9 months 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 6926 times:
Quoting kiramakora (Reply 1):
Thanks for providing another consistently great report. I did not think you would end up flying such a LCC. What's next?
= Thanks for stopping by. Why are you so surprised I flew a LCC?
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 2): nice report about your first AK experience. I have always been satisfied with my AirAsia flights - I'd call it a kind of "quality LCC".
= I agree with this assessment .
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 2): AirAsia's livery isn't bad at all - and they have many special paintschemes.
= Agreed. I think their external paint job is really good -- was referring to their internal dull scheme.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 2): I also had Nasi Lemak on my first AK flight some years ago. I wasn't really satisfied with the food, though.
= Perhaps, we have different taste in food? What else have you tried on board?
Quoting The777Man (Reply 3): Flights seems okay but too bad with the indifferent crew. Food looks good and seems to be great value.
= Agreed. You know, on a different KUL-CMB flight, I had a good crew. So maybe, one-off?
Quoting The777Man (Reply 3): Still hope to meet up with you one day and even better to do that while flying Turkmenistan's 77L together !
= I have started to look into this. How do you propose we get the visa?
Quoting dc9northwest (Reply 4): That's really a shame! Might I ask what CC worked and what didn't? I rarely if ever have problems with my Romanian MasterCard with the SecureCode thingy, but the US Visa card which doesn't qualify for Verified can fail often...
= Finally, my Venezuelan work magically worked!
Quoting dc9northwest (Reply 4): That's indeed a plus. Someone needs to show BlueAir how it's done... apparently if I want to choose my seat they'll cancel the pre-paid checked luggage (and I'm not sure they'd return the money!)
= Haha. What happened? I am confused.
Quoting debonair (Reply 5): Never thought to read a LoCo TR from you...
So, will we see more TR on LoCo-airlines from you (Please!)?
= Haha. Why?! I have flown quite a few LCC's, and even like some of them - most notably IndiGo and WestJet. Have not flown Ryan Air yet though.
A bit surprised seeing a LCC report from you. Never thought you would actually fly on one! But nonetheless another great trip report! Glad you had positive stuff to say about your flight with AK. Looking forward to your nexr report
= Haha. Again, I can fly LCC and FCL in the same itinerary.
Quoting MHTripple7 (Reply 7): Many aviation enthusiasts love to complain about LCCs, but what they do is very impressive. They are run like actual businesses and usually make money.
= Agreed. And, if you look at the EBT of LCC's, they are far more healthy than some of their legacy counterparts.
Quoting MHTripple7 (Reply 7): I have no idea. The consumer needs of airline passengers make little sense to me. It seems they don't really care about service delivery from cabin crew.
Knightsofmalta From Malta, joined Nov 2005, 1409 posts, RR: 17 Reply 9, posted (9 months 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 6897 times:
Hi A.
Thanks for the interesting report. There have been a few reviews on Air Asia here lately and most of them are very positive about the experience, especially that Nasi Lemak, which seems to be quite spectacular.
I particularly like the black leather seats. Although they may perhaps be somewhat camp, I also think they certainly enhance the cabin, at least in the photos.
The comfort kit looks quite nice as well. But seriously, was that really for your comfort or do you just like collecting airline stuff?
Anyway, thanks for posting. Looking forward to your next exploit.
akhmad From Netherlands, joined Sep 2005, 2333 posts, RR: 53 Reply 10, posted (9 months 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 6867 times:
Hello Alex,
Your report makes me instantly curious as my flight with Indonesia AirAsia from Bali to Darwin was one of the best flights ever.
Shame that your experience did not really mirror mine. Robotic crew members compared to their chirpy colleagues on my flight, bathroom without toilet papers and apparently not thoroughly cleaned either.
I hope your flight was an exceptional case as AirAsia is generally good and I yet regard it as a top-notch low cost carrier.
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): recline was generous for a LCC with rather decent pitch in the “Hot Seats” that row 1 constituted
“Hot Seats” of rows 12 and 14 are great too.
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): For dinner, I had pre-ordered a Nasi Lemak which is a traditional “ASEAN” dish and found in many parts of the region.
Great choice. If one ever flies AirAsia, he or she should definitely (pre-)order “Nasi Lemak”.
First, I want to make sure that they actually take delivery
We also need to figure out what route (s) the 77L will fly. I'm guessing for an international route like BHX-ASB or perhaps JFK-ASB or ASB-BKK.
My idea is to get a thru ticket like BHX-ASB-BKK with a stop in ASB. From what I have read, it should be no problem getting a transit visa for Turkmenistan valid for 72h which should give enough time perhaps even for a domestic flight within the country. I was planning to fly to Washington to apply for the visa in person or perhaps just send my passport there.
Anyway, send me a message what you have found out already. It is possible to book a ticket on their website but their booking engine is in Russian only.....
The777Man
Need a Boeing 777 Firing Order....Further to fly....GA, T5, CI and LX 777s
I really have no idea. I chose seats, wanted to pay for them and a warning appeared: "proceeding will cancel other additional services" and gives me a total of negative 30 Euros or something
Quoting The777Man (Reply 11): My idea is to get a thru ticket like BHX-ASB-BKK with a stop in ASB. From what I have read, it should be no problem getting a transit visa for Turkmenistan valid for 72h which should give enough time perhaps even for a domestic flight within the country. I was planning to fly to Washington to apply for the visa in person or perhaps just send my passport there.
Depending on when you'd like to do this journey, please keep me updated... If it's during my university classes, tough luck, but if it's during break... I might like to join if possible.
Quoting The777Man (Reply 11): Anyway, send me a message what you have found out already. It is possible to book a ticket on their website but their booking engine is in Russian only.....
I can read Cyrillic (but not understand Russian) but unfortunately I can't make their booking engine work... Keeps saying something about the "function" if I try a to make a booking.
abrelosojos From Venezuela, joined May 2005, 4915 posts, RR: 55 Reply 13, posted (8 months 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 6177 times:
Quoting Knightsofmalta (Reply 9): Thanks for the interesting report. There have been a few reviews on Air Asia here lately and most of them are very positive about the experience, especially that Nasi Lemak, which seems to be quite spectacular.
= Yes. I think we just need to convert PH who doesn't like Nasi Lemak . I LOVE Indonesian food in general.
Quoting Knightsofmalta (Reply 9): I particularly like the black leather seats. Although they may perhaps be somewhat camp, I also think they certainly enhance the cabin, at least in the photos.
= Have you seen the VA cabins? I feel they have the best black leather LCC seats out there.
Quoting Knightsofmalta (Reply 9): The comfort kit looks quite nice as well. But seriously, was that really for your comfort or do you just like collecting airline stuff?
Your report makes me instantly curious as my flight with Indonesia AirAsia from Bali to Darwin was one of the best flights ever.
= Saw that pop up. Need to catch up.
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): Shame that your experience did not really mirror mine. Robotic crew members compared to their chirpy colleagues on my flight, bathroom without toilet papers and apparently not thoroughly cleaned either.
= As I said, maybe one off? Next crew were rather good.
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): I cannot help it, but I like the receipt.
= LOL. You're one of a kind!
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): Great choice. If one ever flies AirAsia, he or she should definitely (pre-)order “Nasi Lemak”.
= Agreed!
Quoting The777Man (Reply 11): First, I want to make sure that they actually take delivery
= My sources tell me it is going to be decided soon ...
Quoting The777Man (Reply 11): We also need to figure out what route (s) the 77L will fly. I'm guessing for an international route like BHX-ASB or perhaps JFK-ASB or ASB-BKK.
My idea is to get a thru ticket like BHX-ASB-BKK with a stop in ASB. From what I have read, it should be no problem getting a transit visa for Turkmenistan valid for 72h which should give enough time perhaps even for a domestic flight within the country. I was planning to fly to Washington to apply for the visa in person or perhaps just send my passport there.
Quoting The777Man (Reply 11): Anyway, send me a message what you have found out already. It is possible to book a ticket on their website but their booking engine is in Russian only.....
Quoting dc9northwest (Reply 12): Depending on when you'd like to do this journey, please keep me updated... If it's during my university classes, tough luck, but if it's during break... I might like to join if possible.
= OK. So I found a travel agent who has direct access to Turkmenistan Airlines from a friend the VP at Somon Air. FRA.BKK and v.v. is 650 EUR with the flight from BHX being a little cheaper. Connections are better via FRA. What do you guys think? We wait to see where the 77L is deployed and then go from there? Lars, do you have staff interline with them?
The777Man From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 6080 posts, RR: 56 Reply 14, posted (8 months 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 6064 times:
Hi Alex!
Quoting abrelosojos (Reply 13): My sources tell me it is going to be decided soon ...
Sounds promising !
Quoting abrelosojos (Reply 13): OK. So I found a travel agent who has direct access to Turkmenistan Airlines from a friend the VP at Somon Air. FRA.BKK and v.v. is 650 EUR with the flight from BHX being a little cheaper. Connections are better via FRA. What do you guys think? We wait to see where the 77L is deployed and then go from there? Lars, do you have staff interline with them?
That would work. FRA would probably be better since it's easier to get to the US from there for me.
Fares ex-BKK are usually cheaper and would be preferred for me.
Yes, let's wait and see where the 77L is deployed and also look at frequency and schedule and go from there.
No, no interline agreement with them. EUR 650 sounds good though. Fares from BKK may be lower.
The777Man
Need a Boeing 777 Firing Order....Further to fly....GA, T5, CI and LX 777s
MSS658 From Belgium, joined Oct 2010, 2206 posts, RR: 14 Reply 15, posted (8 months 4 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 5829 times:
Hi Alex
Great report, thanks for sharing.
Air Asia looks to be a great for an LCC.
Decent BOB and fresh seating. Great extra that you can buy the aminity kit as well.
dc9northwest From Romania, joined Feb 2007, 1735 posts, RR: 4 Reply 16, posted (8 months 3 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 5634 times:
Quoting abrelosojos (Reply 13): OK. So I found a travel agent who has direct access to Turkmenistan Airlines from a friend the VP at Somon Air. FRA.BKK and v.v. is 650 EUR with the flight from BHX being a little cheaper. Connections are better via FRA. What do you guys think? We wait to see where the 77L is deployed and then go from there? Lars, do you have staff interline with them?
Hi A.,
The price sounds good. I'd also prefer FRA since it's harder to get to Birmingham... Still, it would be ok either way in my view. I agree--it's a waiting game for now.
The price sounds good. I'd also prefer FRA since it's harder to get to Birmingham... Still, it would be ok either way in my view. I agree--it's a waiting game for now.
Thanks!
--Alex
= OK, let's wait and see when they take delivery, and how they deliver it. I know some guys at Somon Air and have asked them to ask around and see what other answers can be had. Boeing contacts may not be useful in this instance.
Great report, thanks for sharing.
Air Asia looks to be a great for an LCC.
Decent BOB and fresh seating. Great extra that you can buy the aminity kit as well.
Greetings
Marc
= Marc, very good observations. I get to fly AK again this month - maybe, I will write a report -- only because an "exotic" country is going to be covered.
The777Man From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 6080 posts, RR: 56 Reply 18, posted (8 months 3 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 5021 times:
Quoting abrelosojos (Reply 17): = OK, let's wait and see when they take delivery, and how they deliver it. I know some guys at Somon Air and have asked them to ask around and see what other answers can be had. Boeing contacts may not be useful in this instance.
Sounds good. I do think that Boeing contacts will be good, at least they should have an idea of delivery week/month and possibly even intended routes.
The777Man
Need a Boeing 777 Firing Order....Further to fly....GA, T5, CI and LX 777s
EL-AL From Israel, joined Oct 2001, 1119 posts, RR: 5 Reply 19, posted (8 months 3 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 4951 times:
Hello Alex,
Thank you for another great report.
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): After a rather eventful visit to Lao PDR (strongly recommended)
I can only Join your recommendation.
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): Like all pioneering LCC’s, Air Asia uses its online portal at www.airasia.com to act as the main point of distribution. While the website is easy to use, and you can easily add all the “ancillary products”, it took 3 attempts and credit cards issue in various countries to process my transaction. I found this unacceptable at a global LCC
That is surprising, I bought my Air Asia ticket from a cheap internet cafe in Cambodia using my Israeli card with no problems.
I know not too many people agree with me, but I rather pay a small extra to assure my seat then getting to the check in counter or to check in online just to see that all good seats are reserved to frequent flyer passengers. I wouldn't mind to pay a small extra and to know exactly where I will be seated.
Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter): Wattay International Airport is sleepy like its capital and there wasn’t much going on
Did you get inside the old terminal? Like a living museum!
I flew Air Asia from BKK to SGN in 2011, with TG & VN offering the same flight for 4 times the price, TK & LH twice the price I paid for FD the choice was easy. I found Air Asia to be better LCC then Ryanair or Easyjet (if you still call them LCC). The extra fees are pretty cheap (I think I paid just $2 or so for my seat, on European LCCs you usually pay at least 5 times that amount), flight was right on time and service was professional. I did notice the robotic movements of the crew that you did as well. Yet, As long as their fares will stay low, I will be happy to fly them again anytime.
Thx for shearing, Jonathan
"In our country, those who do not believe in miracles are irrational" - David Ben Gurion.
abrelosojos From Venezuela, joined May 2005, 4915 posts, RR: 55 Reply 21, posted (8 months 2 weeks 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 4301 times:
Quoting The777Man (Reply 18): Sounds good. I do think that Boeing contacts will be good, at least they should have an idea of delivery week/month and possibly even intended routes.
The777Man
= Fair enough. I am going to email a few of them over the weekend and see if there is an update. From personal experience, they are usually very aware of delivery schedule, and a whole lot less about actual deployment.
Quoting EL-AL (Reply 19): Quoting abrelosojos (Thread starter):
After a rather eventful visit to Lao PDR (strongly recommended)
I can only Join your recommendation.
= Thankfully, it is still not as touristy as the other places in the region. I first went to Cambodia and Angkor Wat in 1999 - made the "mistake" of returning in 2010, and was left utterly disappointed. REP had become a nightmare! I just hope the same does not happen in Lao or Burma.
Quoting EL-AL (Reply 19): That is surprising, I bought my Air Asia ticket from a cheap internet cafe in Cambodia using my Israeli card with no problems.
= Interestingly, I have never had a problem using "exotic" credit cards ...
Quoting EL-AL (Reply 19): I know not too many people agree with me, but I rather pay a small extra to assure my seat then getting to the check in counter or to check in online just to see that all good seats are reserved to frequent flyer passengers. I wouldn't mind to pay a small extra and to know exactly where I will be seated.
= I agree with you as long as the seat reservation fee is not exorbitant.
Quoting EL-AL (Reply 19): Did you get inside the old terminal? Like a living museum!
= Never got a chance. You got pics?
Quoting EL-AL (Reply 19): I found Air Asia to be better LCC then Ryanair or Easyjet (if you still call them LCC). T
= Agreed.
Quoting EL-AL (Reply 19): Yet, As long as their fares will stay low, I will be happy to fly them again anytime.
= Agreed Jonathan.
Quoting ba319-131 (Reply 20): Thanks for sharing another of your splendid no nonsense true facts reports, always a joy to read!
= Thanks Mark.
Quoting ba319-131 (Reply 20): AK really have changed the face of travel in Asia, good on them, and they seem to provide a better product all round than the likes of FR over here.
= Absolutely. AK had caused a sea change in air travel in Asia - and most importantly, in connecting Asians with each other.
abrelosojos From Venezuela, joined May 2005, 4915 posts, RR: 55 Reply 23, posted (7 months 3 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 3038 times:
Quoting EL-AL (Reply 22): Matter of time i'm afraid. My next asian destination is Myanmar, I want to be there before it will look like a second Thailand.
how is this possible ... when I play with false-booking I always find a good price ... in comparison with some eu-lcc ... I presume they have a longer flights but lowest fixed costs and with low price politics still menage to have profit in airlines business is beyond me
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