Budget Airline Guide

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AirAsia Japan to fly Tokyo – Seoul

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia Japan has announced its first international route will be from Tokyo to Seoul, Korea. The new route will launch on October 28, 2012, with one round-trip flight per day.

The Tokyo (Narita) – Seoul (Incheon) route will be operated  using  Airbus A320 aircraft. One-way fares start from 6,980 JPY ($90 USD) plus tax.

Commenting on the new route, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said: “This is a great day for all of us, and an even greater day for the consumers & air travelers in Korea. With AirAsia’s low fare, everyone can now travel to more places more often. AirAsia Japan’s announcement of this international route today is a dream come true for us, and I am looking forward to see the Narita – Incheon flights begin operations. Congratulations to Kazuyuki and his team for making Japanese and Korean skies friendlier and more affordable.”

AirAsia X suspends flights to Tehran, Iran

By Budget Airline News

Low-cost, long-haul airline AirAsia X has announced it will be suspending its service from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Tehran, Iran. The last flight will take place on October 14, 2012.

In a statement, AirAsia X said the suspension of its 4x weekly service to Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport it due to economic reasons, including the volatility of the Iranian currency.

According to the AirAsia website:

“AirAsia X will offer guests who hold bookings after these dates an option of a full refund or credit shell. All changes will be made at no additional cost to mitigate the inconvenience caused as a result of the withdrawal. All affected guests will receive an e-mail stating the available options.

Affected guests who booked flights via our exclusive sales agents in Iran should contact them directly for service recovery options.”

 

Thai AirAsia axes Phuket – Ubon Ratchathani route

By Budget Airline News

With effect from October 1, 2012, Thai AirAsia has cancelled its service from Phuket to Ubon Ratchathani.

The budget airline previously operated 3 round-trip flights per week connecting the holiday destination of Phuket with the northeastern city of Ubon Ratchathani.

 

AirAsia to fly to Nanning, China

By Budget Airline News

Budget airline AirAsia has announced it will offer direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Nanning, China starting from December 11, 2012.

The initial schedule will be three round trip-flights per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.  Kuala Lumpur – Nanning is AirAsia’s 22nd route to China.

Promotional one-way fares from Kuala Lumpur Nanning start from 99 MYR ($33 USD) including taxes.

Thai AirAsia to fly from Bangkok to Wuhan, China

By Budget Airline News

Thai AirAsia will offer direct daily flights from Bangkok to Wuhan, China. This new route will begin on October 19, 2012.

The outbound flight will depart Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport at 7:15am, arriving in Wuhan at 11:35am.  The return flight will depart Wuhan at  12:20pm, arriving in Bangkok at 3:10pm.

Promotional one-way fares from Bangkok to Wuhan start from just 1,590 THB ($53 USD) including taxes. As Thai AirAsia is a budget airline, additional fees will apply for checked luggage, on board meals, and advance seat selection.

 

AirAsia to offer Johor Bahru – Surabaya flights

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia has announced it will offer direct flights from Johor Bahru, Malaysia to Surabaya, Indonesia. This new international route will begin on October 19, 2012.

The initial schedule will be four round-trip flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

This will be AirAsia’s first international route out of their secondary hub in Johor Bahru. Other destinations from Johor Bahru include Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Miri, Penang, and Sibu which are all in Malaysia.

Tickets are available through the AirAsia website and one-way promotional fares start from 129 MYR ($43 USD) including taxes and surcharges. As a budget airline, AirAsia charges additional fees for on-board meals, checked luggage, and advance seat selection.

 

AirAsia to offer Kuala Lumpur – Lombok flights

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia has announced it will offer direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Lombok, Indonesia. The new route will begin on October 12, 2012, and there will be three flights per week on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

The outbound flight AK1408 will depart Kuala Lumpur at 8:35am, arriving in Lombok at 11:45am local time. The return flight AK1409 will depart Lombok at 12:15pm, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 3:25pm local time.

In a press release, AirAsia commercial director Jasmine Lee said: “Lombok is a hidden gem. Blessed with a plethora of spectacular scenery, Lombok satisfies diverse holiday preferences. Outdoor lovers may embark on adventurous trips to explore the mighty Mount Rinjani or Tropical Forest and Animal Reserve.

“Honeymooners will definitely find the untouched sandy beaches at Senggigi and the surrounding Gili Island as romantic retreats. For those who seek escapism, Lombok is a perfect spot for snorkelling and diving, with a dreamlike and picture perfect underwater world.”

Online ticketing is available through the AirAsia website. One-way promotional fares start from $30 USD including taxes.

 

Thai AirAsia to offer flights from Bangkok – Mandalay

By Budget Airline News

Thai AirAsia has announced it will offer direct flights from Bangkok, Thailand to Mandalay, Myanmar starting October 4, 2012.  This will be the low-cost airline’s second destination in Myanmar (Burma), as they already fly to Yangon.

Tickets are already available and one-way promotional fares start from $49 USD  including taxes and surcharges.

AirAsia Japan launches flights to Sapporo and Fukuoka

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia Japan, the country’s newest low-cost carrier, commenced flights from Tokyo to Fukuoka and Sapporo on August 1, 2012. It will offer daily flights on these domestic routes.

The inaugural flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka departed on time at 7:00am and had a flight load of 80%.

The CEO of AirAsia Japan, Kazuyuki Iwakata, said: “AirAsia and ANA entered into a joint venture only about a year ago and the response has been overwhelming. I am delighted and emotional to see our first flights take off today to Fukuoka and Sapporo.

I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported and assisted us. We hope to get your continuous support as we take all effort to ensure that we provide the best quality service and affordable air travel for everyone.”

The CEO of the AirAsia Group, Tony Fernandes, said “This is a dream come true for all of us at AirAsia. I have always believed in dreaming the impossible, but seeing AirAsia Japan’s inaugural flights take-off today puts a smile on my face. It has only been one year since we announced AirAsia Japan’s establishment and now we already have 2 aircraft, 243 staff in Japan and 3 domestic routes on the day we start our operations. Congratulations to Kazuyuki and his team for pulling this off.”

In celebration of these new routes, one-way fares are being sold for as little at 100 JPY plus taxes/surcharges.

AirAsia X to offer kid-free “Quiet Zone”

By Budget Airline News

Long-haul, low-cost airline AirAsia X will introduce a Quiet Zone in its economy seating area starting in February 2013. The Quiet Zone will be located in rows  7 – 14 and travelers with children age 12 and under will not be permitted to sit there.

According to the AirAsia X website the Quiet Zone will offer “minimal noise with no disturbances” and  “special ambiance lighting”.

While there is no extra charge for the Quiet Zone, AirAsia X’s standard seat selection fee of MYR 35 (USD $11) will apply.

AirAsia X is the second airline to introduce a child-free zone after Malaysia Airlines.