Thursday, September 14, 2006

Cheap Airfares – Air Asia - Malaysia success story

Malaysia has the most successful cheap airfare airline in Asia - Air Asia. Air Asia has a famous bylne - Now everone can fly.

Generally, to get the cheapest airfare, you have to book early with Air Asia. If you book late, the airfare will be higher, but it will still be cheap.

The general impression of a budget airline is that the flights are frequently delayed. Flights can be punctual, but do not depend too much on it, for example, if you have to make international connection. If flights are delayed, it is common for them to give you meal vouchers for the airport canteen, or even McDonald or Burger King vouchers.

The cabin crew are friendly, helpful, attentive and efficient. While you are not allowed to bring your own food, the snacks are good and the prices are OK.

Check-in staff are strict with baggage and carry-on luggages. The check-in baggage allowance is 15kg. and the carry-on luggage allowance is 7kg. If you go over these limits, you will likely have to pay for them.

Seats are usually comfortable, depending on the age of the plane. It is free-seating, so sometime boarding can be a bit chaotic.

Now, with the new LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) air bridges are no longer used and you will have to walk to the terminal or take the bus.

Air Asia check-in counter open 2 hours before boarding, not a moment sooner.

Common feedback from the passengers - airfare value for money and they would fly Air
Asia again.

How to get to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)

The most direct way to get to LCCT from Kuala Lumpur is to take the SKYBUS shuttle service. Thw SKYBUS operates a bus shuttle service between KL Sentral and the LCCT. The pick-up point is at the Lower Ground Floor KL Sentral, and the bus drop off passengers at the LCCT Bus Station. The first trip at KL Sentral is at 3.30am and at the LCCT is 7.15am. The last trip at KL Sentral is at 7.30pm and at LCCT is at 12.30am. Frequency is every 15 - 30 minutes. The fare is RM9 one way.

Other ways is to take the Komuter train to the KTM Station in Nilai and then take a bus to the LCCT. The fare from KL Sentral to Nilai Komuter Station is RM4.70 and the fare to LCCT is RM2.00 one way.

Other ways are to travel to KLIA and then take the feeder bus to the LCCT. The LCCT terminal connects with the Main Terminal Building with a green-coded NadiKLIA bus for RM1.20. A future transit rail connecting both buldings is under consideration.

Ways to travel to KLIA


From KL Sentral, the ERL KLIA Express and KLIA Transit depart to Salak Tinggi Station and KLIA respective, and from there, Feedeer Bus is available to the LCCT.

UPDATE 8 November 2006: The Malaysian government has approved in principle the construction of a railway track between KLIA main terminal and LCCT. Travelling time will then be reduced from the current 20 minutes by bus to 11 minutes by rail.

Fares for the KLIA Transit to Salak Tinggi Station is RM12.50 for adult and RM6.00 for children. ERL Transit Salak Tinggi Station to LCCT fare is RM1.50 one way.

Fares for the KLIA Express to KLIA is RM35.00 for adult and RM15.00 for children. From there, you will have to take the feeder bus to LCCT.

There are also AIRPORT COACH from Hentian Duta to KLIA. Fare is RM20 one way. The first trip is 5.00am and the last trip is 12.30am. Frequency is every 45 minutes. From KLIA, you will have to take the feeder bus to the LCCT.

UPDATE 15 November 2006: Air Asia will be expanding its fleet, add more routes and tie up with Armadeus which provides distribution solutions for the travel industry. With this tie up, 26,000 travel agents and corporate customers world wide using the Amadeus distribution system can book seats on AirAsia, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia.

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