Recently I flew Air Asia X from Kuala Lumpur to Taipei on their Premium Flatbed product. Knowing that this is a low cost airline I was curious to see what their Flatbeds would be like. This video will give you a an idea:
The typical warm welcome on Air Asia flights 🙂
The seats are flashy and comfy
The first thing I noticed when boarding was the flashy design. The red pillow and headrest remind you on which airline you are flying 😉
While the seat is not extraordinary it’s comfy and that big billow is very useful to support your back. The spacy look seems targeted towards a much younger audience than most other airlines. Which is normal looking at the price.
You can pre order an Azure Blue meal!
Business class travelers can pre order 1 meal for each flight for free.
I love trying new food on my trips so when I noticed a meal with azure blue rice I was super excited! Ok it’s not presented as fancy as on other airlines but hey this ticket also didn’t cost me a fortune. If you want to try a colourful meal on your next trip then go for Nasi Kerabu.
Not all beds are created equally
My seat can transform into an angled flatbed, not a full flat bed. This is the case with a lot of business class seats on different airlines as well, it’s just a bit deceiving they use the name flatbed. But again for this price and the extra comfort compared to economy, I am not complaining 🙂
Free access to the trendy Air Asia Red Lounge
I boarded my flight in KILA2 which is a Next Generation Hub concept in Kuala Lumpur. This mega terminal dedicated for low-cost carriers is an example for the rest of the world! I have never seen such a cool aiport. There is this hipster, “cool” vibe everywhere you walk. No glitter and gold but very appealing and refreshing.
When you fly Premium Flatbeds or Premium Flex you can skip all the check-in queues and you get free access to the Air Asia Red Lounge. Even as a economy guests you can enter when paying 16 USD (RM 79.00) if you prebook or 18 USD (RM 69.00) as a walk in guest. More info here.
There is no champagne and you have to pay for alcoholic beverages but all the other necessities are there! Food, juices, coffee, office desks, different spots to relax and watch television. The thing I liked most was the hipster design of the whole place!
Now everyone can fly … cheap and even in business class
It’s Cheap, very cheap for Business class. Yes 380 USD (1390 AED) is a bargain for a return ticket in business class. Flying economy from Dubai is often more expensive, except for the occasional 56 USD return fare to Manila 😉 The flight time between Kuala Lumpur and Taipei is about 4h 40m so it’s long enough to appreciate a bed and some extra luxury.
Air Asia is in the middle east but most of us need a visa
Yes they have flights from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. And from Tehran (Iran) you can fly to Kuala Lumpur.
Most people need a visa for Iran and Saudi Arabia so at the moment these are not ideal options to position for cheap flights to Asia.
You can see all their destinations on this map.
There are plans to expand to Europe and the U.S. and I am pretty sure they will do well as they offer the best value for money.
To sum it all up, it’s a fair deal
Air Asia X Flatbed is a budget Business Class for an economy price. Don’t expect 5 star service with caviar and you will be fine. Maybe a nice opportunity to try a premium product without breaking the bank?
Now you can choose Air Asia a lot since you live in Shanghai now!