Air Asia — Phuket to Singapore (HKT to SIN) on August 18, 2009 and August 21, 2009

Air Asia

Flights: FD 3524 and FD 3525

Fare Paid:  12,440 Thai Baht for four passengers (USD 385) for round trip, including taxes and fees.

I am not sure what makes the difference, but I fly on some no-frills airlines and I am perfectly happy.  I fly on others and I wind up feeling irritated.  For example, I have flown on Southwest a number of times and I have no complaints whatsoever.  Yet I feel irked when I hear about airlines like Spirit and Ryan Air (I have never flown on either of them).  The now shabby service on United’s aging fleet  is equally annoying.  I mourn the loss of British Airways as one of the few airlines that belonged to that elite group that people looked forward to flying on.

The difference is possibly one of attitude.  Southwest attendants are consistently jolly.  They seem to be very concerned about getting you to your destination on time in a way that is pleasant as possible.  And their executives refrain from making mean spirited statements to justify the very basic services and the extra charges.

In a recent statement aimed to justify charging passengers to bring on carry-on bags, the chief executive of Spirit Airlines said, “Nobody brings their package to FedEx or U.P.S. and expects them to ship it for free.”  What an attitude!  And how much kinder it would have sounded to say that the airline, faced with increased fuel prices and other pressures, was forced to seek ways of saving money.  ”We really don’t want to do this to you, but these fees are needed for us to keep flying.”  I might have sympathized.

Approaching Singapore on Air Asia Flight FD 3524

Enough of that!  Air Asia delighted all four of us on a recent trip from Phuket (HKT) to Singapore (SIN).  The Airbus 320 was new, spotlessly clean, and we were greeted by a smiling, friendly Thai crew.  And the fare was only about 12,440 Baht (about 385 USD including tax and airport fees) for the round trip for all four of us.

We had a small delay on FD 3525, the flight back from Singapore to Phuket, but otherwise things seemed perfect for this short flight.  We made absolutely sure that our bags were consistent with the limits for carry-on baggage so that we didn’t have to pay any extra for the bags.  I understand that Air Asia is really strict about baggage and they stick rigidly to the rules.

Check in was easy, simple, and courteous.  Like many other no-frills carriers, Air Asia charges extra if you want to pick your seat on line.  (So does British Airways!)  We didn’t bother with that and had no trouble finding pleasant (leather!) seats on the plane that was half empty.

Click here to see their prices for check-in baggage. (Note that it is much cheaper if you pay in advance rather than at the airport.)

Approaching Phuket on Air Asia FD 3525

Although they offered basic food for a fee, we didn’t have any.  They don’t serve alcohol.  Air Asia is another of the world’s dry airlines.

Air Asia won the Skytrax award for the second year running for being the world’s top low cost carrier.  After this very pleasant experience, I can understand why!

We bought the ticket directly from the Air Asia website.  Competitors included Tiger Air (comparable pricing), Silk Air, and Thai Airlines, which were a lot more expensive.