Air Asia X returns to Australia

I have always been a fan of low-coast carrier AirAsia X, despite a recent frustrating experience with its online booking portal.

The service delivers what you pay for; and the food is tasty.  

The medium- to long-haul affiliate airline of AirAsia will be back flying to Australia from November after a prolonged hiatus - and tickets are now on sale.

There will be flights from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne (Tullamarine), Sydney and Perth in Australia, as well as to Auckland in New Zealand from November 1.

AirAsia X has plans for 13 routes to be operating this year, including New Delhi, Seoul, Tokyo, Sapporo, Osaka and Honolulu, as well as London, Dubai and Istanbul.

AAX will recommence with three weekly flights to each Australian destination and will gradually increase the frequency to daily flights by the first quarter of 2023 to meet strong pent-up demand, the airline said in a press release.

Fares are now on sale from Perth to Kuala Lumpur from $209 and from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur from $359.

AAX CEO Benyamin Ismail said: “We are thrilled to recommence our services to Australia and New Zealand as a core part of our expansion strategy with our famous great value fares for medium to long-haul travel.

"We are also pleased to announce our return to Melbourne Airport [rather than Avalon] which offers more flexibility and connectivity for our guests travelling to and from the state of Victoria.

“In 2019, we flew over a million guests to both countries, which shows that Australia and New Zealand are important markets for us and we connected the same number of Australians and New Zealanders to Malaysia and across Asean."

Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos said: “AirAsia X flew out of Melbourne Airport for a decade, and we know our customers will be thrilled to have them back here. With a significant network beyond Kuala Lumpur, AirAsia X provides a one-stop service into much of India and South-East Asia, which is particularly valuable for international students or Victorians looking to visit friends and family overseas."

AirAsia X offers three seating classes - Economy, Quiet Zone and Premium Flatbed.

Air Asia opens up the skies

Air Asia X is the airline that sets the standard for other budget airlines. 

Following the resumption of its passenger services from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney in February, AirAsia X is expanding its flight network from Kuala Lumpur with new services to Incheon (Seoul), South Korea, and New Delhi, India, starting from April 20.

Flights to Incheon (Seoul) will initially be operated weekly on Wednesdays and returning on Thursdays. 

Flights to New Delhi will resume twice weekly on Wednesdays and Sundays returning on the same days. Both services are on sale now for travel between April 20 and June 30, with additional services to be added in the near future.

Guests with outstanding bookings or unused credit during the pandemic, will be able to use these for future bookings, by updating their original flight booking for future travel or by utilising their credit account to book the flights.

The CEO of AirAsia X Benyamin Ismail said: “After two long years, we are thrilled to return to the skies once again with the best-value airfares for medium-haul travel. Now that the world is finally opening up, we are gradually resuming flights to our key markets, starting with Sydney recently and now also to South Korea and India, with more popular destinations to be announced soon. 

:We are confident our return to these markets will be well received, particularly for those longing to visit friends and family again or for much anticipated leisure travel.

“With Malaysia’s international border reopening last week, and quarantine free travel both ways on our new services, it is also the perfect time to welcome back international tourists, providing a significant boost to the nation’s tourism sector and the economy, as we did pre-pandemic."

See www.airasia.com

AirAsia X resumes flights between Sydney and Kuala Lumpur

I am a huge admirer of Air Asia and its offshoots.

You get exactly what is promised: cheap fares all over south-east Asia, and decent food on board. 

Now, following a successful restructuring process, AirAsia X is resuming its commercial service between Kuala Lumpur and Sydney starting from February 14.

The airline says it will be prioritising full redemptions for passengers affected by the restructuring. 

Flights will initially be operated weekly on Mondays from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney and returning on Tuesdays from February 14 to March 22. Schedules for the autumn/winter seasons will be announced in mid February.

Fares start from RM1,399 ($460) one way all-inclusive in economy or guests can choose to experience the Premium Flatbed service from RM3,999. 

From Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, fares start from $399 and $1,299 one way. 

Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X, said: “Following our travel downtime over the last two years, and the recent completion of our restructuring process, we are thrilled to be able to relaunch and commence our gradual return to the skies. 

"This would not have been possible without the overwhelming support from our guests and creditors and we thank them for their patience and understanding.

“Without any domestic routes AAX has been significantly affected by the pandemic. We now see light at the end of this long tunnel and we are working hard to operate again in all of our key markets, as one of the world’s leading low-cost medium haul operators. 

"Starting with flights to and from Sydney, we will progressively continue to honour outstanding bookings and credit accounts for our guests and creditors in other markets as soon as possible.

“As we anticipate the gradual reopening of international borders around the world in 2022, we are delighted to return to Australia first, as one of our most popular markets. 

"This new weekly service for guests marks a significant milestone for the resumption of our commercial services and will contribute to our growth post-restructuring.

“We look forward to announcing additional new services soon."

Fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents, international students and eligible visa holders can travel to and from Australia without applying for a travel exemption. For full entry requirements into Australia, please visit this page.

See airasiax.com