What you need to know about choosing a low-cost airline and why it’s worth considering AirAsia X.
The best part of travelling is never the plane trip, let’s be honest.
Tasty food, endless entertainment and spacious seats are always nice, but when a friend asks you what you thought of the Maldives, or Bali, or Nairobi, you’re unlikely to reply with, “the plane trip was great!” It’s about the destination. That’s why we get on the plane in the first place.
Some travellers can have both, of course. If you can afford the all-inclusive jet-setting offered by the likes of Qantas and Emirates, as well as the holiday at the other end, then go for it. But for many, yours truly included, it’s important to have as much budget left as possible once you reach your destination. That’s where low-cost airlines come in. That’s where AirAsia X exists.
So, is AirAsia X any good? In July 2024, I flew from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur – and back – with AirAsia X: here’s my experience.
Flight details
I flew the AirAsia X SYD to KUL route on flight D7223. It’s an Airbus A330-300 with a 3-3-3 seating arrangement, at least in economy where I was seated. The flight takes just under nine hours, leaves three times a week and will take you on a 6,593km journey.
I’m a big dude, at 195cm (6ft4) and over 100kg. Traditionally, economy seats and my physique are like Tom and Jerry: not good mates. My flight was considered close to full, too.
What makes it “low-cost”
With AirAsia, your upfront cost pays for a bum on a seat and nothing else. You can ultimately add on just about everything else you’d get on a premium flight experience, but the choice is yours. The company’s theory is that you shouldn’t have to pay for entertainment, blankets, baggage, booze and the like if you don’t need it.
As such, you simply need to go in with your expectations in check and either be prepared to pay extra for items you might want on the way, or bring what you need with you. My mistake was not thinking about the lack of a pillow or blanket. This, I hadn’t anticipated. In hindsight, I should have brought my neck pillow with me and worn a comfy, warm jumper.
Outside of that, I made sure I turned up with a fully charged laptop and phone, both of which had entertainment options downloaded to their hard drives. I threw a few snacks in my backpack and made sure I had a full bottle of water, to help ease my reliance on the catering. And, perhaps hardest of all, I made peace with the fact I wasn’t going to be starting the holiday early and drinking my way through the voyage.
The price difference to forgo these items between AirAsia and Qantas at the time I bought tickets was over $1000. That’s a lot of Piña Coladas.
But what of the flight experience?
As mentioned, with AirAsia X, the idea is that you’re paying for just a seat that’ll get you from A to B. In my case, Kula Lumpur to Sydney. But that doesn’t mean it’s plane-lite or one gust of wind away from a spirally descent.
Indeed, I was impressed by the quality of AirAsia X given the price. The seats aren’t anything special, but they’re not uncomfortable. On more expensive flights the built-in headrests are better quality, and the seats a bit wider, but the AirAsia X seats still have a pleather finish and ample padding. It’s not like I got bum-numbness or anything like that.
Remarkably, even at 195cm, I fit in the standard economy seat. My knee wasn’t up against the seat in front or forced into my neighbour’s space, which is typical. Normal-sized humans will have no dramas at all.
Elsewhere the experience was indistinguishable from more expensive flights. The climate was perfect throughout – I never felt a need for blanket in the end. There was no noticeable added turbulence or noise. The bathrooms were relatively spacious and well-provisioned. And the plane wasn’t curved too dramatically, so my head wasn’t hitting the wall even in a window seat.
Good food, lovely staff
I also have to hand it to the lovely staff. Check-in went smoothly and they didn’t go over the top with weighing carry-on luggage, which low-cost airlines have been known to do. Despite being a full flight, everyone was on board and ready to go ahead of schedule. And when you pressed the little “help me” button, an attendant turned up in a jiffy. I haven’t had that happen on Qantas for yonks.
If I had to look for a complaint, it did take a while for staff to clear rubbish following meals. But that could have been to do with my seat position up front.
Despite having a few snacks in my backpack, I did end up sampling a few meals and drinks on my flight. I was quite surprised by how affordable they were. Prices are in Malaysian Ringgit, but even once converted, the most expensive meal on the menu was less than AU$8 (about US$5). The portion sizes were generous, too, and the food was actually tasty.
(A special shout-out to the delicious iced pistachio latte!)
AirAsia X marks the spot
If you want to win people over, you do so with food, but even before I got stuck into my Nasi Lemak I was already pretty happy with my AirAsia X flight experience. As I said at the top, just go in with the right expectations. I’ve now caught AirAsia multiple times, and the experience has been consistent. The staff are great, the planes depart on schedule and the price is right.
Plus, if you’re a surfer like me, surfboards can be brought at no extra cost whenever you’re flying to or from an Australian airport. What’s not to like about that?!
