I've had positive experiences with AA flying domestically in Thailand and to Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. The aircraft are new and the flight attendants generally have a good attitude. Some of the full service carriers could learn a trick or two from them. Bangkok Airways' aircraft look tired out compared to AA's. Btw - always worth paying for the exit row ime because you invariably have a spare seat beside you because most punters don't want to pay for it and the staff always eject them if they try sit there. 

 

Would I want to fly in a single aisle aircraft from Europe to Asia with a stop en-route? Not really. Also, you need to factor in luggage, buying meals and drinks etc. But for budget-conscious travellers it could be just the ticket.

 

Personally, I prefer direct flights now and try to go business with EVA. But a return is nearly £3k a pop in that. Even the economy is pushing £1k now and I am sure AA will undercut that by a good margin, even factoring in the above costs. 

 

 

3 minutes ago, FlorC said:

Refuel in Middle East , that means getting out the plane and waiting.

50 % less , but extra's for luggage and food .

Only pro is that they fly with new airbus planes.

The mid East airlines mostly with yukky Boeing.

 

Let's stop that war so that I can fly via Moskou again.

Better than via mid East and hotter stewardesses.

Wouldn't disagree the Russian girls are hot but their stolen aircraft are worthless now, they haven't been serviced properly and are cannibalising parts to keep them flying. No thanks 😄 

3 minutes ago, MarkyM3 said:

Wouldn't disagree the Russian girls are hot but their stolen aircraft are worthless now, they haven't been serviced properly and are cannibalising parts to keep them flying. No thanks 😄 

By the time airasia flies , all will be ok , hopefully.

Air Asia seat configuration force my knees up to my chin. I can manage for a 90 minute domestic flight. But 10 hours. No thanks 

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

I learned something new today. I always thought that Mumbai and Bombay were the same city.

 

   They are , I just used two random Indian cities as an example and mistakenly used the same city twice .

   The point is still the same though, that you need an India visa if you travel internally on a International flight that stops over 

2 hours ago, FlorC said:

By the time airasia flies , all will be ok , hopefully.

 

Right. Let's hear about it again when flights are scheduled. How long does that usually take from the date the MOU (memory of understanding) to order the planes is signed?

Unlikely to happen. I will be surprised if Air Asia is still operating  in 2030. I would expect Air Asia to quickly run afoul of EU regulators if it followed its Thai business practices on EU flights.

A single aisle flight from EU or NA to SE Asia is madness. It will be a physical nightmare for most people. Add to that the, lack of inflight entertainment, awful F&B, expected awful flight schedules and the airline won't be an option for anyone other than cheap charlies and backpackers. As it is, its premium Air Asia X services to and from Tokyo or Singapore isn't a particularly competitive option with legacy carriers. Thai Lion is the carrier with the foothold in the LCC routes.And of course, Air Asia would need a functioning and reliable website that could handle clients.

10 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Good to know. What's the transit experience at Mumbai? It looks like T1 and T2 aren't interconnected inside the airport, a bit like KUL when AirAsia were across the tarmac in the old cargo terminal, before they built KLIA2 and somewhat better interconnectivity. Also, looks like maybe there's a mix of international/domestic at both terminals at Mumbai, depending on the carrier?

 

Maybe not a stressless transit experience just yet.

Experienced the "transit experience" at Mumbai a few years ago. It was like the seventh circle of hell!

9 hours ago, FlorC said:

Refuel in Middle East , that means getting out the plane and waiting.

50 % less , but extra's for luggage and food .

Only pro is that they fly with new airbus planes.

The mid East airlines mostly with yukky Boeing.

 

Let's stop that war so that I can fly via Moskou again.

Better than via mid East and hotter stewardesses.

 

No it doesn't. Many airlines offer passengers the choice to briefly disembark, or stay onboard. Since AA is a low-cost carrier, it's unlikely that any passengers will be allowed to stretch their legs inside the terminal on a short refueling stopover.

 

I can't say I enjoyed ANY of my transits through both of Moscow's airports.

23 hours ago, gargamon said:

Oops, airasia won't be able to screw people as much with luggage fees if the upcoming rules go into effect in the EU.

------

EU hand luggage is about to get less confusing

European lawmakers have voted to get rid of tricksy, confusing airline carry-on fees and promote standardization across the industry.

The proposal still requires approval from EU member states but, if adopted, travelers could soon be guaranteed a lot more free hand luggage than is currently standard on the region’s budget airlines.

Right now, low-cost carriers including EasyJet and Ryanair allow passengers one free bag that must fit under the seat in front.

However, with no standardized dimensions across airlines, travelers have often been caught unawares with incorrectly sized bags when switching between carriers.

The new rule would allow passengers to bring one cabin bag measuring up to 100 centimeters (about 40 inches) and weighing up to seven kilos (15.4 pounds), plus an under-the-seat personal item with maximum dimensions of 40 x 30 x 15 centimeters. (That’s about the size of a small backpack.)

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/05/travel/travel-news-europe-hand-luggage-rules

Europe thinks the new regs will help and it surely will help politically. In reality airlines have the same profit margins and increase ticket prices which isn't really a good reflection of true individual cost. Someone travelling light will now pay the same as someone that takes a bike and other such items.  I travel light so the new regs will increase my ticket prices.

11 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Some flights from London to BKK arrive in Mumbai and depart from Bombay and you need an India visa to make the connecting flight from Mumbai to Bombay .

   I was on the same flight as someone  who get refused boarding because they didn't have an India visa for the internal connecting flight 

I got a tour of floor below baggage claim at the "new" Terminal before it opened when they were testing the baggage system, it was amazing. 

 

Is it just me, or are the Indian women in the brown military uniforms pretty hot? 

 

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

 

No it doesn't. Many airlines offer passengers the choice to briefly disembark, or stay onboard. Since AA is a low-cost carrier, it's unlikely that any passengers will be allowed to stretch their legs inside the terminal on a short refueling stopover.

 

I can't say I enjoyed ANY of my transits through both of Moscow's airports.

I enjoyed it . It was very different as to the people you see

than in mid Eastern airports .

Lots of Chinese / Mongolian looking people.

Very relaxed, I did not expect that.

2 hours ago, JAG said:

Experienced the "transit experience" at Mumbai a few years ago. It was like the seventh circle of hell!

Mumbay was a bit chaotic .

The " seventh circle of hell"  , is sitting with Indians on a plane.

I now rank airports on the ease of ingress and egress plus their proximity to hotels at a reasonable price.

This allows me to break up the long journeys into more comfortable legs.

Singapore is by miles on top with its electronic immigration and uncluttered self check in but of course it fails the cheap hotel test.

KL is getting much better as they expand their e gates but self check in is slightly chaotic.

Hearing good things about Dubai.

If and when Delhi does e gates etc it could be a great stopover given the easy rail access to AeroCity which is full of reasonably priced hotels.

Would be interested to hear from others which airports they like if breaking your journey for a day or two

Air Asia was the only nostop from CNX to KUL so I have taken it several times.  Otherwise I would not fly with them.  

12 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

I learned something new today. I always thought that Mumbai and Bombay were the same city.

Ha, I didn't even notice, just thought Kolkata to Mumbai.

Must be what the poster meant to write?

OMG who the hell wants to be on a crap AA flight for that long! They are already abhorrent for a 3 hour regionally. Sheesh, only the despotic of brokies would tolerate a fuel stop and this long on crap seats, and having to pay for even the menial junk food instant ramens, give me a break. 

And what typical SEA person can afford freaking Paris? Its like 30-40 bucks for breakfast there, 100 bucks a night at least, and you get to dodge the crime and invaders ravaging the city. 

 

Tony says he is not trying to take market share,, ha! yes you are! what kind of moronic statement is that? When you compete , you take a share of the pie! duh. 

I can't stand air asia, these 20 year old smart ass thai girls working at the front check in counters at DMK all got that deer in the headlights look, ready to charge you up the ass for 1gram over weight on your bag. oh and dont forget your money to pay for your water! 100 baht for that, another 100 for your junk noodles by a bunch of quick trained tier 3 high schoolers just graduated with broken ENgRish. "oh look at me, im so sophisticate, i travel to Paris" is going to be all over their instahoegrams.

Only take AA if there are no other flights, and be sure to upgrade yourself fully to avoid being treated and feeling like a total fkn looser traveler. 

No Business class, no go.

On 7/6/2025 at 7:13 AM, gargamon said:

Oops, airasia won't be able to screw people as much with luggage fees if the upcoming rules go into effect in the EU.

------

EU hand luggage is about to get less confusing

European lawmakers have voted to get rid of tricksy, confusing airline carry-on fees and promote standardization across the industry.

The proposal still requires approval from EU member states but, if adopted, travelers could soon be guaranteed a lot more free hand luggage than is currently standard on the region’s budget airlines.

Right now, low-cost carriers including EasyJet and Ryanair allow passengers one free bag that must fit under the seat in front.

However, with no standardized dimensions across airlines, travelers have often been caught unawares with incorrectly sized bags when switching between carriers.

The new rule would allow passengers to bring one cabin bag measuring up to 100 centimeters (about 40 inches) and weighing up to seven kilos (15.4 pounds), plus an under-the-seat personal item with maximum dimensions of 40 x 30 x 15 centimeters. (That’s about the size of a small backpack.)

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/05/travel/travel-news-europe-hand-luggage-rules

 

Won't fit under seat - never do.

17 hours ago, daveAustin said:

It’s rubbish. Best off using browser and booking through agoda. 

you can't book extras except on AirAsia. bags, meals etc. Never been a problem for me.

21 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

Unlikely to happen. I will be surprised if Air Asia is still operating  in 2030. I would expect Air Asia to quickly run afoul of EU regulators if it followed its Thai business practices on EU flights.

A single aisle flight from EU or NA to SE Asia is madness. It will be a physical nightmare for most people. Add to that the, lack of inflight entertainment, awful F&B, expected awful flight schedules and the airline won't be an option for anyone other than cheap charlies and backpackers. As it is, its premium Air Asia X services to and from Tokyo or Singapore isn't a particularly competitive option with legacy carriers. Thai Lion is the carrier with the foothold in the LCC routes.And of course, Air Asia would need a functioning and reliable website that could handle clients.

 

AA have been going for years and not showing any signs of going anywhere. Their pilots also get well paid. Meanwhile, Thai Lion have a dubious rep and they cancelled my flight to China at 11.30pm the night before it was due to depart, not unknown apparently. Never had AA do that. 

 

As for lack of IFE, take a laptop or tablet if not's up to snuff. I never use it. Food you can buy onboard or take yourself. You don't get much in economy anyways. 

 

The AA flights are not direct to the EU, they will stop in the Middle East. 6 or 7 hours isn't much fun in a single aisle aircraft, granted, but it isn't much more fun in a 10 row economy layout either in something like an old 777 or 787. These are brand new aircraft. I flew UK-Newark-UK in a 757 years back which is a similar flight time to the Middle East and no great shakes.  

 

If they can meaningfully undercut the legacy carriers I predict they will do well. People flying legacy in economy are just as much "Cheap Charlies" by your yardstick and plenty aren't backpackers etc.  

 

Never had any issues with the AA website or app. 

12 hours ago, Jedi888 said:

OMG who the hell wants to be on a crap AA flight for that long! They are already abhorrent for a 3 hour regionally. Sheesh, only the despotic of brokies would tolerate a fuel stop and this long on crap seats, and having to pay for even the menial junk food instant ramens, give me a break. 

And what typical SEA person can afford freaking Paris? Its like 30-40 bucks for breakfast there, 100 bucks a night at least, and you get to dodge the crime and invaders ravaging the city. 

 

Tony says he is not trying to take market share,, ha! yes you are! what kind of moronic statement is that? When you compete , you take a share of the pie! duh. 

I can't stand air asia, these 20 year old smart ass thai girls working at the front check in counters at DMK all got that deer in the headlights look, ready to charge you up the ass for 1gram over weight on your bag. oh and dont forget your money to pay for your water! 100 baht for that, another 100 for your junk noodles by a bunch of quick trained tier 3 high schoolers just graduated with broken ENgRish. "oh look at me, im so sophisticate, i travel to Paris" is going to be all over their instahoegrams.

Only take AA if there are no other flights, and be sure to upgrade yourself fully to avoid being treated and feeling like a total fkn looser traveler. 

 

Abhorrent....dramatic much?! You could pay a whopping 15-20 quid and sit in the exit row and have great legroom and usually a free seat next to you.

 

You sound like the passenger from hell tbh with that attitude....

 

It's loser, not looser btw 😄

Good news but they had a few false starts to Europe a few times. The fights to Istanbul never eventuated. 

 

Otherwise they are a great airline to fly with a bicycle, cheap baggage allowance and no issues with box dimensions. They are the only airline I know which would fly your bicycle just wrapped with cling wrap.

50 minutes ago, MarkyM3 said:

 

AA have been going for years and not showing any signs of going anywhere. Their pilots also get well paid. Meanwhile, Thai Lion have a dubious rep and they cancelled my flight to China at 11.30pm the night before it was due to depart, not unknown apparently. Never had AA do that. 

 

As for lack of IFE, take a laptop or tablet if not's up to snuff. I never use it. Food you can buy onboard or take yourself. You don't get much in economy anyways. 

 

The AA flights are not direct to the EU, they will stop in the Middle East. 6 or 7 hours isn't much fun in a single aisle aircraft, granted, but it isn't much more fun in a 10 row economy layout either in something like an old 777 or 787. These are brand new aircraft. I flew UK-Newark-UK in a 757 years back which is a similar flight time to the Middle East and no great shakes.  

 

If they can meaningfully undercut the legacy carriers I predict they will do well. People flying legacy in economy are just as much "Cheap Charlies" by your yardstick and plenty aren't backpackers etc.  

 

Never had any issues with the AA website or app. 

 

AA is American Airlines. FD is Thai Air Asia. AK is Air Asia.

You apparently are unaware that the carrier went into a tailspin and was nearly shut down in 2022.  It went into state backed restructuring, and in 2023 started paying just 0.5% of its RM 33.5 billion of its debt. The restructuring was to avoid liquidation. 

A passenger owed a ticket refund of RM20,000  only received RM100.  

https://support.airasia.com/s/article/AirAsia-X-Debt-Restructuring-Settlement-to-Scheme-Creditors?language=en_GB   Thousands of passengers were left like this after the. airline went into meltdown.

 

Air Asia's website issues are well documented. You are fortunate not to have had one of the  common. issues.

 

Airlines cancel flights all the time. It can be mechanical, or it can be weather related or it can be equipment shortages or it can be due to an air space closure.  You are presenting  only a portion of the Thai Lion  incident.  

 

Air Asia works for you. That's great. Keep flying them. Enjoy yourself. Just don't complain when it turns into a gong show. You get what you pay for. The idea of sitting in a cramped cabin with pax who bring on their tandoori meals or garlic laden appetizers doesn't appeal to many people. Bringing one's one entertainment only works for as long as one's laptop battery work and is not particularly comfortable in the small space of Y.

Not everyone enjoys a  transit and layover in the middle east, particularly if there is a risk of IROPs.   Air Asia is fine when it works, but when it doesn't it becomes an absolute mess with little opportunity for recovery. I am  just happy I can avoid the airline and the clientele if attracts.

On 7/6/2025 at 1:32 PM, NanLaew said:

 

IndiGo just commenced their 3-times weekly non-stops Mumbai - Manchester. Using a 787-9 Dreamliner, just like Norse Air will be using on their weekly Manchester - Bangkok non-stop starting in November.

 

Now, if only the Indian authorities would dispense with their nonsense procedure for getting an e-Visa, and make transiting a nicer experience, they could open up an alternative South Asian hub.

Or there dreamliner fleet is not maintained to well you might think again flying Indian carriers.

7 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

AA is American Airlines. FD is Thai Air Asia. AK is Air Asia.

You apparently are unaware that the carrier went into a tailspin and was nearly shut down in 2022.  It went into state backed restructuring, and in 2023 started paying just 0.5% of its RM 33.5 billion of its debt. The restructuring was to avoid liquidation. 

A passenger owed a ticket refund of RM20,000  only received RM100.  

https://support.airasia.com/s/article/AirAsia-X-Debt-Restructuring-Settlement-to-Scheme-Creditors?language=en_GB   Thousands of passengers were left like this after the. airline went into meltdown.

 

Air Asia's website issues are well documented. You are fortunate not to have had one of the  common. issues.

 

Airlines cancel flights all the time. It can be mechanical, or it can be weather related or it can be equipment shortages or it can be due to an air space closure.  You are presenting  only a portion of the Thai Lion  incident.  

 

Air Asia works for you. That's great. Keep flying them. Enjoy yourself. Just don't complain when it turns into a gong show. You get what you pay for. The idea of sitting in a cramped cabin with pax who bring on their tandoori meals or garlic laden appetizers doesn't appeal to many people. Bringing one's one entertainment only works for as long as one's laptop battery work and is not particularly comfortable in the small space of Y.

Not everyone enjoys a  transit and layover in the middle east, particularly if there is a risk of IROPs.   Air Asia is fine when it works, but when it doesn't it becomes an absolute mess with little opportunity for recovery. I am  just happy I can avoid the airline and the clientele if attracts.

 

Hang on....since when does American Airlines have anything to do with the discussion? Me and two other posters have mentioned AA already and we were clearly talking about AirAsia. Yes, American are a legacy carrier and that's their flight code but so what? I know what different airline flight codes are and have flown all the ones you mention and many more. 

 

I wasn't aware of the circumstances in 2022 but lots of airlines hit trouble in C19 and AirAsia have recovered well if so. I didn't fly them during that period. Did so before and after C19. 

 

Thai Lion Air - look into the number of short notice cancellations they do and get back to me. I did following my experience. FYI, the weather was fine in Bangkok and at ZhengZhou, there were no airspace restrictions either in Thailand or in China and they had plenty of time to find a replacement aircraft. Presumably they don't have enough of them or they had crewing issues. I had to delay my departure by a day thanks to them, paid to go in an airport hotel and rebook an indirect flight which added several hours to my journey.

 

I've flown AirAsia many times and they provide a good low cost experience imo. It's about expectations. As per my previous posts in this thread, I recommended paying for an exit row seat. If you're too tight to pay a bit extra for that, well that's on you. The regular seats in the plane are no more cramped than someone like Bangkok Airways ime and the interiors are a lot newer. No issue for 2 or even 3 hours flying. They aren't spacious for sure, but get an exit row seat if you need it. I mentioned earlier I wouldn't want to do 6 or 7 hours in one to the Middle East but did transatlantic in a 757 some years back and it wasn't a disaster. Would want an aisle seat for sure. 

 

Not sure where you have flown to but most your complaints about the smell of the food are somewhat bizarre. You're in Asia, what do you expect?! Not something I've had an issue with. I flew them several times over the winter - internally in Thailand, to Vietnam and to China and encountered an experience in line with a decent low-cost airline each time. Been to several other places pre-C19 and same applies. Yeah, the crowd may be cheap and cheerful but so what? It is on legacy carriers in economy as well. People don't cause me an issue as long as they respect my space. The flight attendants generally have a good attitude and smile ime.  

 

App and website - didn't cause an issue. The meals I ordered came as expected. 

 

Laptop - if your battery doesn't last for more than 3 hours then bring a tablet surely. 

 

In my previous post I also mentioned I generally fly between UK and BKK in EVA business. Also done so on Qatar and Gulf Air. This winter, flew BKK to Hanoi in Vietnam Airlines business. So I know what the difference in service level between different cabins and carriers is. Doesn't change my opinion of AirAsia at all.

 

Your comment about AirAsia and "the clientele it attracts" comes across as being snobbish in the extreme. Do you only mix with J class travellers in day to day life as well?

 

 

On 7/6/2025 at 7:03 PM, scorecard said:

Both of these girls gave me their mobile numbers and said 'if any problems ask the car driver to call us'.

Coo! You luck old so and so - getting the phone numbers of two Air Asia girls!

4 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

Or there dreamliner fleet is not maintained to well you might think again flying Indian carriers.

 

IndiGo only have the one Dreamliner.

3 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

IndiGo only have the one Dreamliner.

Flew once HK to New Delhi on Air India, Full flight 99.9% of the passengers Indian. yelling and screaming all the way. At one point an Indian man marched down the aisle, grabbed a hostess by her neck and dragged her back to where his family were seated.

5 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Flew once HK to New Delhi on Air India, Full flight 99.9% of the passengers Indian. yelling and screaming all the way. At one point an Indian man marched down the aisle, grabbed a hostess by her neck and dragged her back to where his family were seated.

 

So, it wasn't IndiGo.

 

I remember flying British Caledonian last century. Plane full of havering Scotsmen, all of them three sheets to the wind and sloshing whisky all over the shop.