Strange no one mentioned this new money making thing yet.

My understanding is uou can pre-book your seat online only, Hot Seat 250B, 5 first rows + exit rows, includes X-Press boarding, 50B for Standard seat.

I guess remaining seats will be assigned "for free" at check-in time, can't see how they would be able to handle this otherwise

I guess remaining seats will be assigned "for free" at check-in time, can't see how they would be able to handle this otherwise

They could also allow the passengers holding pre-booked seats to board the aircraft first. Obviously this would have to be strictly enforced; I gather that paying for express boarding on its own sometimes isn't.

Tiger Airways will randomly assigned seat during check in for those who did not pay for seat selection.

I think this is what AirAsia will do.

I guess remaining seats will be assigned "for free" at check-in time, can't see how they would be able to handle this otherwise

Reporting live from the LCC-T at Kuala Lumpur International Airport...

Just checked in for my KUL-Chiang Mai flight and was informed that from today, all AirAsia flights will have assigned seating. If you haven't pre-booked a seat for your flight, a seat will be assigned for you. I was rather lucky today and assigned an exit-row aisle seat, which is generally where I would sit anyway if available upon boarding. I'll bet this move catches an awful lot of travelers by surprise over the next few months, especially the the folks for whom this was not an option when they originally booked their tickets. I'm also betting that mandatory assigned seating spells the end for the X-Press boarding (i.e. if everybody has an assigned seat, why bother?).

Thanks for the ITR !!!

You just can't beat thaivisa's Intrepid Traveler Reports from the field for the latest and important breaking news!

After my own two latest bookings of their "zero baht" fares for later this year, this is critical information.

Edited February 17, 200917 yr by sriracha john

I'm also betting that mandatory assigned seating spells the end for the X-Press boarding (i.e. if everybody has an assigned seat, why bother?).

Wrong sir,

For the small extra fee of 250B per segment you can choose your Hot Seat, rows 1 to 5 or exit row AND board the plane (or bus) before the others

I'm also betting that mandatory assigned seating spells the end for the X-Press boarding (i.e. if everybody has an assigned seat, why bother?).

Wrong sir,

For the small extra fee of 250B per segment you can choose your Hot Seat, rows 1 to 5 or exit row AND board the plane (or bus) before the others

I also left KUL/LCC this morning-to BKK-arr. 20 mins early.

its daft simple: the former espress boarding is now for those who have paid for the extra seats. And for those who have paid for express-they should be assigned the premium seats. These people were let on first-before the rest of the cattle.

The newsppr last week told it was a new IATA-ruling-if that is so, Easy and RYAN in Europe will have to follow suit!

So as all above assumed; if you did not pay any extra-you get a seat assigned-without asking winodw/aisle etc.

the mad scramble to rush on the plane was completely absent this time though.

Tartempion has the right idea. Yesterday my wife and I had the seats in the front row we paid the princely sum of 250 baht each for a flight from Denpasar to Bangkok. We had the only two "express boarding" stickers on our boarding passes. We were the only two passengers allowed to sit in the first three rows of the aircraft. Quiet, served first the "meal' by the perky flight attendants, off the aircraft first. I told my wife it was similar to first class on a budget airline. It did not get our luggage any faster at BKK. Then back to the "real Thailand World" of excellent service on evening NCATOUR bus line to Buriram. Great bus line, but loud kids, loud cell phones ring, etc.. Interesting note: There was an "inspector" on our Thai Air Asia flight who is a former flight attendant formerly with China Airlines. For the money we paid on Air Asia including the extra fees for services we wanted it was well worth the money to fly to Bali.

the thing is that seat assignment is now a LEGAL REQUIREMENT in most countries AirAsia is operating, such as Indonesia, Malaysia. thats the whole secret....

BTW, you dont NEED to pre-book a seat, therefore, no extra fee if you dont want it.

AirAsia is the cheapest with their fees as always. cheapest seat-fee (50 baht - just 1 Euro), cheapest luggage-fee, and so on....

for example, TIGER charges you an extra 5 Dollars only to allow you make a booking with your credit card.

those Budget airlines in Europe are even much worse (ryanair, easyjet, to mention the worst).

and in the US, even the big carrier charges huge amounts for just a regular checked-in piece of luggage.

so, lets thank god we have AirAsia, the only REAL low-fare-Airline in Asia.

What seats can be recommended on their A320 aircrafts? Does row 14 offer more legroom than row 12? Appreciate good advices.

It appears Airasia now use mostly A320 and only 2 Boeing 737 are still in operation according to www.airfleets.net

What seats can be recommended on their A320 aircrafts? Does row 14 offer more legroom than row 12? Appreciate good advices.

It appears Airasia now use mostly A320 and only 2 Boeing 737 are still in operation according to www.airfleets.net

12 and 14 are the exit rows on both the 320 and the 737, the only difference is that on the 737 row 12 has only two seats each side and a gap between seat and wall. These are all 250baht "hot seats".

Something to bear in mind is that if you pay for a hot seat at the front of the cabin for a quick exit at the end of the flight, you can see this advantage disappear if you land at an airport where steps are used as the people at the back get the same quick exit.