Airasia Offers Free Thai Tickets As Fare War Takes Off

[notime]

Oh stop all this nonsense bickering about AirAsia. Yes, they are a budget airline. Yes, you cannot be late for your flight cos you will loose your ticket that cannot be re-scheduled. Yes, you have to pay extra for meals and water. So what? At 7 MYR a meal and 2 MYR water even these extra services are very affordable. How can they be called a rip-off?? Their network is extensive, their planes, especially originating from Malaysian hubs are all spanking new and their service is swift and attentive. Where would we be without them? Flying on Bangkok Airways at 4 times the cost perhaps? Koh Samui - Bkk for 5,000 THB one way as against Suratthani - Bkk for 1,250 THB.

AirAsia have been voted best low-cost airline many times over. I have been using them extensively for the last 5 years (about 40 flights perhaps) and that enabled me to travel and visit many destinations that otherwise would be out of my reach. I flew London-KL last August for half of the other airline price and just came back from Australia (Gold Coast) for A$ 200. The flight KL to Perth was about the same price. Considering the distance these flight were a bargain even in comparison with VirginBlue Perth - Sydney for a very reasonable A$ 200.

But yes, don't book with AirAsia if you are not sure you can make the flight on the arranged date, pay for extra baggage, pay for meals and water if you need to eat and drink on the longer flights and don't be late for check-ins! It’s a great airline, getting better and better all the time and adding on more and more destinations.

[DickFarang]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

Well said!

lol

Translation ?

[marstop]

United Airlines coughing up free RT Chicago-BKK ...now THAT would really show support for the Thai tourism industry!

[Deeral]

Grrr. Air Asia , they have just cancelled the whole of my return flight to Cambodia in June.

I got an e mail basically saying ,sorry your flight is cancelled , call these numbers to find out more'

Can I get through ? well not for half a dozen attempts so far.

Also their tracking system does not have a record of my Log in details even though they e mailed the password to me

I suppose for the pittance I paid I can put up with a few glitches but those that paid full price ,

I think on short haul I'd rather walk than use Air Asia.

I don't get this bit about it being OK to mess you about if you pay less - you pay for a product and expect "reasonable performance" - that is a flight that actually exisits and all the services that they indicate you get - i.e. checking the flight etc etc - they are just a bunch of charlatans.

[yabaaaa]

Oh stop all this nonsense bickering about AirAsia. Yes, they are a budget airline. Yes, you cannot be late for your flight cos you will loose your ticket that cannot be re-scheduled. Yes, you have to pay extra for meals and water. So what? At 7 MYR a meal and 2 MYR water even these extra services are very affordable. How can they be called a rip-off?? Their network is extensive, their planes, especially originating from Malaysian hubs are all spanking new and their service is swift and attentive. Where would we be without them? Flying on Bangkok Airways at 4 times the cost perhaps? Koh Samui - Bkk for 5,000 THB one way as against Suratthani - Bkk for 1,250 THB.

AirAsia have been voted best low-cost airline many times over. I have been using them extensively for the last 5 years (about 40 flights perhaps) and that enabled me to travel and visit many destinations that otherwise would be out of my reach. I flew London-KL last August for half of the other airline price and just came back from Australia (Gold Coast) for A$ 200. The flight KL to Perth was about the same price. Considering the distance these flight were a bargain even in comparison with VirginBlue Perth - Sydney for a very reasonable A$ 200.

But yes, don't book with AirAsia if you are not sure you can make the flight on the arranged date, pay for extra baggage, pay for meals and water if you need to eat and drink on the longer flights and don't be late for check-ins! It’s a great airline, getting better and better all the time and adding on more and more destinations.

I see the head of Air Asia is a Tv member

Please post in the right section next time "Fantasy /Fairyland"

Edited May 28, 2010 by yabaaaa

[DickFarang]

Oh stop all this nonsense bickering about AirAsia. Yes, they are a budget airline. Yes, you cannot be late for your flight cos you will loose your ticket that cannot be re-scheduled. Yes, you have to pay extra for meals and water. So what? At 7 MYR a meal and 2 MYR water even these extra services are very affordable. How can they be called a rip-off?? Their network is extensive, their planes, especially originating from Malaysian hubs are all spanking new and their service is swift and attentive. Where would we be without them? Flying on Bangkok Airways at 4 times the cost perhaps? Koh Samui - Bkk for 5,000 THB one way as against Suratthani - Bkk for 1,250 THB.

AirAsia have been voted best low-cost airline many times over. I have been using them extensively for the last 5 years (about 40 flights perhaps) and that enabled me to travel and visit many destinations that otherwise would be out of my reach. I flew London-KL last August for half of the other airline price and just came back from Australia (Gold Coast) for A$ 200. The flight KL to Perth was about the same price. Considering the distance these flight were a bargain even in comparison with VirginBlue Perth - Sydney for a very reasonable A$ 200.

But yes, don't book with AirAsia if you are not sure you can make the flight on the arranged date, pay for extra baggage, pay for meals and water if you need to eat and drink on the longer flights and don't be late for check-ins! It's a great airline, getting better and better all the time and adding on more and more destinations.

In 2008 (before the yellow terror) we flew with Air Asia/Thai Air Asia from BKK to Ubon and we paid much more for our luggage than for our seats.

(My wife did not want to wait for the flight with Thai Airways, which was much later, but, believe it or not, a lot cheaper.)

[yabaaaa]

Oh stop all this nonsense bickering about AirAsia. Yes, they are a budget airline. Yes, you cannot be late for your flight cos you will loose your ticket that cannot be re-scheduled. Yes, you have to pay extra for meals and water. So what? At 7 MYR a meal and 2 MYR water even these extra services are very affordable. How can they be called a rip-off?? Their network is extensive, their planes, especially originating from Malaysian hubs are all spanking new and their service is swift and attentive. Where would we be without them? Flying on Bangkok Airways at 4 times the cost perhaps? Koh Samui - Bkk for 5,000 THB one way as against Suratthani - Bkk for 1,250 THB.

AirAsia have been voted best low-cost airline many times over. I have been using them extensively for the last 5 years (about 40 flights perhaps) and that enabled me to travel and visit many destinations that otherwise would be out of my reach. I flew London-KL last August for half of the other airline price and just came back from Australia (Gold Coast) for A$ 200. The flight KL to Perth was about the same price. Considering the distance these flight were a bargain even in comparison with VirginBlue Perth - Sydney for a very reasonable A$ 200.

But yes, don't book with AirAsia if you are not sure you can make the flight on the arranged date, pay for extra baggage, pay for meals and water if you need to eat and drink on the longer flights and don't be late for check-ins! It's a great airline, getting better and better all the time and adding on more and more destinations.

In 2008 (before the yellow terror) we flew with Air Asia/Thai Air Asia from BKK to Ubon and we paid much more for our luggage than for our seats.

(My wife did not want to wait for the flight with Thai Airways, which was much later, but, believe it or not, a lot cheaper.)

Next time put your wife in the bag

[DickFarang]

you think somebody in AOT came up with the idea ? or just air asia to boost their sales...

38$ only, plus taxes, plus this, plus that...

better start to do something for us expats spending here year in year out ...

because what kind of tourists will be attracked by such offer ?

backpackers ?

I seriously agree! I live here, I'm a university student and I even speak a bit of Thai but still everything costs me just a little more because I'm a foreigner. Even going to a nightclub like ROUTE 66, my friends get to walk in free and I'm sent to the Farang entrance to pay 200baht.

It's great that they want to get more tourists over here, but how about the foreigners that live here already pay taxes and a higher price for everything? any break for us?

Yes I agree. I used to live two minutes from Dusit Zoo and it was wonderful taking the family there on a Sunday arvo. Cheap cold beer and a KFC picnic lunch shared with Monitor Lizards but then they openly and blatantly changed the entrance fees without even trying to disguise it. In big letters in English. Thai nationals 20 baht, FOREIGNER 100 baht each person. I know it's not much but it does make you feel that you'll never really belong.

What's wrong with that when Ferrang in general earn or have so much more money than the average Thai. It's nice to see the government cuts them some slack as if they had to pay 100-200B to visit a waterfall or national park they simply wouldn't be able to afford to see their national heritage especially if they were visiting with a large family. National heratige sites should actually be free for Thais and we should have to pay as if a Thai is fortunate enough to get to any western country they won't be paying 200B to get into one of our tourist attractions it'll be more like 700B -1000B not the 20B they pay at home. It should be our governments that learn a lesson here and give our own nationals almost free access to their heritage!

Food, drink, gasoline, etc.... is the same for all so what's the problem?

When my Thai wife lived with me in Belgium, she always paid the same price for museums, etc.

No dual pricing.

[Jimi007]

United Airlines coughing up free RT Chicago-BKK ...now THAT would really show support for the Thai tourism industry!

United is ranked as a 3 star airline, I think the same as Air Asia! Even China Airlines is rated as a 4 star...

Edited May 28, 2010 by Jimi007

[pacman32]

Edited May 28, 2010 by pacman32

[pacman32]

I'd like special low price airfare to get out of Bangkok...

i second this!

why does it cost me £536 on emirates to fly too Bangkok and back too UK but costs my girlfriend £936 for the opposite flight too UK and back too Bangkok using the same planes and airports. not just emirates but all airways..

Edited May 28, 2010 by pacman32

[yabaaaa]

I'd like special low price airfare to get out of Bangkok...

i second this!

why does it cost e £536 on emirates to fly too Bangkok and back tooo UK but costs my girlfriend £936 for the opposite flight too UK and back too Bangkok using the same planes and airports. not just emirates but all airways..

Its the revenge double pricing in reverse

[jfchandler]

The above info re Air Asia doesn't say they're having a special deal on flights OUT of BKK to Bali. It says they're having their deal on flights FROM Bali to BKK...

In other words, they want people coming here to BKK...not hitting the road/sky for other places.

I checked last nite and again today on AirAsia ... BKK-Bali-BKK departure June 23 for eg: 6,000bht return ... next best fare is 7,500 and then 9,000bht depending on dates ... can't see ANY free flights (+ only tax's and fees) at all !

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Oh stop all this nonsense bickering about AirAsia. Yes, they are a budget airline. Yes, you cannot be late for your flight cos you will loose your ticket that cannot be re-scheduled. Yes, you have to pay extra for meals and water. So what? At 7 MYR a meal and 2 MYR water even these extra services are very affordable. How can they be called a rip-off?? Their network is extensive, their planes, especially originating from Malaysian hubs are all spanking new and their service is swift and attentive. Where would we be without them? Flying on Bangkok Airways at 4 times the cost perhaps? Koh Samui - Bkk for 5,000 THB one way as against Suratthani - Bkk for 1,250 THB.

AirAsia have been voted best low-cost airline many times over. I have been using them extensively for the last 5 years (about 40 flights perhaps) and that enabled me to travel and visit many destinations that otherwise would be out of my reach. I flew London-KL last August for half of the other airline price and just came back from Australia (Gold Coast) for A$ 200. The flight KL to Perth was about the same price. Considering the distance these flight were a bargain even in comparison with VirginBlue Perth - Sydney for a very reasonable A$ 200.

But yes, don't book with AirAsia if you are not sure you can make the flight on the arranged date, pay for extra baggage, pay for meals and water if you need to eat and drink on the longer flights and don't be late for check-ins! It’s a great airline, getting better and better all the time and adding on more and more destinations.

It would be difficult to find quite so many simple minded people in one place. They seem utter unable to grasp the concept of a low cost airline. They don't seem to understand that not EVERY seat can be sold for a few cents. I have a folder full of flights booked with them, from return domestic flights for 260 baht all in, to International return flights for the purpose of visa runs for 1045 baht all inclusive.

Of course not EVERYONE will be able to book at this price, but many WERE ABLE. Don't blame the airline, blame yourself.

As to cancellations, I too have experienced this. In general, you can call and change to a time of your choice for free(even if the new time has a higher price attached) or a credit shell will be generated. Not bad at all for a low cost airline.

Very many people seem to be able to navigate their website and obtain some very inexpensive flight prices. I've flown to Australia and back for £140 all in. London for around £120 one way all in.

It's true. Too many 'whiners' on this thread. LOW COST AIRLINE doesn't mean that everone pays 1c for a seat. It means that you don't have to pay for services that you don't intend to use.

If there was ever an instance that I could fly cheaper with Thai Airways or Bangkok Airways, then I would fly with them. I certainly wouldn't use it as an excuse to bash Air Asia.

[Deeral]

It's not the price - it's the product that's faulty - and the company know this - they keep passengers in the dark, flights are delayed canceled rolled into one passengers are just expected to sit around until they (air Asia) are ready to fly them.

THeir main problem is the total disregard for their customers - the second problem is that they cut so many corners they can't actually fly many of the flights they schedule.

I must also say that an airline with such a lamentable record inspires absolutely no confidence when it comes to safety.

In particular the Thai branch of the company seems completely indifferent to their customers and has little or no organizational ability.

It's a wonder they don't drop out of the sky on a regular basis.

[witold]

It's great that they want to get more tourists over here, but how about the foreigners that live here already pay taxes and a higher price for everything? any break for us?

As far as I can see, not unlike most countries, Thais do not want foreigners to move in and live in LOS (hence land and business ownership rules.) They want tourists - come here, spend a lot of money, and leave.

[witold]

Didn't Air Asia have a New York City - BKK route?

I don't see it on their site...

[Jiu-Jitsu]

It's not the price - it's the product that's faulty - and the company know this - they keep passengers in the dark, flights are delayed canceled rolled into one passengers are just expected to sit around until they (air Asia) are ready to fly them.

THeir main problem is the total disregard for their customers - the second problem is that they cut so many corners they can't actually fly many of the flights they schedule.

I must also say that an airline with such a lamentable record inspires absolutely no confidence when it comes to safety.

In particular the Thai branch of the company seems completely indifferent to their customers and has little or no organizational ability.

It's a wonder they don't drop out of the sky on a regular basis.

Just another bitter and lamentable post.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Didn't Air Asia have a New York City - BKK route?

I don't see it on their site...

No. They simply sponsored the RAIDERS and had one of their aeroplanes customised with RAIDERS livery.

[Huey]

What would be hot is if Thai Airways did a deep discount Dubai-BKK flight

[letsparty2010]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

Well said!

this is all fine but how about making cheap fares from london as thailand is really in the shit at the mo tourism is down big time and the baht well not good at all

[Jimi007]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

Well said!

this is all fine but how about making cheap fares from london as thailand is really in the shit at the mo tourism is down big time and the baht well not good at all

I guess it's not a good time to travel for you. Last I looked it was just about the same price to fly RT BKK to SFO as it was a year ago... Although it was a bit more if you started your RT in the US. But I haven't looked in a bit over a month. But yes the Baht is high against a lot of currencies. I've seen the Baht higher and lower than the current level.

Back to Air Asia, I know their baggage allowance is low. their fares vary depending on when you buy them. I've never flown with them. Are they any good?

[jobsworth]

Does anybody know if Thai tourist visas are still $38

or are they now free again?

There seems to be some confusion about this.

They were free until about March 5th 2010.

There was a rumor that they would again become free on or about April 1st. 2010.

Yet they remained at $38 all during the red shirt riots.

Are they finally free now?

Or is this just another rumor?

[arcsbite]

Does anybody know if Thai tourist visas are still $38

or are they now free again?

There seems to be some confusion about this.

They were free until about March 5th 2010.

There was a rumor that they would again become free on or about April 1st. 2010.

Yet they remained at $38 all during the red shirt riots.

Are they finally free now?

Or is this just another rumor?

Tourist Visa's are now free again

I picked up a multiple entry tourist visa this week for the £10 admin charge only

[el jefe]

Hey Jiu-Jitsu and Notime, stop trying to educate the people who don't understand low cost carriers. Air Asia has a good formula and we know it. The last thing we need is to convert everyone. Then Air Asia will raise their ticket prices and eliminate the free seats. After 20+ flights with them, I'm happy to let others keep complaining.

[wolf5370]

Odd, I just checked about a return flight to KL- 600 baht more expensive than two weeks ago. Same flights. When airlines were pulling this s#it in the US years ago, the consumer agencies sued them for "bait and switch". Not likely to happen here though.

Happens all the time. I believe it was Ryan Air that was offering flights from London to Glasgow for 9 quid years ago and there was a huge advertising campaign around the offer. In actual fact there were only a couple of seats on each flight for a limited period at that price so the chances of getting one were about 1 in 75. Congratulations to anyone who happend to actually want to go to Glasgow during that short period and managed to get one. Again I'm not being cynical it's called corporate marketing and they're smart enough to use the right words so the marketing message is legally watertight.

Actually, my parents live in Spain and go back and forth to England to see my sisters on a very regular basis. Flying with Ryan Air or Monarch, they often get £10 flights - even free for the return leg, its just messing around with the website to find the best prices/dates. Usually have to apy for luggage, but they don't need this as they have stuff in both countries.

Have someone coming to see me from old Blighty soon, so reduced airfare would be nice. T be honest, getting rid of double pricing and 100B entrance fees for foreigners, or 10% service charge on meals here is not going to affect most tourists at all - and is of no interest to them. Free tourist visas, 3 months on entry (at airport) stamp, drop airport taxes, lean on Thai Air to reduce prices, destruction of the hotel cartel (to lower hotel prices - sepecially those available to travel agencies overseas and on the net) and lots of advertising showing how wrong the int. news was and that BKK isn't Kabhul and welcomes people, and as someone said already big propm here to educate the locals on how much tourists are wanted here rather than telling them farangs eat their children!

[ding]

Well Thai Air is no cheaper to BKK from the US anyway. And fees at Swampy seem to be solidly in place. I bet Asiana, EVA, and Korean Air beats them.

More tourists = more international confidence in Thailand. And THAT would bring business to Thailand.

I'm not so sure a Fare War eliminates War Fare anyway. (as above)

Dual pricing is an acknowledgment that citizenship has privilege, as in old Rome. And that the west makes a lot more money... or did in the past. I wouldn't waste angst on it. In the US we screw our own citizens in favor of cheap illegal workers, so I admire this in Thailand at this point in America's decline.

For those new/newer;

VAT can be calculated, and restaurants that charge service fees can be missed. Mai pen rai.

Taxis need to confirm that they're on the meter, and tuk-tuks are now a scam to be avoided unless you can speak some Thai and know rates.

[Krishnamayi]

My Hubby, who is working in Shanghai says that indeed he is able to book a free ticket TO Bangkok, but the return flight is DOUBLE the price it normally is...so it is actually the same as it normally would be.

[Brian67]

I'm over here in Oz and paid for and promptly lost, a fare to BKK via Singapore for AU$540 (Ahhh the perils of working in an industry where you have to mobilize at a minutes notice.....)

They don't come much cheaper than that!

I'd be struggling to travel within Australia for less than $600 ex Perth!

Edited May 29, 2010 by Brian67

[sarahsbloke]

Dual pricing is an acknowledgment that citizenship has privilege, as in old Rome. And that the west makes a lot more money... or did in the past. I wouldn't waste angst on it. In the US we screw our own citizens in favor of cheap illegal workers, so I admire this in Thailand at this point in America's decline.

Dual pricing is judged on skin colour not citizenship.

I would be entirely happy for cheap entrance fees on production of a Thai ID card ...... but that's not the way it works.

I always find Thai Airways cheaper, more reliable and easier to use ..... AirAsia waste of space IMHO.

Edited May 29, 2010 by sarahsbloke