AirAsia Inflight Experience 💺 Thailand to Malaysia

AirAsia Inflight Experience 💺 Thailand to Malaysia

You know that feeling when you’re about to do something you’ve never tried before, and there’s a certain mix of optimism and apprehension swirling in your stomach? That’s how we felt when we booked our first AirAsia flights.

A budget airline. In Asia. And a long-haul one at that.

It’s like agreeing to a blind date with a stranger who’d promised a cheap meal and a good time, but you have a nagging suspicion they might not show up, or you’d somehow end up with a bunny boiler and an astronomical bill.

Highlights

• Planning Our Schedule
• AirAsia’s Online Booking Portal
• Departure 😩 A Phuket Queue-a-thon
• Free Snacks! Surprise Samosas!
• Kuala Lumpur Train Transit
• Rainy Arrival & Red Umbrellas ☔
• Why *Not* Fly AirAsia?
• Book an AirAsia Flight
• Langkawi Island Life 🦅
• Hotel Deals in Langkawi
• Our ‘Open Jaw’ Schedule
• Things We Carry on the Plane

 

Planning Our Schedule

Our destination was the tropical island paradise of Langkawi, just off the coast of Malaysia. The plan was to fly from Phuket, a short hop from one tropical haven to the next.

We’d done our research, of course. A boat from Phuket to Langkawi exists, but the cost was on a par with the flight, and the journey itself was a longer, more drawn-out affair. And we’d not gone through a lengthy series of flights to Thailand just to end up on a choppy boat for half the day.

It was a no-brainer. The flight, even with a transit in Kuala Lumpur, would be quicker.

And so, the deal was struck. We’d go with AirAsia, and we’d see what all the fuss was about. The promise of cheap tickets was too tempting to resist, and who doesn’t like a good bargain?

AirAsia’s Online Booking Portal

We’d booked our tickets two months in advance, and I have to admit, the website was surprisingly easy to use. No confusing pop-ups, no labyrinthine menus. Just a straightforward booking process. It was a pleasant change from online flight booking experiences, which often feel like an intricate psychological test designed to see how long you can last without screaming at your computer screen.

For the equivalent of €58 each, we’d secured our one-way flights from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur and then onwards to Langkawi.

A steal, really. A proper bargain. We almost felt bad for the airline. Almost.

Departure 😩 A Phuket Queue-a-thon

The journey from the main beach areas of Phuket to the airport is a peculiar one. The best-case scenario is a 45-minute trip, a leisurely drive through the lush Thai landscape. The worst-case scenario (which is any time that isn’t the dead of night or the crack of dawn) is a congested, two-hour marathon that leaves you feeling as if you’ve aged a decade in a single car ride.

Naturally, we managed to hit the traffic at its peak. The car crawled along, a metallic slug in a river of other metallic slugs.

When we finally got to the terminal, we’d imagined a serene airport experience: a quick check-in, a peaceful coffee, maybe a spot of duty-free. Instead, we found ourselves in a queue that snaked around the terminal like a particularly sluggish snake.

The queue was a tapestry of humanity, all with that same look of weary resignation on their faces. And just when you thought things couldn’t get any more stressful, we heard the dreaded words: “Embarkation card?”

That was the key, the golden ticket that would see you through to the other side. And if you’d forgotten about or lost it? Well, you were sent to the back of the line, a fate worse than a two-hour car journey.

We clutched our cards like they were priceless relics, a small victory in the face of so much airport chaos.

Free Snacks! Surprise Samosas!

The flight itself from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur was mercifully short and, dare I say, quite pleasant.

We settled into our seats, fully prepared for the standard budget airline experience: cramped seats, no frills, and the feeling of being an inconvenient sardine in a can. We’d even brought our own snacks and drinks.

And then, a small miracle happened. A trolley appeared, laden with complimentary warm snacks and drinks. I blinked. You’d blink. Was this some kind of hallucination? We were on a budget airline, weren’t we? Where were the exorbitant prices for a thimble of lukewarm water? Where was the passive-aggressive commentary about not bringing your own food?

Instead, we were handed warm samosas and a soda.

A proper, honest-to-goodness snack.

A bit different from the European budget airlines we were used to, such as Ryanair or Easyjet, where even a glass of water felt like a luxury you had to pay for with your firstborn child.

Kuala Lumpur Train Transit

Once we arrived in Kuala Lumpur, the next hurdle was the transit.

It was a short two-hour window, and we had to transfer from the international terminal (KLIA) to the domestic one (KLIA2). This meant a short train ride on the KLIA Transit Service, a small adventure in itself.

We navigated the airport with surprising ease, a testament to the airport’s clear signage and the general air of efficiency. We paid our RM 2 for the tickets and found ourselves on a train, whisked away to our next destination. It was all so… seamless.

Before we knew it, we were on our next flight, an even shorter hop to Langkawi.

AirAsia, we decided, was genuinely impressive. The service, the efficiency, the little touches like the complimentary snacks – it was all so… right. They even had a Big Loyalty scheme for even greater savings, which was a nice bonus.

We felt a small pang of guilt for ever having doubted them.

Rainy Arrival & Red Umbrellas ☔

And then we landed in Langkawi. The heavens opened, and a torrential downpour greeted us. It was a proper tropical monsoon.

But AirAsia, it seemed, was one step ahead. As we disembarked the plane via a covered gangway, we’d seen a line of colourful red umbrellas, ready and waiting for us. The staff had anticipated the rain, and they’d made sure we weren’t left to get soaked.

We grabbed our umbrellas and made the short dash to the terminal, a little red army against the grey skies.

It was a small gesture, but it felt monumental. A far cry from the European budget airlines, where you’re left to fend for yourself in the freezing rain, shivering and soaked to the bone, all while waiting to be herded forward like sheep.

The warmth of the tropical rain, combined with the thoughtfulness of the airline, made the moment feel almost cinematic.

We’d arrived, we were warm, and we were looking forward to a week of tropical relaxation.

AirAsia, we concluded, was a winner. A proper, no-nonsense airline that gets you from A to B with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of thoughtful touches.

All Hotel Deals in Langkawi

So, Why *Not* Fly AirAsia? (another perspective)

Known for its budget-friendly fares and extensive route network, AirAsia is the go-to option in Asia for cost-conscious travelers.

But before you go and book your next flight with AirAsia, just hold your horses for a moment.

You see, the truth is, not all is as rosy as it seems.

We’d had a good run, a particularly lucky streak, but our experience, we’ve since come to learn, isn’t necessarily the norm.

The airline, it turns out, is a bit of a mixed bag. As that famous saying goes: “AirAsia is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

The Legroom Lottery

The first thing you need to consider is the seats.

They’re snug. They’re compact. They’re designed for people who, presumably, are the size of a small child or a particularly thin pencil. We’d been fine on our short flights, but it would have been a different story if we’d been on a long-haul journey.

If you’re a long-legged person on an extended flight, you might want to start practicing your yoga poses now. You’ll need them.

The Price Tag Trap

Their fares are cheap, yes. But, and this is a big “but,” they’re a bit like a magician’s trick.

They show you a great price, and you’re so distracted by it that you don’t notice all the little things they’re adding on behind the scenes. Preferred seats? That’s extra. A full meal? Extra. Baggage allowance? Also extra.

Suddenly, that great bargain you’d been so pleased with starts to look a bit iffy. It’s the kind of thing that makes you feel like you’ve been caught out by a clever con artist. You thought you were getting a steal, but you’re actually paying for a five-course meal, one small fee at a time.

It’s a proper a la carte flight experience, and it can add up faster than you can say “I wish I’d just flown with Malaysia Airlines.”

The Customer Service Conundrum

We’d been lucky. We’d had no issues, no delays, no last-minute changes.

But we’d heard the stories. The tales of people trying to reach customer support and being met with a wall of automated voices and dead ends. It’s a proper digital maze, a customer service experience that seems designed to make you give up in frustration. It’s the sort of situation where you’d start to wonder if they even had a customer service department, or if it was just a particularly advanced AI designed to make you go away.

And speaking of automation, AirAsia requires you to use one of their exasperating airport machines to print your own baggage labels.

Have fun with that when you’re in a hurry at the airport 😠

The Timely Ticking Bomb

Punctuality. That’s another thing.

While our flights left and arrived on time, a quick search online will tell you a different story. AirAsia’s punctuality record is, shall we say, a bit of a hot topic.

Delays, last-minute schedule changes, and even cancellations are not uncommon. It’s the kind of thing that could really throw a spanner in the works if you’ve got a tight schedule.

We’d not had to deal with this, but it was a thought that had lingered in the back of our minds. It’s the kind of gamble that you’re taking every time you book a flight with them.

The Great Entertainment Void

And finally, the entertainment. Or, to be more precise, the lack thereof.

On their shorter flights, there’s no in-flight entertainment. No movies, no TV shows, no games. Nothing.

It’s a proper digital detox. For us, it had been fine. We had our own books and podcasts, but for some it could be a deal-breaker.

AirAsia – Yes or No?

So, there you have it. The two sides of the AirAsia coin. The good, the bad, and the slightly exasperating.

The choice, as ever, is yours. Do you go for the bargain-basement price and risk the potential for a cramped seat and a delayed or cancelled flight? Or do you shell out a bit more for a full-service carrier and the promise of a more comfortable journey?

We’d made our decision, and we’d not regretted it. Our journey, we knew, had been a lucky one. A proper, no-nonsense trip with a few pleasant surprises along the way.

But next time?

We’ll continue to travel with hand-luggage only (7 kg per person max). We’ll also be bringing a book. And a pack of cards. You know, just in case.

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