PARIJS - De Maleisische luchtvaartmaatschappij AirAsia X start in februari volgend jaar haar tweede route naar Europa. Met ingang van 14 februari (Valentijnsdag) zal de prijsvechter vier keer per week een vlucht uitvoeren tussen haar thuisbasis Kuala Lumpur en de luchthaven Parijs Orly. Op de route wordt een Airbus A340-300 met 327 stoelen ingezet.
In Kuala Lumpur biedt AirAsia X doorverbindingen aan naar verschillende andere Aziatische bestemmingen, waaronder Phuket en Bali.
AirAsia X belooft tijdelijke stunttarieven te bieden om de opening van de route naar Parijs te vieren. Wie tussen 22 en 24 november een ticket boekt, kan stuiten op enkele reizen van 99 euro inclusief belasting en toeslagen, aldus de luchtvaartmaatschappij.
BANGKOK, 24 November 2010 – AirAsia X, Malaysia’s long-haul low-cost airline announced this week it will launch a four-weekly service between Kuala Lumpur and Paris (Orly Airport, 13 km south of Paris) from 14 February.
Passengers from Thailand who can plan well ahead, or can be flexible with travel dates, will be able to tap a promotional fare that gets them to Paris for less than Bt15,000.
From 14 February until 8 May, AirAsia X is offering four-weekly flights with two of the flights morning departures and the remaining two night flights. http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/AirAsia-X.pngEx-Bangkok, passengers can only connect conveniently on two days – Wednesday and Sunday when the flight departs 0105. Passengers can opt for the last daily flight departing Bangkok at 2020, which arrives in Kuala Lumpur at 2330. But the connection is risky as AirAsia does not offer checked through baggage service on most of its routes, and cannot guarantee the transfer…
Passengers have to allow time to pick up their luggage and check-in for the connecting flight. The transfer cannot be completed airside in transit.
On the return leg Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok there is a wait of two or three hours after the Paris flights lands in Kuala Lumpur before passengers can board the Bangkok-bound flight.
If connecting times allow, AirAsia can offer services to various tourist destinations in Thailand — Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai and Krabi. This allows residents in these provinces to fly direct to their home towns. But as the airline does not offer check-through options for connecting flights, combining the Paris service with a regional service can be a hassle.
The standard return fare is around Bt18,470, which includes a checked baggage fee of around Bt375 (15kg) and meals on board, possibly Bt300 for the long-haul journey and maybe Bt290 for entertainment. All together, the trip would cost up to Bt21,000 on the Kuala Lumpur-Paris sector. But Bangkok residents will need to buy a flight to Kuala Lumpur and price-wise, Paris is feasible only if you secure one of the airline’s cheap Bt99 fares for the Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur sector.
When the Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur sector is considered, the overall fare goes up by another Bt5,100 to around Bt26,000.
Air Asia X’s competitive edge is slim when consumers shop around for promotions offered by legacy carriers.
Gulf Air is selling a return fare Bangkok-Paris via Bahrain for Bt26,270. This is valid for the outbound sector until 28 February and a return journey within two months after departure.
Full service airline fares to Paris (outside of promotions) are pretty competitive. Thai Airways International, Bt41,500; Singapore Airlines, Bt42,850; Qatar Airways, Bt35,585; Emirates, Bt38,085; Etihad, Bt38,365; Malaysia Airlines, Bt33,370 and Oman Air, Bt33,375.
To its credit, AirAsia X’s A340 aircraft, offers 18 flat-bed seats. To Paris, a flat-bed seat costs Bt40,100 (from Kuala Lumpur). Privileges of the low-cost premium seats include: free 20 kg baggage allowance; meals with mineral water; pillow and blanket; dedicated check-in lane and priority baggage retrieval.
