Let’s Visit Asia

If you check the website of the Thailand-based budget airline One-Two-Go, this is the message that will greet you:
Dear Valued Passengers
We would like to inform you that during 22 July 2008 – 15 September 2008 we are operating a reduced schedule.
We apologize for any inconvenience to your travel plan and thank you for your kind understanding.
One-Two-Go Airlines.
The reports that are circulating, however, say something different. According to Bangkok Post, the 56-day grounding is due to “mounting cost pressures spurred by ballooning oil prices, fierce competition from rival airlines, falling domestic passenger demand and the poor business outlook”. Bloomberg confirms that …read more

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Yowza, budget airline Tiger Airways is now charging extra fees for checked in luggages!
I’ve been watching similar developments in US-based airlines the last several weeks and was hoping the trend wouldn’t reach this part of the sky. Ugh, wishful thinking. Tiger has followed the lead of Air Asia on charging fees for checked in baggages.
Which airline next?

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Starting July 2008, Jetstar Asia will be offering daily flights between Singapore and Phnom Penh in Cambodia, either with four non-stop flights weekly or via Siem Reap thrice weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
That means you can now fly from Singapore to Siem Reap, stop there for a few days, dive and take a peek into Cambodia’s past (and see where Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Raider was filmed). Then you have the option of either heading back, or flying further to Phnom Penh for more gallivanting.
This makes booking your flight to see more of Southeast Asia just a few clicks easier!

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Yup, you read it right: free flights! Excluding taxes and charges, of course.
You’d have to book your travel quickly, though (offer runs until Dec 19, 2007) for travel up to 31 March 2008. Most flights are to/from Singapore.
Perfect as a last minute Christmas gift!

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If plans pan out, it seems like we’ll be seeing a new budget airline fly the Asian skies in 2008.

Korean Air Lines Co. said Monday that its new low-cost airline was set to begin operations next May with routes to regional destinations including China and Malaysia.
Korean Air said in a press release that its board on Friday approved plans to invest 20 billion won ($21.5 million) to set up a separate corporate body for the carrier, tentatively called Air Korea, by the end of December.
The airline will connect Korea to international destinations such as Shandong and Hanna provinces in China, …read more

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If you’re traveling from Singapore, Australia or Christchurch, NZ, then get your fingers a-clickin’ to take advantage of Jetstar’s 3rd anniversary promo. They’re giving away $3 or $33 fares to a number of destinations in Asia. But you have to be really fast… Promo lasts only until tomorrow!

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Malaysia-based budget airline Air Asia has been awarded Airline of the Year 2007 by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.
“AirAsia is poised to become the biggest airline in the region next decade, commanding a highly influential position in regional aviation. In aviation history terms, AirAsia’s arrival on the international aviation scene is unprecedented. Perhaps only Ryanair and easyJet have made such meteoric rises. Barely in existence only five year ago, in another five years, it promises to be the largest airline in the region. In the course of this phenomenal advance, it has changed the shape of Asian aviation …read more

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Tiger Airways is giving 50% off fares to more than 10 destinations in the region for travel in Jan and Feb 2008. As usual, the catch is, you have to book quck… like now, before Oct 28, 2007. Go and log on to Tiger Airways and check seat availability. Go and book immediately if you see one that fits your sched, as these promo seats go fast!
Too bad it’s not offering it for the Singapore-Manila stretch; since this leg has proven to be impossible to get during the Christmas season, I was thinking of flying early next year. Oh …read more

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In the beginning of the year, Air Asia announced the making of Air Asia X, a long-haul budget airline. It’ll cover flights that are 4-8 hours long, complementary to the existing short-haul Southeast Asian routes Air Asia has already been servicing.
Well, it’s taken longer than the projected launch in July, but Air Asia X seems to be ready to fly its first long-haul passengers into and out of Asia, via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Gold Coast will be the first long haul international destination of low cost Malaysian airline, Air Asia X, with one way fares to start from less than …read more

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Eighty nine passengers died when budget airline One-Two-Go Airlines crashed as it attempted to land in Phuket despite bad weather last Sunday. Of these, 57 were allegedly foreigners, 21 of whom have been identified.
For those looking for the passenger list, you can find a couple here, although I can’t be sure how official these are.
As always, when crashes occur, safety issues are raised. Moreso, when budget airlines are involved. It makes one think– Are the safety of airlines being compromised in an effort to bring down airfares?
photo source

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