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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I was surfing around for cheap airfare deals for November and noticed that I’m still able to see the kind of airfares I was seeing a few months ago. I thought this a bit strange, considering the skyrocketing fuel prices of late. It was when I got to the page indicating the total amount I need to pay that my jaw dropped: the tax and fuel surcharge fees cost more than the seat itself!
Now I understand how airlines can advertise that they haven’t increased airfares, and in fact are still offering discounted fares. As usual, the trick is in the …read more

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Initially called Air Korea, Korean Air’s budget affiliate has been rebranded as Jin Air. There seemed to be a lot of thinking that came into coming up with this name. First, Jin Air supposedly has the same pronunciation as the Chinese character meaning “truth” and “sincerity”.
Pursuing “freshness” and “pragmatism,” the budget airline showed unconventionality in many aspects
The crew will be wearing jeans and t-shirts, and will be called “Jini” ― pilots will be called “Jini pilot,” flight attendants, “Jini flying mate,” and ground crew, “Jini ground staff.” Cool eh? And the best is, according to the report, flights will cost …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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Asia is a popular destination for budget holidaymakers, and indeed, if you want more value for you buck, you will spoiled for choices of destinations here in Asia where you can really streeeetch your dollar. But if the budget’s real tight, you still might be able to pick up some ideas from these 13 secrets for stretching your travel dollar. I’m quoting the main points here, followed by some comments of my own, but go and read the entire article for more info.
1. Be mentally ready — identify a target budget, or at least make a mental note of how …read more

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It used to be that flying with Malaysia-based budget airline Air Asia allows you to check in up to 20kg of luggage for free. Well, effective April 21, 2008, not anymore!
Checked baggage will be charged on a per piece basis up to a maximum combined weight of 15kg. Anything over 15kg will be charged as excess in addition to the per piece checked baggage fee.
Based on the published table of fees, it seems that the fess differ depending on the airport of origin, and you can get substantial discounts if you pre-book your checked baggage more than 24 hours prior …read more

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Kuala Lumpur-based long haul budget airline Air Asia X has sold more than 100,000 seats in its 5 months of operation, and in celebration of this milestone is giving away 5,000 free seats to Gold Coast, Australia and Hang Zhou, China!
Hurry, you’ve only got til this Sunday, March 16, 2008, to avail of this promo. Check for availaility of seats at Air Asia, for travel between March 20 to June 23, 2008!

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The following is a contribution from guest blogger, Kala, who is currently based in Qatar. She has lived in the Philippines and France, and plans to visit 15 more countries before she turns 30.
Whenever I tell people that I went to Japan for holidays, they sigh and say, “Oh, it must have been so expensive!” Well, I’ve got some good news for you. While accommodation may be more expensive in Japan than most Asian countries, there are a lot of money-saving tips for the budget traveller.
1. Accomodation – Business hotels, budget hotels, capsule hotels and even budget ryokans provide inexpensive …read more

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For the last three years, Thailand-based budget airline NokAir has only been servicing domestic routes. Now, they’re flying further out, to Hanoi, Vietnam, operating 2 flights a week to and from the new Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
Check out the Bangkok-Hanoi promo fares currently going as low as 3 THB!
Or, if you also need a place to stay, why not consider getting the Nok Hanoi packages. Imagine, round trip airfare, full board accommodations, plus day tours around Hanoi and Halong Bay (a a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam. ) for only 13,500 THB per person …read more

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