Prahok @ May 1, 2006 # No Comment Yet
The Foreign minister of Timor-Leste, Jose Ramos-Horta told AFP in a recent interview that they’d been in contact with Air Asia and Silk Air about opening direct links from Dili to either Malaysia or Singapore. That would be a boon for tourism to the fledging nation — particularly divers. Currently airfares to Timor-Leste are [...]
Prahok @ April 5, 2006 # No Comment Yet
The Business Times reports that AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandez is planning on building synergies with the creation of between 60 & 70 hotels under the TuneHotels brand. Starting in Malaysia, the plan could well expand to other destinations served by AirAsia in the future. Room rates are expected to be around 50 &100RM a night.
Prahok @ April 3, 2006 # No Comment Yet
Thanh Nien News reports that Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Administration blamed scheduling difficulties for their decision to knock back Air Asia’s request for KL to Saigon flights. The CAA went on to suggest that the airline consider Da Nang or Hanoi as more suitable destinations, as MAS and Vietnam Airlines already serve the KL to Ho [...]
Prahok @ March 20, 2006 # No Comment Yet
The Jakarta Post reports that the Blind People’s Association of Indonesia may sue AirAsia after they refused to let a blind man board a flight from KL to Jakarta, citing internal regulations. Interestingly, after the gentleman threatened to sue them for nine billion rupiah, the airline staff had a change of heart and let him [...]
Prahok @ March 13, 2006 # No Comment Yet
The Bangkok Post reports Thai AirAsia will launch a daily Bangkok-Surat Thani service on April 1. A one-way ticket from Bangkok to Surat Thani will cost between 499 and 2,300 baht, excluding 643 baht for tax and insurance. In comparison, THAI charges a flat fare of 2,640 baht, plus 405 baht for extras. Thai AirAsia [...]
Prahok @ March 9, 2006 # No Comment Yet
Thanh Hien News reports that AirAsia has requested the rights to fly from KL to Ho Chi Minh City, but that Vietnamese authorities are not overly excited about the proposal — instead suggesting that the airline fly to northern destinations which are not as congested as Saigon. However as many Malaysian businesses are concentrated around [...]
Prahok @ March 8, 2006 # No Comment Yet
The Daily Star reports that Air Asia is interested in starting operations in Bangladesh where the airline sees huge business prospects. Group deputy CEO Kamaruddin Meranun is now in Bangladesh to explore the possibilities of regional airline operation in association with East-West Airlines of Bangladesh.
Prahok @ March 4, 2006 # No Comment Yet
The Star reports that AirAsia has penned a deal with MAS to begin to absorb both aircraft and staff from the ailing carrier as it begins to take over MAS’s loss-incurring domestic routes. The specifics are yet to be announced, but some even cheaper domestic routes in Malaysia should be on the way.
Prahok @ January 13, 2006 # No Comment Yet
Thai Day has a good round-up of the Thai LCC market at the moment, with the surprising fact that Nok Air is the best performing of the Thai LCCs. Always our personal favourite, it seems it isn’t just us that enjoy flying the carrier with the happiest looking planes in the sky.
Prahok @ December 28, 2005 # No Comment Yet
VietNamNetBridge carries a story regarding the growing levels of disenchantment regarding less-than-upfront advertising by budget carriers. While the current investigations in Vietnam are being driven by “old school” airlines like the national carrier, the story nevertheless reports also on unhappy customer experiences. Tiger Airways gets a pretty good flogging, as does AirAsia with the following [...]