This was published 13 years ago
Flight test: AirAsia X budget bed to London
Aircraft: AirAsia X Airbus A330-300
Route: Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur (connecting to London)
Class: Premium, seat 1A
Seat pitch and width: 20 inches wide, 60-inch pitch expanding to 77 inches in full recline position
Seat configuration: 2-2-2 for a total of 12 seats in the premium cabin
Luggage allowance: One piece of check-in luggage up to 20 kilograms. One item of hand luggage up to seven kilograms
Scheduled flight time: Eight hours, 15 minutes
On-time performance: A headwind combined with airport congestion sees us touch down 35 minutes late, then a FedEx plane steals our parking spot creating a further delay.
Aircraft condition: AirAsia X recently refitted its interiors (including the addition of the premium seats) so the cabin is in excellent shape.
Comfort: Unbeatable for the price. The seats are more spacious than most premium economy products and better than even some airline's business class seats, reclining to a near-flat position and with enough leg room for even tall passengers (like me) to fully stretch out. For long haul, it's an exceptional bargain.
Entertainment: None, but portable entertainment screens with a variety of films and TV shows can be rented for $MYR30 ($A10). However, premium seats have a power supply, so I spend the flight watching from my own collection of TV shows on my netbook.
Service: The young crew achieves the good cabin crew trifecta: friendly, efficient and good looking. Premium passengers with pre-ordered meals can get them served when they feel like.
Food and beverage: Meal is included in premium class (hot meals start from $6 for economy passengers, but can be pre-ordered at a 20 per cent discount). The 'international' option - chicken with barbecue sauce, a smattering of green beans and one piece of potato - is hardly a substantial meal but it tastes OK. The Asian options (nasi goreng, chicken biryani) are the better choice. Premium passengers are kept hydrated with regular deliveries of bottled water. Snacks and other drinks can be purchased on board.
Amenities: Premium passengers get a decent-sized pillow and blanket. An additional amenity pack can be purchased with a neck pillow, eye mask and another blanket for $A12.
In transit: One drawback to the flight is the long waiting time (more than four hours) at the drab Low Cost Carrier Terminal – a long way from Kuala Lumpur International's main terminal and its many entertainments and comforts (the LCCT is essentially a separate airport). In addition, at the time of my flight bags could not be checked through to London, leaving me stuck with my large suitcase at the airport for a couple of hours until check-in for my connecting flight opened. The airline says it is aiming to fix this issue.
Flight frequency: AirAsia X flies to Kuala Lumpur from Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Perth daily.
Price: Return premium class flights from Perth to London from $3624, Gold Coast to London from $4024, Melbourne to London from $4124. All flights go via Kuala Lumpur (prices are approximate).
Photos: AirAsia X's budget beds
Online: www.airasia.com/au/en
Tested by Craig Platt, who travelled courtesy of AirAsia X
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