AirAsia must be feeling pretty good these days. The Malaysian low cost carrier frequently tops Asia tourism industry lists as the best of its kind. And it certainly lacks modesty, plastering the bragging rights across the sides of planes.

The airline has also grown to be Southeast Asia's largest LCC and plans to add nine new planes in 2009 to its existing fleet of 72. In fact, as tourism in the region picks up, the airline is getting downright cocky about its strength in the marketplace. Economic apocalypse? For AirAsia, life's a bear....]]> ced138 2008-10-13T13:00:44-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/4/53631/37328

Air Asia offshoot Air Asia X is not the only airline worried about how heavy planes use more fuel--that's getting more expensive by the second. But they're certainly one of the few airlines who are even vaguely mentioning that heavier passengers might be cheating airlines out of money.

Reports are saying that Air Asia X is considering weighing passengers so they can calculate how much more weight the plane could carry, then filling it up with cargo that pays its way. Since Australians recently became the statistically fattest in the world, the airline has also suggested that charging larger passengers on Australasian routes could "help Aussies lose weight."

Maybe a deal between airlines and Weight Watchers will be the next step?

Related Stories:
· Air Asia X May Charge Passengers by Weight [news.com.au]
· Aussie Airlines Ponder Weight-Loss Plans [Jaunted]
· Air Asia X Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Steffe]]]> amandak 2008-08-04T09:00:04-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/31/816/62104

Chief of Air Asia, the enigmatic can-do man Tony Fernandes, promised us earlier in the year that we'd be able to take a budget flight all the way from Australia to London by Christmas this year. But the bad news is there's a delay on these flights starting up.

The good news is that they still will get off the ground, despite rising fuel costs. Brave Fernandes reckons that "one of the best times to expand is during a period of flux" and the only reason they're not flying the route already is a difficulty in getting hold of the right aircraft.

Air Asia is in the final stages of talks with London Stansted airport and Fernandes says the budget London-Australia route (via Malaysia) will be operating by June 2009 at the latest--and maybe as early as March. We're not sure about having to buy our own food all that way, but if the prices really go as low as $700 then we really won't care.

Related Stories:
· Air Asia to Go Ahead with London-Malaysia Launch [Business Traveller]
· All We Want for Christmas is Long, Cheap Flights [Jaunted]

[Photo: jetalone]]]> amandak 2008-07-31T09:15:33-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/22/104314/861

So this is a new take on dealing with soaring fuel prices: Thai LCC One-Two-Go will ground its entire fleet starting today, through September 15. At that point, the carrier says, it will resume service.

One-Two-Go is the country's second-largest low cost carrier, and rival carriers are more than happy to snap up displaced customers. Right now, domestic flights on AirAsia start at just $63 all-in, and Nok Air also has a bunch of good-looking "Smile Fares."

So far this year, two smaller Asian carriers have shut down, and Qantas and Thai Airways have announced capacity cuts.

Related Stories:
· Thai Budget Airline Halts Operations [Bloomberg, via]
· AirAsia Upping the Billboard Ante [Jaunted]
· Low Cost Carriers coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikimedia]]]> pbb 2008-07-22T10:45:20-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/21/131149/409

We thought Orlando's inadvertently raunchy billboard was the greatest travel advertising of the year, but this ad from maverick LCC entrepreneur and washing machine salesman Tony Fernandes has just surged into the lead.

It should come as little surprise that this billboard is in Queensland, Australia, a country known for edgy advertising.

Related Stories:
· Hesitant to Travel? [Seattle P-I]
· Tourism Marketing and Double Entendres [Jaunted]
· Travel Advertising coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Beth Whitman]]]> pbb 2008-07-21T13:12:43-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/27/8322/30049

Not satisfied with promising punctuality or getting free advertising from Paris Hilton, low cost carrier AirAsia is giving us yet another reason to fly: a new menu.

AirAsia has had a limited menu of hot meals available for purchase for a while now, but they're expanding the menu to include a bunch of local Asian delicacies: chicken rice, satay sticks and yellow glutinous rice are among the additions. If you prebook your meal online, it works out cheaper.

But boss Tony Fernandes makes no secret of the real reason for the menu additions. He's quoted as saying "It's purely another revenue-generating initiative." Full marks for honesty, Tony, but until we see you eating yellow glutinous rice yourself we're not sure we're ordering.

Related Stories:
· AirAsia Expands In Flight Menu [IHT]
· AirAsia's Confident About Punctuality [Jaunted]
· What's up with Charles Ogilvie and Paris Hilton? [Jaunted]

[Photo: Chandra Marsono]]]> amandak 2008-06-27T09:35:07-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/26/162531/237

Speaking of Paris Hilton, what's up with her and Charles Ogilvie? The pair was spotted at Sundance and now they've been photographed together sporting AirAsia hats.

It's no secret that the Virgin Group owns a piece of the Asian low cost carrier, but could Paris be involved too? Or maybe she's more interested in AirAsia's cousin, Virgin America? After all, that airline has invited her on its inaugural WiFi flight scheduled for later this year.

We're trying to sort it all out, but in the meantime, we need to get one of those hats. So hot!

Related Stories:
· AirAsia Flight Review: Live from Vientiane [Jaunted]
· Paris Hilton coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-06-26T16:30:06-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/