Jaunted

AirAsia, who's slogan is "Now Everyone Can Fly," launched potentially its most important route February 20: Kuala Lumpur to Vientiane. Laos marks the tenth ASEAN country that AirAsia serves; the service creates a historic "air bridge" between Malaysia and Laos and ought to both fuel trade and drive economic growth. (Interestingly, the New York Times listed Laos as the number one country to visit in 2008.)

At the helm is a remarkable guy, dynamic leader and certified multi-tasker, Tony Fernandes. I had the privilege of being invited by Tony to spend time with him and the AirAsia team and to experience each of his three airlines firsthand. Tony is one of the world's few airline diplomats who see an airline as much, much more than just connecting the dots.

On my multi-segment, back-to-back journey (Singapore--Kuala Lumpur--Vientiane--Udon Thani--Bangkok--Jakarta), I met everybody from ground crew to pilots to cabin crew to engineering, culture and brand folks. There was a common thread I saw everywhere I went and that was unity and the desire to always strive for more.

The flight was great and everything from snacks to AirAsia hats were sold on board. (Tony was repeatedly asked to autograph replicas of his trademark cap.) AirAsia's model for low cost travel makes it possible for people who wouldn't have thought to fly just a few years ago to now go places. The carrier accepts multiple currencies to further serve its diverse passenger base.

On our flight was Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary General of ASEAN. Dr. Pitsuwan's post-arrival speech to SE Asia was sensational and received a good deal of applause. He spoke about the impact of air travel on ASEAN countries and how airlines are helping to unify the more than 560 million people that reside within. I have to give a lot of credit to AirAsia and both the Laotian and Malaysian governments for making this happen.

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· Air Asia X Is Born [Jaunted]
· Air Asia X coverage [Jaunted]