AirAsia X, KUL-MEL Premium Flatbed (1-2-1 config) and a KLIA T2 fiasco (or how to nearly miss your flight)

[Austman]

This is a review of AirAsia X's Premium Flatbed offering, KUL-MEL, and a bit of a warning about KLIA T2 (or how to nearly miss your flight!).

If you mainly want a comfortable flight at a reasonable price, AirAsia X (D7) Premium Flatbed can be reasonable choice.

Some of AirAsia X's A330s have a 1-2-1 Premium Flatbed configuration where the seats are equal to many of the best current business class offerings on full service airlines. My AirAsia X A330 flight, on an ex Philippine Airlines A330, turned out to be one.

The Premium Flatbed ticket includes some in-flight food and drink selections ( x 2 for this flight). But it's BYO entertainment.

Overall it was quite a good experience.

KLIA T2 however, needs to be handled with some care. I only just made it to the gate in time!

 

[Austman]

With a Premium Flatbed ticket, there are many inclusions, some on the ground and some in the air.

The only two "add-ons" that I paid for were MYR 9 for a Tiger Beer and MYR 90 for an extra 7kg Carry On. The rest in the list below were included in the ticket price.

The total cost for KUL-MEL, one-way, with those two extras came to MYR 2,807 or about AUD 1,038.

Here is my ticket:

 

[Austman]

KUL-MEL 12:35-23:45 D7 212 Premium Flatbed

The flight departed a few minutes early and arrived about 45 minutes early.

It was a pretty good flight. My seat, 2A, was equal to business class on many airlines. It was horizontal lie-flat and as a "1" in the 1-2-1 layout, it was also nicely private.

Waiting at my seat was a bottle of water, a big and comfortable pillow and a good quality blanket.

AirAsia X crew are delightful. But their in-flight service is about supplying pre-ordered food and drinks and selling food, drinks and duty free to pax that didn't order any or who wish to buy more. There's no real curtained off area for Premium Flatbed. There might be curtains but any pax can use any toilet etc.

AirAsia X's inflight food purchase offerings can be found on-line. On some routes they also offer inflight alcoholic beverage purchases. This was one of those routes - so I have included that menu.

IMO JQi's business class is a better in-flight service experience. But my seat on AirAsia X today can't be beat!

 

[Austman]

To the food.

It's a rather simple, single course, hot offering. No starter, bread or dessert. They come with water or tea/coffee. Other drinks have to be paid for.

But the food in the container is actually pretty good and the serving size is quite substantial. The crew ask what time you'd like your meals. I had the first meal shortly after take off and the second about 90 minutes before landing. I purchased a 187ml wine to go with each. Interesting the wine comes in glass (not plastic) bottles:

 

[I love to travel]

KUL-MEL 12:35-23:45 D7 212 Premium Flatbed

The flight departed a few minutes early and arrived about 40 minutes early.

It was a pretty good flight. My seat, 2A, was equal to business class on many airlines. It was horizontal lie-flat.

Waiting at the seat was a bottle of water, a big and comfortable pillow and a good quality blanket.

AirAsia X crew are delightful. But their in-flight service is about supplying pre-ordered food and drinks and selling food, drinks and duty free to pax that didn't order any or who wish to buy more. There's no real curtained off area for Premium Flatbed. There might be curtains but any pax can use any toilet etc.

AirAsia X's inflight food purchase offerings can be found on-line. On some routes they also offer inflight alcoholic beverage purchases. This was one of those routes - so I have included the menu.

IMO JQi's business class is a better in-flight service experience. But my seat on AirAsia X today can't be beat!


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SO what lounge access was included - any interesting option to, thanks for the report

 

[Austman]

SO what lounge access was included - any interesting option to, thanks for the report

It was the Plaza Premium at KLIA T2. But a bit more on that to come...

 

[moa999]

Nice win. I think D7 only have 2 330s in this ex-PAL config. Most are 2-2-2 angled flat.

 

[Austman]

Nice win. I think D7 only have 2 330s in this ex-PAL config. Most are 2-2-2 angled flat.

It was! And a pity that the big screen in front of you is just a bit of a mirror!

 

[Austman]

As you can see above, Included in the add-ons is "AirAsia Duty Free".

This is a MYR 50 discount offer if you pre-purchase duty free. The duty free is later delivered to you, at your seat, in-flight.

After booking your ticket, you get an email with a discount code voucher code.

I actually used it. I'm not sure if it was a great bargain or not (MYR 228) but it certainly was convenient:

 

[Austman]

And, in keeping with the AirAsia experience, I decided to stay at the land-side KLIA T2 Tune Hotel the night before my flight.

This was not primarily done to save money. It was done out of convenience. The hotel is more-or-less attached, land-side, to KLIA T2.

I was on an international flight, arriving at KLIA T1 at about 18:30 and had to get over to KLIA T2 for my AirAsia X flight the next morning. I couldn't be bothered going into KL or with hotel shuttle busses or Grabs to nearby hotels. I just wanted a bed for the night and easy access to KLIA T2 in the morning. So, after KLIA T1 arrivals migration, I caught the free land-side shuttle bus from KLIA T1 to KLIA T2. It actually arrives almost next to the KLIA T2 Tune Hotel.

Surprisingly the KLIA T2 Tune Hotel, my first time ever at a Tune Hotel, was not too bad! The room was very, very small but it was modern and quiet.

The hotel common areas, being the restaurant, a separate bar and an outdoor garden area were great! There was even a guest laundry - MYR 10 for the washer and MYR 10 for the dryer. So my laundry was all done while I was having dinner at the bar - perfect!

It's no 4 or 5 star property. But after all the AirAsia offered discounts it came to USD 60.04 (why USD I don't know) for the night:

 

[clifford]

Yes, I've stayed at thr Tune KLIA2 and it's very convenient, but not particularly cheap for KL. I didn't depart on Air Asia, but had to go to T1 for my OmanAir flight. But it was still very convenient. KLIA2 is more of a very large shopping mall than an airport. It's a complete maze.

 

[Austman]

Yes, I've stayed at thr Tune KLIA2 and it's very convenient, but not particularly cheap for KL. I didn't depart on Air Asia, but had to go to T1 for my OmanAir flight. But it was still very convenient. KLIA2 is more of a very large shopping mall than an airport. It's a complete maze.

In AUD it came to $91.30 in total. Still not too bad.

I'm glad you mentioned the shopping mall part of KLIA T2.

KLIA T2 really does seem to be a shopping mall primary (land-side and air-side) with an airport terminal added as an afterthought.

That whole concept and the enormous distances you have to travel - past numerous shops and eateries - just to get to your gate - up to almost 1km from the check-in desks to some gates - together with a bit of AirAsia pedantics - and the fact that the air-side processes at KLIA T2 are not quite the same as they are at KLIA T1 - caught me out.

I'll post more on my departures experience at KLIA T2 next.