Trip Report: Join the Lo-Co Revolution, Part 1!

[Joe Frampton]

01/08/10 Air Asia X D7 2703 OOL-KUL 0840/1510 A330-343X Rego 9M-XXE
Our first experience on Air Asia X was somewhat of a revelation - BUY THE HOT SEATS! We have the front row of economy (bulkhead) in 7F & 7G with excellent legroom. Coolangatta Airport was smooth and relaxed having checked in online from home, and the peace of mind of having your chosen seat allocation well in advance is worth the small cost. We have a spare seat between us, we got our "comfort" pack with plush red blanket, neck pillow and eyeshades and just enjoyed our "Nasi Lemak" getting us in the spirit for yummy Malaysian food! The legroom on Air Asia is surprisingly good, however the seats are definitely narrower on the A330-300, as they have 9 seats across as opposed to 8 across on legacy carriers. We lined up at Coolangatta with a southbound departure followed by a sharp left turn, traveling up the Gold Coast with great views from the left side of the aircraft, now flying at 38,000ft across Central Australia tracking for Bali, then onto Kuala Lumpur.
POSITIVES: 100% online, GREAT price ($119 each including taxes for this sector, plus some extras), awesome legroom, on-time departure, excellent food & service throughout the flight (Clare just had her second Nasi Lemak!), no heavy sales pitch onboard.
NEGATIVES: narrow seats, no IFE, flying from Coolangatta might be a hassle for some Brisbanites.
Will post some photos shortly, onto London tomorrow...