My first time flying with AirAsia and I was pleasantly surprised what a great experience it turned out to be! While I don’t normally travel via low-cost carriers (as I’m obsessively trying to earn miles elsewhere), I was recently invited to a media event onboard AirAsia in celebration of the new year. This special flight from Singapore to Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport was hosted by AirAsia Singapore and we had two special guests onboard – FM93.3 radio DJs Peifen and Jiafa, who assumed the roles of flight attendants
My AirAsia experience began with checking in at Singapore’s Changi Airport and I was thrilled to see the Self Check-in Kiosks. Standing in line at the airport is every traveler’s default expectation but I am one who likes to skip the queue whenever possible – especially via online or mobile check-in prior to arriving at the airport, so I love the option of self check-in at the airport too as it’s ultra convenient and saves time.
What I found to be really cool is the QRCode scanner (on the right) of the self check-in kiosk that scans a QRCode that’s been sent to your mobile device when you do mobile check-in (via app or browser), and then the kiosk prints out a boarding pass. That is super duper awesome and definitely a very convenient option for travelers.
Prior to this trip, friends have shared with me how AirAsia serves one of the better in-flight meals compared to other carriers. Oh really? Naturally, I was skeptical about that claim and had to investigate it personally. I flipped through the on-board menu selection and noticed that the food items offered are very destination-specific. As in a great selection of local ASEAN specialty dishes in addition to international fares. Since I was on a flight to Bangkok, the main offerings were Thai food. And with every AirAsia flight, you can pre-book your hot meals on the website prior to your departure date.
When meal-time came around, Peifen and Jiafa came down the aisle with the food and beverage cart. I had the Green Curry Chicken with Rice, and because this was a special flight to celebrate the new year, every passenger was also given complimentary Tuna Tortilla Wrap and Mango with Sticky Rice. Yumminess!!!
This Thai Style Green Curry Chicken was delicious! I inhaled it in a jiffy. The flavors were authentic and it’s thoughtful how the curry and the rice has been separated with wax paper so that it won’t get soggy.
I was full from the curry and rice, but took a bite of this Tuna Tortilla Wrap nonetheless and it was very flavorful too.
Uhm, I was seriously about to burst at the seams by this time but I couldn’t resist the Mango with Sticky Rice for dessert. Not shown here was how the mango was individually packed in a plastic bag to retain freshness. I was glad I had room for this as the mango was very sweet and succulent. Even though I tried not to eat so much of the sticky rice, I ended up finishing it all anyway. -_-
The verdict? Wil and I LOVE OUR IN-FLIGHT MEAL!
Coming back from Bangkok to Singapore, I had the Thai Basil Chicken Rice onboard. It had authentic flavors too, maybe a wee bit too authentic as it was very spicy for me!
In lieu of dessert, I got to try this Solar Dried Mixed Fruit Chips which turned out to be extremely good! The bag contains a great mixture of solar dried pineapple, banana, sweet potato, pumpkin, jackfruit and yam. I like how they are naturally sweetened and I very quickly got addicted to this snack. When I’m on an AirAsia flight again, I plan to buy a few bags of this. Highly recommended!
AirAsia has been awarded the World’s Best Low-Cost Carrier for five years in a row. I can see why now that I’ve experienced it and I definitely would love to fly on AirAsia again next time! Especially for quick getaways around the region as AirAsia tickets are inexpensive and it’s pretty comfortable onboard.
Traveling via AirAsia next time? Definitely bookmark AirAsia.
