Image via Wikipedia
Image by Cecil Lee via Flickr
Image via WikipediaThis article will explore the Air Asia X seat in great detail and explain the truth about the seat pitch. Little information exists and there are not detailed reviews currently out there. Yet there are some really good seats to pick that you would not otherwise know about. We will explain how to go about securing the best seats for yourself. Air Asia X receives a lot of bad press as it is a budget airline. This article will explore the merit of these accusations.
The international press incorrectly accuse Air Asia for having very small seats, with only a 31" seat pitch. Well 31" is actually about the industry average and is actually the same as British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa and United Airlines have. Taller individuals can sit in the seats no problem and even really tall people will experience only minor discomfort. Wider individuals make feel that the seat is smaller than normal however.
Air Asia X often use Airbus A330 aircraft equipped with 9 seats in a 3-3-3 across configuration. The industry standard for Economy seating on an A340 is 8 seats across (2-4-2). Air Asia reduced the seat with very slightly, but also reduced the armrest size and aisle width. It is barely noticeable that the seats are narrower, and if you have no problems with a standard Economy seat then you will have no problems with the Air Asia seat.
The clever inspiration that put 9 seats across was clearly not present when the seat recline options were picked. Air Asia X seats don't recline as normal, and instead slide forward at the base to make the back angled down. For most seats this will reduce your legroom to near painful levels. This is not an issue at all however with exit row or bulkhead seats or if you happen to be a small person. Air Asia has been listening to passenger feedback and will be replacing these with new reclining seats in 2010. Make sure you bring a neck pillow until then.
All Air Asia X seats have individual TV sets with audio and video on demand, an excellent feature for a budget airline. The TV is located in the back of the seat in front of you. However for exit row seats, it is located in the armrest and slides out on an extendable arm. This normally reduces the width of an exit row seat, however as Air Asia seats are already very narrow, they have simply made the middle seat very small and kept the aisle and window seat the same size. The middle seat is not sold and always remains empty, meaning that aside from having unlimited legroom, exit row seats also have an empty seat next to them. These seats are bookable in advance from any time including booking through to check in. They are labelled as hot seats on the seat map and costs 100 Ringgit, £20GBP or $40AUD per trip.
The bulkhead seats are designed exactly the same as the Exit Row seats. As the middle seat is far too narrow for anyone to fit in, it is not sold and is always empty. The bulkhead seats do not have quite as much legroom as exit row seats, however it is still a vast improvement over regular seats. Also note that these seats are next to the bassinet and therefore more likely to have babies in them. It is definitely worth while to book a bulkhead of exit row seat if available and will make your journey very comfortable. These are all bookable on the Air Asia website and also at check in, assuming they haven't all been snapped up by this point. Make sure you do book them though because even if they are empty, the crew will stop you from moving to sit in these seats.
Christian Webster has spent his life flying all over the world find out the secrets of affordable luxury air travel. To find out more about what he thinks of Air Asia click here. Wondering how you can save time and money on air travel, visit his blog now at: http://www.neverflyeconomy.com.
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