Does anybody have recent (last 2 months) experience successfully purchasing from the Air Asia website using a US-based credit card? I've heard rumors this has become nearly impossible.
Does anybody have recent (last 2 months) experience successfully purchasing from the Air Asia website using a US-based credit card? I've heard rumors this has become nearly impossible.
I purchased via their site about 3 months ago with a US AMEX. AMEX first declined the charge, but I called them, then resubmitted the transaction and all went through.
FWIW, our AirAsia experience was great. Flew BKK-HAN return, took the first flight out each time to avoide delays, and all flights were on time, etc. I'd have no problem flying them again.
Does anybody have recent (last 2 months) experience successfully purchasing from the Air Asia website using a US-based credit card? I've heard rumors this has become nearly impossible.
i bought a couple of those "free" tickets last week. paid the taxes with amex with no problems.
I bought 2 tickets 2 days ago. 1st was REP-KUL second was KUL-HKT, the second one was charged in Malaysian currency for some reason but otherwise had no problem charging them to my Chase Mastercard.
Speaking of my flights I paid extra and selected the exit row 14C for both flights. Seats in first few rows were available. How is leg room in row 1? I think that for my REP-KUL flight I'd like to get off the plane as soon as possible so wondering if I should change to row 1.
Has anyone been on the REP-KUL flight, any ideas of its on time performance?
This is also going to be my first time in KUL and I'm only there for one day a Monday leaving on Tuesday morning. I really want to try to go up to Petronas tower to do the tour but since it's closed on Mondays and my Air Asia flight is at 1245pm on Tuesday morning should I even bother trying to do the 9am tour if I can get a ticket? This would mean that I would have to get back to my hotel (hotel right by central station) pick up my bags and get to KUL LCCT, check in and check a bag. How is security, check in process at KUL LCCT?
Speaking of my flights I paid extra and selected the exit row 14C for both flights. Seats in first few rows were available. How is leg room in row 1?
Have only flown BKK-HAN, and on the outbound we chose row 12 (exit). On the return we went with 1BC, which was muhc better. On the left side seating, row 1 is the door, so you have plenty of room. Beware 1A has the door partly in your way, so go for C if you're on your own. Next time I'd definitely choose row 1 over the exit rows further back.
Programs: AS former MVP—soon MVPG! (thanks, AS, for a REAL fare sale!), UA, AA, AGR, NPS passport, Costco Exec
Posts: 6,840
Quote:
Originally Posted by greendx
I bought 2 tickets 2 days ago. 1st was REP-KUL second was KUL-HKT, the second one was charged in Malaysian currency for some reason
IIRC, AK decides what currency to charge you in based on the departing city of your flight.
The first would have been charged in USD, because (IIRC) that is AK's policy for flights departing Cambodia. (The USD seems to be basically the de facto currency of Cambodia, anyway, so that makes sense.)
The second would have been charged in MYR, because it was departing KUL.
Quote:
Originally Posted by greendx
Has anyone been on the REP-KUL flight, any ideas of its on time performance?
I did REP-KUL-HAN on AK last October. I don't recall any major issues--it was on-time and a fine flight. I planned a long (6 or 8 hours; can't remember) layover just in case. I'm almost sad the flight wasn't delayed--a long layover in the LCCT isn't too enjoyable! (There's apparently a for-fee lounge somewhere, as well as a nearby airport workers' cafeteria with good, cheap food, I wish I'd have known about.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by greendx
This is also going to be my first time in KUL and I'm only there for one day a Monday leaving on Tuesday morning. I really want to try to go up to Petronas tower to do the tour but since it's closed on Mondays and my Air Asia flight is at 1245pm on Tuesday morning should I even bother trying to do the 9am tour if I can get a ticket? This would mean that I would have to get back to my hotel (hotel right by central station) pick up my bags and get to KUL LCCT, check in and check a bag. How is security, check in process at KUL LCCT?
Keep in mind how far KUL is from KL itself. Even on the KLIA Ekspres train, it's a LONG ride out to the terminal--about a half an hour, and the train was doing about 90-100mph the whole way. I didn't do one of the buses directly to the LCCT, but it's going to be even longer than the high-speed train--I'd expect a ride of about an hour. (Although the Ekspres train departs every 15 minutes, the total time would probably be longer because of the lengthy ride around the runways to the LCCT and the lengthy and confusing transfer from the KLIA Ekspres station to the shuttle bus depot.)
Security isn't bad at the LCCT (for kastam/imigresen and security, I don't think it took more than 5-10 minutes for my KUL-HAN flight), but I wouldn't plan on cutting it that close.
And the Petronas Towers is a largely managed experience: once you've waited in line and gotten your tickets, you then are forced to sit through a Petronas Corp propaganda film (where I met another FTer!) before queuing for the elevator to the skybridge. Once on the skybridge, you're allowed a certain amount of time (around 10 minutes, IIRC) to look around before heading back down. This is all to say that you're stuck for a set time and can't just run in and "do" the towers in 10 minutes. I'd allow at least an hour from the time stamped on your tickets--and remember, you may not even get a ticket valid immediately (depending on how early you arrive in the morning to sit and wait for the ticket office to open).
If you can get on the 9am tour, you'll be done around 10 and hopefully ready for an 11am departure from Sentral (not sure what the bus schedule is). If that's the case, you'll be to the airport hopefully by noon, which is doable but tight. But that's not a lot of margin for error...
IIRC, AK decides what currency to charge you in based on the departing city of your flight.
The first would have been charged in USD, because (IIRC) that is AK's policy for flights departing Cambodia. (The USD seems to be basically the de facto currency of Cambodia, anyway, so that makes sense.)
The second would have been charged in MYR, because it was departing KUL.
I did REP-KUL-HAN on AK last October. I don't recall any major issues--it was on-time and a fine flight. I planned a long (6 or 8 hours; can't remember) layover just in case. I'm almost sad the flight wasn't delayed--a long layover in the LCCT isn't too enjoyable! (There's apparently a for-fee lounge somewhere, as well as a nearby airport workers' cafeteria with good, cheap food, I wish I'd have known about.)
Keep in mind how far KUL is from KL itself. Even on the KLIA Ekspres train, it's a LONG ride out to the terminal--about a half an hour, and the train was doing about 90-100mph the whole way. I didn't do one of the buses directly to the LCCT, but it's going to be even longer than the high-speed train--I'd expect a ride of about an hour. (Although the Ekspres train departs every 15 minutes, the total time would probably be longer because of the lengthy ride around the runways to the LCCT and the lengthy and confusing transfer from the KLIA Ekspres station to the shuttle bus depot.)
Security isn't bad at the LCCT (for kastam/imigresen and security, I don't think it took more than 5-10 minutes for my KUL-HAN flight), but I wouldn't plan on cutting it that close.
And the Petronas Towers is a largely managed experience: once you've waited in line and gotten your tickets, you then are forced to sit through a Petronas Corp propaganda film (where I met another FTer!) before queuing for the elevator to the skybridge. Once on the skybridge, you're allowed a certain amount of time (around 10 minutes, IIRC) to look around before heading back down. This is all to say that you're stuck for a set time and can't just run in and "do" the towers in 10 minutes. I'd allow at least an hour from the time stamped on your tickets--and remember, you may not even get a ticket valid immediately (depending on how early you arrive in the morning to sit and wait for the ticket office to open).
If you can get on the 9am tour, you'll be done around 10 and hopefully ready for an 11am departure from Sentral (not sure what the bus schedule is). If that's the case, you'll be to the airport hopefully by noon, which is doable but tight. But that's not a lot of margin for error...
Wow great this is exactly the information I was looking for. Thanks!
I figured it would be a little tight but it may be tighter than I realized. Too bad that I booked my flight and hotel before learning that Petronas Tours are closed on Mondays. Well I still don't want to miss out on KL even if only for 24 hours.
I've had good experiences in general with NOK Air. I've flown them on 4 round trips out of Bangkok. One of the 8 flights was around 40 minutes late, one was a bit less than 30 minutes late, the other 6 all departed within 15 minutes of the scheduled time. If they flew where I was going, I'd use them again without any 2nd thought.
Programs: SPG Gold, BA, American, Alaska, Hertz Gold, Eva Silver
Posts: 235
Flown 'em 30-40 times. Usually late but not too. Got stuck in HKT for 6 hrs (1/2 hr at a time) once and missed return to US. Don't make the same mistake - book a day early. Canceled flight back from Krabi once. No notification. Switched flight from Suvarabhumi to Dom Mueang - no notification. Couldn't get to BKK as the airport was closed by protesters - no refund. Still use 'em though. They sure are cheap. wj
