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Discount airlines in Asia Travel Guide

From Wikitravel

This article is a travel topic.

Asian carriers have often offered lower fares than their European or American rivals. Now they are starting to catch the wave of discount airlines, pioneered in the US and Europe. In South-East Asia, an ASEAN-wide open skies agreement is in the works, but in the rest of the continent flights are still severely restricted by bilateral agreements.

Asian carriers are generally much cheaper than their American or European rivals, and there are some great bargains to be had. The low-cost airline industry in Asia is sure to boom in the coming years.

All fares quoted below are one-way (except where noted), include taxes and charges, and are widely available. Flight destinations may change and airlines may go bust without notice.

China

China's first low-cost airline was launched in July 2005, and many seem set to follow. Internationally, you can already fly in from Singapore to Chengdu, Macau, Taipei and Xiamen the LCC way.

Hong Kong Express

Hong Kong Express flies from Hong Kong to Guangzhou and Hangzhou, with more destinations planned.

Spring Airlines

Spring Airlines (春秋航空) flies from its base in Shanghai to Yantai. Spring Airlines is a low-cost carrier in China Mainland in rapid expansion.

Oasis Airlines

Oasis is a new carrier offering flights between Hong Kong and London, with planned expansion to other points in Europe. The airlines starts flying October 2006, with promotional prices as low as £75.

China United

China United flies out of Beijing's Nanyuan Airport (南苑机场, NAY) to various cities in Northern China. The Beijing article has details.

India

India's airline market is rapidly liberalizing. Four domestic low-cost carriers have started operations and many more are on the horizon. In addition, Singaporean carrier Jetstar Asia flies from Singapore to Bangalore and competitor Tiger Airways seems set to follow suit.

Air Deccan

Air Deccan operate a domestic network in India. Their fares start from INR 500 (US$11.50). However, these prices often sell out several months in advance.

Air India Express

Air India Express is the low-cost spinoff of state carrier Air India. The carrier currently operates flights to Middle Eastern destinations Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Salalah.

Go Air

Go Air is an LCC based out of Mumbai and operates flights to many cities in India.

Kingfisher Airlines

Kingfisher Airlines, run by beer and liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, promised models as flight attendants and in-flight entertainment in every seat. The airline currently flies from Bangalore to Delhi and Mumbai.

Spice Jet

Spice Jet started operations in May 2005. The airline promises Everyday Spicy Fares for as low as INR 99.

Japan

Japan's low-cost carriers have had a rocky ride.

Air Do

Japan's first low-cost carrier, Hokkaido International Airlines flies from Tokyo to Sapporo, Asahikawa and Hakodate. It was absorbed by ANA in 2000 but continues operations.

Skymark Airlines

Skymark Airlines flies from Tokyo to Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Tokushima, Kobe and Osaka (Kansai International Airport).

Skynet Asia Airways

Skynet Asia Airways flies from Tokyo to Miyazaki, Kumamoto and Nagasaki.

StarFlyer

StarFlyer will fly between Tokyo and Kitakyushu (close to Fukuoka) starting in March 2006.

Korea

South Korea's staid aviation scene was shaken up in 2005 when the first low-cost carrier started operation. (Needless to say, North Korea's aviation scene remains virtually non-existent.)

Hansung Airlines

Hansung Airlines flies from Cheongju to Seoul and Jeju. An accident (no injuries) closed operations for several months, but they started flying again in March 2006.

Jeju Air

Jeju Air flies from Seoul to Busan, Jeju and Yangyang, and also offers direct Jeju-Busan flights.

Middle East

Air Arabia

Air Arabia, the largest LCC in the Middle East, are based in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. A coach service connects Sharjah with Dubai for US$2.50. They fly to a variety of destinations in the Middle East, East Africa and the Indian Subcontinent. They operate a modern fleet. Their fares are often very good value, starting at 119 UAE dirhams (US$32) on some routes. They offer a connecting flight service.

They have just announced that they will be starting daily flights to Mumbai, India from the middle of March 2005.

Atlas Blue

Atlas Blue flies from Marrakech and Agadir in Morocco to destinations around Europe (mostly France).

Gulf Traveller

Gulf Traveller is the low-cost spinoff of Gulf Air, based in Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Muscat (Oman).

Menajet

Menajet flies a limited network from Beirut, Lebanon.

South-East Asia

South-East Asia has the most developed low cost carrier networks in Asia, with many operators and fierce competition. As of June 2006, all countries in South-East Asia except East Timor and Laos can be reached by LCC.

Adam Air

Adam Air operates flights throughout Indonesia and also flies internationally on the Jakarta-Singapore and Penang-Medan routes.

Air Asia

Malaysian airline Air Asia has the distinction of having been acquired for 1 ringgit (US $0.25), but they have now grown to the largest (and most profitable) operator in the region. Originally founded by government-owned conglomerate DRB-Hicom, the heavily indebted airline was purchased by former Time Warner executive Tony Fernandes's company Tune Air Sdn Bhd for the symbolic sum of one ringgit on December 2nd, 2001. They operate on the now-classic model — open seating, Internet/phone booking and no complimentary refreshments.

They have bases in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru (near Singapore), Bangkok and Jakarta, operating flights throughout Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, as well as Macau and Xiamen in China, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia, Hanoi in Vietnam, Manila in the Philippines, Brunei and Singapore. They are currently eyeing Laos, India, and Sri Lanka for possible expansion.

Air Philippines

Air Philippines [1], a Philippine Airlines subsidiary mainly flies domestic routes in the Philippines. It flies internationally from Manila to Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Daegu.

Asian Spirit

Asian Spirit flies domestic flights in the Philippines. This is a pretty good little airline.

Citilink

Garuda Citilink operate a domestic route network in Indonesia. Fares start from 125,000 Indonesian Rupiah ($15). Warning: this subsidiary of Garuda Airline does not currently accept credit card purchases online or at its call center, requiring payment via a limited number of ATMs in Indonesia or directly at their office in Jakarta.

Cebu Pacific Air

Cebu Pacific flies primarily within the Philippines, but also flies from Manila, Cebu and Davao to Hong Kong, Seoul and Singapore.

Jetstar Asia/Valuair

Jetstar Asia is a Qantas-backed LCC currently flying from Singapore to Bangkok, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Manila, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Siem Reap, Taipei and Yangon. Just recently, they've added flights to Bangalore, their ambitious expansion plans include Hanoi and Mumbai. Jetstar's subsidiary brand Valuair flies to Jakarta, Surabaya and Denpasar (Bali).

Lion Air

Lion Air flies from Jakarta to domestic destinations and Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore.

Nok Air

Thai Airlines' low-cost carrier spinoff Nok Air flies domestic flights in Thailand and plans to expand overseas as well.

Orient Thai

Orient Thai, who also use the brand One-Two-GO, flies domestic flights in Thailand as well as international flights to Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Seoul from both Bangkok and Phuket.

Note: Even by low-cost carrier standards, Orient Thai's on-time record is notoriously poor and their planes, particularly the 747s, are old.

Phuket Airlines

Phuket Airlines' ambitious plans to offer international service to London and Amsterdam have hit some turbulence after safety problems grounded much of their aging fleet. By late 2005, Phuket Air had abandoned almost all routes, now serving only Bangkok and Ranong in Thailand and Rangoon in Burma. A long row of Phuket Airlines planes has been parked on the tarmac at Bangkok airport since that time.

South East Asian Airlines

Despite the grand name, South East Asian Airlines (also known as "SEAir") is limited to domestic turboprop flights in the Philippines.

Tiger Airways

Tiger Airways is a low-cost airline set up in Singapore jointly by Singapore Airlines and the people who started Ryanair. Services currently operate from Singapore to Australia (Darwin), China (Guangzhou, Haikou, Macau, Shenzhen), Indonesia (Padang), Philippines (Manila), Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Krabi, Phuket), Vietnam (Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City).