Intra-Asia 2015 Part 2: Air Asia X Revisit
I have actually written about Air Asia X before, and flew their inaugural to Nagoya about a year ago. Sadly that flight is actually cancelled now. Anyway, I have to fly from KL to Taipei and have originally issued an award ticket on CX via Hong Kong. But then I found this $270USD oneway ticket from KL to Taipei on Air Asia X, which allowed me to fly nonstop and enjoyed a few more hours in Taoyuan. When I stepped onboard, the service was actually just average, but since it was a pretty light flight, I managed to snap many picture. That’s why I decide to write a short report on flying Air Asia X now renamed “business” class and klia2 international flying experience.
April 21, 2015
D7 372 KUL-TPE Lv1000 Arr1440 Airbus A330-300E 9M-XXG
I did online check in fourteen days prior to departure and printed out my boarding pass, since I did not have any baggage to check-in. However, you still need to go to either premium check-in or “document check” line to verify your passport and visa situation prior to entering the boarding gate. As a business class passenger, I choose to use the premium check-in line, which was empty at these early hours with little D7 flights. The agent just printed me a real boarding pass (not the supermarket receipt type) and wished me a present flight to Taipei.
I did not need to wait long for going through immigration, and there is a custom check prior to entering immigration. For international flights, there are three possible piers: L, P & Q. Pier L is the closest one without the need to cross the Air Bridge, but basically only serves narrowbody flights and some non-Air Asia flights. There is a Plaza Premium lounge near L2, but since each pier has its own individualized security checkpoint, it is too much hassle to go through security check for Pier L just for a lounge visit. I really klia2 really needs to address this situation, and Air Asia X according to the inflight magazine will introduce lounge access soon, so I guess they either have to put a lounge at each pier, especially P & Q, in which all the long haul flights use or locate the lounge in the central area between P & Q now.
Anyway, I headed straight to Pier Q. I spotted 9M-XXM resting here at tarmac, and it has the updated livery.
When I arrived near my gate Q4 around 8:30am, I did not see a plane, but when I turned on my flightradar app, I saw a few D7 flights heading into KLIA. 9M-XXG was arriving from Beijing, and I immediately knew it was the plane being used on my flight to Taipei today. The plane parked at 8:45am.
Gate was already opened by 9am and there were two to three agents checking passport and admitting passengers to the secured gate area. I stayed around in the outside area a bit longer and used the facility first. Around 9:15am, I entered the gate area and the friendly agent immediately pointed out that there was a priority seating area for business class and express boarding passengers.
At 9:26am, boarding began, and I was the first business class passenger boarding the flight. I wasted no time in snapping away. A F/A was greeting passengers at the entrance, and they were all young and well groomed. There were two rows of business class, and I think I still prefer row 1 especially I like window seats in general. There are still spaces for me to use the restroom without bothering my neighbor.
I have actually written about Air Asia X before, and flew their inaugural to Nagoya about a year ago. Sadly that flight is actually cancelled now. Anyway, I have to fly from KL to Taipei and have originally issued an award ticket on CX via Hong Kong. But then I found this $270USD oneway ticket from KL to Taipei on Air Asia X, which allowed me to fly nonstop and enjoyed a few more hours in Taoyuan. When I stepped onboard, the service was actually just average, but since it was a pretty light flight, I managed to snap many picture. That’s why I decide to write a short report on flying Air Asia X now renamed “business” class and klia2 international flying experience.
April 21, 2015
D7 372 KUL-TPE Lv1000 Arr1440 Airbus A330-300E 9M-XXG
I did online check in fourteen days prior to departure and printed out my boarding pass, since I did not have any baggage to check-in. However, you still need to go to either premium check-in or “document check” line to verify your passport and visa situation prior to entering the boarding gate. As a business class passenger, I choose to use the premium check-in line, which was empty at these early hours with little D7 flights. The agent just printed me a real boarding pass (not the supermarket receipt type) and wished me a present flight to Taipei.
I did not need to wait long for going through immigration, and there is a custom check prior to entering immigration. For international flights, there are three possible piers: L, P & Q. Pier L is the closest one without the need to cross the Air Bridge, but basically only serves narrowbody flights and some non-Air Asia flights. There is a Plaza Premium lounge near L2, but since each pier has its own individualized security checkpoint, it is too much hassle to go through security check for Pier L just for a lounge visit. I really klia2 really needs to address this situation, and Air Asia X according to the inflight magazine will introduce lounge access soon, so I guess they either have to put a lounge at each pier, especially P & Q, in which all the long haul flights use or locate the lounge in the central area between P & Q now.
Anyway, I headed straight to Pier Q. I spotted 9M-XXM resting here at tarmac, and it has the updated livery.
When I arrived near my gate Q4 around 8:30am, I did not see a plane, but when I turned on my flightradar app, I saw a few D7 flights heading into KLIA. 9M-XXG was arriving from Beijing, and I immediately knew it was the plane being used on my flight to Taipei today. The plane parked at 8:45am.
Gate was already opened by 9am and there were two to three agents checking passport and admitting passengers to the secured gate area. I stayed around in the outside area a bit longer and used the facility first. Around 9:15am, I entered the gate area and the friendly agent immediately pointed out that there was a priority seating area for business class and express boarding passengers.
At 9:26am, boarding began, and I was the first business class passenger boarding the flight. I wasted no time in snapping away. A F/A was greeting passengers at the entrance, and they were all young and well groomed. There were two rows of business class, and I think I still prefer row 1 especially I like window seats in general. There are still spaces for me to use the restroom without bothering my neighbor.
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