Shhhh … you’re in AirAsia X’s Quiet Zone

Want to be undisturbed by crying babies and noisy kids on your flight? If the answer is yes, then your flight should be in the Quiet Zone of AirAsia X, the budget long haul affiliate of AirAsia, Asia’s largest low-const carrier.

The airline is launching this special zone for its passengers in February next year because, as it said on its website, “we know that sometimes all you need is some peace and quiet for a more pleasant 
journey with us”

Fitted with soft lightning to create the desired ambiance, the zone comprises seven rows (7-14) economy class seats at the front of the aircraft, right after the Premium Seats.

This is a no go area for children under 12. “Quiet Zone is exclusively for guests age 12 and above. Please note that if you have a member of your group that (sic) is under 12 years old, the system will not allow you to select a seat in the Quiet Zone.”, is the ruling stated on the website.

According to AirAsia the price for peace in the sky comes with no extra cost, just just your standard pick-a-seat fee of RM35 (US$11.45) for economy and RM110 for Hot Seats.

The question is, can the airline guarantee a quiet flight as the aircraft is just one single continuous cabin and does not have a separate deck. In response AirAsia said a buffer zone separating the section from the rest of coach would minimise noise, adding that passengers in the premium cabin are generally filled with adults.

Sold on the zone? Then you can book your seats of peace now for travel from February 2013 onwards. – Corinne Wan

Tiger Airways, Scoot in deal to offer joint itineraries

Singapore-based low cost airlines, Tiger Airways and Scoot, have inked a Memorandum of Understanding that see the two airlines offer joint itineraries, with the initial phase implemented on October 2.

Under this phase customers may purchase a single itinerary for travel from Sydney or Gold Coast in Australia served by Scoot to Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur served by Tiger via Singapore.

Pictured: (L-R) Campbell Wilson, Scoot’s CEO; Koay Peng Yen, Tiger Airways Group CEO; Stewart Adams. Tiger Airways Singapore MD

Passengers purchasing flights from Australia to South East Asia are issued a single ticket, which contains all flight details and are entitled to 15kg check-in baggage allowance. On arrival in Singapore, they have to pass through immigration and collect their bags before checking into the second leg of the flight.

In the later phase passengers will be able to purchase flights from South East Asia.

The two airlines are also looking at direct connection to enable passengers to go on to their next flight without passing through immigration or collecting their checked baggage.

Scoot CEO, Campbell Wilson, called the partnership “an exciting development”. adding that “both carriers operate highly complementary networks, with Scoot focusing on medium-long haul routes of five or more hours, and Tiger focusing on shorter-haul journeys.”

Tiger Airways Group CEO, Koay Peng Yen, said with Tiger’s move to its “new den” at Changi Airport Terminal 2, it was the perfect time to leverage the strength of both networks for their customers’ benefits.

“The joint itineraries and new services that we will be rolling out will greatly expand the travel options for both Tiger and Scoot customers,” he added.

Rise in passenger load for APAC airlines

International air passenger traffic on Asia Pacific airlines showed a sustained increase in August 2012 compared to air freight that showed “continued weakness”, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) revealed in preliminary traffic figures  for August 2012.

APAC airlines carried an aggregate total of 18.5 million international passengers, a 6.8% increase compared to the same month last year, led by a relatively strong demand for regional travel.

International passenger traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, grew more modestly, by 5.3%. Offered seat capacity expanded by 3.5%, resulting in a 1.4 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor to 80.3% for the month.

The air freight markets remain depressed due to weakening consumer confidence in the major developed economies leading to a corresponding slowdown in exports from Asia.

International air cargo demand – freight tonne kilometre (FTK) – was 4.4% lower in August compared to the same month last year. International air cargo load factor averaged 64.6%.

Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general (pictured above), said the overall trend in international air travel demand remained encouraging, as shown by the 7.9% increase in the number of passengers carried by Asia Pacific based airlines during the first eight months of this year.

“Whilst the overall pace of global economic activity is clearly slowing, Asian economies have so far remained relatively resilient with domestic demand still supporting business and leisure related travel.”

He added the high oil prices remain, averaging US$112 per barrel this year, would further pressure airline margins and industry profitability.