Welcome to my flight reviews! I try and keep these short but useful.
Airline: AirAsia X
Flight Number: D7 206
Class of Travel: Lie flat
Month-Year: October 2018
Route: OOL-AKL (Gold Coast to Auckland)
My Score: 5/5
Purpose: Work trip
Pre-Flight
The check-in process was super smooth using the kiosks. There was a dedicated line for premium customers to drop off bags and the whole process took less than a minute. A priority tag was promptly added to the bags as well.
Onboard
As soon as I boarded, I was greeted by two flight attendants by name. Cindy and Stephanie were going to be my personal pursers for the three hour flight to Auckland. Given there were only two of us in the cabin and four flight attendants in the premium section, we were each going to get personal attention for the entire flight. Am I flying on a low-cost carrier still?? The flight attendants personally ran through the safety briefing with me, before asking what I'd like for lunch, and when I'd like it (noting I had made a preference online, but they could swap it up). Throughout the flight, they were very attentive (maybe a bit too much, but I realize the awkwardness and boredom of two people minding one sedentary passenger), offering drinks, magazines, and just small talk. They had been at AirAsia for several years, originally from South Korea and Malaysia, and explained how much they loved travel and working for AirAsia - they genuinely meant it.
I was seated in the front row. There are no in-flight entertainment options on the aircraft, and not even magazines in the seat pocket (though the flight attendants offered theirs). This is well known and expected with AirAsia given they're a low cost carrier.
The lie-flat seats are fantastic, equal to Air NZ's business premier seats, if not better (there, I said it). You face forward rather than into the aisle, and I felt like I had far more privacy than Air NZ's business class herringbone format.
After take-off, the flight attendants offered a blanket (both of them would show up together for everything, which was a bit bizzare), which was quite comfortable too. I was also told I could keep the blanket if I wanted to, though given it was a full sized comforter like the one you'd find in the shops, and bright red, I'm not sure I wanted to draw that sort of attention walking through arrivals with it.
Food
The food was absolutely fantastic. Again, better than what I've had flying in premium cabins on many full-service carriers. I chose the Chicken Teriyaki which came out piping hot with bottled water (though soft-drinks were available). Alcohol was not available on-board. The chicken teriyaki was well cooked, and the rice and vegetables were delicious. There was no dessert, bread, or anything else on the side, but who needs it when you get a hearty, tasty lunch? The one downside was that the cutlery was plastic, but beggars can't be choosers - you are on a LCC after all.
Final Notes
I paid $300 NZD for the one way flight from Gold Coast to Auckland. This was cheaper than Air NZ, Virgin AU, and Qantas domestic! You'd have to be absolutely insane to fly economy on other airlines when AirAsia offers a lie-flat service for the same or cheaper. The service is faultless, the food is delicious, and the hard-product is super comfortable. Book me in anytime!
