Discount airlines in Asia

Table of Contents:
China / China United / Hong Kong Express / Oasis Airlines / Spring Airlines / Viva Macau / India / Air Deccan / Air India Express / Go Air / IndiGo / Indus Air / SpiceJet / Japan / Air Do / Skymark Airlines / Skynet Asia Airways / StarFlyer / Korea / Hansung Airlines / Jeju Air / Middle East / Air Arabia / Atlas Blue / Gulf Traveller / Menajet / Nas Air / Jazeera Airways / Southeast Asia / Adam Air / Air Asia / Air Philippines / Citilink / Cebu Pacific Air / Jetstar.2FValuair / Lion Air / Nok Air / Orient Thai / Pacific Airlines / Tiger Airways / See also

Related articles: :
Dalton Highway, Danish phrasebook, David, Dealing with an emergency overseas-1, December, Dengue fever, Dhahran, Dhivehi phrasebook, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Discount airlines, Discount airlines in Africa, Discount airlines in Asia, Discount airlines in Australasia, Discount airlines in Europe, Discovery Bay, Disneyland Paris, Dja Faunal Reserve, Djursland, Dogri phrasebook, Douglas, Dover, Dovje-Mojstrana, Driving in Australia, Driving in China, Driving in France, Driving in Los Angeles County, Driving in Mexico, Driving in New Zealand, Driving in North America, Driving in Sweden, Duluth (Georgia), Durango, Durazno, Durham, Dutch phrasebook, Dzongkha phrasebook

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 to various points in southern China from cities in Southeast Asia (see section below).

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.

Hong Kong Express

Hong Kong Express flies from Hong Kong to Hangzhou, Chiang Mai and Ningbo with more destinations planned.

Oasis Airlines

Oasis is a new carrier based in Hong Kong. They currently have flights to London with the lowest fares $1000HK (US $125) plus taxes and fees. With the taxes, typical one-way fares are about US $400 economy and $900 business. Flights to Vancouver are starting June 2007. They hope to eventually fly to Frankfurt, Rome, Chicago and Los Angeles.

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.

Viva Macau

Viva Macau flies from Macau to Jakarta and Sydney (from August 2007).

India

India's airline market is rapidly liberalizing. Half a dozen domestic low-cost carriers have started operations and more are on the horizon.

Low-cost flights into India remain more limited, although Air India Express does operate some international flights. Singaporean carrier Jetstar has terminated its flights to Kolkata and Bangalore, but Nok Air flies from Bangkok to Bangalore, and Tiger and Air Asia are both planning to fill in the gap at some point.

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, as well as from Chennai to Singapore.

Go Air

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

IndiGo

IndiGo is based in Delhi and flies through the country, claiming to offer the lowest fares in the country.

Indus Air

Indus Air flies Embraer regional jets from Chandigarh to Delhi and Mumbai.

SpiceJet

SpiceJet 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, Sapporo, Kobe and Naha.

Skynet Asia Airways

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

StarFlyer

StarFlyer flies between Tokyo and Kitakyushu (close to Fukuoka) multiple times daily.

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 Pusan, Jeju and Yangyang, and also offers direct Jeju-Pusan 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.

The airline operates flights to Mumbai, Jaipur, Kochi, Nagpur, Trivandrum, Ahmedabad, and Chennai in India. Other cities across the globe touched by Air Arabia are Aleppo and Damascus (Syria); Alexandria, Assiut and Luxor (Egypt); Amman (Jordan); Astana and Almaty (Kazakhstan); Bahrain; Beirut (Lebanon); Colombo (Sri Lanka); Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh (KSA), Doha (Qatar); Istanbul (Turkey); Kabul (Afghanistan); Khartoum (Sudan); Kuwait; Muscat (Oman); Sanaa (Yemen); Sharjah (UAE) and Tehran (Iran).

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.

Nas Air

Nas Air operates domestic flights in Saudi Arabia.

Jazeera Airways

Jazeera Airways flies to many destinations across the Middle East and India. It has main hubs in Kuwait and Dubai.

Southeast Asia

Southeast 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. Like many Indonesian airlines, Adam Air has a spotty safety record, including a fatal crash in January 2006.

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 of open seating, primarily Internet/phone booking and no complimentary refreshments. AirAsia operates Flyasianxpress or FAX and AirAsiaX in addition to two associated Companies: Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia

They have bases in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru (near Singapore), Bangkok and Jakarta, operating flights throughout Malaysia: Alor Star, Bintulu, Ipoh, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Terengganu, Kuching, Labuan, Lahat Datu, Langkawi, Miri, Mulu, Penang, Sandakan, Sibu, Tawau, Thailand: Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Narathiwat, Phuket, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani and Indonesia: Bali, Balikpapan, Bandung, Batam, Medan, Padang, Palembang, Pekan Baru, Solo, Surabaya , 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. Flights to Melbourne, Australia from Kuala Lumpur start in late 2007.

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.

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 Bangkok, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Singapore, and (starting fall of 2007) Guangzhou, Macau, Shanghai, and Xiamen. Flights to Seoul and Busan are also available, but need to be booked through a travel agent as they are not bookable on Cebu's website.

Jetstar/Valuair

Jetstar is a Qantas-backed LCC currently flying from Singapore to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Manila, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Siem Reap, Taipei and Yangon. Flights to India have been terminated. 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 spinoff Nok Air took to the skies in 2004 sporting a lurid purple paint scheme with a bird's beak painted on the nose, and employing a price scheme similar to that of Air Asia.

Passengers can book on the web, call-center Tel-1318 or at the airports. Payment can be made via credit card, counter service, 7-11, or online credit card. Those who make the booking online can choose the seating right after the purchase.

Currently, they fly from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket, Nakorn Sri Thammarat, Udon Thani, Trang, Krabi, and Loei, and from Chiang Mai to Pai and Prae.

Orient Thai

Orient Thai [2], who also use the brand One-Two-GO [3], 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.

Pacific Airlines

Pacific Airlines flies domestically in Vietnam and internationally to Taiwan.

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, Perth), China (Guangzhou, Haikou, Macau, Shenzhen), Indonesia (Padang), Philippines (Manila), Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Krabi, Phuket, Udon Thani), Vietnam (Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City).

TravelTips24

24 hours a day of travel advice