Pick Your Choice Seat with AirAsia - With a Price

Picture was screen grabbed from AirAsia website. Check site for more details.
The Hot Seats are denoted in Red and costs RM25 per seat. It is in the 1st five rows and the 2 rows near the emergency exits (middle) of the A320 plane.

The rest are standard seats costing RM5 per seat.

My take on this offer:

1. The best seat will the the first row as it offers genuine extra legroom esp for longer haul of 3 hours and above. And you can take your sweet time going in and get seated almost immediately. An added incentive is you will be out in a jiffy and first to be at the immigration counter. Further incentive is officers at the counter (from corrupt 3rd world countries) will not hassle the first in the line as they need to clear the visitors. That goes to say never be last in the line in these countries. I have my fair share!

2. Take the Standard seats if you want to keep the travel party together esp. if there are 3 or more. Only go for Hot seats if you want extra legroom.

3. As for the 2 rows of Hot seats near the middle emergency exits I recalled there is no extra legroom. Some airlines keep 2 seats in that 2-3 rows instead of 3. Then this row's best seat would be the one next to the window as you can stretch the legs. But bear in mind the 2-3 rows of seats next to emergency exits usually cannot be reclined to facilitate evacuations if needed. Further you cannot place your small hand luggage esp. computer bag on the floor. However, there is an advantage here when comes to evacuation. Also from what I know of non-conclusive reports the safest seats are here as the area is highly reinforced for the wings to be fitted in.

4. When flying solo with AirAsia, I do not even queue up and will remain seated until the last few is going out of the terminal to board the plane. Reason : from my experiences there are always an aisle seat with the middle seat vacant.

Conclusion: When flying solo I will only pick the 1st row Hot seat for 2 hours and above flights. I advice those who want to keep the 3 or more travel party together go on short flight to go for the Standard option. It's hard to get a whole row vacant unless you have express boarding.


Fees

Country
Currency
Seat
Standard Seat
Hot Seat
Malaysia
RM
5
25
Thailand
THB
50
250
Indonesia
RP
15,000
75,000
Singapore
SGD
2.20
11

Comments

Selba said…
All this time, my experiences when I fly with AirAsia... be at the front row of the door in the waiting room then as soon as I pass the door... run... run... run fast... then I'll get the front row seat in the plane or any seat that I wanted to seat, hehehe :)
worldwindows said…
I am always the last. This way I can choose who I want to sit with. And most often if plane less tan 2/3 full choose the seat I prefer.