Malaysia’s low cost carrier (LCC) AirAsia X is taking an unusual step for a budget airline of installing seats that recline fully flat. The carrier is betting that some passengers on its long haul flight will want a bed and be willing to pay for it. Chief Executive Officer Azran Osman-Rani told an industry conference in Al Ain, “Nothing’s engrained when it comes to LCC’s.” The airline also plans to offer pay per view in flight entertainment.
AirAsia X will start flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Abu Dhabi next month. Osman Rani said 12 lie-flat seats will be installed on its Airbus A330-300s and 18 fully reclining seats will be installed on its A340 aircraft it operates to London. This will cost a few million dollars per plane. He said the average price of a round trip ticket for a lie-flat seat between Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia will be £900, compared to £350 for a standard economy seat.
