Dear English-speaking readers, this page is an automatic translation of an article originally written in French. I apologise for any strange sentences and funny mistakes that may have resulted. If you read French, click on the French flag below to access the original, correct text:
Français
It is probably the company I have taken the most often, with all my trips in Southeast Asia! In this month of October 2009, AirAsiathe Malaysian low-cost airline, has just applied for a license to operate in France.
Soon a Paris-Kuala Lumpur round trip for less than 400€, as it is the case for London since March 2009?
AirAsia would then operate from Orly airport. The announcement was made by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Wednesday evening in Paris, at the end of his four-day visit to France.
The DGAC (General Directorate of Civil Aviation) should quickly validate this request. It is not yet known when the line will open, nor how many flights per week will be offered...
Kuala Lumpur has this practicality that it is a huge air hub which serves many destinations in Asia-Pacific. I have also often traveled on Malaysia AirlinesAccording to their promos, for this reason. Once in KL, it is easy and cheap to reach Bangkok or Phuket, Bali, Makassar or Jakarta, Vientiane, Hanoi, Siem Reap or Phnom Penh... and even Australia, India and of course China.
AirAsia's competition is also likely to push down the prices of other airlines for Asian destinations. The Malaysian low-cost airline has a very good reputation in terms of safety (the planes are new), unlike so many others in this region of the world.
I don't have any shares with them, but their very low prices and their reservation system on the internet have allowed me to organize stages that I would never have been able to afford otherwise.
The principle: the earlier you book, the cheaper it is. There are regularly "free seats" offers to watch out for, tickets in the 20-30€ range via KL for the closest Asian destinations... When my last tripThe round trip KL-Tawau cost me 70€, the round trip KL-Kota Bahru 50€.
AirAsia from Paris? A bargain, really, for budget travelers in love with Asia.
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EDIT. July 2011: I finally flew on AirAsia X, departing from Paris, shortly after the opening of the route!!! Read more here :
→ Paris - Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia X
EDIT. January 2012 : Less than a year after the opening of the Paris-KL route, AirAsia decided to close its routes to Europe... Read more :
→ AirAsia abandons flights from Paris and London
