We’ve been anticipating its arrival and finally it’s here! AirAsia has officially introduced the ASEAN Pass connecting you with ten ASEAN countries for US$160, and around a month’s worth of flights. The countries linked include Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Philippines, which just about covers all of Asia’s hotspots.
The way it works is that each leg of a journey is worth a certain number of credits and you can mix up the destinations to suit. For instance if you choose Kuala Lumpur as your jumping off point, you can select from 19 cities (flight below two hours duration) valued at one credit each, or 29 cities (flights over two hours duration) valued at three credits each. Bangkok too has a huge number of city selections and both are easy-to-get-to hubs from almost anywhere in the world.
Using the credit system, purchases of the multi-route pass can be made in just one currency in one simple payment. You can even buy one as a gift for someone else. Such flexibility is bound to be popular and what travellers today are craving.
The carrier has bought a new level of personalisation to travel recognising that it’s not just the destination itself, but the opportunities within those locations to do exactly what you prefer. You can take an empty suitcase and design your own mad shopping tour hitting up Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur and save loads on airfares. Or explore those second tier destinations where stunning beaches or national parks await with just your camera and backpack.
Long-haul visitors to Asia will be able to extend the number of destinations they visit; the ASEAN pass may even open up some options they’d not considered previously as well. And for residents of these ten countries, visiting friends and relatives who are spread far and wide in such large countries like Indonesia, the pass is perfect.
