Malaysian long-haul low-cost carrier AirAsia X is resuming flights to London Gatwick after a 13-year absence. With AirAsia’s Fly-Thru service now well established, passengers from destinations like Australia can fly long-haul on a low-cost carrier without the hassle of collecting and re-checking bags (you can read more about that here).
But is long-haul low-cost really cheaper? Is the trade-off in comfort and all-inclusive service worth the lower base price? When you add on baggage, meals, and seat selection, does it remain the better deal?
We compared both the price and overall experience of these two services on a hypothetical trip in September between Perth and London, with AirAsia X flying to London Gatwick (LGW) and Malaysia Airlines to London Heathrow(LHR)
AirAsia X price, travel time and experience
Outbound: Depart Perth at 5:15am and arrive in to Kuala Lumpur (KL) at 10:50am. After an 11-hour stopover, depart KL at 22:00 and arrive in Manama, Bahrain at 2:25am local time for a 2-hour technical stop (meaning you don’t have to change aircraft), then continue to London Gatwick, arriving at 7:25am. Total travel time: 33 hours
Return: Depart Gatwick at 10:25am, stop in Bahrain at 18:55 for 2 hours as per the trip over there is no need to change aircraft, then fly 8 hours to KL. After a much shorter 4 hour 20 minute stop, passengers can continue to Perth, arriving at 19:50 local time. Total travel time: 26.5 hours.
Price & Add-Ons:
Base fare: $397 outbound, $576 inbound ( which includes a 7kg carry-on).
Checked baggage return (20kg): $252.
For the comparison, we didn’t choose seats on the Perth–KL route, but for the longer sector to London we selected the twin seats at the back to offset the narrow seating on the aircraft. These seats added an extra $110 to the airfare.
Pre-ordered meals and drinks are incredibly cheap (around $6 each) but also small. For this comparison, we ordered one for each sector, with the exception of the KL–Bahrain sector where we chose two, for a total of four meals on each flight. It is likely you will need to purchase extra drinks for hydration. Overall, this only added an extra $56 to the whole journey.
Total cost for the return journey: $1,356
In-Flight Experience:
Seats are narrow, especially in the 3-3-3 layout on the A330-300 used on the KL–Bahrain to LGW route. Seats have a 16-inch width, which is narrow, but the pitch of 31 inches is very generous for a low-cost carrier. On the Perth–KL sector, operated by the A320 family, seats in a 3-3 seating configuration have a slightly smaller pitch of 29 inches but a wider seat of 18 inches.
No seatback entertainment, blankets, or pillows are provided, though comfort items and Wi-Fi are available for purchase. At the time of writing, we are unable to accurately assess the speed and reliability of the Wi-Fi. We would recommend all passengers supply their own in-flight entertainment.
Meals and drinks are all buy off the menu including water.
Malaysia Airlines price, travel time and experience
Outbound: There are multiple departure times to choose from on the Perth to London Heathrow route with a single stop in KL for 2 hours. Total travel time 21.5 hours.
Return: As per the outbound journey there are multiple options with a 1 hour 40-minute stop in KL being the shortest layover. Total travel time 21 hours.
Pricing & Inclusions:
The ticket price includes a 25kg checked bag, seat selection, meals, beverages (including alcohol), blankets, pillows, and in-flight entertainment.
Total cost for the return journey: $1,434
In-Flight Experience:
Seats offer more space than AirAsia X with a 30-inch pitch on the short sector between Perth and KL and 32-inch on the long-haul sector to LHR
Full-service amenities mean no additional costs and a more comfortable long-haul journey.
Flight review summary
Whilst AirAsia X offers a lower base fare at the outset, by the time you add all the extras, the airfare is not significantly cheaper than Malaysia Airlines’ all-inclusive ticket, with just $78 separating the two. Even if you skip seat selection ($110), the total difference is just $188. Once you factor in the longer travel time and likely expenses during the KL stopover, Malaysia Airlines still comes out ahead.
If we break this comparison down in to sectors such as the shorter Perth–Kuala Lumpur sector, we would probably see where a low-cost carrier can be a cheaper and more attractive option but that’s where the advantage ends. For long-haul flights, especially ones with connections, full-service carriers dominate. As this review demonstrates, it’s important to look at the entire fare, because comfort and efficiency don’t have to cost more.
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