free flight!

AirAsia offers free seats for KL-Perth (updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: From midnight Thursday, 5,000 free seats will be available for the Perth-Kuala Lumpur flights via AirAsia X.

The free seats up for grabs are for the travel period between Nov 2 and April 30, 2009.

AirAsia X director Datuk Tony Fernandes said the offer was only available for booking on Friday and Saturday and it was in conjunction with the launch of the long haul budget airline's new direct service from KL to Perth, Western Australia.

"From midnight today, you can try to get free seats to Perth. I've already received 27 SMSes from Malaysians and Australians in Perth asking what time they can start booking," he told reporters Thursday after the launch of the long haul destination to Perth here.

He said the average fare to Perth would be under RM400 including fuel surcharge and the return fare for business class seats was about RM2,000.

"Many people have been asking when we are going to Perth. It has the largest Malaysian student population and Malaysians and Singaporeans living there. Our dream of turning Malaysia into a hub for people flying around South-East Asia destinations is also becoming a reality."

Perth is the airline's third international destination following its launch to Hangzhou, China in February this year with five return flights per week and to Gold Coast Australia in November last year with four return flights.

AirAsia X will offer six return flights per week between Perth and KL, and is already planning to increase the flights to daily return flights by March 2009. The airline’s new wide-bodied Airbus A330 aircraft will service the route.

To date, AirAsia X has carried over 50,000 guests between Gold Coast and Kuala Lumpur, and 30,000 between Hangzhou.