Flying Air Asia From Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Taipei, Taiwan

Our flight base seems to be Kuala Lumpur. The majority of our flights from and to Perth go via Kuala Lumpur. It seemed only fitting that we would fly to Taipei from Kuala Lumpur too. It was the cheapest flight after all. That is important to us!

Apart from the cheapness of the fares (they were very cheap), we really enjoyed our flight. Some people dislike Air Asia because of their no frills attitude. We don't mind it. A little pre-planning is all that is required. When you book your flight, if you will be on the plane for less than two hours, book one meal. By the time you eat the flight will almost be over. If more than two hours, maybe even buy two meals. This does cut into the money you saved but eating on the plane makes a world of difference. Air Asia does a surprisingly good Nasi Lemak.

Yes, the seats and leg space are not exactly spacious. Most airlines aren't these days. Unless you are seven feet tall you “should” be able to hack the leg room for a few hours. Andrew does. Flying is the one time I'm really grateful for my petite stature. If its really an issue consider the fancier seats that Air Asia offers. They even have bed pod things these days. We have booked them for our Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo flight and can't wait to try them out!

Back to our flight. It took four hours to fly between Kuala Lumpur and Taipei. We had some food, listened to a podcast or three and read our books. Bringing your own entertainment is very important. A combination of a kindle or a dead tree book supplemented by an mp3 player with a few podcasts queued up should see you through. Showing up with nothing to read or do is a sure fire way to have a long tedious flight. Before arriving in Taipei I finished a novel and gave it to a flight attendant to read.

Dear Flight Attendant, I am sorry for the really bad novel. Sincerely, Tanya.

Another thing you should consider is only bringing a carry-on cabin sized bag. Check out the photo below. They are our two backpacks in an overhead luggage compartment with heaps of room still (in both bag and compartment). Travelling like this has definitely improved our flight enjoyment levels. Instead of having to check our luggage and hoping that it all arrives at the our destination we can leave the plane knowing that our belongings are with us at all times. It also means no more accidentally leaving something you wanted for the flight in your checked bag.

So, Air Asia. We have no problem flying with you. We do wish that your arrival and departure halls were not separate from the main terminals at some airports but we are happy with your service and, of course, the price. See you for our next flight, from Taipei to… we really should figure that out.