AirAsia To Rollout Asean Pass On Jan 15

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- AirAsia Thursday introduced a new product called the Asean Pass, which will enable travellers to utilise pre-purchased credits to book flights at a fixed rate across selected routes throughout Asean. The pass, to be rolled out on Jan 15 next year, is a credit-based system which acts like a single currency, reducing the hassle of differing foreign exchange rates as routes are valued according to the credits. Group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said with the dawning of the Asean Economic Community and progress on the Asean Open Skies initiative, AirAsia is pleased to promote Asean integration by helping to bridge Asean communities. "The Asean Single Aviation Market is something we take seriously and we are confident the introduction of this Asean pass will boost air travel within the Asean communities, as well as attract foreign tourists to this region," he told a press conference after the launch here Thursday. The routes list featured in the Asean Pass will be from one credit up to a maximum of eight credits one way, and it will also come with numerous benefits, including BIG points redeemable for free AirAsia flights. The AirAsia Asean Pass comes in two options -- a one-month pass for 10 credits at a flat rate of US$148 (RM500), and a 45-day pass for 20 credits worth US$268 (RM900) -- both excluding airport charges. Fernandes added that a quota would be set for each plane on how many users of the pass could fly but the management is still figuring out the details. -- BERNAMA