New flight routes: Take off to Thailand from $299 on AirAsia X
Direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne start in December.
Now that international travel is back, AirAsia has spared no time in getting its planes back to Australian shores.
It knows the way to our hearts too, this week announcing the launch of direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Bangkok.
These start on 1 December and will be a 4-times-a-week service from Sydney and a thrice-weekly service from Melbourne.
Special launch fares are already on sale, starting at $299 each way for an economy seat.
Those who prefer to fly horizontally can book a premium flatbed from $1,199 each way and experience life on the pointy end of the plane.
Travel is available from 1 December 2022 to 26 March 2023. You can book them now through KAYAK.
What makes these flights different?
This isn't the first time AirAsia has offered direct flights from Australia, initially starting with Brisbane in June 2019.
However, it's the first time Sydney or Melbourne are getting this point-to-point flying experience.
Similar to the Brisbane flights, these will be serviced by Thai AirAsia X, which has its home base in Bangkok.
But doing one better, instead of flying into Don Mueang (DMK), they'll fly into Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). This is the larger of the 2 airports and for many, the more preferable.
Chief commercial officer at Sydney Airport Greg Botham said, "This service will provide a great, low-cost option for Australians looking to secure travel over the busy end-of-year holidays to one of Asia's most exciting destinations."
Sydney's flights depart on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 2:40pm local time, arriving at 7:40pm local time.
Melbourne's flights depart on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 2:30pm local time, arriving at 7:20pm local time.
Return flights leave just after midnight in Thailand and land in Sydney and Melbourne around 1pm.
How do these flights compare to other airlines?
AirAsia's biggest rival on these routes is Jetstar. It's Australia's only budget airline and flies directly into Bangkok.
The catch is that it only flies nonstop from Melbourne.
When on sale, you can expect to see fares down to $185 each way, which beats AirAsia by a smidgen.
Sydneysiders though are better off keeping an eye on AirAsia as Emirates, Qantas and Thai Airways are the only other airlines with nonstop services.
This is great if you crave luxury, but not so great on your hip pocket as one-way flights on both can cost more than $1,000.
Keep your travels on budget by checking out all the latest travel deals here.