hirty years ago you could cross the Pacific at three US cents per mile eating palate-puckering stodge and assisting old biddies who claimed to be stewardesses. But across Asian skies you’d fork out over US$0.26 per mile. Big, and bigger went bust, along with Anna Nicole Smith. The advent of no-frills low cost budget airlines has forced changes that go well beyond customer satisfaction and fewer pilliwinks in consumer pockets. Singapore's famous Changi Airport even has a dedicated Budget Terminal as does Kuala Lumpur International Airport. How these initiatives pan out remains to be seen but budget airlines will welcome diminished ground charges.
It is not all best rate deals however. Asia’s proliferating small airlines are going national, regional, and international. They offer decent service, well maintained aircraft and surprisingly snappy on-time records. We’ll look at some fast-growing regional carriers too in this mix.