How to travel on low-cost airlines in Asia

Low-cost airlines have become extremely popular in Asia with the proliferation of airlines bringing travellers great prices in the region.  However, low-cost flights can come with complicated fees, expensive penalties and complex regulations. 

Updated With Latest Fees

Did you know some airlines charge you to book your flight by phone for example?  Reserving your seats via a call centre can incur a charge of up to $30 in Australia. 

Airlines are cashing in on those who fail to follow their policies and being faced with hefty fees and charges can make travel stressful for even the most frequent flyers. 

You’ll find that each airline’s baggage allowance, cancellation fees and even excess charges for sports equipment vary depending upon which you choose to fly with.  And if you’re not careful, you could end up spending a lot more on that low-cost flight than you bargained for. 

Follow this handy guide to avoid these charges and discover how to travel on low cost airlines in Asia.  Then take a look at our guides to travelling low-cost airlines in Europe and North America. 

International:
Allowance: No restrictions on number of checked-in items
Weight: 20-30kg (dependent upon destination)
Dimensions: items should not exceed 158cm in overall dimensions
Cost: Free of charge

International:- Varies by destination.  See Passenger Services for more information,
Excess baggage fees: INR 100 per kilo, up to 5kg, and INR 350 per kilo thereafter

Seat Reservation: SpiceJet assigns seats on a first
come, first served basis

Changes and cancellations:
Domestic - INR 2250 per person, per way.  Changes or cancellations can be made up to 2 hours before scheduled departure. 
International - INR 2500 per person, per sector.  Changes or cancellations can be made up to 4 hours before scheduled departure. 

Changes and cancellations:
Domestic - INR 2250 per person, per way.  Changes or cancellations can be made up to 2 hours before scheduled departure. 
International - INR 2500 per person, per sector.  Changes or cancellations can be made up to 4 hours before scheduled departure. 

Baggage for adults and children -
Allowance: 1 piece of checked-in baggage
Weight: up to 20kg (23kg for US flight routes)
Dimensions: total dimensions of 203cm (the sum of the dimensions of the two items must not exceed 273cm)
Cost: Free of charge

Check-in additional baggage: Only available for international flights. 

Excess baggage:
Baggage weighing over 23kg and up to 32kg – KRW 50,000

Seat selection: KRW 1,000-30,000.  Fee dependent on route and seat. 

Name changes not permitted. 
Fees apply for flight cancellations and exchanges, depending on fare purchased. 

Name or flight change fee: THB 750 for domestic fares and THB 1210 for international fares, plus any difference in fare.  If updating through call centre an additional service charge of THB 225 applies. 

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LiveShareTravel's writer Lisa is passionate about travel and nothing excites her more than exploring new countries.  She loves reading, warm summer days and eating Marmite (which she always packs in her suitcase).  Lisa is currently making plans to travel the world. 

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5 Responses to How to travel on low-cost airlines in Asia

Absolutely right Tiaraa – we’ll be getting to Air Asia very soon.  The issue is that they have different rules in each country where they have a base, so they didn’t fit well into this table.  We’ll have a separate piece on them. 

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