I’ve just returned to Hanoi after about four weeks of crisscrossing Southeast Asia by air, and I’d like to take a moment to extol the virtues of Air Asia. I boarded nine Air Asia flights in twenty-six days: eight of the nine arrived early or on time (one was an hour late due to weather); check-ins were quick and hassle-free; gate agents and flight attendants were uniformly courteous and friendly; and most importantly, the average fare for those nine flights was a mere US$68.
I have to admit I’m always a bit wary of low-cost carriers. The term conjures images in my mind of sputtering prop-planes, terrified passengers clinging to chicken coops with blanched knuckles, carry-on luggage being devoured by goats come untethered, and gobs of freshly chewed gum smooshed over the holes in the fuselage. But Air Asia’s fleet consists of relatively young and spotless Airbus A320s — the majority of the fleet, and of which the average age is 1.2 years — A330s, and Boeing 737s.
What are Air Asia’s drawbacks? Well, the concept is no-frills air travel, so if you want frills — weighty checked baggage, insurance to change or cancel your booking, refreshments on the plane, et al — you pay for them. But even with these additional charges thrown in it’s probably still cheaper to fly Air Asia than a major carrier. Also, there’s no assigned seating on Air Asia flights, so passengers tend to be annoyingly hypercompetitive about being first in line to board and leave the plane (you can avoid this hassle, however, by paying extra for “Xpress boarding” as well). There’s plenty of attempted line cutting and jostling for advantage, but if you’re in Asia, you’re probably accustomed to that.
There are of course other options for low-cost air travel in Southeast Asia, but Air Asia never gave me a reason to switch carriers, so I can’t comment on them from personal experience. You might try Jetstar in Vietnam, Tiger Airways in Singapore, or NokAir in Thailand, whose “We Fly Smile” motto is a wonderful example of the glorious Englibberish for which the Thai have an unmistakable genius. The list goes on.
Asia’s low-cost carriers are also economical way to reach Australia — if you book far in advance. A quick search on Tiger Airways turned up a Singapore-Perth flight in March 2009 for $146. On Air Asia X, a similar flight from Kuala Lumpur to Perth or Melbourne can be had for $222. Just something to keep in your back pocket.
Another option is to take advantage of Bangkok Airways’ Discovery Airpass, which prices most domestic routes in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia at $60, and most international routes at $100 (long-haul flights at $150). In order to qualify for the Discovery Airpass, you have to book between three and six individual legs. However, the quoted fares exclude airport charges and other fees, so in the end you’ll probably still save money booking in bulk on a low-cost carrier.
Safe travels and thanks for reading!
Please pardon this rant, but I’ve just left the longest and most excruciating two-hour flight of my life. Was it rough air, you ask, that made it so miserable? Did the flight attendant unload the newly brewed contents of a coffee carafe in your lap? No, it was worse than either of these. Misery was two-and-a-half feet of mobile terror, cleverly disguised by a seraphic face and a copse of platinum hair. Misery sat right behind me, a sugar-fueled fiend in a yellow jumper.
I’ve come across, and sat within an ear poke of, every possible kind of kid in my travels. There have been plenty of complete angels, of course. But that’s not the kind I’m concerned with. I’m talking about kids with vocal cords of solid titanium. Burgeoning kung fu masters engaged in mortal combat with the back of my seat. Children gifted with the ability to project bodily fluids over great distances and with frightful precision. But this one had a knack for chaos clearly imparted from on high.
I arrived in Shanghai six days ago, and armed with a Lonely Planet guide/phrasebook, I set out to see and do as much as possible in a week-long stay. I spent the first full day in Shanghai plotting an itinerary, walking the Huangpu River (pictured above) and Renmin Square, and figuring out the combination of buses, trains, planes, and taxis that would get me where I wanted to go. The next morning I boarded a bus for Huangshan (the Yellow Mountain — more on that later) five-and-a-half-hours west of Shanghai, and thought things were going along splendidly.
Since 1982 the U.S. has maintained a trade embargo against Cuba. For those of you keeping score, the embargo anticipated the movie Red Dawn by two full years, and it has outlasted the Soviet/Cuban alliance by nearly two decades. While it doesn’t explicitly forbid Americans from traveling there (because the Supreme Court says that’s a violation of Americans’ Constitutional rights), it does prohibit economic transactions with Cuban businesses, either within Cuba or from American soil. So it’s kind of a de facto travel restriction as well.
There are a few travel agencies that specialize in bringing American citizens to Cuba. One of the most highly respected and recommended is 
Caveat: the goods or documents in your charge will be checked, so typically you’ll have to carry your own stuff on the plane with you. Pack light and pack wisely. Also, since jobs tend to be assigned at the last minute, it can be difficult to travel with friends unless they can arrange for a similar courier mission or buy a plane ticket themselves.
