JULY 28TH, 2015

AirAsia X expands route network with direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sapporo!

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 July 2015 – AirAsia X, the leading low-cost, long-haul carrier, announced today that the airline will commence 4 times weekly direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sapporo beginning from 1 October 2015.

In conjunction with the launch of the route, AirAsia X will be offering promotional all-in-fares from as low as RM99* one way for Economy or RM999* one way for the award-winning Premium Flatbed. These promotional fares are available for online booking starting today until 2 August 2015, and for the travel period from 1 October 2015 until 31 August 2016.

All promotional fares can be booked online at airasia.com as well as via AirAsia’s mobile apps on iPhone and Android services, and also AirAsia’s mobile site at mobile.airasia.com.

At a press conference today in Kuala Lumpur, Benyamin Ismail, Acting Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia X Berhad said, “We are thrilled to expand our network to Japan with direct flights to Sapporo, Hokkaido! We are happy to see our network growing from strength to strength and I am sure many Malaysians share the same excitement as us as AirAsia X will be the only airline operating scheduled direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to this world class destination!”

“AirAsia X has carried over 1.5 million passengers between Japan and Malaysia. We are confident this route will also draw more inbound Japanese tourist traffic arriving from Sapporo who are often interested to explore surrounding cities in the region. This direct route will entice them to visit Malaysia and subsequently connect to various destinations in ASEAN and beyond,” he added.

Guests can also make use of the optional Fly-Thru service to connect to flights via the AirAsia Group’s multiple transit hubs with their baggage checked-through to the final destination without the hassle of immigration clearance at the transit hub. With this optional service, guests can now travel seamlessly between all Asian and Australian cities, such as from Indonesia (Bandung, Bali, Jakarta, Medan, Kuala Namu, Surabaya) Singapore and Australia (Melbourne, Gold Coast, Sydney) to Sapporo through Kuala Lumpur, making this beautiful city in Northern Japan just one stop away.

AirAsia BIG Members can redeem promotional flights from 6,300 BIG Points and earn BIG points from flight bookings. Adding to that, AirAsiaGo is also offering hotel deals from as low as RM1,019. For more info visit airasiabig.com and airasiago.com.

Sapporo has a population of 1.9 million and is one of the best places in Japan to visit all year round with its famed fresh seafood, powdery snow, local arts scene, brewery, and many more. Amongst the top 5 experiences in Sapporo include the Koyo or autumn colour viewing in the month of October, especially at the mountains of Daisetsuzan National Park, which is a must-visit to view the colours of autumn. A great month to visit is in the winter season, the most famous Sapporo Snow Festival and skiing in Hokkaido’s world-class ski resorts. As for the summer season, immerse in the romance of the flower fields in Furano-Beiei where Hokkaido becomes extraordinarily colourful with all kinds of blossoms. The Lilac Festival and Yosakoi Soran Festival at Odari Park is where visitors can enjoy music festivals, outdoor tea ceremonies and a stamp rally.

AirAsia X Berhad currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Japan with 5 times weekly flights to Osaka and daily flights to Tokyo.

AirAsia X was awarded the “World’s Best Low Cost Airline Premium Cabin” and “Best Low Cost Airline Premium Seat” at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards for three consecutive years from 2013 – 2015. The Premium Flatbed seats have standard business class specifications of 20’’ width, 60’’ pitch and stretch out 77’’ in full recline position and comes with convenient features including Pick A Seat, 40kg baggage allowance, A complimentary meal with free flow mineral water, pillow and duvet, Priority check-in, Priority baggage ‘Xpress tag’ and Priority boarding.

To further provide better services for our guests, AirAsia has implemented a Fast Track Counter for Premium Flatbed and Premium Flex guests where they are entitled to clear immigration at the Fast Track counter at klia2 airport for both arrivals and departures. Skip the long queue and enjoy a seamless stroll to the boarding gate.