AirAsia just launched their ASEAN Pass for 30 or 60 day travel within the region that includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
There are two types of passes (quoted in Philippine Pes0):
How does AirAsia Asean Pass work?
a. Purchase:
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| Click here to purchase AirAsia Asean Pass with your BIG Shot login |
Select your preferred type of AirAsia Asean Pass & make your payment |
Assign the ownership of your AirAsia Asean Pass (you can change the ownership of AirAsia Asean Pass any time before the first flight redemption is made) |
Your AirAsia Asean Pass is now ready for redemption! |
b. Redeem:
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| Click here to redeem AirAsia Asean Pass with your BIG Shot login |
Select your AirAsia Asean Pass to redeem & make your flight selection |
Make your airport tax payment (AirAsia Asean Pass credits only cover the base fares) |
Receive confirmation of your flight booking |
Enhance your journey with our add-ons! |
Among the biggest things to know and understand about this travel pass are the following:
- Credit can only be redeemed for your base fare.
- Any airport tax and add-ons such as check-in baggage, inflight meals, seats and travel insurance are to be paid separately.
- Each flight will need to be redeemed at least 14 days before departure.
- Each route can only be redeemed once using an AirAsia Asean Pass.
- Travel passes are good for one year from date of purchase.
Credit Value by Flight Zones
Each route will require a certain amount of credit for redemption, depending on cost, flight duration and frequency.
If you have purchased an AirAsia Asean Pass (10 credits), your redemption could be something like this:
Here’s a complete list of credit amounts for routes that are redeemable with AirAsia Asean Pass (also applicable for return journey):
| 3 Credits (per way) | ||||
| Fly from/to Bali | Malaysia |  Kuala Lumpur |
Kota Kinabalu |
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| Singapore | Singapore |
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| Thailand | Bangkok |
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| Fly from/to Bandung | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur |
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| Fly from/to Bangkok | Indonesia | Bali |
Jakarta |
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| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur |
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| Singapore | Singapore |
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| Fly from/to Cebu | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur |
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| Fly from/to Chiang Mai | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur |
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| Thailand | Hat Yai |
Krabi |
Phuket |
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| Fly from/to Jakarta | Indonesia | Medan |
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| Malaysia | Penang |
Kuala Lumpur |
Kota Kinabalu |
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| Thailand | Bangkok |
Phuket |
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| Fly from/to Johor Bahru | Indonesia | Lombok |
Surabaya |
Yogyakarta |
| Malaysia | Tawau |
Kota Kinabalu |
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| Fly from/to Kota Kinabalu | Indonesia | Bali |
Jakarta |
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| Malaysia | Johor Bahru |
Kota Bharu |
Penang |
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| Kuala Lumpur |
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| Philippines | Manila |
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| Singapore | Singapore |
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| Fly from/to Kuala Lumpur | Brunei | Brunei |
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| Cambodia | Siem Reap |
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| Indonesia | Bali |
Balikpapan |
Bandung |
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| Jakarta |
Lombok |
Makassar |
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| Semarang |
Solo |
Surabaya |
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| Yogyakarta |
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| Laos | Vientiane |
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| Malaysia | Bintulu |
Kota Kinabalu |
Labuan |
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| Miri |
Sandakan |
Sibu |
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| Tawau |
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| Myanmar | Yangon |
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| Philippines | Cebu |
Clark |
Kalibo |
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| Manila |
||||
| Thailand | Bangkok |
Chiang Mai |
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| Vietnam | Da Nang |
Hanoi |
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| Fly from/to Kuching | Malaysia | Kota Bharu |
Penang |
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| Fly from/to Manila | Malaysia | Kota Kinabalu |
Kuala Lumpur |
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| Fly from/to Medan | Indonesia | Yogyakarta |
Jakarta |
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| Fly from/to Penang | Indonesia | Surabaya |
Jakarta |
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| Malaysia | Miri |
Kuching |
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| Fly from/to Phuket | Indonesia | Jakarta |
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| Thailand | Chiang Mai |
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| Fly from/to Singapore | Indonesia | Bali |
Semarang |
Yogyakarta |
| Solo |
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| Malaysia | Miri |
Kota Kinabalu |
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| Thailand | Bangkok |
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| Fly from/to Surabaya | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur |
Penang |
Johor Bahru |
So, just to get a sense of how much value a Philippine based traveler can get out of this, I’ve checked out which currency provides the best deal. It looks like purchasing the travel pass in Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) would be the best, but only if your credit card does not charge foreign transaction fees.
Next, I checked individual fares for different routes included in the deal.
MNL ROUTES (RT) – Flights are on Air Asia in September 2015.
| ROUTE | BASE | TAXES | BASE + TAXES | IN US DOLLARS |
| MNL-CEBU | 697.50 | 520.50 | 697.50 + 520.50 = 1218 | $27.64 |
| MNL-DAVAO | 1590.35 | 407.65 | 1590.35 + 407.65= 1998 | $45.34 |
| MNL-PPRINCESA | 1907.11 | 445.65 | 1907.11+445.65=2352.76 | $53.39 |
| MNL-KALIBO | 697.50 | 300.50 | 697.50+300.50 = 998.00 | $22.65 |
| MNL-TAGBILARAN | 1411.79 | 386.21 | 1411.79+386.21 = 1798 | $40.80 |
| MNL-TACLOBAN | 697.50 | 300.0 | 697.50+300.50 = 998 | $22.65 |
| TOTAL | 7001.75= $158.89 | $212.47 |
| MNL-KUALA LUMPUR | $154.65 |
Based on airfare that I looked at for the individual cities for travel in Sept 2015, the best value I can get from this deal based on my travel plans would be to travel to Malaysia (MNL-KL) plus 1-2 other local/Philippine destination within 30 days. Otherwise, it looks like individually purchased fares turn out to be just about the same, as it only covers base fares.
All in all, the AirAsia ASEAN Pass may have the most value for those hopping from one destination to another within the 30 or 60 day timeframe. For an idea of multiple city travel, check out this post.
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