Thursday, June 01, 2006

Brunei budget travellers welcome 'no-frills' airline entry

By Rosli Abidin Yahya

The news that the budget 'no-frills' airline AirAsia will commence operation next July 11 from Bandar Seri Begawan to Kuala Lumpur has caused a buzz in the Sultanate especially to the population segment who could not previously afford to travel by air.

They applauded the decision that permitted AirAsia to operate from the capital as it could save people from making unnecessary journeys to neighbouring towns just to catch any of its flights.

Some budget travellers from Brunei as well as returning Malaysians seeking the cheapest possible way to travel to Kuala Lumpur said they usually would not mind taking a 45-minute boat ride to Labuan or the road journey to Miri to catch an AirAsia flight there to the Malaysian capital.

"AirAsia caters for the population segment who could not afford high-priced tickets. It also opens opportunities for budget travellers to fly to other cities instead of their usual retreat in Miri and Limbang," they added.

"Whether in Bandar Seri Begawan, Miri or Labuan, some locals may still want to travel by AirAsia, which is more affordable to them."

The commencement of AirAsia flights will also bring in budget tourists from Malaysia as well as other countries, they said.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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