I flew on the best budget airline in the world for just $100, and it turned out to be one of the most comfortable flights I've ever traveled on (2024)

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AirAsia has been crowned the world's best low-cost airline for 14 years in a row, according to aviation ratings website Skytrax.

AirAsia is one of the most popular budget airlines in Southeast Asia — and for good reason. In 2022, some 25 million passengers flew the airline to over 160 destinations, including London, Mumbai, and Zagreb in Croatia.

The Malaysia-based airline is certified by Skytrax as a three-star low-cost airline. While Skytrax praised AirAsia for its in-flight service and wide range of meal options on board, the airline has had its fair share of criticism.

AirAsia received the most number of complaints among airlines in Malaysia from January to June 2022, according to local news site MalayMail, citing the Malaysian Aviation Commission.

Passengers complained about poor service when checking in, not being refunded for canceled flights, and one traveler even claimed she found insects in her food, reported another local news site Malaysia Now.

There are over 20 budget airlines in Southeast Asia alone. As Insider's travel reporter in Singapore, I've traveled on many of them.

In the past year alone I've flown on AirAsia five times and despite a few small issues, it's remained my go-to airline when exploring the region.

Most recently, I flew AirAsia from Malaysia's capital city Kuala Lumpur to the island-province of Cebu in the Philippines in late June — and my experience with the airline showed me exactly why it's better than the rest.

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My journey started in Kuala Lumpur International Airport's Terminal 2. Checking in was a nightmare.

KLIA 2 is the terminal dedicated to budget airlines, including AirAsia. I arrived at 7 a.m., over two hours before the scheduled departure time, but the snaking lines and complications with obtaining my boarding pass made check-in take forever.

AirAsia flights from Kuala Lumpur aren't checked in by destination. Passengers are often encouraged to check in online and drop off their bags at one of the counters.

When I arrived, there were already hundreds of people lining up at several counters. I joined one of these lines and waited for 20 minutes, but when I reached the counter, I was told to join another line as my e-ticket wouldn't scan.

After lining up for almost half an hour at the manual counter, I finally got my physical ticket and headed to immigration.

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As the complaints hint, AirAsia isn't known for being punctual — my flight was rescheduled to depart 25 minutes late.

The flight to Cebu was scheduled to depart at 9:10 a.m. but was rescheduled to 9:25 a.m. I've flown AirAsia domestically across Malaysia and around the region of Southeast Asia, and nearly all my flights have been delayed for ast least 20 minutes or up to an hour.

As I ended up spending almost 40 minutes waiting for my turn to pass through immigration that day, the delay didn't end up being a big deal.

But delays are commonplace among low-cost airlines, and it's not an issue that's exclusive to AirAsia.

According to a 2023 survey by the Singapore finance site MoneySmart,many passengers who flew budget airlines from May 2022 to the same month this year often experience delays.

For example, some 69% of passengers indicated that they had flown on at least one delayed flight with the Philippines-based low-cost airline Cebu Pacific, the report said.

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After going through immigration, my experience with the airline was nearly flawless. As I paid for a seat in the emergency row, I got to board first.

One of the best things about flying AirAsia is the affordable ticket prices. After paying for a seat with extra legroom — which allowed me to board first — and purchasing additional baggage, the cost of my one-way ticket was $102.

Boarding first is one of a few luxuries you can pay a bit extra for when flying low-cost airlines, and it's a perk that's well worth the extra cost. I didn't have to rush to get on the plane and fight for luggage space in the overhead cabins.

The extra leg room was $9, and additional baggage cost was around $23 for a 20-kilogram, or 44-pound allowance.

AirAsia is currently the only airline operating direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Cebu.

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Flying on budget airlines can feel cramped and uncomfortable. But this four-hour flight was surprisingly quiet and spacious, as there were few passengers on board.

Regular seats on AirAsia have 18 inches of legroom, but my seat on the emergency row measured 20.3 inches. As I'm only 5'1", it felt spacious enough.

The overall maintenance of the plane's interior was in good shape. The leather seats weren't peeling and there was no trash left in the compartments — unfortunate observations I've made on previous budget flights.

After everyone had boarded and empty seats could be spotted, a handful of passengers moved to the larger seats that cost more than the regular ones. They were promptly instructed to return to their assigned seats by the cabin crew.

Like with many budget airlines, the vibe on board was casual — many passengers stood in the aisle chatting with friends, while a handful were busy eating the meals they packed in their carry-on.

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AirAsia is known for their great service, and the cabin crew were friendly and helpful.

The flight wasn't turbulent, so meals were served promptly. The flight attendants were efficient but personable — one of them took the time to play with one passenger's baby.

The same flight attendant also wiped down my tray table before serving my in-flight meal.

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AirAsia's food selection among budget airlines in the region is unparalleled, with nine choices for hot meals on board.

I was impressed with AirAsia's food selection — aside from the cheap ticket cost, it's the best part of flying with the airline. Some of the meals available included Malaysian chicken rice, Thai basil chicken, and spicy Bukhara chicken biryani. Beverages, including bottled fruit tea and Vietnamese iced coffee, were sold too.

I found the food better than dishes served in business class on some national airlines around the region. For example, I paid 1,600 Singapore dollars, or $1,200, for a return business class ticket from Manila to Singapore on Philippine Airlines, and basic food like ice cream was unavailable.

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I ordered nasi lemak and a bottle of calamansi oolong tea for 20 Malaysia ringgit, or $4.30, and it was one of the best meals I've ever had on a flight.

After spending two decades in Singapore, a country that shares many cuisines with Malaysia, I've become snobbish when it comes to nasi lemak — a coconut rice dish that comprises sambal, a sweet spicy sauce, anchovies, and meat.

But the nasi lemak on board was delicious. The sambal was hot and flavorful, and the chicken rendang — a dry stew with meat marinated in spices — had a delightful umami to it. The meal made me feel more like I was dining at my favorite hawker center than on a budget airline.

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As there were no other passengers sitting beside me, I decided to take a nap — horizontally — which left me refreshed and ready to explore Cebu.

After observing several other passengers adjusting the armrests and lying down on the seats in the empty rows, I decided to follow suit. I used my backpack as a pillow, which wasn't ideal, but I still got some uninterrupted sleep.

The plane landed in Cebu around 15 minutes before its scheduled arrival time, which made up for some of the time lost with the delayed departure time.

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Overall, I could see why AirAsia is the best budget airline in the world — but it's not without its flaws.

As I often travel on a budget, I frequently fly low-cost airlines — and so far, AirAsia has been the best one I've tried. The delicious in-flight meals and the super cheap ticket costs make the hassle of the long check-in lines worth it for me.

AirAsia also flies to so many destinations — even rare routes like Kuala Lumpur to Cebu — which makes it easy to explore different places at affordable prices. While the airline's reputation for delays might turn some people off, I am willing to wait it out — and always make sure I have a flexible schedule on the days I fly.