As someone who used to work for AirAsia years ago, I had to admit that I always tried to be as vigilant as I could be when it comes to the benefits that I could get from purchasing any of their products. Call me petty, but I spent my early 20s trying to absorb their product knowledge, and I still missed out on a thing or two that made me lose both temper and money.
From dealing with some irritating passengers (a guy from the House of Representative of the Republic of Indonesia once threw money on my face simply because he didn't want to pay for freaking IDR 25,000 – around $2 USD – for a check-in service fee!) to even missing the payment for some excessed baggage that made me have to pay from my own salary!
Only when I already resigned, I finally realized the benefits of knowing their product knowledge by heart. That's why I didn't even bother to freak out when I missed my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta on my last trip. At the time, I just booked a room at Tune Hotel Aeropolis KLIA and then another flight ticket for the next day. I rarely upgrade my flight ticket, but since I was flying from Kuala Lumpur at the time, I decided to upgrade it to Premium Flex since I got a chance to experience their AirAsia Premium Red Lounge at KLIA2 terminal.
One of the benefits you get when you upgrade your AirAsia flight ticket to Premium Flex is free access to AirAsia Premium Red Lounge. This is something that I won't get if I upgrade my flight from Jakarta since there's no Red Lounge in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
However, since I flew from Kuala Lumpur, I got all the benefits listed from Premium Flex, including free 20 kg checked-in baggage, in-flight meals, hot seat, and priority pass to AirAsia Premium Red Lounge. When I booked my flight ticket, I paid an extra 150 MYR (around $35.5 USD) to get it upgraded.
Even if you don't get a Premium Flex ticket, you can also pay 85 MYR (around $20.15 USD) for walk-in access to AirAsia Premium Red Lounge. Slightly cheaper than upgrading your ticket, except you won't get any other benefits that come in the package.
The price is valid for 3 hours, and an additional charge may be required if you stay there for more than 3 hours. Since I arrived early at the airport, 3 hours were enough for me so I didn't spend anything at AirAsia Premium Red Lounge as it's all covered in my Premium Flex ticket.
Where is AirAsia Premium Red Lounge?
AirAsia Premium Red Lounge is located not so far from the International Departures of KLIA2 terminal. Located at the Mezzanine Level, I gotta say it doesn't have a grand-looking entrance. There's just one door around the corner, and it looked quiet even before the pandemic.
To enter the lounge area, you only need your boarding pass and passport for verification. It took less than 5 minutes for the receptionist to proceed with it for me. After that, there were many empty spots, so I just sat down somewhere not so far from the entrance since I didn't need a smoking area either.
What could you get at AirAsia Premium Red Lounge?
Just like the typical lounge at some other airports, you could get free-flow food and beverages while waiting for your flight. Free Wi-Fi is also available, and the connection was surprisingly so fast when I was there that I managed to finish one post for work.
Apart from the mineral water and regular coffee and tea, they also have some assorted juices. For example, there were orange and mango juice at the time, and even though they weren't fresh juice, they weren't too bad either.
They also offer appetizers as well as the main course. I tried their cream soup for appetizers and fried rice with some toppings for the main course. I couldn't remember whether there was another option for the main course, but I tried the Malaysian-style fried rice.
There's also a fridge full of Coke that you can take with some decent temperature. It's like, if you love your Coke fresh and cold, this is the Coke that you're looking for! LOL. If you need some extra ice cubes, you can also get some there!
Why should you consider upgrading your flight ticket to Premium Flex?
I rarely upgrade my AirAsia flight ticket to Premium Flex since I usually just needed to purchase checked-in baggage for my ticket. I'm usually hesitant to pay extra for a hot seat because not only am I a cheap person, but also because I didn't really see the benefits of sitting in the front row or emergency exit. Like, I don't it's worth paying extra for my ticket. LMAO.
I normally just upgrade to their Value Pack, which usually includes a 20 kg checked-in baggage and an in-flight meal. However, I personally would recommend you to upgrade your flight ticket to Premium Flex if you're flying from Kuala Lumpur only.
First, the free access to AirAsia Premium Red Lounge is worth it to save some money for snacks or meals at the airport. And it's quite cozy to wait for your next flight. Not to mention that you'll also be eligible to change the date and time for your flight.
Especially if you take an international flight, when buying a new ticket could be so freaking expensive and having a Premium Flex ticket will allow you to conveniently change your flight if necessary.
Final Verdict: Is it worth upgrading your flight ticket?
If it's a flight from Kuala Lumpur, then yes… It's worth the upgrade!
Otherwise, I think Value Pack is enough to cover all the convenience for your flight since it covers the checked-in baggage, seat selection, in-flight meal, baggage delay and 1-hour on-time guarantee protection. For all of this, it only cost around 50 MYR (around $11.85 USD) extra, which is quite affordable.
Personally, it only makes sense for me to upgrade it to the Premium Flex for a flight from Kuala Lumpur because it allows me to get access to the lounge. In addition to that, I could've changed the flight date and time if I had to with no cost. It's a win-win.
But if I fly from any other place that is not Kuala Lumpur, not only that I wouldn't get the benefit of free access to AirAsia Premium Red Lounge, but also because I'm one of those people that rarely have to change my flight date and time. So that option is not my priority.
So, do you usually stop by the airport lounge when you wait for your flight? Why and why not? Share in the comment below, and cheerio! 😉
Disclaimer:
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