Air Asia from Hong Kong to Jakarta Indonesia: An Economical Way to Fly

What if I told you I paid $90 per person to fly from Hong Kong to Jakarta Indonesia? Would you believe it?

You don’t need to buy an around the world ticket if you are flexible with your travel dates and are willing to take some risks and are able to plan your trip from point to point – country to country.

Just to give you some background:

We bought one-way tickets from New York City to St. Petersburg Russia with a stopover in Reykjavik Iceland with Icelandair. All travel arrangements were arranged with a tour company from St. Petersburg to Beijing. Beyond Beijing, we had nothing booked when we left the US. Our plan was to stay in Shanghai with my sister and brother-in-law and travel to other parts of China for three months.

Important: When applying for both Russian and Chinese visas you need to show your itineraries and invitation letters from tour companies. We were granted a multiple entry one year Chinese visitor's visa and a multiple three years Russian visitor's visa.

How to reserve your air tickets with Air Asia:

Air Asia is a low-cost airline with their hub in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. The fares fluctuate very frequently. Most fares are cheaper if reserved far in advance.

For this example, I looked at the end of August and early September departure from Hong Kong to Jakarta. The cheapest fare is on Wednesday September 2 at HK$764.68 (about $98). It costs HK$1484 (about $191) if you travel on Sunday, August 30. A difference of about $100 if you are flexible in your travel plans.

The fare includes airport taxes. You will have to pay for checked bags and meals.

Note: All flights connect in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

Should you pre-book meals:

Pre-booked meals are cheaper than meals purchased on board. You can book it at any time after your reservation and up to 24 hours before departure.

Should you pay extra for pre-assigned seats:

I prefer to have pre-assigned seats. Prior to this trip, we had flown twice with Air Asia - round trip from Coolagatta Australia to Kuala Lumpur. We paid extra for pre-assigned seats for that round trip tickets and the one-way flight from Hong Kong to Jakarta.

Flight duration:

It takes three hours 50 minutes to fly from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur and about two hours from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta.

Stopover airport in Kuala Lumpur:

Air Asia uses Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA 2), a brand new airport terminal for the airline. This is a much better terminal compared to the old Air Asia low-cost airport terminal.

Travelers have plenty of seats to rest including a comfortable movie lounge with plush chairs. Coffee shops and restaurants serving Malaysian food are found on the first and second floors.

Overall this was a wonderful flight because:

• The super cheap airfare
• On time flights
• Comfortable stopover airport in Kuala Lumpur
• Courteous flight attendants

Other than that, Air Asia is a low-cost no frill airline. You won’t get free snacks or free wine.

Check Air Asia's website for information on check-in baggage fee and restrictions.