AirAsia has introduced a new ASEAN Unlimited pass which lets you travel as many times as you want within Malaysia and ASEAN countries for RM599. But even with the country slowly reopening borders, is the pass worth the purchase?

You might have noticed that AirAsia has offered similar passes before, but this is the first time that they are offering a pass to travel to ASEAN regions as well. Below are 5 things you need to know about the new ASEAN Unlimited Pass before you decide.

1. How to purchase

The ASEAN Unlimited Pass is available to purchase for RM599 (you can save RM50 if you pay via BigPay) through either their website at airasia.com/deals, or through their AirAsia app on iOS, Android, and Huawei AppGallery. On the website, click the featured ASEAN Unlimited deal to read about more details on the deal. You can do the same thing on the app by tapping ‘Unlimited’ on its front page and pressing the featured deal there.

To purchase, you’d need to be logged into your AirAsia account. You can then make your payment with a valid credit or debit card.

2. How to redeem

Once you’ve purchased the Unlimited Pass, can you access the pass on both the website and on the app—as long as you’ve logged into the same account. There will be a generated promo code for you to use when booking your flights. You can also generate a new code, or view redeemed codes.

To get started, click ‘Redeem’—which will take you straight to the flight search widget, where you’ll be able to search for your flights. However, please take note that not all flights are redeemable under the Unlimited Pass, and the pass only covers the fare for the seat—which doesn’t include taxes, regulatory charges and add-ons.

Only flights that are marked “100% off” are flights redeemable with the ASEAN Unlimited pass. For example, a flight on 14 September 2021 from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore will cost you RM44 in total for tax and service charge. Whereas a flight on an earlier date (14 May 2021) costs RM99 including airfare.

Other flights using the Unlimited pass will cost you under RM50 for tax and service charge. Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila will cost you RM44 per flight. A flight from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok will cost you RM49.80.

Before confirming your booking, you’d also get the option to add-on things like a flight + hotel combo, baggage options, seat picking, value meals, and travel protection. A bundle like the Value Pack offers 20kg baggage allowance, a standard seat collection, a meal, and baggage delay protection.

A Premium Flex bundle has an addition of being able to change the date and time of your flight two times, as well as express baggage delivery, boarding and check-in. You can then make your payment and have your flights booked. The prices for the bundles vary depending on the flights.

3. Where to fly

The travel period for the ASEAN Unlimited pass is from 17th March 2021 until 26th March 2022. And as borders start to reopen, the pass lets you book flights based on when the flights would be commercially available.

The company also advises to check airasia.com/flights often on the availability of the flights. You should also note that airlines are required to “adhere to the latest regulations in related to flight operations”.

As for “where to fly”, the pass can be used to fly both domestic flights, and international flights in the ASEAN region. Here’s where you’re able to fly domestically:

Kuala Lumpur to/from:

• Alor Setar
• Langkawi
• Penang
• Johor Bharu
• Kuching
• Sibu
• Bintulu
• Miri
• Labuan
• Kota Kinabalu
• Sandakan
• Tawau

Langkawi to/from:

• Kuala Lumpur
• Penang
• Johor Bahru
• Ipoh
• Kota Bharu
• Kuching

Penang to/from:

• Kuala Lumpur
• Langkawi
• Johor Bahru
• Kota Kinabalu
• Kuching
• Kota Bharu
• Sibu

Johor Bahru to/from:

• KL
• Alor Setar
• Langkawi
• Penang
• Ipoh
• Kota Kinabalu
• Kuching
• Sibu
• Miri
• Tawau
• Kota Bharu
• Bintulu

Kota Kinabalu to/from:

• Kuala Lumpur
• Penang
• Johor Bahru
• Kota Bharu
• Kuching
• Sibu
• Bintulu
• Miri
• Sandakan
• Tawau
• Terengganu

Kucing to/from:

• Kuala Lumpur
• Penang
• Kota Bharu
• Johor Bahru
• Kota Kinabalu
• Miri
• Bintulu
• Sibu
• Langkawi

As for ASEAN region flights, here’s where you’re able to fly to/from using the Unlimited pass:

• Singapore
• Thailand
• Indonesia
• the Philippines
• Vietnam
• Laos
• Brunei
• Cambodia
• Myanmar

Please note that the pass is usable to redeem flights within Malaysia and across ASEAN with AirAsia’s AK carrier code. This means you can’t use the pass for flights operated by Thai AirAsia (FD), Indonesia AirAsia (QZ) and (Z2) Philippines AirAsia.

4. When can’t you redeem

Another catch when it comes to the ASEAN Unlimited pass is blackout periods. It’s a period where either the destination or the origin location have public or school holidays. These dates are usually popular travel dates, and they’re not applicable for you to redeem zero airfares.

• 9 – 18 April 2021 (Songkran) – Thailand
• 26 March – 6 April 2021 (Holy Week) – The Philippines
• 1 – 6 April 2021 (Holy Week) – Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar
• 1 – 6 May 2021 (Labour Day) – All countries except the Philippines
• 7 – 18 May 2021 (Hari Raya) – All countries except the Philippines
• 1 – 14 June 2021 (School Holidays) – All countries except the Philippines
• 16 – 25 July 2021 (Hari Raya Haji) – All countries
• 6 – 10, 27- 31 August 2021 (Awal Muharram & Merdeka) – All countries
• 16 – 19 September 2021 (Hari Malaysia) – All countries
• 10 – 20 September 2021 (School Holidays) – Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar
• 15 – 20 October 2021 (Maulidur Rasul) – the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam
• 3 – 8 November 2021 (Deepavali) – All countries
• 9 – 31 December 2021 (End of the year) – All countries
• 1 – 10 January 2022 (Chinese New Year) – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam
• 28 January – 7 February 2022 (Chinese New Year) – All countries

As interstate and international travel is still not permitted until borders reopen, the chart above forecasts that interstate travel in Malaysia might be available in Q2 2021. Travel to ASEAN borders could reopen for travel as early as Q3 2021. However, the reopening of borders is dependent on individual governments.

5. Other details

Younger passengers

There are also several things you should take note of before investing in the ASEAN Unlimited pass. The pass is only available for purchase and use by AirAsia Members within Malaysia who are at least 12 years of age on the date of departure. 

If you need to bring passengers 2 aged years old and below, you will need to pay extra to add an infant to your booking. For passengers aged 3 to 12 years old, you’d need to visit AirAsia’s office, or contact them via customer support.

One passenger per pass

Each pass is assigned to one passenger only with one AirAsia member account. The pass is also non-transferable and non-refundable, and you need to ensure that your details in the AirAsia account are correct as no name change is allowed once the first booking has been made.

What happens if you don’t show up?

You’re only allowed to not show up for your flights using the pass up to 3 times. After 3 “no-shows”, AirAsia will cancel your pass.

Once your flight is confirmed through the pass, you are allowed to change the dates through the ‘My Bookings’ tab in the app. However, you might have to be ready to pay a little extra for the change.

There will be no refunds once you’ve bought the Unlimited pass. But if borders are still closed by the time the pass expires, AirAsia might extend the pass—like they did for the Cuti-Cuti pass, and the AirAsia Unlimited pass.

You can also use the pass for free delivery

ASEAN Unlimited pass holders can also enjoy unlimited free delivery across AirAsia’s food, fresh goods and grocery services. You can start getting free delivery from now until 26 March 2022.

To enjoy the free delivery benefit, simply use the same AirAsia account which was used to purchase the ASEAN Unlimited pass before shopping on the services. The delivery charges will be waived for eligible customers and orders, and they are currently available in the Klang Valley.

The delivery perk is also offered to those who have purchased the previous passes. The travel period for these passes has also been extended until 30th June 2021.

Is it worth it?

The AirAsia ASEAN Unlimited pass will be on sale from yesterday, 4 March til 7 March 2021. It costs RM599, and BigPay users can get RM50 off on the deal. With the deal, you’d be able to redeem unlimited flights (as long as it’s not the blackout period ones).

You’d also need to book your flights at least 14 days prior to departure. So at the end of the day, is it worth purchasing the deal?

RM599 can cover about about two return flights. A return flight between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore can cost about RM300, and a return flight between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu can cost about RM300 as well.

Disregarding the current pandemic and the fact that travel is virtually impossible without borders being open, it does sound like a great deal. However, there is no way that we can disregard the situation.

AirAsia seems confident that borders will be reopening soon, especially with Malaysia already starting their COVID-19 vaccination program. But the introduction of the ASEAN Unlimited pass seems more like something AirAsia is introducing to improve its cash flow during the COVID-19 outbreak.

It might seem like a small gamble, but claiming this deal if the border start to reopen slowly in ASEAN regions would mean so many potential flights with ultra-low ticket prices. Also, even if borders only open in Malaysia and nowhere else, flying to Kota Kinabalu from Kuala Lumpur more than a couple times before 26 March 2022 is still pretty much worth the deal.

You can purchase AirAsia’s ASEAN Unlimited pass or go through their terms and conditions here through the desktop, or on the AirAsia app on iOS, Android, and Huawei AppGallery.