Airline offers flatbeds on the cheap

RELAX: AirAsia X's new premium offering features seats with a width of 20 inches (51 centimetres), 60-inch (152-centimetre) pitch and a length of 77 inches (195.5 centimetres) in full recline position.

AirAsia X has become the first low-cost carrier in the world to introduce flatbed seats to its planes.

The new premium offering features seats with a width of 20 inches (51 cm), 60-inch (152-cm) pitch and a length of 77 inches (195.5 cm) in full recline position.

The news came as the airline also announced a fare sale for flights from Australia to London, with fares from less than A$1000 (NZ$1309) return.

AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani said customer feedback indicated the airline needed to change its seats.

"We concede that the old seats were neither suitable nor comfortable for long-haul flights," he said.

The airline has also announced that its standard economy-class seats would also be revamped, with reclinable seats at 31-inch pitch.

Seat pitch is the measure between seats on an aircraft and is typically used to indicate legroom.

The addition of flatbed seats to AirAsia X's fleet will see the number of premium seats on board its aircraft greatly reduced, from 28 to 12 on Airbus A330s and from 30 to 18 on Airbus A340s.

The upgrades to the airline's fleet is estimated to be complete by June this year.

A Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur return fare in the new flatbed seats will cost about A$1454. This compares with the airline's economy class return fares to on the same route for under A$400. A Melbourne-Kuala Lumpur business class fare with Malaysia Airlines costs about A$4700.

AirAsia X currently operates flights out of Melbourne, Perth and the Gold Coast.

A plan to begin flights out of Sydney fell through after the airline failed to get approval from the Malaysian government in time for its planned start date of July 1.

The airline, which was founded in 1993, flies to 65 destinations across Asia, Europe and Oceania.

- © Fairfax NZ News