Why Tiger Airways in Asia rocks!

Anyone who has flown Tiger Airways in Australia will be quite aware of the disastrous management and service on offer. This is really quite a shame as it is damaging the reputation of the Airline as a whole, especially in Australia.  However, very few people have compared the difference between both services: Australia vs Asia.

Aircraft carrier: Tiger Airways

Aircraft type: Airbus 320

Flight duration: 3.5 hours approx

In-flight food rating: N/A

Staff friendliness:  10/10

Tiger Airways in Asia  is nothing short of fantastic for a budget airline.  The moment you walk onto the plane, the staff treat you with utmost respect and happily assist you with any questions you may have.  Now you see, there is one more thing you may be wondering. How do they perform pre-flight, ie. before you board your plane.  Once again, they are efficient and friendly.  If you request a particular seat for a reason, they do not question you. At times, they are quite lenient regarding luggage weight, but can get a bit worried when a family attempts to transport their entire home with them, for a week vacation. You can't blame them. They're a 'no frills' airline and they profit by limiting on certain things.  But cutting corners around service is certainly something they do not agree upon. They care, and for this reason, they are respected by many travellers in Asia.

The last decade has seen quite a shift in the airline industry. With the rapid penetration of budget airlines, others have suffered. They are losing passengers because many people do not see the point of reaching into their wallet for the sake of a few extra inches of legroom.  This view is not to discount the more esteemed airlines, just simply a recognition that a shift is taking place and will continue to do so in the near future (at least in my opinion).  Corporate travelers will continue to take higher tier airlines for the simple reason of increased flexibility.  Whether its flight changes, extra baggage, loyalty programs or the status that Is associated with high class airlines, they certainly continue to attract a decent amount of passengers for their target market, and market share remains fairly stable for now but I begin to wonder for how very much longer?

For those who want a quick, cheap and pleasant trip, you need not worry when travelling with budget airlines. Much publicity is focused around airlines' standards, but I can assure you a lot is formed to destroy not only their reputation but also existence.

My plane arriving before my flight to Singapore

My recent flight with Tiger Airways was another example of why I admire their organizational culture. They are very similar to their key rival AirAsia but have a unique feel to them. My flight from Hog Kong - Singapore was smooth, picturesque and fairly on time.  The only issue we had on arrival back to Hong Kong several days later was that we were #12 in the taxiway line up!  The whole aircrafts burst into laughter and somehow everyone seemed quite relaxed.  Despite taking off 30minutes late, we arrived very close to our scheduled time on Hong Kong, the pilots making up for it.  It was wonderful arriving back as usual, only it was a shame to return from the sunny skies of Singapore to a misty and quite dull evening back in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, it proved to be a busy week for me ahead and still will be.  Attending the Singapore Airshow was good fun (I will post a blog soon) and meeting with old spotting friends (aircraft photographers) and new ones was also a plus!

View before touchdown - Skyline with the distinct Marina Bay Sands. Sorry for the quality, it was very far away...

VH-OQA - Qantas A380 that has been grounded since its mid-air disaster last year.  The entire aircraft looks terrible...

Lucky to get this departing - Singapore Airbus A330

Once again, a big thank you goes out to the crew for the wonderful flight and for the opportunity to - yet again - arrange a cabin photo with the Captain and First officer.

Here is my photographic souvenir!

Have you travelled with Tiger Airways before?  Hope to hear of your experiences!