AirAsia X

✅ Trip Verified | A premium flatbed seat for USD50 over a regular seat needed no convincing. Even though it wasn’t a complete 180° flatbed, it got to about 160° which was still pretty good and decent enough for some rest. I had no issues stretching out completely. Width, length and comfort were all very decent and well worth the upgrade. Pillows and blankets provided too.

✅ Trip Verified | Interior of the A330 needs to be overhauled, carpets torn & dirty, seats worn out and dirty and there was no soap in the dispenser even before take off which is really bad. Service for water should be done as soon as we takeoff not 2 hours into a flight. Times may change but standards must remain. Always been 1 of my favourite airlines.

MEL-DPS return on Indonesia Airasia Extra. These are essentially the same seats as found on Malaysia Airlines B777 business class, with a few less features like no lumbar adjustment and massage function. The seat is wide, roomy, and exceptionally comfortable in all modes except for full flat position (solution - make it a little less flat and it is much more comfy!). Service was excellent with the friendly crew showing a flair often absent these days. Food is the same as available for economy. A unique product for a LCC, which I will be using again. My ratings are in the context of an LCC.

I paid extra for what Air Asia X calls a 'hot seat' with more legroom directly behind the premium economy cabin. The legroom was generous (I am 194 cm and I could stretch out) and the space in front of the seat also made access very easy. However in a crowded plane the lack of shoulder room was very uncomfortable - this airline has nine seats across in its A330 cabin where most airlines have eight. The sense of tightness was exacerbated by the arm-rests on my row of seats having to accommodate tray tables narrowing the available space further. The seats themselves are leather clad and hard; they also lack lower lumbar support. They do have adjustable head rests - a great feature. I've rated the seat overall as a '5' simply because I managed to sleep for about two hours of a seven hour plus sector. I have rated the PTV screen as 1; in fact the on-board entertainment system comes in the form of portable units which can be rented - I didn't try them however.