Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia has expanded its online offering to list flights with other airlines on Airasia.com as it transforms the site into a travel and lifestyle platform.
Photo credit: Wikimedia
AirAsia announced on Friday its partnership with Kiwi, a European traveltech company that operates an online search engine that allows users to combine transportation from non-cooperating carriers. With the new service, AirAsia users can now book with 100 airlines to new destinations such as London, Dubai, Madrid, and Auckland on Airasia.com.
The move comes off the back of AirAsia’s reorganization, which separates its airline operations from its travel and lifestyle arm, Airasia.com, according to a statement.
“Today, with the help of Kiwi.com, we are reinventing ourselves as more than just an airline, bringing to life our vision for Airasia.com to be the region’s one-stop travel shop,” said Airasia.com CEO Tony Fernandes.
In addition to its tie-up with Kiwi, Airasia.com also plans to explore more opportunities to work directly with other airlines and companies that “complement” its current network and travel offerings beyond Asia Pacific.
Since AirAsia announced the reorganization back in August, the company said it has recruited over 700 staff. It’s also set to open a new Airasia.com campus in central Kuala Lumpur early next year.
Earlier in March, the company removed all its flights from Indonesian travel unicorn Traveloka’s platform, following the “unexplained disappearance” of AirAsia Indonesia flights from the site for the second time in two weeks.
At the time, Traveloka said that it regretted AirAsia’s decision, and that it has reached out to the airline “to open a dialog that will provide the best solutions for all relevant parties.”
Editing by Charmaine de Lazo
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