Flight Review: Thai AirAsia FD511 from Johor Bahru Senai Airport to Bangkok Don Mueang Terminal 1 by Airbus A320-200
Thai AirAsia FD511 is a daily afternoon flight from Johor Bahru to Bangkok, and one of the few international flights flying out of Johor Bahru Senai International Airport a day. Heading to Bangkok, I decided to fly Thai AirAsia out of Johor Bahru Senai International Airport instead of Singapore as the all-in fare was less than half of that if I were to fly out of Singapore.
Johor Bahru Senai International Airport
The main hall of Johor Bahru Senai International Airport with both departure and arrival halls.
The departure hall is on the left side.
Unfortunately, I was greeted by the departure board with a delay of my flight, which was now scheduled to depart at 4.05pm. The original departure time was 3.45pm, so that’s an extra 20 minutes delay for now.
There are AirAsia check-in kiosks at the departure hall.
However, as I had already checked in online and had no bags, I could head straight to the gate.
Heading onwards to the departure hall.
The AirAsia baggage drop-off counter, if you have any, is inside this check-in area.
Once done with all check-in procedures, security screening is in the middle of this building.
There is a document check counter for international flights just in front of the security screening entrance.
Heading up the escalator after security screening.
The path here is shared by both domestic and international passengers.
The main transit area of Senai Airport with shops and a Burger King. International passengers can also use this part of the transit area prior to immigration.
Immigration is within the transit area, just before the international departure gate. If you want to stock up on supplies, you should get them in the domestic transit area as options in the international area are limited.
After immigration, the path leads directly to Gate 1.
The offerings in the international transit area are basic, with just 1 WHSmith convenience store at high prices and a The ZON Duty Free with not-very-cheap goods either.
The rest of the international transit area has seats facing Gate 1.
Once some people in front saw the plane arriving at the gate, a queue formed in front of Gate 1. However, as I was seated quite upfront, I decided to board last instead.
I waited till final call to join the queue. By then, I was one of the last passengers to leave the international transit area, and I heard the air-conditioning switch off behind me.
Thai AirAsia FD511
Interestingly, my Thai AirAsia FD511 flight was parked at Gate 2, which is the only shared gate in Senai Airport for international and domestic passengers.
A TransNusa COMAC ARJ21-700 was also arriving, and used Gate 3, a pure domestic gate. Passengers to Jakarta were escorted out of the international transit area back to the domestic area for boarding.
Queuing up for boarding pass scanning at Gate 2.
Heading down the stairs to the apron.
Queuing on the apron for boarding via the mobile stairs. HS-ABA will be flying me from JB to Bangkok this afternoon.
Getting up close with the TransNusa COMAC ARJ21-700. No need to visit the Singapore Airshow for this.
Heading up the stairs for boarding.
The legroom on board Thai AirAsia.
The aircraft was extremely hot and stuffy upon boarding, with the air-conditioning switched off and there was no ventilation. Many passengers resorted to using the menu to fan themselves.
My Thai AirAsia FD511 flight departed from Johor Bahru Senai International Airport at 4.32pm – 47 minutes delayed from original time, and 27 minutes delayed from revised time.
Mala Hotpot Noodles
With the delay in departure, my late lunch became an early dinner. I pre-booked a Mala Hotpot Noodles for RM19. With my front-ish seat, I was also one of the first to be served.
On board Thai AirAsia, I could still get a coffee for my complimentary drink during pre-booking, as my flight is more than 2 hours on schedule. I asked for an additional cup of ice to make it an iced black coffee.
The Mala Hotpot Noodles was served with the sauce in a foil cup, which is a great idea to keep the meal from becoming a soggy slosh after a full day of flying. The Mala Hotpot Noodles consisted of vegetables, sausages, mushrooms, a fish cake, a prawn, and a cheese tofu.
I decided to be brave and pour all the sauce in for my Mala Hotpot Noodles. It wasn’t very spicy or numbing which is a bit unfortunate, but the taste was there, and I guess it would fit the palate of more passengers this way.
The clean toilet on board Thai AirAsia. I did not need to use it for long with the mild spiciness of the Mala Hot Pot Noodles not activating anything.
The cabin lights were dimmed after the meal service, and also upon landing.
Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport
My Thai AirAsia FD511 flight landed at Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport at 5.34pm – 29 minutes delayed from original schedule.
I was parked at a remote bay, and a Thai AirAsia apron bus was waiting at the bottom of the staircase for passengers to board.
Looking back at HS-ABA.
The apron bus was covered in perforated decals on all windows, which did not offer a great view out.
Taking a bus ride around the apron to get to the terminal.
Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport Terminal 1
The apron bus alighted directly at the international arrivals section.
Immigration is 1 floor up from the bus alighting berth.
The screen here showed that the queue ahead for immigration will take 5 minutes, which was totally untrue. It took me 39 minutes from the start of the immigration queue to exiting through customs, with no bags to collect from the belt.
By the time I got out of immigration and customs, the sky was dark.
Many signs pointed straight to the SRT Red Line for onward train travel to Bangkok. However, as the walk was quite far, I decided to get the bus this time.
Conclusion
Thai AirAsia via JB is a great way to fly from Singapore to Bangkok for a much cheaper fare, for the slight inconvenience of going to JB Senai Airport first. If you are living in the north or west of Singapore, this might actually be a viable option as it may take almost the same time to travel to Changi Airport by public transport anyway.
On top of that, taxes at Senai are much lower, which makes the entire all-in fare low too. I paid RM188 (~S$53.33) in total for this flight from JB to Bangkok including my meal.
- Base fare MYR 12.00
- Taxes, fees & surcharges MYR 157.00
- Malaysia Departure Levy MYR 8.00
- Regulatory Service Charge MYR 1.00
- Advance Passenger Processing Service MYR 5.00
- Fuel Surcharge MYR 106.00
- International Arrival and Departure Fees (Thailand) MYR 2.00
- Passenger Service Charge MYR 35.00
- Mala Hotpot Noodles MYR 19.00
- Total amount MYR 188.00
For comparison, the current total airport taxes payable when departing from Singapore costs S$62.20 now, which will rise to S$65.20 on 1 April 2024, and will rise further with the new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) levy in 2026. And all those are just taxes, without factoring the fare which goes to the airline yet.
Flying short haul will not be sustainable on a budget when flying from Changi, so Senai may be the way to go forward.