[UPDATED] AirAsia Unlimited Pass Has 4 Odd Limitations That You Need to Know About
UPDATE 1 – Added Embargo List
By now, I’m sure many of you have heard of the recent AirAsia Unlimited Pass promo. It’s supposed to provide customers with unlimited flights to Australia, Japan, Korea, and more for an entire year. I’m sure many of you are tempted to purchase it to satisfy your wanderlust but the COVID-19 outbreak is what makes you hesitate. Now, you may just have another reason not to get it.
Only Applicable for Selected Flights
Facebook users have pointed out as to how confusing the terms and conditions are. While it is unlimited, there are a number of notable limitations that you need to take note of. For starters, you can only select flights that are labeled under “AirAsia Unlimited Pass”. This can be a bit tricky as they have control as to how many tickets / flights will be available under this promo, meaning you have no guarantees whatsoever. There are far fewer people traveling for obvious reasons so for now, it may still be easy to get.
![[UPDATED] AirAsia Unlimited Pass Has 4 Odd Limitations That You Need to Know About - 18](https://cdn.pokde.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/covid19-scaled.jpg "[UPDATED] AirAsia Unlimited Pass Has 4 Odd Limitations That You Need to Know About - 19")
Only for Long Haul Flights with Specific Carrier Code
Secondly, it’s only applicable to long haul flights with carrier code D7 (AirAsia X) and XJ (Thai AirAsia X) only, with an additional term of exclusion for Bali, Singapore, Jeddah, and all “fly-thru” routes. This further limits the potential flights that you can take with this promo. Moreover, it’s restricted to specific routes that are mentioned so you may not know where it might be stopping prior to reaching your destination. This is particularly dangerous during this COVID-19 outbreak season.
![[UPDATED] AirAsia Unlimited Pass Has 4 Odd Limitations That You Need to Know About - 20](https://cdn.pokde.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/unlimited-pass-tnc.jpg "[UPDATED] AirAsia Unlimited Pass Has 4 Odd Limitations That You Need to Know About - 21")
Embargo Periods Apply
Third, embargo periods do apply and you will need a minimum of 14 days before your chosen flight to apply for it. The embargo period itself could lead to cancellations of flights so there’s no guarantee just yet. This may also be problematic in getting the flight you want as they’ve noted that it may not be available during times like school breaks, public holidays, and weekends. From a business perspective, it would make sense for them to prioritize those who pay for actual tickets as opposed to the pass holders.
Update: An unnamed source has provided us with the table of embargoes that apply to the Unlimited Pass promo.
[table style=”table-condensed”]
| Year | Dates | Event | Routes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 21 Feb – 1 Mar | TW Lantern Festival + 1 Mar Movement | Outbound TW toJP |
| 14 Mar – 18 Mar | Malaysia School Holiday | Outbound MY to AU | |
| 14 Mar – 2 Apr | MY School Holiday + Cherry Blossom Peak | Outbound MY to KR, MY to JP, US to JP, TW to JP | |
| 19 Mar – 22 Mar | MY School Holiday | Outbound AU to MY | |
| 19 Mar – 12 Apr | Cherry Blossom | Outbound KR to MY, JP to MY, JP to US, JP to TW | |
| 1 Apr – 15 Apr | Good Friday + Easter Break (start) | Outbound AU to MY | |
| 13 Apr – 19 Apr | Good Friday + Easter Break (end) | Outbound MY to AU | |
| 26 Apr – 3 May | Labour Day + Japan Golden Week (start) | between MYJP, JPUS, JPTW | |
| 29 Apr – 2 May | Labour Day | between MYAU, MYKR | |
| 1 May – 6 May | Japan Golden Week (end) | Outbound MY to JP, US to JP, TW to JP | |
| 30 Apr – 4 May | Labour Day | India, China | |
| 6 May – 12 May | Wesak | India | |
| 20 May – 7 Jun | Hari Raya Aidilfitri + MY School Holiday | between MYAU, MYKR, MYJP | |
| 22 May – 8 Jun | Hari Raya | India, China | |
| 23 Jun – 26 Jun | TW Dragon Boat Festival | between JPTW | |
| 27 Jun – 11 Jul | AU Winter Break (Outbound) | Outbound AU toMY | |
| 10 Jul – 20 Jul | AU Winter Break (Inbound) | Outbound MY to AU | |
| 10 Jul – 16 Aug | Summer peak | China | |
| 23 Jul – 10 Aug | Hari Raya Haji + Obon Japan Olympic (start) | between MYJP | |
| 23 Jul – 17 Aug | Summer Break + Obon Japan Olympic | between JPUS & JPTW | |
| 25 Jul – 3 Aug | Hari Raya Haji + MY School Holiday | between MYAU | |
| 25 Jul – 9 Aug | Korea Summer Break (start) + Hari Raya Haji + MY School Holiday | between MYKR | |
| 27 Jul – 17 Aug | Obon Japan Olympic (end) | Outbound MY to JP | |
| 1 Aug – 16 Aug | Korea Summer Break (end) | Outbound MY to KR | |
| 19 Aug – 1 Sep | Hari Raya Haji School Holiday | India | |
| 28 Aug – 1 Sep | MY Independence Day | between MY-AU MY-KR, MY-JP | |
| 15 Sep – 22 Sep | Malaysia Day + JP Respect of the Aged Day | between MYKR, MYJP MYAU | |
| 25 Sep – 4 Oct | Mid Autumn Festival | between JPTW | |
| 25 Sep – 8 Oct | Golden week | China | |
| 26 Sep – 3 Oct | AU School Holiday (start) | Outbound AU to MY | |
| 29 Sep – 2 Oct | Chuseok (start) | Outbound KR to MY | |
| 2 Oct – 11 Oct | AU School Holiday (end) + Chuseok (end) | Outbound MY to AU, MY to KR | |
| 3 Oct – 11 Oct | Fall Break | between JPUS | |
| 8 Oct – 12 Oct | TW National Day (ROC) | between JPTW | |
| 13 Nov – 16 Nov | Deepavali | between MYKR, MYJP, MY-IN | |
| 20 Nov – 31 Dec | Year End | China | |
| 21 Nov – 31 Dec | Malaysia Australia School Holiday | Outbound AU to MY, between MYKR, MYJP | |
| 17 Dec – 10 Jan 2021 | Winter Christmas New Year | between MYAU, MYKR, MYJP, JPUS, JPTW, MYIN | |
| 2021 | 1 Jan – 15 Feb | Australia Summer Break (end) | Outbound MY to AU |
| 10 Feb – 21 Feb | Chinese New Year | between MYAU, MYKR, MYJP, JPTW |
[/table]
Only Valid for the Base Fare
Lastly, the AirAsia Unlimited Pass is only valid for the base fare. In other words, you will still need to pay other charges like, airport charges, taxes, add-ons, regulatory fees, and other charges if it arises. If you think that purchasing the pass will get you free flights, it doesn’t. The other charges could still add up quite a bit depending on where you want to go. If you consider the initial investment of the pass as paying for the base fare, then you will need to make multiple flights to truly benefit from it. The expenses from this will add up with all the charges aside from the base fare that you need to take care of.
Summary of AirAsia Unlimited Pass Limitations
- It’s only applicable for flights labeled under the promotion, not every flight.
- Flights are limited to specific routes.
- There are no guarantees that you’ll get the flights you want.
- The pass doesn’t mean that you get a free flight.
While it may seem like there is a chance that you might not be able to make use of it despite purchasing, it’s not necessarily true for everyone. However, it’s still worth keeping in mind that there are no guarantees here. There are other things listed in the terms and conditions but these are what I feel you need to take note of if you plan on purchasing the AirAsia Unlimited Pass. We are not taking sides here, we simply want the consumers to be aware of what they’re getting.
You can only purchase this from 29th February to 7th March 2020. If you want to read the full terms and conditions, click right here.
Pokdepinion: I personally wouldn’t buy it because of the COVID-19 outbreak. I don’t want to risk my well-being just to see the world. Holidays / travels can wait for as long as I’m still alive and well.
