Honest AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul Flight Review
AirAsia X opened its Kuala Lumpur-Istanbul flight route in November 2025, making it one of the most competitively priced flights from Asia towards Europe. But does the cheap price tag justify it? Here’s my AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul flight review (with tips and tricks to survive it).
And I didn’t just fly from Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul, nope. I went from Taipei -> Kuala Lumpur -> Istanbul. And it only cost $313 USD (including a meal and a 20-kilo checked bag). For a flight from Taipei to Istanbul, paying just about $300 is a steal.
But since there isn’t much information about this route or people’s experiences, I wanted to share my AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul flight review here so you know what to expect and whether it’s worth it.
Disclosure: Some links to products and recommendations are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you).
The Package I Bought ($313 from TPE – SAW)
I found this hell of a deal when I saw simply searching flights from Taipei to Istanbul, and am I GLAD Air Asia X opened this new route.
After all, most flights, especially those coming out of Taipei, charge a lot. Don’t ask me why, flying long distances outta Taiwan always seems to be the case.
The package I went for was the Value Pack Lite, which included a 20 kg check-in bag and seat selection (yay for being able to select aisle seats!).
The route went like this and includes the local times when departing and landing:
- 12:20 AM – 4:50 AM: 5 Hour Flight from Taipei to Istanbul
- 4:50 AM – 10:00 AM: 5 Hour Layover in KUL (I use the Capital One Venture X Credit Card with Free Priority Pass for Lounge Entry)
- 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM: 11 Hour Flight to Istanbul
I bought the AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul flight package in March of 2026 and flew in May, so the current price below has since increased due to oil prices. With that said, it’s still one of the most affordable routes to check.
But was it going to be worth it? After all, it’s a long-haul budget flight. That’s why I’m sharing this AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul flight review, so you know what to actually expect.
Important Things to Know About the Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul Route:
Here one some of the main questions and concerns I had about taking this flight route because flying budget for a few hours flight is easy, but budget for over 10 hours? I had to plan how to survive this AirAsia X flight from Taipei to Istanbul.
Here are the most important takeaways from my AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul flight route review.
2 Must-Dos Before Boarding:
- Kuala Lumpur’s airport has extra security measures in place to reach the gate. While it’s not so busy, be sure to account for a few extra minutes.
- After the last security checkpoint, be sure to fill up your water bottle. There are water refill stations
How Full is the Flight?
This flight included two legs, the first from Taipei to Kuala Lumpur and the second from Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul. And I’ll admit, if I can move seats to get a bit more space, I will.
Taipei to Kuala Lumpur: This overnight flight was about half full. Of course, I can’t guarantee the same for you if you take it, but I boarded towards the end, and the entire middle section of the plane was open. I was able to take a whole row and attempt to sleep.
Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul: This leg of the flight was almost full. There were a couple of rows that had only one person, while most were full. Definitely take your assigned seat when boarding, as some people boarded super-super late. After take off, I moved to another aisle seat where a man had the whole row to himself (yep, he had to share now).
The row I came from, though, the guy who assigned the middle seat was so tall, so I probably helped out by being able to give him and his partner an extra seat.
Will AirAsia Weigh Your Carry-On Bag?
Look ya’ll, I’m doing full-on transparency in this AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul flight review. And I hate baggage weight checks as much as everyone else, so here’s the tea.
This 7kg rule is one I loathe on long- or short-haul AirAsia flights. And I knew that by carrying some extra snacks and self-care products for the long-haul, my bag might be a pushing it. I already carry electronics such as my laptop and action camera, which take up most of the weight.
Anyway, if you’re flying from Taipei, then the only place they might weigh your bag is during check-in. They didn’t weigh mine, but they sometimes ask, don’t they? Plus, at Taoyuan Airport, there is a scale before you line up to check in where you can check. With that said, it weighed my bags 2 kilos lighter than they actually were.
And if you’re flying from Kuala Lumpur, the last time I checked in there for a different flight out of KL, they weighed people’s bags before security. This is because the whole terminal belongs to AirAsia (and AirAsia is based in KL). So if you’re flying AirAsia X from Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul, but only in transit, you probably won’t have your bag weight checked.
Neither flights was anyone’s bags weighed during boarding.
Does the Flight Have Any Entertainment or Charging?
Nope! The 11-hour flight has no screens or charging ports. Be sure to download your playlists or anything you’d like to watch beforehand. And have a full power bank, so when you land, if your phone battery is dying, you can charge up and not waste any time finding an outlet.
I actually edited so many videos on this flight, so that’s the positive side in my AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul flight review.
What About Food or Drinks?
As AirAsia is a budget airline, even for long-haul flights, there’s no food or drinks included. Nope, not even water.
I prepaid for one meal on the KUL-SAW leg, but ended up purchasing another on the flight because I was getting hungry!
They accepted credit and debit cards, as well as Malaysian Ringgit. I believe they also accepted Turkish Lira.
I didn’t mind paying for meals, but paying for water aches my soul. So I had a liter bottle that I filled up before the flight, and it lasted me the whole duration.
I’m not sure if I should be telling you in this Air Asia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul flight review to bring your own water, but I’m all for helping you save money, ESPECIALLY when it comes to water.
To Sign Off This AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul Flight Review
I’ve flown AirAsia, AirAsia X, Move, you name it, on countless occasions around Asia. This was my first true long haul with them, and I have to say I’m impressed.
What matters is planning for it, because unlike non-budget airlines, you are reliant on yourself or your wallet to get fed or to entertain yourself on the flight.
As we were landing, there were some huge wind gusts that made the plane feel like a paper airplane about to be thrown in the wind. Actually terrified me. Of course, an airline does not reflect the capabilities of its pilots, but the pilots handled and communicated it so well that I’m fully sold on AirAsia for long-haul flights from now on.
I’m so excited to share my AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul flight review with you as it’s a newer route with not a lot of information. If you’re considering it, I say go for it.
Read More:
- Pangia Pass (My Honest Experience)
