These days, there are more and more budget airlines catering for those who want to shave costs off their trip’s final price tag with no-frills travel. While you may not get the luxury ride you might experience when flying business class on a premium airline for example, these airlines are amazing for a cost-effective way to get from A to B without having to sell an organ on the black market in order to be able to pay for it.  

But with so many airlines competing for your dollars, which one should you choose? We’re putting AirAsia and Scoot up against each other to see which Southeast Asian budget airline truly is best.

AirAsia and Scoot are direct competitors and generally their fare prices are in the same ballpark. The cheapest flight won’t necessarily come down to which airline you’re flying but will depend on factors like the route or departure time, so it’s worth checking both options for both if you’re on a budget. Although prices fluctuate, AirAsia is a great go-to for cheap flights to Asian destinations while Scoot can often be cheaper for longer haul flights.

With Scoot being based in Singapore, and only offering direct flights to that city from Australia, it generally will offer better fares to Changi than AirAsia will. AirAsia only flies direct from Australia to either Bali or Kuala Lumpur. And to those destinations, it often beats our Scoot for price (and travel time).

With neither airline including baggage as a standard in its cheapest fare, we compare how much cabin baggage you’re allowed and the cost of checking any luggage.

AirAsia allows up to 7kg of cabin baggage included in its fare but you can also upgrade to its X-tra Carry-on or Fast Pass option which allows up to 14kg (each individual bag may not weigh more than 10kg however.) On the other hand, every Scoot passenger is entitled to bring up to 10kg of cabin baggage with them – more than most budget carriers. You can pay more to increase this allowance.

On Air Asia flights, checked baggage is not included in the fare but you can add it on for an extra cost. Checked luggage allowance options start at 15kg and go up to 60kg – prices vary and there are limits to each option so make sure to book early. Scoot also doesn’t have checked baggage as a standard inclusion in their economy fare unless you’re booking a ScootPlus fare, which includes 30kg. If you’re flying economy, you can add extra baggage from 20kg-40kg (with no one bag weighing more than 32kg.)

We compared the prices on the main direct routes (to Singapore with Scoot and to Kuala Lumpur with AirAsia) to see which one charges more for the similarly-timed flight.

Scoot charges AU$70 to bring a bag on a flight from Sydney to Singapore, while AirAsia only charges AU$45 for a flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, making AirAsia the cheaper airline.

For both Air Asia and Scoot, inflight meals and drinks during the flight are not included as part of the basic economy fare – which is pretty standard for cost-efficient budget airlines. You can pre-book meals on Air Asia, with the menu including things like vegetable biryani and prawn and chicken wanton noodles, among other options. Scoot also has meals for sale on its flights for hungry customers. Typical options include: all-day breakfast, mushroom fettucini bolognese and black pepper beef with rice.

On Scoot’s basic economy fare you’ll receive 10kg of cabin baggage, which is more than most competitor budget airlines. You’ll also have the option to pay extra – subject to aircraft type – for special seating preference, including silent seats for quiet time, stretch seats, super seats or front seats for more space.

Meanwhile, Air Asia’s economy fare includes a seat, generally as part of a compact 3-3-3 configuration. While no inflight entertainment or meals are included in the fare, you can pay extra for food or more baggage allowance. You can also upgrade to a Quiet Zone (no kids under 12) or a Hot Seat (for extra legroom) for a fee.

Scoot offers ScootPlus, which acts as their premium economy fare option on their Boeing 787 aircraft. Here, you’ll find larger, comfortable leather seats and perks such as a higher luggage allowance (15kg for cabin, 30kg for checked), included inflight refreshments, priority boarding, 200MB wi-fi and a complimentary blanket for comfort. 

Air Asia’s premium economy level option, called Premium Flatbed, is even more comfortable. With this fare, your seat can transform into a full flatbed and you’ll get a pillow and blanket for extra comfort. Other perks include up to 40kg of free checked baggage, priority boarding and baggage collection, complimentary meals and three hours of complimentary lounge access at your departure airport.

AirAsia flies from more cities in Australia than Scoot. Its network includes these cities:

Its destination offerings are also much more expansive, as AirAsia has local subsidiaries in countries across Asia. In total, you can fly to more than 160 destinations.

Scoot flies from several Australian locations including:

While Scoot flies to much fewer destinations, only about 80 in total, it does offer fares to a places in Europe.

Ready to begin your journey via a budget airline? Check out flights from Air Asia and Scoot here. Then suss out our promotions page to score any hot deals for flights, hotels, accommodation and more to save even more cash.