MAStraveller.com goes live with Destinasi Bajet

Malaysia Airlines launched its online travel portal (www.MAStraveller.com) today by kicking off with an exclusive run of Destinasi Bajet Jom MAS travelogue on the site.

Malaysia Airlines senior general manager of communications, Indira Nair, said, “There is a difference between being a traveler and a tourist. A traveler sees travel as an experience and appreciates the insights from people who have either visited the place or have lived there before. A tourist, on the other hand, plans his trip around ‘must-see’ sights and the opportunity to talk about the great tourist spots he has visited.

“This insight led us to conclude that people trust other travelers to provide them with real travel experiences. With this, we developed MAStraveller.com with an aim to inspire real travel experiences.

“Linked to the MAS website, customers can also easily hop over to malaysiaairlines.com and check out great deals, buy tickets, and vice-versa.”

The travel portal is divided into three main section sections: Home, Destinations, and What’s New. Since the site went ‘live’ in January 2010, it has garnered over 11,300 registered members.

“We are really encouraged by the response to MAStraveller.com and decided it was time to take it to a bigger audience. So when Destinasi Bajet came about – proving that everyone can travel, even on a tight budget, we felt we had found the perfect fit for MAStraveller.com,” Nair said.

Kicking off its 3rd season, Destinasi Bajet Jom MAS! will be making its debut on MAStraveller.com starting March 4, 2010.

The travelogue, hosted by Qushairi Mohammed Razali (better known as Qi), Destinasi Bajet is aimed at illustrating how budget travelers can holiday anywhere in Malaysia and ASEAN – on a shoestring budget.

“I was really excited when Malaysia Airlines decided to air Destinasi Bajet Jom MAS! At the very heart of it this program is to inspire people, even [on] a limited budget, to travel the world and see amazing things.

“This is why I’m excited about MAStraveller.com, it is the perfect place for Destinasi Bajet. I think young people should grab this opportunity to travel now as they can learn so much from other cultures and the places they visit,” said Qi.

For many people who have yet to discover much of what Malaysia and ASEAN has to offer, Destinasi Bajet is a reliable guide – a preview of your holiday with a cost estimate all done. This season, viewers will be thrilled to know that Destinasi Bajet Jom MAS! brings with it a co-host for Qi, host, actress, and TV presenter, Cheryl Samad.

“Destinasi Bajet Jom MAS! is a really fun show and is a great travel inspiration especially for those on a tight budget. It is a misconception that in budget travel you have to stay at dingy places; there are plenty of clean hotels. This is what the show and MAStraveller.com offers – real insights from real people,” said Cheryl.

In conjunction with the launch of MAStraveller.com, Malaysia Airlines is also running a contest, which will start on March 8, 2010. Participants are required to answer one question based on one destination featured on Destinasi Bajet Jom MAS! and submit their own travel tip on any destination that falls under either the ‘Stay,’ ‘Do,’ or ‘Eat’ category. One ticket to any ASEAN or domestic destination will be up for grabs weekly throughout the entire season of Destinasi Bajet Jom MAS!