O

nce or twice a year, people look forward to one "sacred period" in their lives.

That is, a holiday. It's not only a chance to refresh and recharge yourself, but also a means to forget all the routine things that make you falling into a rut so you will come back with a whole new body and mind. It's an opportunity to take a break for a moment from your everyday must-do things.

Some like to simply stay home and chill. Others prefer to escape to their dream destinations. Whether it's just a weekend away, or a long-planned trip , traveling is a fun way to spend a holiday.

And the challenge is, how to make the most of it? There are ways to make your holiday a fun and fulfilling experience despite the limited cash that you have to spend. Saving on the cost of the flight is one good option. A lot people like to take low-cost airlines so they have more to spend on nicer hotels, destinations of the holidays or tour activities during the trip, and of course, shopping. The latter is indeed what Indonesians are fond of doing. As admitted by Prabowo, a 29-year-old insurance marketer who occasionally flies out of the country to spend his holidays, "By choosing a low-cost airline, I have more cash to spend on other things. I can do more shopping, or see more places on my holiday because I do more tours. That is so exciting because you experience more."

Having flown and taken vacations in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, Prabowo acknowledges that flying with budget airlines is really worth it. He finds it cheap, simple and enjoyable and most importantly it leaves him with extra cash to spend on other things he wants to do, buy or see during the trips. What he opts to do seems to be more of a trend for today's travelers, especially with the current economic situation. And what is interesting to observe is the fact that more and more low-cost airlines are coming out to meet the needs of people who want to travel and save on airfares.

One of those is Tiger Airways. Alluring budget travelers with its irresistible deals on various destinations, it is known as a true low-fare airline of Asia Pacific. In its consistent effort to offer passengers safe, convenient and low-fare air travel, Tiger Airways soared to the skies from Singapore in September 2004 with two aircraft and three routes in its network. And now, it serves more than 25 destinations across nine countries in Asia and Australia with a fleet of brand new Airbus A320 to spoil travelers with a safe and comfortable journey in the air. Surely this is good news for any holiday-goers who are interested in flying and saving a lot.

Not only flying to usual cities in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam and Malaysia, the airline also offers exotic destinations in India and China such as Bangalore, Chennai, Macau, Shenzen and Haikou or Guangzhao. As for the land of the koala, Tiger Airways flies to famous holiday destinations such as the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne and a few more.

To enhance its service, Tiger Airways even teams up with Webjet to offer Australians more booking choices. This means that Australian consumers have been able to access the airline using online travel retailer webjet.com.au starting from mid February this year.

And what's the cool news for Asia? Well let's hear it from our neighbor first. Starting at the end of March this year, the airline announced its daily flights between Jakarta and Singapore, with amazing fares from just S$25 inclusive of taxes and charges. Too tempting a deal to miss? Indeed. Quoting a comment from the managing director of Tiger Airways Singapore, Rosalynn Tay, "This new daily flight between Singapore and Jakarta marks a great day in the history of Tiger Airways. For the first time the airline now serves the capital cities of the six largest economies in Southeast Asia, as well as destinations in China, India and Australia offering travelers more choice, on more flights than ever before with its famous low fares."

Saving a lot of money flying Tiger Air from Singapore to Phuket, Prabowo expressed joy at being able to take a tour to cool spots. "I got a chance to see the famous Phi Phi Island for example, where Leonardo DiCaprio filmed his Beach movie. I'm telling you, it was a hell of a fabulous experience."

Apart from Jakarta as a new Tiger Airways destination, the airline also recently offered flights to another Indonesian destination, namely Padang. As for Malaysia, the airline expanded its wings to reach Langkawi and Penang in April this year.

Another recent roar from Tiger Airways to prove it is the lowest fare airline was the 150,000 free seat sale to six Indonesian, Malaysian or Chinese holiday destinations that went on sale in March this year for April to October flights. Yes, all you had to pay were just the taxes and charges of between $25 and $85. Indeed, such a great offer it was.