Air Asia's offer of one million free tickets to fliers throughout the world - launched yesterday - came with some amusing and creative restrictions that are sure to have eager beavers scratching their heads.

For example, it is impossible to know the travel dates of the free tickets, except through trial and error.

On top of that, the valid travel period is well into the new year, starting in April and ending in July.

Not every day between the start and end of the promotion is a valid date, and there is no easy method to check.

"Yup, you will just need to try out each date and see if there are free tickets on that date," an Air Asia spokeswoman confirmed.
 
"There is no other way to know."

There are no hot meals available on the flight, and the cold meals on offer do not come free.

Baggage charges will apply to all items, and those weighing more than 12 kilograms are subject to extra charge.

And of course, one has to pay airport taxes, an administration fee, as well as fuel surcharges.

The promotion covers Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and China, including Hong Kong.

Those flying from Hong Kong will first have to fly to Kuala Lumpur even if they are aiming for a different final destination.

But the restrictions and accompanying costs have not deterred customers in the past, since the promotion is nothing new.

The airline has succeeded with similar gimmicks before.

"We have been offering [up to] one million free tickets each year for the past few years now," the spokeswoman said.

"Usually the tickets are snatched up within 24 hours of our promotion."

She also said Air Asia has a quick turnaround time, meaning once an aircraft lands, "it will offload, load, and lift off as quickly as 25 minutes later, allowing the airline to save on fuel."

The airline also saves landing charges by using secondary, smaller airports.

In light of the promotion, a Cathay Pacific spokeswoman said it will retain market competitiveness by continuing to improve products and services.