Low cost airlines have reshaped travel in Asia. As more people become wealthier and travel restrictions have eased, discount carriers are making air travel affordable for hundreds of millions of Asians and as a result have transformed the travel industry.

Following on the successes of US carrier Southwest and European pioneers Ryanair and EasyJet, Asian low cost airlines from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and more are shaking up the legacy carriers by bringing weekend getaways and short haul and long haul travel to the masses. But what’s the experience like on board? Are Asian no frills airlines better than their western counterparts? Correspondent Jack Board took 11 flights over four days, sleeping in airports and speaking to industry leaders to understand this modern-day flying experience.

Better him than us, but the conclusions and experience is fascinating. This is an inside look at Asia’s booming budget airlines.