AirAsia coming up with TuneFitness

Tony Fernandes recently posted in his Facebook account that he is happy with his weight-loss program, after appearing for a commercial.

It seems if Now Everyone Can Fly, it is also possible Now Everyone Can Be Fit.

Look, there are zillions of AirAsia customers, and most of them are unfortunately overweight because of their so-called new found wealth. This "wealth" is so detrimental to their health and is appearing at obscene places - their tummy and buttocks. Even the CEO was not spared this wealth.

With his own wisdom, he decided to combat this and had fortunately shed some kilograms of excess wealth, and proudly declaring in the internet.

So I wrote a masterplan to him last week. To create another super-brand out of the AirAsia cloud. Using the same concept of tackling the demand, in this case the demand to be healthy yet with the motivation of the Sumatran sloth that most Asians have, it seems apt to begin a new venture start-up in what else - TuneFitness.

So far, there is TuneMoney (insurance, debit cards), TuneTalk (mobile SIM card), TuneHotels (accomodations) and of course AirAsia (air travel).

AirAsia TuneFitness (not TrueFitness):
1) Now Everyone Can Be Healthy. Now Everyone Can Be Fit. Now Everyone Can Be Slim.
2) Every destination that AirAsia flies to, will have a TuneFitness centre ready.
3) This AirAsia Fitness Centre will have the usual weights but not the bulky ones. Lite versions. So people can go in fast, like a circuit and finishing in a set time. You can do the 20 minute path, or 60 minute path. Slot in Body Combat, Body Pump or Body Jam.
4) Pay early or book early to get your slots.
5) The more you lose (fat) the more points you will get.
6) Combining with AirAsia, they can organise events similar to Amazing Race. This will create a huge hype.
7) TuneFitness members can go and train and exercise in ANY TuneFitness Centres worldwide. And since AirAsia has so many routes, you'll always have NO MORE excuses to NOT exercise.
8) Getting fit socially with others, travellers and friends - with points as motivation - will boost more members. The ultimate goal, fit travellers fit customers. Get out of the "trying to sell membership fees and Personal Training sessions" that are outward dirty tricks of those fitness centres. Beat them!
9) What I wrote above is not too clean nor clear but it was somewhat an idea. Anyone else has some suggestions, comments just add on!

Last news I heard: Tony will be organising a "Apprentice"-like TV Reality show. AirAsia Apprentice anyone? Winner gets to work with this super CEO!

AirAsia Propels The Megatrend of the Decade

One deep aspiration of over 2 billion citizens of the world's largest continent - Asia - is being fulfilled this decade. And that aspiration needs to be summed up in a few imaginative sentences.

See the world. Travel the seven seas. Conquer the jiang hu (江湖). Climb every mountain.

The catalyst behind that helps fulfil this aspiration is affordable air travel. When those words are stringed together it is almost a reflex to think of or about AirAsia. Pavlovian or repeated pairing psychology - or simply powerful branding and truly remarkable pricing for the masses.

We can say this strategy is played by most powerful corporations. "Vorsprung durch Technik." "You merely look after it for the next generation." "Born This Way." Dark blue well defined unobstructive and white boxes. The World On Time.

AirAsia's namesake itself is a powerful marketing name. First it encompasses the massive continent. The continent of the Orient. Ancient Spice Islands. The origin and mystery of tea that captivated ancient England for centuries. Tom yum guung. Balinese temples. And that's just the ones who are conditioned to remember.

There are vast open country that previously is inaccessible, except if you're a well-funded anthropologist, some czar or magnate; much unlike what we read about the big five animals of Africa.

At the rate AirAsia is expanding their routes, it would be within this decade, that perhaps almost all those inaccessible destinations, be opened for all.

For short distance yet still unopened or currently served by a single airline:
1) Kingdom of Bhutan - not too far northwest of Bangkok. The distance is 2000 km with a flight time of 2.5 hours. This is a wonderful happy nation. And surely their new king wants to be connected to Asia not just the current situation in which they depend alot on India.
2) Kathmandu Nepal - this destination is already in the plans. Likely the route will open by the 3rd quarter of 2011. There are many Nepalese working in countries nearby including Malaysia, Singapore and India. With a good AirAsia connection, more of them can have better access to overseas jobs and perhaps at a lower cost of travel. While now it will be more possible for garden variety folks to try to climb the highest mountain(s).
3) East Timor - this small nation needs alot of support from the region. And one that is connectivity.
4) Andaman and Nicobar Islands - In 2004, I met the Indian owner of a resort in these islands, just off the coast of Thailand. It became a bit known after the tsunami, which wreck havoc there. This is a very unexplored territory of India. Perhaps AirAsia can tap this route to Port Blair.