Asia's Discount Airlines Reach for the West

Spurred by open-skies policies and booming tourism, low-cost airlines are mushrooming across Asia. Most have adopted the business model pioneered in the 1970s by Southwest Airlines – lean, mean, and affordable – to fly budget-conscious passengers around the region. Competition on popular routes such as Bangkok-Singapore – a 2-1/2-hour hop – has cut round-trip fares to just over $100, including taxes...