WHILE budget airlines sell tickets for no-frills travel, express buses and luxury coaches heading for Malaysia are doing quite the opposite.

More legroom, individual TV screens and well-trained service attendants - these are some of the frills the Express Bus Agencies Association (EBAA) members have introduced to provide "a more luxurious and personalised experience for customers".

According to the association, more than 1.2 million visitors from Singapore take luxury coaches and express buses to Malaysia every year. Most of them visit Genting Highlands and Kuala Lumpur. Ten of the 20 members of EBAA based in Beach Road are ticketing agents who share 60 per cent of the coach traffic between Singapore and Malaysia.

To get a feel of the top-of-the-range coaches and snag discounted travel packages to Malaysian destinations, the EBAA invites you to visit the three day Travel Malaysia 2007 fair at Suntec Convention Centre from today.

Transtar Travel's first-class doubledecker Solitaire coach, which boasts 18 individual cocoon sleeper seats, is one of seven luxurious coaches highlighted at the fair.

It's a new concept. Every seat reclines to a full 140 degrees at the touch of a button. It measures 55cm wide and 184cm long when the armrests are lowered, giving passengers ample legroom and added comfort.

You can literally sit back and relax just by turning on the in-seat massage system, or enjoy a movie or work on your laptop while the coach attendant serves hot meals and beverages.

The innovative seats are also available on Transtar's Premium Z Club single deck coach.

The man behind the idea of the cocoon seat, Transtar's executive director Sebastian Yap, says that the promotional one-way price from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur is $67. A one-way ticket to Genting costs a minimum of $69 and a return trip is $119. Tickets are available from November from Transtar retail outlets.

The other agencies showcasing their fleet of premium coaches are Five Stars Tours, Konsortium Express & Tours, Luxury Tours & Travel and WTS Travel & Tours.

Luxury aside, Mr Yap, who is also chairman of the organising committee of the travel fair, says passenger safety is a top concern of the EBAA. The association employs stringent measures to prevent accidents on Malaysian roads.

For instance, EBAA members do not hire Malaysian drivers who are blacklisted by their government. Two drivers are required for each coach or express bus travelling more than 300 km. The drivers take turns to drive the vehicle every two hours. GPS tracking systems discourage them from busting the speed limit.

Drivers who flout safety rules are fined by their employers. If they ignore the safety rules consistently, they will lose their job, Mr Yap says. "Our members' standards are higher than other operators plying the domestic routes in Malaysian states."