Last time, it was someone I know who shared his experience with AirAsia. Read it again HERE. Now, this... an article "cilok" from APA.
Strolling with Tony F and AirAsia X...
Air Asia hospitality includes scamming its passengers with its DISHONEST Low Cost strategy
Posted by malaysiaairlinesfamiliesAir Asia is a Low Cost Carrier (LCC) that comes with LOW CARE CONSULTANCY (LCC) strategy. On its certain routes, they bully their weaker passengers who are just law-abiding passengers. Read here by Malaysia Chronicle.
On 29 December 2011, a Malaysian family were traveling with their infant on Air Asia X and here’s the story written by one of Air Asia X’s passengers.
Yatiechomeyl.blogspot.jp wrote :
I took Air Asia X flight on my way back to Malaysia last month because I’ve been wanting to fly with Air Asia X in order to support our own Low Cost Carrier company. I have experienced quite a bad flight journey with their staff and customer service.
I was thinking to share it in my blog so that friends and family (especially those who travels with baby/child) that are going to use Air Asia X in the future; are well-prepared to face the same condition that I’ve went through. So for those who are interested to know about my experience, kindly read this letter of complaint from me to Air Asia X.
Mr Tony Fernandes
CEO, Air Asia
LCC Terminal, Jalan KLIA S3, Southern Support Zone
Kuala Lumpur International Airport 64000 Sepang,
Selangor Darul Ehsan
19 November 2011
Dear Mr Tony,
I was a passenger on one of your flight (together with my son and my sister in law) from Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) on 17th November 2011 (Flight D7 523). Forgive me for writing directly to you, but I feel you personally need to know exactly how badly your customers were treated by your front-line staff so you can take appropriate remedial action.
(1) Before On-Board
My rough experiences with your staff begin at the check-in counter. I was told that I can’t bring my child’s stroller up to the aircraft door/steps. I used to fly with several other airlines to go to Malaysia such as Malaysia Airlines (MAS), Korea Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways before this and all of these airlines allow me to bring my child’s stroller up to the aircraft door/steps for international flight.
I have even checked in the Air Asia website, and it is stated that “You can continue to use the stroller up to the aircraft door/steps”. So I told your counter staff politely about it, and then they look at my son and told me that “he can walk, he don’t need a stroller”. If it is so, why I couldn’t find any clause in your website stating that as one of the criteria to bring along the stroller?.
Then your ‘not-so-friendly’ counter staff insisted that I checked in the stroller as luggage and pay for the extra weight caused by check-in the stroller. Again I remembered that I’ve check about it in your website and it is stated that “we allow baby buggies/strollers/prams to be carried free of charge”. When I told this politely to the counter staff, she replied with irritating voice and says “Either you pay or you throw it!“.
So in the end I was ‘forced’ to pay extra 9kg which cost me 18000 yen (2000 yen per kg) as I don’t want to throw away my child’s brand new Recaro stroller. *18 000yen = RM 735*
Malaysiaairlinesfamilies comments “The international airlines standard does not charge the baby stroller for its passengers” This is a scam business strategy by Tony Fernandez and his gangsters. A decent refund should be made available for this family.
After that my family and I was waiting patiently to be on board into the flight D7 523 when the delay announcement was announced due to bad weather. These things happen, I do not complain about the weather as I do understand that some things are beyond anyone’s control. After all, a flight delay case has become one of Air Asia’s ‘trademarks’; so I’m fine with that.
Malaysiaairlinesfamilies comments : It’s very true that “Flight Delay is Air Asia’s trademark”and we received reliable information on Air Asia & Air Asia X’s scams and fraudulent practice which now includes all flights to be delayed especially from KLCCT if the aircraft has not filled with 90% of passengers. This leaves Air Asia & Air Asia X’s passengers would be experiencing a “further and forever DELAY flight status in their itinerary”. However, we believe a few of Air Asia’s routes will pressure Tony Fernandez and his gangsters to turnaround those flights real quick without delays because of their defaulted payment in MRO services (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul). Again, this has a safety implication and may be affecting Air Asia’s passengers’ safety. We urge the International regulators should step in immediately scrutinizing Air Asia and Air Asia X’s MRO status in certain country and its defaulted payment worldwide that could cause a major air traffic disasters. This is where Air Asia & Air Asia X has collaborated with Malaysia Airlines via CCF (Comprehensive Collaboration Framework) where in actuality, it is to save Air Asia & Air Asia X from cutting out more of its routes. We call upon the Singapore regulators to enforce its Civil Aviation law on all Air Asia’s flights for its “trademark” quick-turnaround flights that may compromise the ground safety rules.
(2) On the plane
After getting on board, we were greeted by ‘not-so-friendly’ cabin crews. Is it that hard for them to smile to your customers?. The plane is ready to take-off, things are going well. I thought so far so good but this is what happened next :
Sticky chewing-gum on the in-flight sales magazine; tell me how can I browse through the pages and buying the items when I feel gross to turn over to the next pages?. Aren’t your staffs are supposed to check the magazine before putting it into the pocket?.
On the back page of the magazine where the “QR Reader code” is displayed was crumpled. Tell me how am I supposed to scan it with my iPhone when it is in that condition?
I pre-booked meal in my ticket booking but I don’t know whether a drink is provided with the meal. So I asked politely to the cabin crew and she replied with annoying voice and says “we only give mineral water!”. Is it that difficult for your cabin crew to reply politely to your customer? Can’t she just tell me nicely if I want drinks, I have to pay for it as you only provided mineral water? I don’t mind to pay for the drinks but I do mind paying for a flight ticket that gives me bad customer service.
(3) After landed at KLCCT
We arrived at LCCT airport, Kuala Lumpur at 6.30 a.m. for parents travelling with baby and toddler; we will usually encounter several difficulties to handle our child as they were already tired during the long haul journey, jet lag due to time difference, hungry baby and it all end up with one grumpy little child.
That’s when a stroller become the ultimate aid as we can put our child on it and hang our carry-on bags to the stroller and then only we can proceed to comfort the child.
Unfortunately I am not able to comfort my son after the long flight journey because this is what happened next :
I have to focus on carrying the hand luggage down the steps in front of the aircraft door; went up the steps again to get my child and all of these are done without any help from your cabin crew or your ground staff.
We have to walk on the airport pavement for 1-2 km as the plane was parked far away from the terminal door. I have to carry my hand luggage and carry my son and walk quite far; what a great early morning exercise. I was thinking, “wouldn’t it be nice if I have my child’s stroller with me so that I don’t have to carry my 12kg son on my hip and carry my 7kg luggage on my hand as well as carrying 3kg laptop bag on my shoulder?”.
It is quite dangerous walking on the airport pavement near to the taxiway and runway with my child; what with the airplane around; with the ground equipment stuffs are all over the place; with the runway transport and luggage transport moving here and there without any gate barrier or even a mobile temporary gate along the walk from the plane to the terminal door.
What make it even more dangerous is that only one staff is showing the right way to go while your other ground staffs seems very busy talking to each other on the drama episodes they watch last night (I overheard them talking). It will be much safer if I can put my son on his stroller. In the end, even if my child can already walk I still have to carry him on my hip because I don’t want to be worried that he might be hit by the ground transport on the airport pavement while walking/running on the runway.
(4) At the terminal – KLCCT
I picked up my luggage and headed through the arrival gate. But before that, I went to toilet but unfortunately I am not being able to do anything there because the toilet inside the terminal is too dirty and smells so bad.
I went to baby room to change my son’s diaper and the same condition occurs at the baby room. The room is smelly and soaked with disposable diapers all over the place because the bin is full. Like it or not, I have to change my child’s diapers and bring home my son’s soaked disposable diapers.
These bad experiences with your flight and airport services leave me with this 6 questions:
Does Air Asia X have any protocol in place for staff to follow the information provided in your website and also to treat your polite customers nicely?
If you do have a protocol, does the response I describe above fit with it? In particular are your staffs allowed to ask passenger to make payment for the items that are free to check in and direct passengers to make the payment rather than help them nicely?
Can I get the refund on the payment that I have been ‘forced’ to make for my child’s stroller?.
Do you condone staff rudeness to passengers, and are they ever allowed to replied impolitely to the request made politely by the passenger?
Why is it that the information given in your website is not so useful as it is not the same with the one at the check-in counter?
Do you consider it is safe for the passengers to walk on the airport pavement without even putting clear signs on which way to go, or putting any barrier to show the limits to the boundary area that passenger can’t step in?
I am waiting for the answers to these questions because the experiences that I encounter during my flight with you are totally different with what you promised in your website. One of Air Asia X values is to offer “Low Fare, No Frills: Providing guests with the choice of customizing services without compromising on quality and services”.
Unfortunately, as your passenger, I feel that your quality of customer service and safety is quite bad. I would like to know if in addition to being a low-cost airline, Air Asia X is a low-service airline and a low-courtesy airline. If it is, I will make my future travel choices accordingly, and ensure that my friends and family do likewise.
I await your response.
Yours faithfully;
A frustrated D7 523 passengers.
(MSc in European Master Studies in Aeronautics and Space Technology)
Malaysiaairlinesfamilies sympathizes with your predicament having had to endure such soul-destroying journey with Air Asia X and we thank you for sharing your bad experience with Air Asia.
We plead to consumers to continue expressing their low-quality experience with Air Asia exposing their scams bullying the public with its devious (DISHONEST) low cost strategy.
Stay tune to malaysiaairlinesfamilies for more insights on How Tony Fernandez gets to KILL MAS workers? Part III where we’ll be releasing some information on MAFAA also NUFAM working for Tony Fernandez to slowly getting rid of MAS unions using MAS Cabin Crew to destroy all graded employees, the Engineers and the Pilot from the inside.
Refund from AirAsia? How about high telephone charges (as claimed by many) when we call up AirAsia to state the case? How about SPOILAGE CHARGE instead of refund?
