Air Asia: How Low Can You Go?

[menostay]

Took a friend to the airport in Chiang Mai this afternoon. He luggage was 1.5 kilos overweight. To pay for this overage he was instructed to go to the ticket office, stand in line, pay for the overcharge at 86 baht per kilo and then return to the check in counter and stand in line again with proof that he had paid the charge. Not enough of an insult? Read on....

In the line at the ticket office was a lady ahead of him that was paying the "Thai price" for her overcharge of a miniscule amount of weight----at just 50 baht per kilo.

1.5 Kilos @ 86 baht = 129 baht.

1.5 kilos @ 50 baht =75 baht.

So, the additional price just for being a farang with the overage is 54 baht. I do not know what to say other than: How petty! How disgusting! How revealing of your narrow minded company policy!

If this forum is read by people who make policy for the airline may you rest assured that unless it is a dire situation you will never, ever again get a fare from me, or mine, or those that I influence.

[briley]

The rate is given on the Air Asia web site, 80 baht per Kg within Thailand plus VAT.

[traveller5000]

what are you winging about ? 86 baht geez

stop ya moaning.

Edited May 6, 2008 by traveller5000

[LaoPo]

what are you winging about ? 86 baht geez

stop ya moaning.

1. It's about principles not the amount

2. Paying 75 Baht or 129 Baht for the same weight is a difference of +72% ....for being a Farang.

IF the OP is right in what he's writing it's a bluddy shame...

LaoPo

[hagler]

Took a friend to the airport in Chiang Mai this afternoon. He luggage was 1.5 kilos overweight. To pay for this overage he was instructed to go to the ticket office, stand in line, pay for the overcharge at 86 baht per kilo and then return to the check in counter and stand in line again with proof that he had paid the charge. Not enough of an insult? Read on....

In the line at the ticket office was a lady ahead of him that was paying the "Thai price" for her overcharge of a miniscule amount of weight----at just 50 baht per kilo.

1.5 Kilos @ 86 baht = 129 baht.

1.5 kilos @ 50 baht =75 baht.

So, the additional price just for being a farang with the overage is 54 baht. I do not know what to say other than: How petty! How disgusting! How revealing of your narrow minded company policy!

If this forum is read by people who make policy for the airline may you rest assured that unless it is a dire situation you will never, ever again get a fare from me, or mine, or those that I influence.

pretty simple isnt it? Baggage overweight, you pay.

[mrtoad]

what are you winging about ? 86 baht geez

stop ya moaning.

What a suprise.

[dee123]

.including VAT, Airport tax,fuel duty,green tax,3% credit card and of course.....FLYING SINSOD.... thats a total of $499 thank you most kindly sir

Edited May 6, 2008 by dee123

[ade100]

Since the 12Go crash in Phuket and the research I have done into safety standards on Thai airlines, I have vowed never to set foot on one again as long as I live. (AirAsia may be Malaysian but Thai AirAsia is Thai)

So paying an extra 50 THB or whatever it was is the least of your worries.

Bon Voyage!

[dee123]

Since the 12Go crash in Phuket and the research I have done into safety standards on Thai airlines, I have vowed never to set foot on one again as long as I live. (AirAsia may be Malaysian but Thai AirAsia is Thai)

So paying an extra 50 THB or whatever it was is the least of your worries.

Bon Voyage!

....Piped music and "FREE" Peanuts sir,.?

Edited May 6, 2008 by dee123

[ClaytonSeymour]

Since the 12Go crash in Phuket and the research I have done into safety standards on Thai airlines, I have vowed never to set foot on one again as long as I live. (AirAsia may be Malaysian but Thai AirAsia is Thai) Perhaps you would care to share your findings in more detail?

So paying an extra 50 THB or whatever it was is the least of your worries.

Bon Voyage!

I'll take my chances on a Thai airline, especially when the Thai roads are the alternative.

[LivinLOS]

Actually I swore off air asia for the same reason..

Come through KL.. Me and the missus.. no carry on beyond the ticket and paperback book etc. They were letting people carry onto the plane 4x big bags !! Rucksack sized items, making a total mockery of the carry on system.

When I get to the front.. Between us we are less than 2 kg's over.. <1kg per person.. OK sure so its over.. I had done about 8 air asia flights in a couple of months, I pointed out how much biz they got, we were a matter of grammes over and were not trying any silly 'load 5kgs into a backpack carry on nonsense' while everyone around me seemed to be. I was polite and smiley, no arguing etc.

OK so they were not going to let it slide.. Fair enough, didnt really have a problem.. Heres my visa card.. No cannot charge it.. OK heres some cash baht.. No cannot accept baht in KL.. I had to leave the queue, go bloody miles, back out the immigration desks, in the LCC dump.. Change a 1000 baht note to get them 100 bahts worth of Malay.. Schlep back. All this while people are carrying ridiculous amounts of weight onto carry on, putting jackets and jumpers on to avoid paying. These same people then inconvenience the whole plane as theres not enough baggage room, roaming the isle finding spaces, making getting on and off a bad joke.

It wasnt the payment as much as the inability to process my credit card, an inflexibility to accept Thai currency on a Thai flight, and the lack of managerial oversight to see they just pissed off a regular customer over a 50 baht 'rule'.. I used AA because they had many flights, not to save money, if thats the way they treat cattle class customers I wont fly them. Other airlines have a far more sane policy about how much inconvenience a customer can put up with for a minor saving on the ticket price.

Yes its petty.. But I dont let companies fuc_k me about twice.

Edited May 7, 2008 by LivinLOS

[traveller5000]

what are you winging about ? 86 baht geez

stop ya moaning.

What a suprise.

at least when I fly next I know there is a good chance I won't be sitting next to a petulant farang moaner

[onlooker]

For the whining OP - you werent overcharged, see http://airasia.com/site/my/en/page.jsp?ref...e=FeeScheduleFD for details of excess baggage rates on AirAsia.

Guess it's much easier to jump to an incorrect assumption and say 'Farang surcharge' than it is to blame yourself. Plus on this board you'll get more sympathy if you blame Thais for your own mistakes.

A little forward planning always works wonders. If I think I'll be over the 15kg limit I simply stick heavy items into a carry on bag. Can easily take 10kg or more in a small backpack. Never any problems with excess baggage on AA.

[traveller5000]

A little forward planning always works wonders. If I think I'll be over the 15kg limit I simply stick heavy items into a carry on bag. Can easily take 10kg or more in a small backpack. Never any problems with excess baggage on AA.

great piece of advice, I have used this technique on more than one occasion. As long as the bag is small, no problems. At least in my experience.

[sunbeams]

A little forward planning always works wonders. If I think I'll be over the 15kg limit I simply stick heavy items into a carry on bag. Can easily take 10kg or more in a small backpack. Never any problems with excess baggage on AA.

I'd be careful about trying to transfer overweight stuff onto my hand carried bags. The limit is 7kg for hand carried bags, and I got caught once in LCCT Malaysia, for bringing in cabin luggage of 8kg. Instead of paying an excess baggage fee for 1kg, I had to pay the full amount of 8kg, and they even forced me to check it into the cargo bay when boarding.

Of course, this sort of spot checks occur once in a blue moon. Try not to press your luck too hard, especially if you're departing from the LCCT Kuala Lumpur

[huggybear]

Took a friend to the airport in Chiang Mai this afternoon. He luggage was 1.5 kilos overweight. To pay for this overage he was instructed to go to the ticket office, stand in line, pay for the overcharge at 86 baht per kilo and then return to the check in counter and stand in line again with proof that he had paid the charge. Not enough of an insult? Read on....

In the line at the ticket office was a lady ahead of him that was paying the "Thai price" for her overcharge of a miniscule amount of weight----at just 50 baht per kilo.

1.5 Kilos @ 86 baht = 129 baht.

1.5 kilos @ 50 baht =75 baht.

So, the additional price just for being a farang with the overage is 54 baht. I do not know what to say other than: How petty! How disgusting! How revealing of your narrow minded company policy!

If this forum is read by people who make policy for the airline may you rest assured that unless it is a dire situation you will never, ever again get a fare from me, or mine, or those that I influence.

"Not enough of an insult?"

I'm not clear on how being told you are overweight with luggage and have to pay a WHOPPING 129 thb is an insult......???

Does anyone else feel the OP is overreacting?

For everyone out there using the budget airlines, for what you save on the ticket be prepared for extra luggage charges, delayed flights, maybe not such great service. If not prepared, pay the full price with Thai Airlines.

[mrtoad]

what are you winging about ? 86 baht geez

stop ya moaning.

What a suprise.

at least when I fly next I know there is a good chance I won't be sitting next to a petulant farang moaner

I don't think anyone is going to want to sit next to someone with your problem

[pop3]

"Not enough of an insult?"

I'm not clear on how being told you are overweight with luggage and have to pay a WHOPPING 129 thb is an insult......???

Does anyone else feel the OP is overreacting?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Yes.

[mrtoad]

The OPs issue doesn't appear to be about paying for overweight luggage. He is suggesting that Air Asia are implemeting double pricing standards. I honestly don't know if this is true or not, but it is a pretty p-poor effort on AA if that is the case.

[twschw]

Took a friend to the airport in Chiang Mai this afternoon. He luggage was 1.5 kilos overweight. To pay for this overage he was instructed to go to the ticket office, stand in line, pay for the overcharge at 86 baht per kilo and then return to the check in counter and stand in line again with proof that he had paid the charge. Not enough of an insult? Read on....

In the line at the ticket office was a lady ahead of him that was paying the "Thai price" for her overcharge of a miniscule amount of weight----at just 50 baht per kilo.

1.5 Kilos @ 86 baht = 129 baht.

1.5 kilos @ 50 baht =75 baht.

So, the additional price just for being a farang with the overage is 54 baht. I do not know what to say other than: How petty! How disgusting! How revealing of your narrow minded company policy!

If this forum is read by people who make policy for the airline may you rest assured that unless it is a dire situation you will never, ever again get a fare from me, or mine, or those that I influence.

"Not enough of an insult?"

I'm not clear on how being told you are overweight with luggage and have to pay a WHOPPING 129 thb is an insult......???

Does anyone else feel the OP is overreacting?

For everyone out there using the budget airlines, for what you save on the ticket be prepared for extra luggage charges, delayed flights, maybe not such great service. If not prepared, pay the full price with Thai Airlines.

I think the percieved double pricing is the issue bothering the OP.

[traveller5000]

what are you winging about ? 86 baht geez

stop ya moaning.

What a suprise.

at least when I fly next I know there is a good chance I won't be sitting next to a petulant farang moaner

I don't think anyone is going to want to sit next to someone with your problem

fine by me... more leg room.

someone else previously asked

"does anyone else thing the OP is over reacting?"

absolutely.

another whinging pom no doubt.

[traveller5000]

I recon they should take into account the weight of the passenger also. A petite 50kg Thai should be able to take more luggage with them than a hefty German tourist weighing in at 120kg.

A plane full of fat farang tourists might weigh a ton more than a boeing full of small Thais. It all ads up.

[madjbs]

I don't believe there is a double pricing policy, more likely a misunderstanding of the OP at the airport.

[menostay]

My goodness. As the originator of this topic maybe I can help those...that will...understand a bit better.

There were 3 of us went to the airport. We are residents and are aware of local conditions. The passenger was in a check in line.....his bag weighed 1.5 kilos over the limit. He had no problem with payment for the small amount. However, he had to leave that line that he had been waiting in and go to the booth where tickets are sold to pay for his overweight charge. That entailed waiting in another line. On payment he returned to the check in counter and had to wait in line again. Why? Air Aisia has no provision to accept cash at the check in counter. Can you see that is flat out shabby treatment?

The man said he could have removed a couple of kilos and put it in his hand carry, however, he felt that it was dishonest.

While in the line to pay for his 1.5 kilos extra he was told (3 of us heard it) that the lady in front of him was charged 50 baht a kilo where he was charged 86. Suppose all you like....that is what happened. Can you see that demonstrates what management thinks of a segment of people that they are servicing?

My original post was not to help people that can not see what dealing with a company like that can lead to. But some people appreciate knowing what a company that is in a "service industry" does to or for it's clients. It may be that one day something serious will happen when using a "service" like that and a bit of knowledge may help the wise to avoid that day.

For those that can not see the intent and attribute it to other motives...carry on with the presumptions, fly with them and continue to protect management of such a inflexible, mindless business. They are going to need the help.

[madjbs]

So the staff explained to him they were charging him more because he was a farang, and that is what you heard? Somehow I don't think so.

[menostay]

A lady in the line waiting to pay for her overweight charge, mate. Clear enough? Cheers.

[madjbs]

It is still more likely he just misunderstood what exactly they were charging the other lady for and how much over she was. Also she could be receiving a discount rate because she was an employer of Air Asia for example. Claiming they are double pricing is silly as you don't know any of the facts, only what some random guy has told you.

[jrbkk64]

A lady in the line waiting to pay for her overweight charge, mate. Clear enough? Cheers.

100% sure there is NO farang pricing for ANYTHING on Thai Air Asia. Complete rubbish!

[lightstar]

Flying out of Phuket to BKK... EVERYONE was getting stung for the excess baggage.

...the scales said I was 7 or 8 kg overweight - I did a bit of rearranging and got my weight down to the the alloted 10kg (exactly on the scale).

Flew straight out on my connection BKK to Chiang Mai flight...

... and guess what...?

The scales at BKK airport said I was 2kg UNDER the permitted weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How is it possible that my bags shrank in weight during the brief flight??? Yah, more likely that Phuket have calibrated their scales to increase the weight and cash in even more on unsuspecting travellers.

The dual rate doesn't surprise me in the least... White tax is rife and makes no distinction...

And before everyone cries out that 'we' have more money than most Thais, let's not forget there are 20,000 Thai millionaires (U.S. $) in Thailand - they have a hel_l of lot more cash than I do!!!

[IMA_FARANG]

Took a friend to the airport in Chiang Mai this afternoon. He luggage was 1.5 kilos overweight. To pay for this overage he was instructed to go to the ticket office, stand in line, pay for the overcharge at 86 baht per kilo and then return to the check in counter and stand in line again with proof that he had paid the charge. Not enough of an insult? Read on....

In the line at the ticket office was a lady ahead of him that was paying the "Thai price" for her overcharge of a miniscule amount of weight----at just 50 baht per kilo.

1.5 Kilos @ 86 baht = 129 baht.

1.5 kilos @ 50 baht =75 baht.

So, the additional price just for being a farang with the overage is 54 baht. I do not know what to say other than: How petty! How disgusting! How revealing of your narrow minded company policy!

If this forum is read by people who make policy for the airline may you rest assured that unless it is a dire situation you will never, ever again get a fare from me, or mine, or those that I influence.

I don't know what they charged but at least for international flights the rate for overweight is not determeined by the airline. It is determined by a IATA policy (IATA= International Air Transport Association). I'm not sure offhand, but I seem to recall it is 1% of the first class fare to the destination involved per exta kilo of overweight baggage. If you look on your ticket, it says that some where in the small print.

Now all airlines will sometime give someone who has overweight baggage a break, and not charge for the full amount. I once had 15 kilo overweight, but was charged for only 8 kilo. That kind of thing depends on how crowded the flight is and how much baggage passengers have.

If you have a lot of overweight baggage, most airlines (maybe not Air Asia, I just dont know) will allow you to ship overweight baggage at a unaccompanied baggage rate which may or may not be on the same flight that you are on, If it isn't on your flight, it will often be on the next flight. Of course,you have to pay for unaccompanied baggage, but it is usually less that overweight baggage. Sometimes the airline will deliver unaccompanied baggage to your hotel (if you give them a valid address) but sometimes you have to pick it up at the airport yourself. Different airlines do things differntly.

I once shipped 50 kilos of baggage from BKK back to Dallas, Texas as unaccompanied baggage. I don't remember the exact cost, but I know it was a lot less than carrying it as overweight baggage.