Air Asia

[britmaveric]

^Air Asia is a great airline, no doubt about it. If you stick to your plans and buy early - can't be beat. :D

[soap]

Not only is Air Asia often more expensive than ordinary airlines, they are also grossly misleading their passengers.

I went to their homepage in order to book a oneway ticket from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, departure 12.30.

The first thing you are welcomed with is a sign saying:

NO ADMIN FEE - PAY ONLY FARE +AIRPORT TAX

I went in to book and here is what they charged:

1 Guest 1,671.96 Baht

Airport tax 100.00 Baht

VAT 124.04 Baht

And then:

Services and fees 288.90 Baht

Total convenience Fee: 50.00 Baht

Total 2,334.90 Baht.

So much for Air Asia's NO ADMIN FEE, in fact you pay 338.90 Baht in ADMIN FEE's, they just try to mislead you by calling it SERVICE and CONVENIENCE FEE's.

Very inconvenient indeed!

On top Air Asia try to lure you to an unnecessary insurance and to pay for a reserved seat by making it difficult and unlogical to cancel it, when you do the booking.

I then called Thai and booked a 11.20 departure from Chiang Mai to Bangkok same day.

No nonsense, no extras and the total came to 2,015 Baht.

or 319,90 Baht cheaper than the so called low cost airline Air Asia.

On top I get a cup of coffee, snack and a newspaper.

I will strongly recommend you compare prices in the future, as Air Asia think they have established that they are low cost and people automatically will book them to save on the fare.

I agree with Niman,i was told by Air Asia the fare BKK--CXN WAS 2,300baht plus i knew i was 4 Kilo over i went to the Thai desk and was told the

same fare was 2,050 bhat plus up to 20 Kilo for baggage.

Yesterday i helped my daughter and her 3 friends check in on a domestic Air Asia flight,they had 4 cases total weight 45 kilo (i think one case was half a kilo over)

Then Air Asia wanted another 965 baht extra because they said there is now a BAGGAGE HANDLING FEE. I was thinking they had made a mistake and were charging one person for the 45 kilo weight but after speaking to the Manager he confirmed this BAGGAGE HANDLING FEE started from the 1st March.

Can anyone confirm that if you check a bag into Air Asia even if its under the 15 kilo weight limit they will still charge you this BAGGAGE HANDLING FEE

Thanks

[roamer]

Not only is Air Asia often more expensive than ordinary airlines, they are also grossly misleading their passengers.

I went to their homepage in order to book a oneway ticket from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, departure 12.30.

The first thing you are welcomed with is a sign saying:

NO ADMIN FEE - PAY ONLY FARE +AIRPORT TAX

I went in to book and here is what they charged:

1 Guest 1,671.96 Baht

Airport tax 100.00 Baht

VAT 124.04 Baht

And then:

Services and fees 288.90 Baht

Total convenience Fee: 50.00 Baht

Total 2,334.90 Baht.

So much for Air Asia's NO ADMIN FEE, in fact you pay 338.90 Baht in ADMIN FEE's, they just try to mislead you by calling it SERVICE and CONVENIENCE FEE's.

Very inconvenient indeed!

On top Air Asia try to lure you to an unnecessary insurance and to pay for a reserved seat by making it difficult and unlogical to cancel it, when you do the booking.

I then called Thai and booked a 11.20 departure from Chiang Mai to Bangkok same day.

No nonsense, no extras and the total came to 2,015 Baht.

or 319,90 Baht cheaper than the so called low cost airline Air Asia.

On top I get a cup of coffee, snack and a newspaper.

I will strongly recommend you compare prices in the future, as Air Asia think they have established that they are low cost and people automatically will book them to save on the fare.

I agree with Niman,i was told by Air Asia the fare BKK--CXN WAS 2,300baht plus i knew i was 4 Kilo over i went to the Thai desk and was told the

same fare was 2,050 bhat plus up to 20 Kilo for baggage.

Yesterday i helped my daughter and her 3 friends check in on a domestic Air Asia flight,they had 4 cases total weight 45 kilo (i think one case was half a kilo over)

Then Air Asia wanted another 965 baht extra because they said there is now a BAGGAGE HANDLING FEE. I was thinking they had made a mistake and were charging one person for the 45 kilo weight but after speaking to the Manager he confirmed this BAGGAGE HANDLING FEE started from the 1st March.

Can anyone confirm that if you check a bag into Air Asia even if its under the 15 kilo weight limit they will still charge you this BAGGAGE HANDLING FEE

Thanks

Its true, details below. These charges are typical of LCC's. No one likes to pay them but if you've booked online they are plain enough to see.

Now I'm going to defend AA.

Baggage handling fee 214THB for 15Kilo. Now if I wanted I can take 30K pre-booked it will cost me 535THB. Cheap as chips. If I'm silly enough to turn up with it as excess I will have to pay the charges.

Air Asia Fees

As regards to ticket pricing, as with all airlines it depends on many variable factors, comparison above about "going over to the Thai counter" is flawed, thats the price they will charge you as they have empty seats on a flight taking off in an hour or two, in 99% of cases it most certainly isn't the fare you would have been quoted had you tried to book the flight.

Now try the flightscanner below, I just input a selection of dates for CXN-BKK return, on every date entered, including just 2 days ahead, AA was around 50% cheaper than Thai, including charges. Typical AA 3727THB . Thai 7350 THB.

Skyscanner.

There are always going to be people unhappy with airlines like AA, I happen to think if you take care about how you book your flights you can get a very good deal with them.

[fishhooks]

I don't know about this Air Asia "Baggage handling fee", haven't actually booked a flight with them since late last year.

But.........I think everyone will find that they are now more than before strictly checking that your allowance, whatever pre-booked, is strictly adhered to.

I recently took the flights with them that I booked last year. In all cases I had pre-booked a 20K allowance for my wife and I.

BKK-PNH-BKK............Under allowance on both flights

BKK-HKG-BKK............ " " " " "

BKK-KUL....................4K over between the two of us, charged THB660.

KUL-MEL (Air Asia X)...2K over between the two of us, charged MYR40.

Some, as I did at the time, would think that this is "penny pinching but hey, if they are going to offer the prices (when on special) as they do, you just have to cop this if they are going to operate as they do.

For what we buy and pack into our luggage when traveling, the few bob charged as above is not worth losing any sleep over. MYR40 for a reasonably long haul flight from Malaysia to Australia is nothing.

If, and I imagine even the main-line carriers are more strict these days, charge for excess baggage, you really get a shock at the cost. I think where they may differ is that the established airlines would not charge for a few K over.

That's life and that's traveling, which I've been doing for over 40 years!

[fishhooks]

Another sale on-line now, although not as good as some last year........Perhaps the really cheap deals are a thing of the past with travel on the-up again?

[needforspeed]

Don't travel with them myself, no seat space and more expensive and many delays.

Bangkok -phuket was 1.500 Thai B cheaper with Thai airway then Air Asia.

Have to explain that i needed to book seats as 2 children like to have a window seat and to pre book seat in front row 1 and 2 been charge extra, so Canceled that and traveled with Thai,

[fishhooks]

It really has to come down to a matter of choice, convenience and how much baht you have in your pocket at the time.

I'm a FF member of Cathay, Qantas and Singapore and would much prefer flying with the main-line carriers as I've done for near 40 years.

But hey, with Air Asia I've been flying continually since 1975, never had any delay to speak of or any other real complaint for that matter.

The money I've saved in recent years is huge in amount and has kept me traveling far in excess than I would have been able

[roamer]

Another sale on-line now, although not as good as some last year........Perhaps the really cheap deals are a thing of the past with travel on the-up again?

I've noted that there has not been a sale on so far for flights in July Aug, think last year that they launched that one in May/June, hoping its the same this year.

[fishhooks]

Woops re #37

"flying continually since 2005" (with AA)

Senior moment!

BTW: roamer. If you search July / Aug, there are promo flights on AA and AAX, but not as cheap as some previous sales.

Also just received an email re a further 20% off many flights (including the promo flights) between 19th April & 30th November.

Edited April 7, 2010 by fishhooks

[songhklasid]

I just booked AA, K-L to BKK, somehow they slipped the insaurance extra cost in, I was wary of same but they hide it,to far down the track with your booking, when it's totaled up whammo! got me again. As for the orient thai jumbo's those fuc_kers are old, straight wing tips. used to see 4 of them @ suvarnabhumi on the tarmac, have to be 20/25 years on.

regards songhklasid.

[brianbiegler]

Funny how One Two Go had to change their name back to Orient Thai after it was found their standards and practices were at fault in the tragic accident in Phuket. And, weren't they suspended for safety violations shortly after, and I believe it came to light that prefer to hire Indonesian pilots (no offense to Indonesians) because they will work for less than Thai pilots. Thus causing problems with pilot communication in the cockpit.

I've done a fair share of air travel since 1975, and can't recall a more frightening flight than one I had with orient thai a couple years ago.

dam_n pilot flew dead straight into a massive thunderhead and the turbulence was so bad I saw a man bounce off the ceiling of the plane..

I'll never fly them again.

It's clear the name change was so people wouldn't connect the dots.

I use "Orient Thai Airlines " for Honkers.

http://www.orient-thai.com/new/flightSchedule.html

Flight is on a 747, ya get eats etc.

Leaves Bangers late afternoon for Honkers.

I often stay feed up at the airport and get first bus into Causeway Bay where I stay.

Crazy, but that is me........LOL.... love airports.

Lots to do at airport, good for sleeping too.

Return is the opposite, leaves early, I go to airport real late, last bus, stay there.

6am check in.

This is a cheapie way, but suits me.

[songhklasid]

I'm booked melb-k L in june, have pre-booked luggage allowance up to 20 kilo's, I'll try to keep it @ 15 kilo's or just under, then ask for my luggage surcharge refund, how do you reckon i'll go, not good I bet .

regards songhklasid

[roamer]

Woops re #37

"flying continually since 2005" (with AA)

Senior moment!

BTW: roamer. If you search July / Aug, there are promo flights on AA and AAX, but not as cheap as some previous sales.

Also just received an email re a further 20% off many flights (including the promo flights) between 19th April & 30th November.

Thanks fishhooks, no brilliant offers at present but in view of current events its worth waiting to see what will pan out, doubt if LOS is going to be that heavily touristed this summer.

[fishhooks]

"I'm booked melb-k L in june, have pre-booked luggage allowance up to 20 kilo's, I'll try to keep it @ 15 kilo's or just under, then ask for my luggage surcharge refund, how do you reckon i'll go, not good I bet .

regards songhklasid"

**********************************************

No, you won't win that one at all.

Wife and I had several flights with them recently and I joked at check-in a few times that we were well under what I had allowed in the original booking.......................................Got a nice smile though!

Think I said above somewhere that we were a mere couple to few kilo's over on a couple of the flights and certainly got charged for that, I think with a smile also when I commented on the "penny pinching"

[roamer]

AA doubling flights between Melbourne & Perth to KL. Should make for some better prices.

Here.

[arco27]

I have been flying AA since its inception and since they have been flying to the Gold Coast I make at least 5 return flights to KL every year and never had any real complaints. OK, some flights within Asia have been delayed, but no more then any other Airline, mostly the food is crap, but dirt cheap. All fees and extras are clearly listed when you book, as are their terms and conditions and nowadays most of their planes are newish. I always check prices with other Airlines and find that in 8 out of 10 bookings AA is cheaper. I generally book at least 3 month ahead and if I can I take advantage of specials, last year I got at least 6 free flights, this year so far only one. As with all business AA is here to make a profit, so if as they get more bums on seats, there are less special available, especially for late bookings. I find AA is a well run no frills Airline. Crap like them turning Aircon down in order to sell you blanket are just that. It never fails to amaze me to see people argue at the check in because they are 15 minutes late or they have 3kg too much luggage or 6 pieces of hand luggage weighing a ton, stick to the rules and you won't have any problems at all. Note, since March this year there is a rule that they can reject any passenger that tries to carries more then one piece of hand luggage or more then 7kg on board. All this is so easy to follow, but arguments and repacking luggage at the check in frustrates everyone else in the queue. Next month I fly from the Gold Coast to KL in premium class with complete lay down capsule seat for under 40000Bath (meal included) try to beat that with any business class on other Airlines. Nothing is perfect but AA suits me for price convenience, range of destinations and reliability.

[needforspeed]

Sometimes they are cheap.

I have nothing good to say about Air Asia.

Me as well, no space for your legs,out form Kuala Lumpur many delays.

AA no thank you.

[fishhooks]

Well summed-up "arco27"

Agree entirely.