Air Asia New Online Booking System

[lingnoi1977]

I was abroad the other day and tried to change an Air Asia flight back to BKK 3 days before the original flight date. After spending the obligatory hour on the telephone, I was assured that I could go to the airport and change my flight. It was not possible to change the flight online or by telephone because of the new system upgrade. Well, <deleted> me!...

To cut a long agonizing story short, 2 hours later at the airport I was told that I could not change the flight because the system did not allow it. Normally it would be a formality. If I was to get to BKK at all, I had to book a new flight. Time was running out and so were my options.

5 hours later I jumped on a Thai airways flight.

I am 99% sure that no amount of telephone calls, emails or letters to the "customer service" department will result in a credit from Air Asia. So what to do? Punish them by never flying with them again (4 times per month both domestically and internationally) and suffer at the hands of another airline if things go south?

Are other airlines just as difficult when they have to go that extra yard?

Is their market dominance such that they can afford to rip people off?

[KhunDave]

The system "upgrade" does seem to have been very badly handled. I find the site very buggy now, and some features - such as the previously useful flight status page on the mobile site - have not worked since the shutdown. Air Asia need to get new IT specialists for sure.

[L&J]

Have no idea about your particular situation and circumstances BUT if you read the pages of conditions that are provided on the website when you purchase tickets you'd find that Air Asia (as well as every other budget carrier) has made it impossible to alter the ticket you bought or have made it quite costly to do so. The unused tickets that were purchased are certainly factored into their ability to offer cheap tickets. When you get burned it subsidizes the rest of our flights-sorry but thanks.

[lingnoi1977]

Admin/Mods: please move this topic to General Forum.

Apologies, Lingnoi.

[Sydebolle]

Well, where do you think they make their money. Rebooking in the past was an expensive affair and in one case (changed flight Rangoon-Bangkok) I ended up paying more than a fullfare Y-ticket on another carrier. AirAsia, like other budget carriers, are a fine deal provided YOU dont change anything.

In recent months their business was down as well. I had trips to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Phnom Penh changed/cancelled. They promised me crediting my CC; latter still has to happen. Hence take it easy and live with the short comings; alternatively opt for fullfare IATA tickets which we all know, are exorbitantly expensive.

[Lizard2010]

But when i company does a system upgarde and you need to have things changed you are given advise.

Air Asia has a duty of care to resolve there own problems.

I hope i don't have any problems with my flights.

[JXXXL]

This system "upgrade" was breathtakingly stupid. I can't believe a company as large as Air Asia could allow something like this to happen. My sense is that they planned an upgrade and screwed it up hence they couldn't book ANY flights for four days.

I didn't get stranded, but I was planning on flying AA and couldn't due to this event. I went to the airport to book a flight and was told that they couldn't book flights either because the system was down enterprise wide. So, no call center either.

As far as you whiners saying one should eat the price of a ticket, AA's policy is that tickets ARE change-able up to 48 hours prior to departure with a fee. That is their stated policy. If I was holding a ticket and couldn't change it because of their idiotic upgrade, I would be furious.

I wouldn't hold out much hope of getting any satisfaction from a company that treats its customers like this.

[crgram]

Have no idea about your particular situation and circumstances BUT if you read the pages of conditions that are provided on the website when you purchase tickets you'd find that Air Asia (as well as every other budget carrier) has made it impossible to alter the ticket you bought or have made it quite costly to do so. The unused tickets that were purchased are certainly factored into their ability to offer cheap tickets. When you get burned it subsidizes the rest of our flights-sorry but thanks.

I don't know where you got this information but I change flights all the time, even on Air Asia. The rules only state its based on space available and at their option. Airlines have no reason to allow an empty seat to fly when there is still a chance to sell the future seat. Air Asia is just having network problems. It appears they don't actually if all the seats have been booked or not until it's to late to fill them. No doubt this is costing them money not saving it.

cr

[jayjay0]

It might cost me a bit more but I use a travel agent and if I want to change a flight I have him do it.

The last time I went to Bali he booked me on Singapore air. It was 500 baht cheaper than Air Asia it allowed 20 kilo's for baggage and served a meal on each leg of the journey.

It actually had hostesses not sales people.LOL

[Monokuro]

Yes you can change the flight online, there is just a 950 baht change fee.

[eek]

moving to travel forum.

[phuketrichard]

I have found that air asias tickets are very expensive unless u book 1 month or so in advance. I just flew my gf over from PP via air asia to Phuket.

we booked 1 week in advance the flight from PP to bangkok was a straight $78 not to bad. BUT trhe connecting flight from BKK to Phuket was 2,800 baht!!!

crazy amount when 1-2 go and nok charge an average of less than 1,800 out of Don Meung. Of course thai was 3,500

I have had to change a few flights on airasia over the years and they charge a flat 900 baht ( 3 times done by phone) A bit expensive on a 1,800 baht ticket when all they need do is make a few clicks on the computer.

One reason u got to love and appreicate China airlines to the staes, you can make as many chaNGES AS U WISH FOR free

[LindsayBKK]

Since having problems with my First & only flight with Tiger Airways over the same situation,

I avoid changing flights as customer services at most airlines are becoming more & more difficult.

They don't want to talk to us, ok then, I don't want to talk to them either.

Just to add,

Book ahead and save yourself a few baht also.

I bought a ticket last week for Nov'10 KUL-PER-KUL for 613MYR=5645.73THB(200.42AUD) bargain!

Take economy promos whenever you can.

Now I've just got to book BKK-KUL-BKK 3755

[lingnoi1977]

Since having problems with my First & only flight with Tiger Airways over the same situation,

I avoid changing flights as customer services at most airlines are becoming more & more difficult.

They don't want to talk to us, ok then, I don't want to talk to them either.

Just to add,

Book ahead and save yourself a few baht also.

I bought a ticket last week for Nov'10 KUL-PER-KUL for 613MYR=5645.73THB(200.42AUD) bargain!

Take economy promos whenever you can.

Now I've just got to book BKK-KUL-BKK 3755

Where a lot of people get caught out, and I have been guilty of same, is booking well in advance to capitalise on the cheaper fares only to change the flight later...

[THAILIBAN]

to be fair, AirASia had announced that system upgrade on their website long in advance, and even given advice what to do to NOT be left stranded.

during the system-upgrade they as well met all their targets they had promised when to be back online.

in the past, I have made changes to my flight-dates online on both AirAsia as well as Tiger, and did not experience any problems at all.

Much more easy than doing such a thing with a legacy carrier, where cheapo-fares usually can not be changed under any circumstance (THAI, MAS, Lufthansa, Singapore-Airlines etc.)

Though I agree with Phuketrichard that AIRASIA are VERY expensive these days as long as u do not book at least 1 month in advance.

for example, HKT-BKK booked 1 or 2 weeks in advance, BANGKOK AIR will almost always have some cheaper options on offer than AirAsia (considering the myriad of fees and charges that add-up to their actual fare).

NOK is quite good as well at the moment, just booked a 789 Baht - fare to HKT for early August, booked exactly just 2 weeks before my flying date. and includes all Taxes and the luggage...

on the other hand, where else as with AirAsia could I have had a return-ticket from KUL to SriLanka (which is a long 3,5 hrs-flight one-way) for as low as 800 Baht (including Taxes ! just the luggage I had to add a few days before my actual flight, no problem doing so on their website).

[PattayaParent]

Seems to me that their 'upgrade' was service tested as I was among thousands of other passengers that queued at check in for 1.5 hours intead of the normal 15~20 minutes.

[Bobr]

Air Asias computer system is a pain-in-the-butt. I got as far as trying to register for it, and it could not deal with the fact that the billing addresses for my American credit cards has to be an American address (I use my brothers in the USA) but my real address is in Thailand. Then it would not accept my phone number, kept telling me it was in a wrong format. Apparently it would not accept an American address with a Thai phone number.

When they try to make these silly systems that try to verify your information by being programmed to "think" what the right answer should look like, it causes problems such s this. I forget what else went wrong, but I finally gave up.

Other than that, all my experiences with this airline have been great.