Airasia Site Screwed Up Again

[Xircal]

I don't think I've ever had so many problems booking flights as I do with AirAsia.

They supposedly have a Special Offer running from 3 January to 31 March 2011 provided you book between 21 September and 3 October this year. A flight from KLIA LCCT to Vientiane, Laos for example only costs RM 99 which is about 985 Baht. Compare that with either Thai Airways costing 18,780 Baht or Lao Airlines @ US$654 and you'll understand why I'm interested.

However, none of the links in the list work. I tried it in both IE8 and Firefox 3.6.10, but to no avail with either of them. Using the "Book Now" button above the list merely produces normal flight prices.

This company really needs to get its act together. Past experience has taught me never to consider a flight to be booked even when paid for well in advance. I've often received an SMS to tell me that the flight has been cancelled and my booking has been moved to an inconvenient time. I can never get through to their English helpdesk either and have had to consider my booking as money wasted when that happens.

[theoldgit]

Seems to working fine, I have just tried it using your link and it worked perfectly. You will be aware that you use the normal search engine and if Offer/Promo fares are available they will be shown in the first column, if not then the standard fares are shown. I just carried out a ghost booking on the route you mentioned and it offered me fares of 74 MYR each way, which totalled 213 MYR for the return trip, so pretty near the headline fare you quote.

I went to Krabi from Bangkok this week, the trip was booked last November on a 0 Baht promotion and like you mentioned the original flights were cancelled and they sent me alternative flights by SMS, the flights didn't suite so I called their Bangkok flights and I changed my flights in less than ten minutes and without charge.

Perhaps I'm just lucky.

[tonititan]

I've booked a couple flights since they've been running that promotion. The "Book now" button just brings you to a search....it's not specific to the promotion. Like the last poster said, no matter how you search for fares, the regular and promo prices will appear. The catch to these promotions is that the sale fares aren't available for all flights on all dates. It's often hard to get the sale prices on weekends, especially holiday weekends. If you search for weekday flights, you're much more likely to find the sale prices.

[tig28]

I wonder why you are having problems?? I just (almost) bought a flight from KL to Australia-Gold Coast- for A$73.00 +. Great price --- and the site works perfectly for me!

Its a shame I cant use the flight.

[Xircal]

Seems to working fine, I have just tried it using your link and it worked perfectly. You will be aware that you use the normal search engine and if Offer/Promo fares are available they will be shown in the first column, if not then the standard fares are shown. I just carried out a ghost booking on the route you mentioned and it offered me fares of 74 MYR each way, which totalled 213 MYR for the return trip, so pretty near the headline fare you quote.

I went to Krabi from Bangkok this week, the trip was booked last November on a 0 Baht promotion and like you mentioned the original flights were cancelled and they sent me alternative flights by SMS, the flights didn't suite so I called their Bangkok flights and I changed my flights in less than ten minutes and without charge.

Perhaps I'm just lucky.

Well, that's weird because none of the links work for me. By that I mean the list of destinations on the page I linked to. I've attached a screenshot to illustrate what I mean. Clicking any of those links should take you to the page where those prices are applicable, but nothing happens when I click any of them. I've arrowed 3 of them as an example. I would be booking within the time periode ringed in blue above that list so I don't think that has anything to do with it.

I ran Firefox in Safe Mode which disables all the add-ons in case one of those was causing the hiccup, but the problem persists.

As for phoning them, I'm in the Netherlands. Phoning from within Thailand probably does work, but my phone line runs over a VoIP connection and that may possibly interfere with the connection. I'm not going to use my cellphone to call them. At €2,75 a minute, it's no joking matter hanging on an international phone line while you're waiting in the queue.

[tonititan]

Well, that's weird because none of the links work for me. By that I mean the list of destinations on the page I linked to. I've attached a screenshot to illustrate what I mean. Clicking any of those links should take you to the page where those prices are applicable, but nothing happens when I click any of them. I've arrowed 3 of them as an example. I would be booking within the time periode ringed in blue above that list so I don't think that has anything to do with it.

I ran Firefox in Safe Mode which disables all the add-ons in case one of those was causing the hiccup, but the problem persists.

As for phoning them, I'm in the Netherlands. Phoning from within Thailand probably does work, but my phone line runs over a VoIP connection and that may possibly interfere with the connection. I'm not going to use my cellphone to call them. At €2,75 a minute, it's no joking matter hanging on an international phone line while you're waiting in the queue.

Those aren't supposed to be links to those fares. It's just a list of sale prices. You have to use the regular search feature to look up prices. You can spend all the money you want calling in, but they're probably going to tell you the same thing. Try searching for different dates and see if you can find better prices.

[Xircal]

Well, that's weird because none of the links work for me. By that I mean the list of destinations on the page I linked to. I've attached a screenshot to illustrate what I mean. Clicking any of those links should take you to the page where those prices are applicable, but nothing happens when I click any of them. I've arrowed 3 of them as an example. I would be booking within the time periode ringed in blue above that list so I don't think that has anything to do with it.

I ran Firefox in Safe Mode which disables all the add-ons in case one of those was causing the hiccup, but the problem persists.

As for phoning them, I'm in the Netherlands. Phoning from within Thailand probably does work, but my phone line runs over a VoIP connection and that may possibly interfere with the connection. I'm not going to use my cellphone to call them. At €2,75 a minute, it's no joking matter hanging on an international phone line while you're waiting in the queue.

Those aren't supposed to be links to those fares. It's just a list of sale prices. You have to use the regular search feature to look up prices. You can spend all the money you want calling in, but they're probably going to tell you the same thing. Try searching for different dates and see if you can find better prices.

Don't think so. I used the link option just a couple of weeks ago to book a couple of tickets from HKT to BKK. On that occasion, they were offering a 20% discount. But you had to click the specific link in a list similar to the one I've referred to on this occasion. If you merely did a search like you've suggested, then various options became available, but at all standard rates.

Slightly off topic, but I was looking earlier this evening for a one way flight from HKT to BKK on 18 October. If you want to leave on the 12:50 AirAsia flight, they'll sting you for 2027.48 Baht plus all the usual extras like their "convenience fee" (how are you supposed to book online without a credit card?), 200 Baht for a miserly 15Kg luggage and another 50 Baht if you want to book a specific seat. Bangkok Air on the other hand offers a flight departing at 10:20 for just 1955 Baht inclusive. So much for AirAsia's "budget" image.

[theoldgit]

Slightly off topic, but I was looking earlier this evening for a one way flight from HKT to BKK on 18 October. If you want to leave on the 12:50 AirAsia flight, they'll sting you for 2027.48 Baht plus all the usual extras like their "convenience fee" (how are you supposed to book online without a credit card?), 200 Baht for a miserly 15Kg luggage and another 50 Baht if you want to book a specific seat. Bangkok Air on the other hand offers a flight departing at 10:20 for just 1955 Baht inclusive. So much for AirAsia's "budget" image.

They are only budget if you book really early, can be flexible or can take advantage of last minute travel deals, but surely this is the same with all budget airlines.

I take your point about the convenience fee of 100 Baht, or £2, I'm from the UK so don't understand Euros, but they are not alone in doing this, Ryanair charge £5 or about 250 Baht and Easyjet charges a similar fee. Ryanair charges for checked luggage as does Easyjet, so again AA are not alone, in fact don't some US full fare carriers now do the same?

As I said earlier my partner and I flew to Krabi last week for the grand total of 735 Baht for the two of us, that was 300 Airport Tax, 187 Convenience fee, 200 for the advance seat requests and 48 VAT. We carried out own bags so didn't need to check luggage, I really think that takes some beating.

Last month we went to Bali for 900 Baht each, all in, and we have internal flights booked for next year for 289 Baht each, I really think that qualifies Air Asia as a budget carrier, we have had nothing but good experiences flying with them and will continue to do so.

I note your quote of the fares offered for 2027 Baht +++, but if you are only booking three weeks ahead then of course all the cheap seats will have gone and then the full service carriers will often be cheaper.

[PattayaParent]

^as theoldgit says, getting the cheap deals depends on how flexible you are in booking and I have found that the nearer you get to leaving the cheaper the other carriers become and can even be the same by the time you add on Air Asias, seat booking, meals, baggage and convenience fees.

I also think that the increased competition from Air Asia and other budget airlines in the region has kept the prices down in general and we are seeing fares cheaper than, or at worse no more expensive than, they were 10 years go. So even if you don't fly budget, you are benefitting from having them around.