Airasia Again.............

[veryruay]

Anyone have the latest news ? Airasia canceling Singapore to Chiang Mai Singapore direct flight.

Booked a flight in June 2012 and was told cancel, anyone have clearer news?

Thank you!

[millwall_fan]

Air Asia seem to be retrenching like mad- London finishing 1st April, Paris finishing 31st March, now Singapore. Let's hop the bubble isn't about to burst - a useful airline!

[hellodolly]

Last time I went to Bali I took Singapore air it was cheaper and classier as well as having food rather than selling it. Also they had a 20 kilo baggage allowance. I think they operate as star alliance out of Chiang Mai.

Air Asia is really going to be hurting if the government carries through on its plans to route all cut rate air lines through the old airport sorry about the lack of a name for the air port old age.

[sunnyhor]

Air Asia seem to be retrenching like mad- London finishing 1st April, Paris finishing 31st March, now Singapore. Let's hop the bubble isn't about to burst - a useful airline!

Ohhhh no, AA is quite innovative and indeed a useful carrier. So meaning these countries will not be seeing AA again???

[elektrified]

Air Asia seem to be retrenching like mad- London finishing 1st April, Paris finishing 31st March, now Singapore. Let's hop the bubble isn't about to burst - a useful airline!

I hope it doesn't burst anytime soon. I'm holding about 9 tickets of theirs for use later this year. Of course I only paid about 200 Baht each for them. Gotta love AA promotions! (But I haven't received anything from them by post or email in many months now so maybe the party is over?).

Edited March 16, 2012 by elektrified

[mcgriffith]

They're being hit with the same fuel costs that are about to shake up the entire air industry worldwide, yet again, after the financial crisis in 2008.

In addition, they way over-extended themselves with huge orders for many many new Airbus planes to revamp and expand their fleet. Even if they cancel some of these orders, they will be hit with cancel fees in the multi millions.

The airline industry operates nowadays on razor thin margins, and budget airlines that charge farthings for passage are the first to feel the pain. A few budgets are still doing well; AA is slowly slipping into the ranks of those not doing as well. The bloom is off the rose.

AA has put off their IPO. A year ago, I wanted to invest when they talked about it. Now, I think I will pass....

[veryruay]

That's very bad. Or must I blame it on luck? Pay cheap, received cheap!! How can they simply accept bookings and cancel like nobody business........... no compensations ?

Learn another lesson, NEVER fly with budget carries again!!!!!!!!

But I was wondering, why they did not publish on their website?

Edited March 16, 2012 by veryruay

[millwall_fan]

The whole airline business seems to be in trouble- I want to take my son and wife back to UK in a couple of months time and cant get flights much under 45,000 baht (10% less for my son) the reason seems to be that many airlines have simply taken out capacity to bump up fares. That added to so called 'green taxes' are making air travel prohibitive for us mere mortals!

[prism]

Looks like they stop flying from CNX to SIN after May 21st. Bummer, maybe tiger airways will start offering some cheapie flights to Singapore from CM.

[theblether]

Very disappointing, I've flown that route 4 times.

I think they stopped flying to Europe due to the Carbon Tax being imposed, as for the Singapore route, the flight has never been full when I have been on it. It's maybe just a Summertime ( low season ) retrenchment..at least I hope it is.

[veryruay]

Looks like they stop flying from CNX to SIN after May 21st. Bummer, maybe tiger airways will start offering some cheapie flights to Singapore from CM.

Don't dream about Tiger.

Tiger used this route previously but suddenly stopped it! Next is to hope Jetstar Asia using this route......Anyway, Tiger the worst Airline I'd ever travel!

[arunsakda]

How were the loads on the CNX-SIN route? LCCs can't even break even without very high load factor.

-arunsakda

[Greenside]

Millwall Fan, that sounds expensive. Last week I was offered Air India and and Jet for about 31,000 baht (BKK to LHR via Bombay) and chose Jet as the BKK connection meant no overnight stay needed. Granted, I'm not travelling with a child so can put up with an indirect flight.

Talk to khun Jan at World Express Travel (053 273 017) opposite the Shangri-La - they've been there ages and she is very helpful and reliable.

Edited March 17, 2012 by Greenside

[uptheos]

I expect a backlash from Air Asia if they have to keep international flights at Swampy and domestic at DM.

[ThaiPauly]

I had a message saying they had cancelled my flight in June.

Does anyone know if they are offering refunds or alternative travel dates?

I was looking at booking a hotel in Singapore last week, luckily I never did it !!

[Greenside]

Surely, if you pay by credit card (almost manditory with AA) the card company takes the hit. I would expect an airline to refund (unless they are serious difficulty and don't have the money) because having thousands of travellers claiming from Visa and Mastercard will certainly upset the service providers they rely on.

[millwall_fan]

Millwall Fan, that sounds expensive. Last week I was offered Air India and and Jet for about 31,000 baht (BKK to LHR via Bombay) and chose Jet as the BKK connection meant no overnight stay needed. Granted, I'm not travelling with a child so can put up with an indirect flight.

Talk to khun Jan at World Express Travel (053 273 017) opposite the Shangri-La - they've been there ages and she is very helpful and reliable.

Thanks for that Greenside. There are two issues. I only flew Air India once and swore I'd never do so again (rude cabin staff, smelly toilets etc), Have they improved? Also most of the cheap flights go into LHR or LGW, whereas I need to go to Newcastle or possibly Manchester, The cheap deals seem to fizzle out north of Watford!

Thanks for the heads up on World Express Travel. I use P&P Travel on Thapae Rd, where the lovely Praneet, a Sikh lady, has looked after my travel needs for 20 years! - no harm in introducing a bit of competition though!!

[thaimiller]

Millwall Fan, that sounds expensive. Last week I was offered Air India and and Jet for about 31,000 baht (BKK to LHR via Bombay) and chose Jet as the BKK connection meant no overnight stay needed. Granted, I'm not travelling with a child so can put up with an indirect flight.

Talk to khun Jan at World Express Travel (053 273 017) opposite the Shangri-La - they've been there ages and she is very helpful and reliable.

I used to use Jan all the time, but I tried to call her last week and no answer, I went past the shop and it all looked closed down???

[Greenside]

A week last Wednesday was a holiday and they were closed. As far as I know it's business as usual.

I chose to go with Jet because of the connections but I too had heard poor reports about the service with Air India. A friend who lives over there says Jet tries harder. Time will tell, I guess.

Edited March 17, 2012 by Greenside

[folium]

A week last Wednesday was a holiday and they were closed. As far as I know it's business as usual.

I chose to go with Jet because of the connections but I too had heard poor reports about the service with Air India. A friend who lives over there says Jet tries harder. Time will tell, I guess.

Air India trails a distant second place to Jet. State-owned, over-staffed (largely with poorly trained, poorly motivated folk) and with little desire to provide a service, Air India is not a good option.

Jet is far preferable. The only issue is that they use single-aisle 737-800s from India to BKK and if you can route via DEL rather than BOM you will save yourself a huge amount of hassle, as DEL is modern and super-efficient in comparison to the hell-hole of BOM.

[marstons]

My first time of booking with them is for a flight in May, promotion flight,, just got e mail and text saying flight cancelled i am rebooked on next flight 5 hours later. since i am on a fine time line thats no good but they offered refund of the 100 baht. First and last time, you pay for what you get. would be interested to know if its cancelled or just getting full and they are bouncing the 100 baht promotion bookings. No surely not they would not do that would they.

[elektrified]

Surely, if you pay by credit card (almost manditory with AA) the card company takes the hit. I would expect an airline to refund (unless they are serious difficulty and don't have the money) because having thousands of travellers claiming from Visa and Mastercard will certainly upset the service providers they rely on.

I took the hit for close to 7K THB a few years ago with AA on a flight to Kuala Lumpur that we had to cancel (about 3 days in advance of the flight) because the g/f was pregnant at the time and was not feeling well. Long story but in the end I lost the credit card dispute. The card I used was a Visa card from the USA. The U.S. bank told me that AA was "extremely aggressive" in their defense of the dispute and they used every trick in the book with respect to time in which to respond to claims, counter-claims and so forth. We got the doctors letter and everything and recorded the name of the employee who we reported the cancellation to, but they denied ever getting the cancellation or the fax of the Doctor's letter and in the end they prevailed.

That was the first time in my life that I lost a dispute over an airline ticket. Use caution if you cancel on them!

[elektrified]

My first time of booking with them is for a flight in May, promotion flight,, just got e mail and text saying flight cancelled i am rebooked on next flight 5 hours later. since i am on a fine time line thats no good but they offered refund of the 100 baht. First and last time, you pay for what you get. would be interested to know if its cancelled or just getting full and they are bouncing the 100 baht promotion bookings. No surely not they would not do that would they.

I got an email from them cancelling a BKK flight (200 THB) in September. About 5 days later they wrote again offering us a flight later that day. I was surprised and certainly happy about it because we were going to Koh Chang.

I sure hope they don't cancel my other tickets as we have more to use this year; BKK, Phuket and Hat Yai.

[Puwa]

Just flew FD3452 from SG last night. The cabin crew told me that May 21 is the last flight. Not enough passengers, they say, though I fly this route quite often, and the loads seemed ok to me. I guess ok isn't good enough. Passengers who booked later flights will be refunded or get vouchers to apply to other routes.

[CPT]

What I read in the paper today stated that the Chiang Mai - Singapore route would be replaced with a Chiang Mai - Macau route.

[ovenman]

There's a little blurb about this posted on AirAsia's website: http://www.airasia.c...ht-options.page

Edited March 17, 2012 by ovenman

[folium]

There's a little blurb about this posted on AirAsia's website: http://www.airasia.c...ht-options.page

So it's a case of farewell CNX-SIN, hello CNX-MFM.

Lose one shopping/gambling city, gain another. Meanwhile AA puts the knife further in re Thai Slime's launch with MFM as its first destination from BKK/DMG

[hellodolly]

There's a little blurb about this posted on AirAsia's website: http://www.airasia.c...ht-options.page

So it's a case of farewell CNX-SIN, hello CNX-MFM.

Lose one shopping/gambling city, gain another. Meanwhile AA puts the knife further in re Thai Slime's launch with MFM as its first destination from BKK/DMG

I copied the following from your link.

"The withdrawal is put in place to improve operating cost efficiencies and enable the low-cost carrier to focus on its goals of launching a new international route from the Chiang Mai hub this year."

So by canceling one flight from Chiang Mai to Singapore they can make Chiang Mai a new international Hub.

[barefoot1988]

this is sad. nvm there is still silk air

[veryruay]

this is sad. nvm there is still silk air

Of course Silkair better. But more expensive.

Anyway, budget Airlines are mostly craps..................... you pay cheap, you get cheap. Even the AA pilots speak bad English!!!! I think because they are paid cheap too!