Discriminating Airlines

[Gonzo the Face]

Just had a very unpleasant experience that to say the least made me very, very angry.

I have a friend, and I feel it safe to say now a good friend, who just happens to be in a wheelchair.

I just tried to help him out a bit and take him down to the airport so he, being as independent as possible, tried for himself to get a air ticket to Bangkok.

He was told to his face that the big red airplane, of which our greatly esteemed former leader was a major owner does not allow anyone in wheelchairs to fly. To He*l with it. It was none other than AIR ASIA. An international carrier this.

Non-plussed he rolled down to the discount division of NOK Air, and asked pointedly to the girl behind the counter, if they were able to take persons in wheelchairs. To which she replied "YES" they did. She proceeded to give him the flight schedule and the round trip price of 4200 baht, which is not that much discounted from the Thai Airways price

My friend proceeded to take out his Amex and the girl took it only to come back in a couple minutes to ask if he had a Visa or Master Card, as now they did not take Amex.

OK my friend pulls out the Visa Card and off the girl goes to get the ticket only to come back in another few minutes to tell us that NOK Airways cannot take persons in a wheelchair. While the entire time at the ticket window there 3 wheelchairs within 2 metres of this young lady behind the counter. It would be my guess that these wheelchairs are for the lazy and untrained help to go back and forth to the kitchen or bathroom so they don't have to strain themselves walking. Wheelchairs, but no wheel chair service.

I know that Thai Air takes wheelchair passengers and that NOK is the discount arm or THAI and in many cases throughout the day uses Thai Air's planes and staff, but NOK cannot take

Wheelchair passengers. Doesn't that just grab you for logic.

It just boils down to money, and the possible belief that in another life one must have done something very bad to be in a wheelchair in this life, so f***-em.

My friend took this all within his stride. I didn't . For his sake I kept my mouth shut, as hard as it was.

Somehow it just strikes me that there was or is some international airline regulation that states you are not supposed to discriminate against the disabled

I will tell you this,,,,, I WILL TELL EVERYONE that I find that is coming to Chiang Mai [AND THERE ARE A FEW] NOT TO FLY WITH THE DISCRIMINATING AIR LINES " AIR ASIA and NOK AIR " as they discriminate against disabled persons.

[Dragonman]

There is no International Airline Regulation preventing discrimination, but some countries USA and EU have implemented, or are looking, at unilateral laws. The New Thai Constitution does however make such discrimination illegal under Article 30 of the Act. Perhaps you or your friend could contact an NGO.

[daleyboy]

Sorry to hear that, i think that is pretty bloody disgraceful, and i cant understand why they would refuse a wheelchair passenger, but unfortunately this is Thailand and as usual discrimination laws dont seem to apply.

I guess you could try writing a letter of complaint to Thai air, dont know if it will get you anywhere, but might make you feel a bit better.

[markuk]

i always avoid the ones who dont serve alcohol as that is certailny discrimination

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Just had a very unpleasant experience that to say the least made me very, very angry.

I have a friend, and I feel it safe to say now a good friend, who just happens to be in a wheelchair.

I just tried to help him out a bit and take him down to the airport so he, being as independent as possible, tried for himself to get a air ticket to Bangkok.

He was told to his face that the big red airplane, of which our greatly esteemed former leader was a major owner does not allow anyone in wheelchairs to fly. To He*l with it. It was none other than AIR ASIA. An international carrier this.

Non-plussed he rolled down to the discount division of NOK Air, and asked pointedly to the girl behind the counter, if they were able to take persons in wheelchairs. To which she replied "YES" they did. She proceeded to give him the flight schedule and the round trip price of 4200 baht, which is not that much discounted from the Thai Airways price

My friend proceeded to take out his Amex and the girl took it only to come back in a couple minutes to ask if he had a Visa or Master Card, as now they did not take Amex.

OK my friend pulls out the Visa Card and off the girl goes to get the ticket only to come back in another few minutes to tell us that NOK Airways cannot take persons in a wheelchair. While the entire time at the ticket window there 3 wheelchairs within 2 metres of this young lady behind the counter. It would be my guess that these wheelchairs are for the lazy and untrained help to go back and forth to the kitchen or bathroom so they don't have to strain themselves walking. Wheelchairs, but no wheel chair service.

I know that Thai Air takes wheelchair passengers and that NOK is the discount arm or THAI and in many cases throughout the day uses Thai Air's planes and staff, but NOK cannot take

Wheelchair passengers. Doesn't that just grab you for logic.

It just boils down to money, and the possible belief that in another life one must have done something very bad to be in a wheelchair in this life, so f***-em.

My friend took this all within his stride. I didn't . For his sake I kept my mouth shut, as hard as it was.

Somehow it just strikes me that there was or is some international airline regulation that states you are not supposed to discriminate against the disabled

I will tell you this,,,,, I WILL TELL EVERYONE that I find that is coming to Chiang Mai [AND THERE ARE A FEW] NOT TO FLY WITH THE DISCRIMINATING AIR LINES " AIR ASIA and NOK AIR " as they discriminate against disabled persons.

Did you try One 2 Go as well?

[nonthaburial]

Very sad state of affairs if taken at face value.

However, nearly all of the discount airline flights I have taken out of Bangkok involved being bussed out to the aircraft and then climbing the steps to board.

This of course makes it very difficult for a wheelchair bound person to safely enter the aircraft.

So can we please identify the resl reasons for refusal before asking to blacklist

[Rinrada]

I have had a couple of good flights with Noki Air so will ask "em.....

Search Result

Who can fly with Nok Air?

Anyone who needs to travel, who loves to travel, is looking for value deals.

Also persons in business can fly with Nok Air.

Our target customers are............................

http://www.nokair.com/s1000_obj/front_page/page/64.html

[Jai Yen Yen]

My friend took this all within his stride

I thought you said... oh, never mind, ...bad taste.

But "This Is Thailand". It's not "the West".

[Totster]

i always avoid the ones who dont serve alcohol as that is certailny discrimination

Thats not descrimination... it's a basic human right..

totster

[tigerbeer]

ThaiAirAsia is not as bad as Airasia itself. Newspaper had it two days back that airasia being a budget airlines renewed their sponsorship of the football team Manchester United for 58Million Dollars. Its a prestigious thing really for them. but they do however charge 4USD or something like that for the use of their wheelchair. per way. thats the last time i paid for my mum who visited me here in chiang mai. yes they charge disabled people so that they can pay their sponsorships to MU. todays newpaper highlights them raising fuel surcharge further more (as they cant burden the higher cost of fuel), cause they have to sponsor MU again next year maybe.

they dont allow any food to be taken onboard as they already sell food in the skies (for a reasonable cost, as they quote). no thanks i'll have my 120baht snack at home. wonder if they serve baby formula milk for the infants who come onboard. cause no food or drinks are allowed to be brought onboard the plane. then again well me, my wife and two of my kids, one being an infant, and the other a toddler, were only allowed 30kgs in total for a flight from KL to CNX. we managed to hand carry two bags. and had a total weight of 33kgs checked in. they said they can't have us on the flight until we paid the 3 kgs extra, at approx 150baht/kg. ###### i should have not brought more than 2 baby bottles, 2 diapers, 2 baby wipes or and some extra milk just in case i don't get the milk we use in malaysia. but really the spirit of being a human is really lost when you reach the check in counters of airasia. the first thing they tell u when u reach there is "sir, each person is allowed 15kgs". nope they do not greet you. nor do they say thank you for the extra THB450 that i paid for my 3 kgs.

and last but not least, "please take note that removal of the life jacket from the aircraft is a serious offence" is what they say before you leave the aircraft. no thank u but i dont think i can make use of your life jackets in my everyday use.

Mr. Tony Fernandes of Malaysia has really made it big at the expense of making a mockery of budget travel. try flying into the new low cost terminal in KL and you would see what i mean. forget about disabled people being discriminated. you wouldnt even have shelter from rain when you get off the planes. welcome to the new world of budget travel where you are at the mercy of the airlines just cause you are looking for the cheapest way for getting to your destination. Nokair, 12Go and even Thai Airways are not far from being just the way AirAsia operates. why? cause they are a successful budget airlines.

[Krub]

ThaiAirAsia is not as bad as Airasia itself. Newspaper had it two days back that airasia being a budget airlines renewed their sponsorship of the football team Manchester United for 58Million Dollars. Its a prestigious thing really for them. but they do however charge 4USD or something like that for the use of their wheelchair. per way. thats the last time i paid for my mum who visited me here in chiang mai. yes they charge disabled people so that they can pay their sponsorships to MU. todays newpaper highlights them raising fuel surcharge further more (as they cant burden the higher cost of fuel), cause they have to sponsor MU again next year maybe.

they dont allow any food to be taken onboard as they already sell food in the skies (for a reasonable cost, as they quote). no thanks i'll have my 120baht snack at home. wonder if they serve baby formula milk for the infants who come onboard. cause no food or drinks are allowed to be brought onboard the plane. then again well me, my wife and two of my kids, one being an infant, and the other a toddler, were only allowed 30kgs in total for a flight from KL to CNX. we managed to hand carry two bags. and had a total weight of 33kgs checked in. they said they can't have us on the flight until we paid the 3 kgs extra, at approx 150baht/kg. ###### i should have not brought more than 2 baby bottles, 2 diapers, 2 baby wipes or and some extra milk just in case i don't get the milk we use in malaysia. but really the spirit of being a human is really lost when you reach the check in counters of airasia. the first thing they tell u when u reach there is "sir, each person is allowed 15kgs". nope they do not greet you. nor do they say thank you for the extra THB450 that i paid for my 3 kgs.

and last but not least, "please take note that removal of the life jacket from the aircraft is a serious offence" is what they say before you leave the aircraft. no thank u but i dont think i can make use of your life jackets in my everyday use.

Mr. Tony Fernandes of Malaysia has really made it big at the expense of making a mockery of budget travel. try flying into the new low cost terminal in KL and you would see what i mean. forget about disabled people being discriminated. you wouldnt even have shelter from rain when you get off the planes. welcome to the new world of budget travel where you are at the mercy of the airlines just cause you are looking for the cheapest way for getting to your destination. Nokair, 12Go and even Thai Airways are not far from being just the way AirAsia operates. why? cause they are a successful budget airlines.

You cannot enjoy rock bottom prices and expect freebies.

They are in business and not charity

If you want full service with freebies fly Thai Airways and pay the price

Airlines or other transport companies should not be allowed to refuse carriage unless on medical grounds (pregnancy, heart problems, etc)

Thye should however be able to reflect the extra cost involved

Edited May 14, 2006 by Krub

[monochaser]

OP, thank you very much for posting about this, it is very important. This policy is an outrage and goes right to the top of a long list of things in this country that are completely and totally out of step with the civilized world. I'm sure that the "Thailand is perfect" people will get on here and pounce on you pal about how this is OK

[Gonzo the Face]

ThaiAirAsia is not as bad as Airasia itself. Newspaper had it two days back that airasia being a budget airlines renewed their sponsorship of the football team Manchester United for 58Million Dollars. Its a prestigious thing really for them. but they do however charge 4USD or something like that for the use of their wheelchair. per way. thats the last time i paid for my mum who visited me here in chiang mai. yes they charge disabled people so that they can pay their sponsorships to MU. todays newpaper highlights them raising fuel surcharge further more (as they cant burden the higher cost of fuel), cause they have to sponsor MU again next year maybe.

they dont allow any food to be taken onboard as they already sell food in the skies (for a reasonable cost, as they quote). no thanks i'll have my 120baht snack at home. wonder if they serve baby formula milk for the infants who come onboard. cause no food or drinks are allowed to be brought onboard the plane. then again well me, my wife and two of my kids, one being an infant, and the other a toddler, were only allowed 30kgs in total for a flight from KL to CNX. we managed to hand carry two bags. and had a total weight of 33kgs checked in. they said they can't have us on the flight until we paid the 3 kgs extra, at approx 150baht/kg. ###### i should have not brought more than 2 baby bottles, 2 diapers, 2 baby wipes or and some extra milk just in case i don't get the milk we use in malaysia. but really the spirit of being a human is really lost when you reach the check in counters of airasia. the first thing they tell u when u reach there is "sir, each person is allowed 15kgs". nope they do not greet you. nor do they say thank you for the extra THB450 that i paid for my 3 kgs.

and last but not least, "please take note that removal of the life jacket from the aircraft is a serious offence" is what they say before you leave the aircraft. no thank u but i dont think i can make use of your life jackets in my everyday use.

Mr. Tony Fernandes of Malaysia has really made it big at the expense of making a mockery of budget travel. try flying into the new low cost terminal in KL and you would see what i mean. forget about disabled people being discriminated. you wouldnt even have shelter from rain when you get off the planes. welcome to the new world of budget travel where you are at the mercy of the airlines just cause you are looking for the cheapest way for getting to your destination. Nokair, 12Go and even Thai Airways are not far from being just the way AirAsia operates. why? cause they are a successful budget airlines.

You cannot enjoy rock bottom prices and expect freebies.

They are in business and not charity

If you want full service with freebies fly Thai Airways and pay the price

Airlines or other transport companies should not be allowed to refuse carriage unless on medical grounds (pregnancy, heart problems, etc)

Thye should however be able to reflect the extra cost involved

Krub... don't know or care where you are from, and yes business is business .... But all over the world civilized "business people" do manage to incorporate humanity into business and many times very successfully. All I can say is I am glad that I do not have such a cold hearted person for a Friend.

As I said earlier, my friend took it very well, and went on his way. But I would like to feel that I am a caring individual, and as such felt very, very bad for him....

Maybe you could get a job with one of these airlines or at least kicking the kittens from the front of the airport.

Have a good self centered day Krub.

[Heng]

However, nearly all of the discount airline flights I have taken out of Bangkok involved being bussed out to the aircraft and then climbing the steps to board.

Yeah, it would have been better to explain it to him. Surely there are other physical conditions as well that are "discriminated against" but in reality just impractical/unfeasible financially to provide service to.

[Krub]

ThaiAirAsia is not as bad as Airasia itself. Newspaper had it two days back that airasia being a budget airlines renewed their sponsorship of the football team Manchester United for 58Million Dollars. Its a prestigious thing really for them. but they do however charge 4USD or something like that for the use of their wheelchair. per way. thats the last time i paid for my mum who visited me here in chiang mai. yes they charge disabled people so that they can pay their sponsorships to MU. todays newpaper highlights them raising fuel surcharge further more (as they cant burden the higher cost of fuel), cause they have to sponsor MU again next year maybe.

they dont allow any food to be taken onboard as they already sell food in the skies (for a reasonable cost, as they quote). no thanks i'll have my 120baht snack at home. wonder if they serve baby formula milk for the infants who come onboard. cause no food or drinks are allowed to be brought onboard the plane. then again well me, my wife and two of my kids, one being an infant, and the other a toddler, were only allowed 30kgs in total for a flight from KL to CNX. we managed to hand carry two bags. and had a total weight of 33kgs checked in. they said they can't have us on the flight until we paid the 3 kgs extra, at approx 150baht/kg. ###### i should have not brought more than 2 baby bottles, 2 diapers, 2 baby wipes or and some extra milk just in case i don't get the milk we use in malaysia. but really the spirit of being a human is really lost when you reach the check in counters of airasia. the first thing they tell u when u reach there is "sir, each person is allowed 15kgs". nope they do not greet you. nor do they say thank you for the extra THB450 that i paid for my 3 kgs.

and last but not least, "please take note that removal of the life jacket from the aircraft is a serious offence" is what they say before you leave the aircraft. no thank u but i dont think i can make use of your life jackets in my everyday use.

Mr. Tony Fernandes of Malaysia has really made it big at the expense of making a mockery of budget travel. try flying into the new low cost terminal in KL and you would see what i mean. forget about disabled people being discriminated. you wouldnt even have shelter from rain when you get off the planes. welcome to the new world of budget travel where you are at the mercy of the airlines just cause you are looking for the cheapest way for getting to your destination. Nokair, 12Go and even Thai Airways are not far from being just the way AirAsia operates. why? cause they are a successful budget airlines.

You cannot enjoy rock bottom prices and expect freebies.

They are in business and not charity

If you want full service with freebies fly Thai Airways and pay the price

Airlines or other transport companies should not be allowed to refuse carriage unless on medical grounds (pregnancy, heart problems, etc)

Thye should however be able to reflect the extra cost involved

Krub... don't know or care where you are from, and yes business is business .... But all over the world civilized "business people" do manage to incorporate humanity into business and many times very successfully. All I can say is I am glad that I do not have such a cold hearted person for a Friend.

As I said earlier, my friend took it very well, and went on his way. But I would like to feel that I am a caring individual, and as such felt very, very bad for him....

Maybe you could get a job with one of these airlines or at least kicking the kittens from the front of the airport.

Have a good self centered day Krub.

Point taken

Please re-read my post and yes I think if you fly cheap airlines they should be able to charge for non standard service as wheelchairs, extra luggage, etc.

I repeat they should not be allowed to refuse carriage for the simple fact that a prospective customer is in a wheelchair.

I regret the experience your friend had and hope the airlines will not discriminate.

Not discriminate and charging for extra service are 2 different things

Have a good day yourself

[tigerbeer]

ThaiAirAsia is not as bad as Airasia itself. Newspaper had it two days back that airasia being a budget airlines renewed their sponsorship of the football team Manchester United for 58Million Dollars. Its a prestigious thing really for them. but they do however charge 4USD or something like that for the use of their wheelchair. per way. thats the last time i paid for my mum who visited me here in chiang mai. yes they charge disabled people so that they can pay their sponsorships to MU. todays newpaper highlights them raising fuel surcharge further more (as they cant burden the higher cost of fuel), cause they have to sponsor MU again next year maybe.

they dont allow any food to be taken onboard as they already sell food in the skies (for a reasonable cost, as they quote). no thanks i'll have my 120baht snack at home. wonder if they serve baby formula milk for the infants who come onboard. cause no food or drinks are allowed to be brought onboard the plane. then again well me, my wife and two of my kids, one being an infant, and the other a toddler, were only allowed 30kgs in total for a flight from KL to CNX. we managed to hand carry two bags. and had a total weight of 33kgs checked in. they said they can't have us on the flight until we paid the 3 kgs extra, at approx 150baht/kg. ###### i should have not brought more than 2 baby bottles, 2 diapers, 2 baby wipes or and some extra milk just in case i don't get the milk we use in malaysia. but really the spirit of being a human is really lost when you reach the check in counters of airasia. the first thing they tell u when u reach there is "sir, each person is allowed 15kgs". nope they do not greet you. nor do they say thank you for the extra THB450 that i paid for my 3 kgs.

and last but not least, "please take note that removal of the life jacket from the aircraft is a serious offence" is what they say before you leave the aircraft. no thank u but i dont think i can make use of your life jackets in my everyday use.

Mr. Tony Fernandes of Malaysia has really made it big at the expense of making a mockery of budget travel. try flying into the new low cost terminal in KL and you would see what i mean. forget about disabled people being discriminated. you wouldnt even have shelter from rain when you get off the planes. welcome to the new world of budget travel where you are at the mercy of the airlines just cause you are looking for the cheapest way for getting to your destination. Nokair, 12Go and even Thai Airways are not far from being just the way AirAsia operates. why? cause they are a successful budget airlines.

You cannot enjoy rock bottom prices and expect freebies.

They are in business and not charity

If you want full service with freebies fly Thai Airways and pay the price

Airlines or other transport companies should not be allowed to refuse carriage unless on medical grounds (pregnancy, heart problems, etc)

Thye should however be able to reflect the extra cost involved

Krub... don't know or care where you are from, and yes business is business .... But all over the world civilized "business people" do manage to incorporate humanity into business and many times very successfully. All I can say is I am glad that I do not have such a cold hearted person for a Friend.

As I said earlier, my friend took it very well, and went on his way. But I would like to feel that I am a caring individual, and as such felt very, very bad for him....

Maybe you could get a job with one of these airlines or at least kicking the kittens from the front of the airport.

Have a good self centered day Krub.

Point taken

Please re-read my post and yes I think if you fly cheap airlines they should be able to charge for non standard service as wheelchairs, extra luggage, etc.

I repeat they should not be allowed to refuse carriage for the simple fact that a prospective customer is in a wheelchair.

I regret the experience your friend had and hope the airlines will not discriminate.

Not discriminate and charging for extra service are 2 different things

Have a good day yourself

well if they do refuse carriage for someone on a wheelchair, then it is discriminatory isn't it? krub, i can and will expect better service despite the fact that i pay rock bottom prices. and if you really look at their pricing structure, its not much different from premium airlines. so perhaps the budget airlines can kiss my ass for all it counts for their inhumanity in dealing with things.

just to add to my frustration to airasia and its followers, as a customer do expect the airport check in counter to be full of "som tum", "knanom", and whatever else in their mouth while serving you. i swear i have never seen anything like that in the world. krub perhaps u wouldnt mind it. cause u pay rock bottom prices.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

ThaiAirAsia is not as bad as Airasia itself. Newspaper had it two days back that airasia being a budget airlines renewed their sponsorship of the football team Manchester United for 58Million Dollars. Its a prestigious thing really for them. but they do however charge 4USD or something like that for the use of their wheelchair. per way. thats the last time i paid for my mum who visited me here in chiang mai. yes they charge disabled people so that they can pay their sponsorships to MU. todays newpaper highlights them raising fuel surcharge further more (as they cant burden the higher cost of fuel), cause they have to sponsor MU again next year maybe.

they dont allow any food to be taken onboard as they already sell food in the skies (for a reasonable cost, as they quote). no thanks i'll have my 120baht snack at home. wonder if they serve baby formula milk for the infants who come onboard. cause no food or drinks are allowed to be brought onboard the plane. then again well me, my wife and two of my kids, one being an infant, and the other a toddler, were only allowed 30kgs in total for a flight from KL to CNX. we managed to hand carry two bags. and had a total weight of 33kgs checked in. they said they can't have us on the flight until we paid the 3 kgs extra, at approx 150baht/kg. ###### i should have not brought more than 2 baby bottles, 2 diapers, 2 baby wipes or and some extra milk just in case i don't get the milk we use in malaysia. but really the spirit of being a human is really lost when you reach the check in counters of airasia. the first thing they tell u when u reach there is "sir, each person is allowed 15kgs". nope they do not greet you. nor do they say thank you for the extra THB450 that i paid for my 3 kgs.

and last but not least, "please take note that removal of the life jacket from the aircraft is a serious offence" is what they say before you leave the aircraft. no thank u but i dont think i can make use of your life jackets in my everyday use.

Mr. Tony Fernandes of Malaysia has really made it big at the expense of making a mockery of budget travel. try flying into the new low cost terminal in KL and you would see what i mean. forget about disabled people being discriminated. you wouldnt even have shelter from rain when you get off the planes. welcome to the new world of budget travel where you are at the mercy of the airlines just cause you are looking for the cheapest way for getting to your destination. Nokair, 12Go and even Thai Airways are not far from being just the way AirAsia operates. why? cause they are a successful budget airlines.

You cannot enjoy rock bottom prices and expect freebies.

They are in business and not charity

If you want full service with freebies fly Thai Airways and pay the price

Airlines or other transport companies should not be allowed to refuse carriage unless on medical grounds (pregnancy, heart problems, etc)

Thye should however be able to reflect the extra cost involved

Krub... don't know or care where you are from, and yes business is business .... But all over the world civilized "business people" do manage to incorporate humanity into business and many times very successfully. All I can say is I am glad that I do not have such a cold hearted person for a Friend.

As I said earlier, my friend took it very well, and went on his way. But I would like to feel that I am a caring individual, and as such felt very, very bad for him....

Maybe you could get a job with one of these airlines or at least kicking the kittens from the front of the airport.

Have a good self centered day Krub.

Point taken

Please re-read my post and yes I think if you fly cheap airlines they should be able to charge for non standard service as wheelchairs, extra luggage, etc.

I repeat they should not be allowed to refuse carriage for the simple fact that a prospective customer is in a wheelchair.

I regret the experience your friend had and hope the airlines will not discriminate.

Not discriminate and charging for extra service are 2 different things

Have a good day yourself

Why should a wheel-chair be a non-standard service? Surely the disabled deserve to be treated the same as the able-bodied - not made to pay extra because they are in wheelchair - and I'm sorry, where I'm from that is discrimination!

[Krub]

ThaiAirAsia is not as bad as Airasia itself. Newspaper had it two days back that airasia being a budget airlines renewed their sponsorship of the football team Manchester United for 58Million Dollars. Its a prestigious thing really for them. but they do however charge 4USD or something like that for the use of their wheelchair. per way. thats the last time i paid for my mum who visited me here in chiang mai. yes they charge disabled people so that they can pay their sponsorships to MU. todays newpaper highlights them raising fuel surcharge further more (as they cant burden the higher cost of fuel), cause they have to sponsor MU again next year maybe.

they dont allow any food to be taken onboard as they already sell food in the skies (for a reasonable cost, as they quote). no thanks i'll have my 120baht snack at home. wonder if they serve baby formula milk for the infants who come onboard. cause no food or drinks are allowed to be brought onboard the plane. then again well me, my wife and two of my kids, one being an infant, and the other a toddler, were only allowed 30kgs in total for a flight from KL to CNX. we managed to hand carry two bags. and had a total weight of 33kgs checked in. they said they can't have us on the flight until we paid the 3 kgs extra, at approx 150baht/kg. ###### i should have not brought more than 2 baby bottles, 2 diapers, 2 baby wipes or and some extra milk just in case i don't get the milk we use in malaysia. but really the spirit of being a human is really lost when you reach the check in counters of airasia. the first thing they tell u when u reach there is "sir, each person is allowed 15kgs". nope they do not greet you. nor do they say thank you for the extra THB450 that i paid for my 3 kgs.

and last but not least, "please take note that removal of the life jacket from the aircraft is a serious offence" is what they say before you leave the aircraft. no thank u but i dont think i can make use of your life jackets in my everyday use.

Mr. Tony Fernandes of Malaysia has really made it big at the expense of making a mockery of budget travel. try flying into the new low cost terminal in KL and you would see what i mean. forget about disabled people being discriminated. you wouldnt even have shelter from rain when you get off the planes. welcome to the new world of budget travel where you are at the mercy of the airlines just cause you are looking for the cheapest way for getting to your destination. Nokair, 12Go and even Thai Airways are not far from being just the way AirAsia operates. why? cause they are a successful budget airlines.

You cannot enjoy rock bottom prices and expect freebies.

They are in business and not charity

If you want full service with freebies fly Thai Airways and pay the price

Airlines or other transport companies should not be allowed to refuse carriage unless on medical grounds (pregnancy, heart problems, etc)

Thye should however be able to reflect the extra cost involved

Krub... don't know or care where you are from, and yes business is business .... But all over the world civilized "business people" do manage to incorporate humanity into business and many times very successfully. All I can say is I am glad that I do not have such a cold hearted person for a Friend.

As I said earlier, my friend took it very well, and went on his way. But I would like to feel that I am a caring individual, and as such felt very, very bad for him....

Maybe you could get a job with one of these airlines or at least kicking the kittens from the front of the airport.

Have a good self centered day Krub.

Point taken

Please re-read my post and yes I think if you fly cheap airlines they should be able to charge for non standard service as wheelchairs, extra luggage, etc.

I repeat they should not be allowed to refuse carriage for the simple fact that a prospective customer is in a wheelchair.

I regret the experience your friend had and hope the airlines will not discriminate.

Not discriminate and charging for extra service are 2 different things

Have a good day yourself

well if they do refuse carriage for someone on a wheelchair, then it is discriminatory isn't it? krub, i can and will expect better service despite the fact that i pay rock bottom prices. and if you really look at their pricing structure, its not much different from premium airlines. so perhaps the budget airlines can kiss my ass for all it counts for their inhumanity in dealing with things.

just to add to my frustration to airasia and its followers, as a customer do expect the airport check in counter to be full of "som tum", "knanom", and whatever else in their mouth while serving you. i swear i have never seen anything like that in the world. krub perhaps u wouldnt mind it. cause u pay rock bottom prices.

I do not fly with the Air Asia and other budget carriers.

I do not believe they can deliver a decent reliable and safe service.

Again apart from charity in this world you do not get anything for nothing.

if you don't like their attitue at check-in or their policies, do not fly them........same as me.

Happy and safe travel to all

[Krub]

ThaiAirAsia is not as bad as Airasia itself. Newspaper had it two days back that airasia being a budget airlines renewed their sponsorship of the football team Manchester United for 58Million Dollars. Its a prestigious thing really for them. but they do however charge 4USD or something like that for the use of their wheelchair. per way. thats the last time i paid for my mum who visited me here in chiang mai. yes they charge disabled people so that they can pay their sponsorships to MU. todays newpaper highlights them raising fuel surcharge further more (as they cant burden the higher cost of fuel), cause they have to sponsor MU again next year maybe.

they dont allow any food to be taken onboard as they already sell food in the skies (for a reasonable cost, as they quote). no thanks i'll have my 120baht snack at home. wonder if they serve baby formula milk for the infants who come onboard. cause no food or drinks are allowed to be brought onboard the plane. then again well me, my wife and two of my kids, one being an infant, and the other a toddler, were only allowed 30kgs in total for a flight from KL to CNX. we managed to hand carry two bags. and had a total weight of 33kgs checked in. they said they can't have us on the flight until we paid the 3 kgs extra, at approx 150baht/kg. ###### i should have not brought more than 2 baby bottles, 2 diapers, 2 baby wipes or and some extra milk just in case i don't get the milk we use in malaysia. but really the spirit of being a human is really lost when you reach the check in counters of airasia. the first thing they tell u when u reach there is "sir, each person is allowed 15kgs". nope they do not greet you. nor do they say thank you for the extra THB450 that i paid for my 3 kgs.

and last but not least, "please take note that removal of the life jacket from the aircraft is a serious offence" is what they say before you leave the aircraft. no thank u but i dont think i can make use of your life jackets in my everyday use.

Mr. Tony Fernandes of Malaysia has really made it big at the expense of making a mockery of budget travel. try flying into the new low cost terminal in KL and you would see what i mean. forget about disabled people being discriminated. you wouldnt even have shelter from rain when you get off the planes. welcome to the new world of budget travel where you are at the mercy of the airlines just cause you are looking for the cheapest way for getting to your destination. Nokair, 12Go and even Thai Airways are not far from being just the way AirAsia operates. why? cause they are a successful budget airlines.

You cannot enjoy rock bottom prices and expect freebies.

They are in business and not charity

If you want full service with freebies fly Thai Airways and pay the price

Airlines or other transport companies should not be allowed to refuse carriage unless on medical grounds (pregnancy, heart problems, etc)

Thye should however be able to reflect the extra cost involved

Krub... don't know or care where you are from, and yes business is business .... But all over the world civilized "business people" do manage to incorporate humanity into business and many times very successfully. All I can say is I am glad that I do not have such a cold hearted person for a Friend.

As I said earlier, my friend took it very well, and went on his way. But I would like to feel that I am a caring individual, and as such felt very, very bad for him....

Maybe you could get a job with one of these airlines or at least kicking the kittens from the front of the airport.

Have a good self centered day Krub.

Point taken

Please re-read my post and yes I think if you fly cheap airlines they should be able to charge for non standard service as wheelchairs, extra luggage, etc.

I repeat they should not be allowed to refuse carriage for the simple fact that a prospective customer is in a wheelchair.

I regret the experience your friend had and hope the airlines will not discriminate.

Not discriminate and charging for extra service are 2 different things

Have a good day yourself

Why should a wheel-chair be a non-standard service? Surely the disabled deserve to be treated the same as the able-bodied - not made to pay extra because they are in wheelchair - and I'm sorry, where I'm from that is discrimination!

If the wheel-chair bound passenger is not charged extra, it means the ticket prices for all must be increased to reflect the extra cost involved in having the chairs available at departur, arrival, the staff available to push the chairs, etc.

This is what a full service airlines are doing (Thai, BA, Singapore Air etc).

As a lot of you claim they are too expensive, you have made a way for the likes of Air Asia, etc to come up with a cheap business model that only allows for standard (read minimum) service with any extra to be either not offerred or offerred at a cost.

if you want this to be abolished you need laws and enforcement of the law as it is probably where you come from and why it is there considered dicreminatory

[Lucifer]

"it means the ticket prices for all must be increased to reflect the extra cost "

How many wheelchair passengers have you seen on aeroplanes?..thats right not many....It wouldn't cost more than a few bahts.

[Krub]

"it means the ticket prices for all must be increased to reflect the extra cost "

How many wheelchair passengers have you seen on aeroplanes?..thats right not many....It wouldn't cost more than a few bahts.

Yes very few, very often none. Same as babies, etc.

But if the service is 'standard' you need to be prepared for any flight at any airport to be able to provide it wheter it is needed or not.

Hardware and staff.

Why do they charge for food, ectra luggage, etc. ? same logic

They should not refuse carriage but shoudl be able to charge for it.

[Jai Yen Yen]

OP, thank you very much for posting about this, it is very important. This policy is an outrage and goes right to the top of a long list of things in this country that are completely and totally out of step with the civilized world. I'm sure that the "Thailand is perfect" people will get on here and pounce on you pal about how this is OK

From Nok Air's terms and conditions:

Special Assistance : Acceptance for carriage of incapacitated persons, persons with illness, person with disabilities or other people requiring wheelchair is subject to prior arrangement with us. Such passengers are required to walk to/from the cabin by themselves since the wheelchair is provided until the boarding gate. For safety reason, we may refuse carriage of passengers that we deem to be not in an appropriate condition.

[bkkjosh]

ThaiAirAsia is not as bad as Airasia itself. Newspaper had it two days back that airasia being a budget airlines renewed their sponsorship of the football team Manchester United for 58Million Dollars. Its a prestigious thing really for them. but they do however charge 4USD or something like that for the use of their wheelchair. per way. thats the last time i paid for my mum who visited me here in chiang mai. yes they charge disabled people so that they can pay their sponsorships to MU. todays newpaper highlights them raising fuel surcharge further more (as they cant burden the higher cost of fuel), cause they have to sponsor MU again next year maybe.

they dont allow any food to be taken onboard as they already sell food in the skies (for a reasonable cost, as they quote). no thanks i'll have my 120baht snack at home. wonder if they serve baby formula milk for the infants who come onboard. cause no food or drinks are allowed to be brought onboard the plane. then again well me, my wife and two of my kids, one being an infant, and the other a toddler, were only allowed 30kgs in total for a flight from KL to CNX. we managed to hand carry two bags. and had a total weight of 33kgs checked in. they said they can't have us on the flight until we paid the 3 kgs extra, at approx 150baht/kg. ###### i should have not brought more than 2 baby bottles, 2 diapers, 2 baby wipes or and some extra milk just in case i don't get the milk we use in malaysia. but really the spirit of being a human is really lost when you reach the check in counters of airasia. the first thing they tell u when u reach there is "sir, each person is allowed 15kgs". nope they do not greet you. nor do they say thank you for the extra THB450 that i paid for my 3 kgs.

and last but not least, "please take note that removal of the life jacket from the aircraft is a serious offence" is what they say before you leave the aircraft. no thank u but i dont think i can make use of your life jackets in my everyday use.

Mr. Tony Fernandes of Malaysia has really made it big at the expense of making a mockery of budget travel. try flying into the new low cost terminal in KL and you would see what i mean. forget about disabled people being discriminated. you wouldnt even have shelter from rain when you get off the planes. welcome to the new world of budget travel where you are at the mercy of the airlines just cause you are looking for the cheapest way for getting to your destination. Nokair, 12Go and even Thai Airways are not far from being just the way AirAsia operates. why? cause they are a successful budget airlines.

You cannot enjoy rock bottom prices and expect freebies.

They are in business and not charity

If you want full service with freebies fly Thai Airways and pay the price

Airlines or other transport companies should not be allowed to refuse carriage unless on medical grounds (pregnancy, heart problems, etc)

Thye should however be able to reflect the extra cost involved

Krub... don't know or care where you are from, and yes business is business .... But all over the world civilized "business people" do manage to incorporate humanity into business and many times very successfully. All I can say is I am glad that I do not have such a cold hearted person for a Friend.

As I said earlier, my friend took it very well, and went on his way. But I would like to feel that I am a caring individual, and as such felt very, very bad for him....

Maybe you could get a job with one of these airlines or at least kicking the kittens from the front of the airport.

Have a good self centered day Krub.

Point taken

Please re-read my post and yes I think if you fly cheap airlines they should be able to charge for non standard service as wheelchairs, extra luggage, etc.

I repeat they should not be allowed to refuse carriage for the simple fact that a prospective customer is in a wheelchair.

I regret the experience your friend had and hope the airlines will not discriminate.

Not discriminate and charging for extra service are 2 different things

Have a good day yourself

Why should a wheel-chair be a non-standard service? Surely the disabled deserve to be treated the same as the able-bodied - not made to pay extra because they are in wheelchair - and I'm sorry, where I'm from that is discrimination!

If the wheel-chair bound passenger is not charged extra, it means the ticket prices for all must be increased to reflect the extra cost involved in having the chairs available at departur, arrival, the staff available to push the chairs, etc.

This is what a full service airlines are doing (Thai, BA, Singapore Air etc).

As a lot of you claim they are too expensive, you have made a way for the likes of Air Asia, etc to come up with a cheap business model that only allows for standard (read minimum) service with any extra to be either not offerred or offerred at a cost.

if you want this to be abolished you need laws and enforcement of the law as it is probably where you come from and why it is there considered dicreminatory

I would prefer to pay a little extra (however much it took, actually) so these basic facilities could be made available on *every* airline. My opinion is that its not much to pay for a basic human right. It *IS* a basic human right.

I have flown air asia before and I don't find any part of their service value even at their best rates. I do know what I'm getting though if I choose to fly them.

I also fly thai business class and singapore business as well from time to time when I'm on a work-related trip.

The pricing models for budget airlines are very different from full service airlines... They aren't similiar.

I understand that business is business and making concessions can cost dollars and the bottom line etc, but I want you to imagine yourself as that person in the wheelchair being refused service simply because of having a disability. Couple that with the fact that there may be fewer opportunities in many facets of life for that same person... and you may just come to the same conclusion as I.

Legislation is the only way to enforce a real change. A good starting point would be ASEAN countries.