Air Asia Experience

[h90]

Case 1: I missed the flight. Went to the sales counter 1 hour after it went away. They told no problem. Than told, I booked the cheapest ticket possible so she has to speak with the manager. Paid something like 500 Baht and was on the next flight.....very nice.

Case 2: Flight something 7.30, I came 4 hours early and there was an earlier flight: Sales counter (I had this flexible one): Very rude...No change ticket, not looked at me or the paper at all. Can change only 2 days before. Went to the check in. Asked again. She looked into the computer and told she is sorry the flight before is complete full. That is OK.

Case 3: Called for change ticket something like 45 hours before the flight and wanted one in 24 hours. She told absolute no problem. Cost nothing, but big problem the same seat is not available she has to book me 1!!! row ahead, and will email me a confirmation. Went thru every detail again to prevent a misunderstanding and 5 min later I got the email.

So Air Asia is mostly good.

[sfokevin]

Yeah... Overall Air Asia is great - but more than once we arrived early and asked if we could get on the earlier flight... Flat NO as you need to needed to make changes 48 hour before...

If they have the seats available I'm not sure why they are so ridged as a policy?

I'd even pay 2-300 baht extra...

Edited November 21, 2014 by sfokevin

[LuckyLew]

Yeah... Overall Air Asia is great - but more than once we arrived early and asked if we could get on the earlier flight... Flat NO as you need to needed to make changes 48 hour before...

If they have the seats available I'm not sure why they are so ridged as a policy?

I'd even pay 2-300 baht extra...

I think they do not let you on earlier flight because they are saving those seats for people who turn up at the airport at the last minute wtih no reservations and charge them full price

[stevenl]

Yeah... Overall Air Asia is great - but more than once we arrived early and asked if we could get on the earlier flight... Flat NO as you need to needed to make changes 48 hour before...

If they have the seats available I'm not sure why they are so ridged as a policy?

I'd even pay 2-300 baht extra...

I think they do not let you on earlier flight because they are saving those seats for people who turn up at the airport at the last minute wtih no reservations and charge them full price

I have had people move to an earlier flight on AA, after a connecting flight arrived on time or even before schedule.

[sfokevin]

Yeah... Overall Air Asia is great - but more than once we arrived early and asked if we could get on the earlier flight... Flat NO as you need to needed to make changes 48 hour before...

If they have the seats available I'm not sure why they are so ridged as a policy?

I'd even pay 2-300 baht extra...

I think they do not let you on earlier flight because they are saving those seats for people who turn up at the airport at the last minute wtih no reservations and charge them full price

I guess the concept of flying standby is too complicated for them...

[KED]

Yeah... Overall Air Asia is great - but more than once we arrived early and asked if we could get on the earlier flight... Flat NO as you need to needed to make changes 48 hour before...

If they have the seats available I'm not sure why they are so ridged as a policy?

I'd even pay 2-300 baht extra...

I think they do not let you on earlier flight because they are saving those seats for people who turn up at the airport at the last minute wtih no reservations and charge them full price

I guess the concept of flying standby is too complicated for them...

I am not a major fan of AIr Asia - I do fly them because of the low fares (even with the add-ons) but I do understand about not allowing standby - it starts to get complicated with bags and fuel loads and flight attendant staffing - standby is not as simple to process as it seems.

[dinger]

I booked a flight, but due to the uncertainity of my return date I booked it as 2 1 way flights. The return I paid full fare so I would be able to change date if needed. Tried to change the return flight 3 days prior to departure. Was told I would be required to pay additional for the change, even though the flight was a full fare ticket. The additional charge was more then the cost of both of the 1 way tickets I had already paid for. So I avoid Air Asia if I think there is any chance I may have to make any changes

[songhklasid]

I usually buy super cheap tickets, months ahead, but only problem if you want change flights at last minute can be as much again as original

Regards S.S.

[ezzra]

I use to use AA extensively BKK to MEL twice a year, having to suffer those dreaded stopovers

at KL AA shitty airport lounge, but lately I use JetStar, direct flight, same money of less with no

stopovers,

one time on the way back from MEL i wasn't feeling well, and having to wait 3.5 hours to the

flight to BKK there was a flight there was a flight leaving way earlier but they will not allow me

on that flight unless I will buy new ticket, since than, I become dislike AA for being unhelpful

and mean when clearly they could help but they have elected not to...

[dundas]

I have also used Air Asia, but from CNX to MEL, and even though everything went well, I don't think I'll be flying them again on that route. My flight from CNX left an hour late, and I only had a 90 minute transfer time in KUL to begin with. I made it, but ...

The new low cost terminal is much better than the old one, that is true, but it is also huge. Air Asia being a low-cost carrier, there was of course no-one from the airline to help late arrivals for the Melbourne flight make their connection. The Melbourne passengers found themselves running through a vast and badly signposted terminal at a time close to midnight, when most of the staff seemed to be on their way home.

I went looking for help at the Air Asia transfer desk, and witnessed another passenger from my incoming flight who had missed his connection. He was getting nowhere with the Air Asia staff, and it occurred to me that even though I (like him, presumably) had a so-called fly-through fare, if you miss the connection you're on your own until Air Asia finds you a seat on another flight. You could be up for 24 hours or more accommodation or meals expenses, depending on how busy they are.

When I finally made it onto the plane, I pulled my boarding pass out of my shirt pocket 10 minutes after I boarded the plane; it was drenched in sweat.

Last trip back here was on Thai. They might have their failings, but at least I wasn't worrying about the connection in BKK, which as it turned out, was seamless. Not only that, but the full-service fare they sold me cost a couple of hundred dollars less than the Air Asia ask for the same itinerary (that's before add-ons, such as meals, a seat with legroom, and baggage). On check-in they even gave me a decent seat with leg-room with no request for extra $$$. I'm also allowed to change my times, subject to availability and $A50. I prefer it when I know the rules, which is what airlines fall back 99% of the time, and I'm not at the mercy of the mood of the airline staff member I'm speaking to.

As for Jetstar, I'm not sure I want to fly on their 787s where the seats are squeezed way tighter than Boeing ever intended. Their A330s were OK, but the attitude varies between fantastic, and drop dead.

I appreciate Air Asia on shorter flights within an hour or so of Chiang Mai, and as other posters have mentioned, if you buy your tickets way in advance, and don't mess with the bookings, they're fine. But I've stopped using them when there's a connecting flight involved.

[paz]

Yeah... Overall Air Asia is great - but more than once we arrived early and asked if we could get on the earlier flight... Flat NO as you need to needed to make changes 48 hour before...

If they have the seats available I'm not sure why they are so ridged as a policy?

I'd even pay 2-300 baht extra...

I've had "full service" Airlines in the US refusing the same.

But also changing the date at no charge after showing up late at the airport.

One never knows, some have a bad reputation, some a better one, at the end when things don't go as planned it's always a bit of a lottery.

[Asiantravel]

" I've had "full service" Airlines in the US refusing the same. "

Exactly! Even if the flight was free you would still get people bitching and moaning about something

[t8769]

Its a tough, fiercely competitive market with lots of new airlines.

Even Low cost airlines have had to up their customer service.

I called NokAir to change a flight that was fixed - expecting them to say No.

They could not have been more helpful and did the whole thing for a small fee.

Air Asia have been amazing when I've used them.