Thai AirAsia to post biggest slump in profit in a decade of operation

[rajyindee]

I suspect that the launch in January of Thai Lion Airways was another contributory factor.

Their fleet is building rapidly, they undercut TAA on the routes they have started operating thus far, and include 15 kgs of luggage & seat-selection within the price.

Their Thai-base is also DMK, so it's head-to-head competition, all good for us customers !

At what point do you do the seat selection ... it's not offered during the booking process?

[JOC]

Time to follow in the footsteps of Thai Airways!!

"Now everyone can get laid! "

[whitemouse]

EXCELLENT NEWS ..i hope all the flights they have lost from my family and myself over the past couple of years have help them go down......i bet they have a fee for that thou

Air Asia makes travelling in Asia dirt cheap, and that is great!

It is budget airline.

Was the flight attendant rude to you once, and did't treat you like a proper 1st Class passenger deserves, and she didn't understand what a VIP you surely are!

Is that why do you cheer their losses?

[whitemouse]

the only positive with ''Air Asia'' is most of there Aircrafts, are new.....

I dont find them cheap at all...

3000thb BKK - KL return is not cheap? They can't really fly you for free, staff needs to be paid, and then there issue of fuel, airport taxes..

What would be you idea of a good price BKK - KL return in December 2014, please?

[whitemouse]

...and this Aussie is rapidly losing interest in an airline which charges such exorbitant fuel surcharges.

Over $70.00 each way to Australia!!

Thai AirAsia doesn't fly to Australia ... only as far as KL (with zero fuel surcharges). It's a different airline responsible for your long-haul flight (and fuel surcharges).

They most certainly do fly to Australia, incl Sydney, Melbourne, and 4 other cities!

[gemini81]

Well deserved with the baggage fee attempted shafting of prices and other charges not mentioned until you go to pay, and when you check-in. I checked out with them once and for all.

[garrya]

EXCELLENT NEWS ..i hope all the flights they have lost from my family and myself over the past couple of years have help them go down......i bet they have a fee for that thou

Air Asia makes travelling in Asia dirt cheap, and that is great!

It is budget airline.

Was the flight attendant rude to you once, and did't treat you like a proper 1st Class passenger deserves, and she didn't understand what a VIP you surely are!

Is that why do you cheer their losses?

I guess only your experience is relevant. There are a couple of more budget airlines in Asia that make travelling dirt cheap.

I and my wife have flown by budget airlines over 50 times, yet I can only recall problems when taking AirAsia, including delays (lots of), cancellations, airborne incidents, broken back rest, unavailable toilets, seating etc. How about this?

[masuk]

I suspect that the launch in January of Thai Lion Airways was another contributory factor.

Their fleet is building rapidly, they undercut TAA on the routes they have started operating thus far, and include 15 kgs of luggage & seat-selection within the price.

Their Thai-base is also DMK, so it's head-to-head competition, all good for us customers !

At what point do you do the seat selection ... it's not offered during the booking process?

it is offered when you make the on-line booking, and the charge is included in taxes, credit card fees, fuel surcharge and extra baggage.

[newcomer71]

Well deserved with the baggage fee attempted shafting of prices and other charges not mentioned until you go to pay, and when you check-in. I checked out with them once and for all.

I find the booking process fair and clear. No hidden costs.

If you don't need insurance, you just unpick it. If you don't need to choose the seat, you just jump the step.

If you need luggage, you have some choices depending on your luggage weight...

Nothing different from any other LC companies.

At opposite some companies like TigerAir used to show the all in price just before the payment step!

[sgtsabai]

Frankly I'm well out of date as I have not flown in over a year 1/2. Air Asia is ok if you can book well in advance. I do like the pre-selected seat, not available on Thai Air for us cattle. I've found that Thai Air if booked at the airport is cheaper than Air Asia, at least on a short time frame and you can, I think, still fly into Swampy. I cannot think of one single reason I would want to fly into DMK. I have no problem with my fishing rods when flying with either, Thai Air does give a larger weight allowance than Air Asia, but Nok wanted to charge me by the rod when I was going to book with them once. I don't even check their website anymore. Lion is now flying out of here but I've no experience with them. All in all, cheaper flying here than in the states. Try to book a flt. from Houston to Dallas (equivalent to Udon to Bangkok) for less than 100USD, plus the kabuki theater of fear at the airports there.

[Eric Loh]

I suspect Air Asia's Thailand business was down partly b/c of the political crisis and partly b/c Nok Air is simply beating them out for quality and value. I fly somewhere domestically almost every month and always book whichever airline is cheapest: 9 times out of 10 it's Nok Air. Doesn't always appear so at first but when you factor in Air Asia's checked bag charge, Nok usually wins. Nok also let's you pre-select seats for free and gives you a snack on board. It's a consistently better experience than Air Asia, in my opinion.

Plus Nok Airline seats have better legroom.

[mikemac]

Tourist arrivals down, economy down and they can still turn a smalll profit

They must being doing something right, maybe Thai airways can use the business modell to turn things around

AirAsia making a profit one surcharge at a time

Love them or hate them, they offer good flight prices to many destinations

Just wish they would let babies fy free like nok air

........................."AirAsia making a profit one surcharge at a time

Love them or hate them, they offer good flight prices to many destinations"............................

I had to fly back to CM a while back from BKK and I priced all the flights being offered by the different airlines. Ais Asia was 850 baht cheaper than Thai Airways (who I usually fly with) and their flight was due to leave about 30 minutes earlier than the TA flight.

When I checked in they charged me 850 baht for excess baggage (which would have been free with TA) which made the price the same as TA.

The flight was delayed for an hour which meant the TA flight got there 30 minutes before mine did.

You live and you learn.

Since that episode I don't even look at the prices or flight times, I just go straight to the TA counter.

So basically you went to airport with excess baggage knowing the booking conditions and as a result was charged. I fly AirAsia very often and find the service excellent as well as by far the cheapest.

So basically you have it wrong.

I went to the airport with what I thought was a reasonable amount of luggage, one suitcase and a laptop bag, which I would not have been charged extra for if I had flown with TA. Was not even aware of the stupid excess baggage rule.

Had I known AirAsia were going to charge me for the privilege of carrying this luggage I would have just gone with TA. And got there 30 minutes earlier.

I do not have a go at anyone for flying with the airline of their choice, that is up to them. I only pointed out the reason I prefer TA and don't like the cheap charlie airlines.

Having said that none of them could ever be as bad as ONE-2-Go, they set the bar low when it came to lousy service.

[rajyindee]

They most certainly do fly to Australia, incl Sydney, Melbourne, and 4 other cities!

No they don't. AirAsia X flies to Australia ... that's the airline you connect to in KL. Different airline and different airline code (AK for Thai AirAsia and D7 for AirAsia X). What's exorbitant about the fuel surcharge?

Edited December 25, 2014 by rajyindee

[rajyindee]

So basically you have it wrong.

I went to the airport with what I thought was a reasonable amount of luggage, one suitcase and a laptop bag, which I would not have been charged extra for if I had flown with TA. Was not even aware of the stupid excess baggage rule.

Had I known AirAsia were going to charge me for the privilege of carrying this luggage I would have just gone with TA.

You must have gone through the process to deselect any baggage allowance when you made the booking.