Why I never have, and never will fly a budget airline.

[yermanee]

This article explains why an Air Asia flight was doomed. :http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/investigators-rudder-crack-action-led-airasia-crash-article-1.2451126

"

An alarming number of rudder malfunctions caused by a cracked solder joint on the rudder’s electrical card went unchecked 12 months before the deadly crash, investigators revealed.

Investigators found the rudder's computer malfunctioned 23 times. "

Air Asia afficionados have been awfully quiet on this one.

Yermanee

[MJCM]

I feel terrible because I have a (non refundable) flight booked with one of these Budget Airlines in April (to escape the Song Kran madness)

Will wait and see what happens, but if the situation doesn't improve I'm going to cut my losses and book with a regular (foreign) airline, or choose another destination, or stay indoors

Edit: I also never fly budget airlines, but I booked a hotel via a Booking Site and this Airline had a good time schedule to fly us to the destination and back, so you see you should stick to your principals

Edited December 2, 2015 by MJCM

[my friend I]

Airasia Indonesia same poor standards as other Indonesian planes.

A Garuda plane flying to east coast Australia ran out of fuel and had to land at Darwin

A Garuda plane flying to the new international airport at Perth tried to land on the approach road

Garuda is not a budget airline.

[MJCM]

^Wasn't that airline once banned to fly to Europe ? Or ?

Edit: Found a link, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8150352.stm

Edited December 2, 2015 by MJCM

[IMA_FARANG]

This info on that Air Asia flight was on CNN news this morning.

believe it as on Thai news also, but only in Thai.

Maybe more info will come out in next 24 to 48 hours?

[petermik]

yermanee

one day we will die whether on the ground,in the sea or up in the air and for whatever reason old age,illness etc. that day is marked somewhere in the future so don,t worry about a triviality as this-next time you travel in any vehicle I suggest you ask to see the maintainance records and give it a thorough inspection yourself........................

[nidieunimaitre]

I completely trust budget airlines that fly to civilized countries.

They cut non safety related costs, but abide by the same safety rules as the expensive airlines.

[craigt3365]

Doesn't Air Asia have a pretty good record? They have a lot of flights. I've flown on them many times. Just last month!

[bendejo]

One of the Indonesian airlines has a prayer card in each seat pocket, with prayers for several religions "dear diety, please don't let the plane crash."

Tells ya something.

AirAsia Indonesia is distinguishable from AirAsia, the slopiness and the schedule.

Malaysia Airlines is not a budget airline, but the regional flights are the same quality as AirAsia.

[yermanee]

yermanee

one day we will die whether on the ground,in the sea or up in the air and for whatever reason old age,illness etc. that day is marked somewhere in the future so don,t worry about a triviality as this-next time you travel in any vehicle I suggest you ask to see the maintainance records and give it a thorough inspection yourself........................

Aha here we go. Do not attack the facts but attack the OP.

I'm 79 and fly reputable airlines only, maybe some of my longevity is thanks to that.

Keep flying budget airlines as far as I'm concerned.

Yermanee

[kkerry]

You have a far greater chance of dying in a traffic accident in Thailand than losing your life flying on Air Asia.

Edited December 2, 2015 by kkerry

[CharlieH]

Personally, I cant help but wonder, how much of this actually goes on right throughout the Airline industry, its just we rarely hear about it, until years after the fact (usually).

With the high pressure of turnaround time at airports, deadlines etc, something has to give/get missed/not done 100%..

The industry as a whole needs looking at, not just Budget Airlines.

[lonewolf99]

The worst year in aviation accidents globally was....1954.

You have a 20 million chance to 1 of dying in an plane crash...... the chance of dying in a car crash in the U.S. is as low as 1 in 74 !!!

look at this from 2002.... beds and baths are really deadly.

[KhunBENQ]

That fits well to the news from the US FAA:

FAA Downgrades Safety Rating of Thailand Aviation Industry

All that optimistic paroles from the junta didn't help.

Expect another demonstration requesting the US ambassador to pack his suitcase

Edited December 2, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[yermanee]

yermanee

one day we will die whether on the ground,in the sea or up in the air and for whatever reason old age,illness etc. that day is marked somewhere in the future so don,t worry about a triviality as this-next time you travel in any vehicle I suggest you ask to see the maintainance records and give it a thorough inspection yourself........................

Aha here we go. Do not attack the facts but attack the OP.

I'm 79 and fly reputable airlines only, maybe some of my longevity is thanks to that.

Keep flying budget airlines as far as I'm concerned.

Yermanee

You obviously drive a Toyota...?....

Toyota Vios, 9 years and counting, not one glitch except the regular new tires (Bridgestone) and battery.

Got it from my wife for my 70th birthday, but she drives it more than me now.

Yermanee

[IMA_FARANG]

I'm not condoning anything but as a former electronic repair technician I will try to explain that many circuit boards these days are MULTILAYER boards with tracks running underneath other tracks, mainly to conserve space on otherwise crowded circuit boards.

The old days of single level circuit boards when a technician could fix a track on a circuit board with a hot soldering iron and some solder are long gone.

Now circuit boards with multilevel interlacing tracks MUST be replaced and be sent to a factory for repair as only a factory can deal with repairing multilevel tracks on circuit boards as those you find now because only in such a factory do you find the kind of equipment to repair those multilayer tracks

This would be particularly true on a circuit board in something as complex as a control computer where space and heat would be a problem.

As I say I not condoning, just trying to explain the repairman's problem.

Replacing new circuit boards requires expensive and long downtime repairs which cost money for the operators of the equipment.

And the owner always wants everything fixed as fast as possible at the cheapest cost.

[impulse]

Even the crappiest airline I can legally fly in Thailand is safer than my safest option to get to the airport.

[MJCM]

Even the crappiest airline I can legally fly in Thailand is safer than my safest option to get to the airport.

Inclu. or Exclu. if you drive yourself?

[gk10002000]

I'm not condoning anything but as a former electronic repair technician I will try to explain that many circuit boards these days are MULTILAYER boards with tracks running underneath other tracks, mainly to conserve space on otherwise crowded circuit boards.

The old days of single level circuit boards when a technician could fix a track on a circuit board with a hot soldering iron and some solder are long gone.

Now circuit boards with multilevel interlacing tracks MUST be replaced and be sent to a factory for repair as only a factory can deal with repairing multilevel tracks on circuit boards as those you find now because only in such a factory do you find the kind of equipment to repair those multilayer tracks

This would be particularly true on a circuit board in something as complex as a control computer where space and heat would be a problem.

As I say I not condoning, just trying to explain the repairman's problem.

Replacing new circuit boards requires expensive and long downtime repairs which cost money for the operators of the equipment.

And the owner always wants everything fixed as fast as possible at the cheapest cost.

Agreed. I am a test engineer and worked with DO-178 in the software world and DO_254 in the Hardware world. I have spent a lot of time on "separation analysis", Vias, isolation of safety critical signals or power, issues etc.

[JHolmesJr]

Hope i dont jinx it but ive found jetstar asia very reliable....theyre part of qantas.

Every time i board i glance at the cockpit and theres usually a farang fellow behind the wheel.

[nidieunimaitre]

Hope i dont jinx it but ive found jetstar asia very reliable....theyre part of qantas.

Every time i board i glance at the cockpit and theres usually a farang fellow behind the wheel.

And your point is?

[JHolmesJr]

they struck me as a professional outfit.....who seem to be willing to spend to hire decent pilots.

[nidieunimaitre]

they struck me as a professional outfit.....who seem to be willing to spend to hire decent pilots.

You don't get MY point, do you?

[DogNo1]

So budget airlines cut costs elsewhere and perform the necessary maintenance and repairs on their planes? Air Asia didn't. Have you ever watched Air Crash Investigation on TV? The proper locking of cargo doors and engine reverse thrusters took crusaders years to get fixed. In the case of reverse thrusters, it was Niki Lauda's valiant efforts to discover the cause of the crash of one of his own jets that led to the installation of mechanical locks on the reverse thrusters on all airplanes then flying so that they could not be activated by rogue electric signals.

It's always tempting for airlines to skimp on repairs because of the costs involved.

You can be fatalistic but how many bullets do you want in your Russian Roulette pistol?

[nidieunimaitre]

Why would the authorities let only budget airlines get away with poor maintenance & repairs?

Why would they be more strict towards other airlines?

Either you trust the authorities, or you don't.

If Air Asia was at fault, then so were the countries in which they operated, and most probably the other airlines as well.

[impulse]

Even the crappiest airline I can legally fly in Thailand is safer than my safest option to get to the airport.

Inclu. or Exclu. if you drive yourself?

Good question, that also gets to the heart of a lot of fear of the air. The lack of control of our own fate, or the illusion of control.

Statistics prove I'm a lot safer in a commercial airplane than on the road- regardless of who is driving. But on the road in my own car, I have the illusion that I'm in control of my own fate. That's comforting, but not a very valid basis for a safety comparison.

I have a higher chance of getting killed -on any journey- in the 20km to the airport than the 500-10,000 km in the air, even if i'm driving myself. I'm a safe driver, but I won't try to fool myself that I'm good enough to change that truth.

Edited December 2, 2015 by impulse

[AlexRRR]

they struck me as a professional outfit.....who seem to be willing to spend to hire decent pilots.

You don't get MY point, do you?

Im Aussie and i get your point.....

[asdecas]

Hope i dont jinx it but ive found jetstar asia very reliable....theyre part of qantas.

Every time i board i glance at the cockpit and theres usually a farang fellow behind the wheel.

And your point is?

It seems to suggest that he implicitly trusts his own race to 'drive' the 'plane, as against assorted, unreliable 'persons of other shade'.

Make up your own mind as to whether you find that offensive, bigoted, wrong-headed or merely risible.

[realenglish1]

Hey no problem Fly the regular airlines rather than budget airlines and GET WHAT

How about Thai airways. Right. Not a budget airline but sure has an aging fleet of substandard old jets

Good Luck

[duanebigsby]

they struck me as a professional outfit.....who seem to be willing to spend to hire decent pilots.

So, people of colour can't be decent pilots?