International travel on Air Asia - Buyer beware

[pookiki]

I recently booked a hotel and air package to Kuching, Malaysia, on Travelocity.  Air travel was booked on Air Asia. Travelocity said to check baggage fees with the air carrier. When directed to the Air Asia website, I tried to find out baggage charges from Bangkok to Kuching and was returned with a page that said that no information was currently available. Nonetheless, I completed the booking on Travelocity and received separate vouchers for the hotel and air travel on Air Asia.  Since this was my first international flight on Air Asia, I decided to pay the extra fees for reserved seats and in-flight meals.  In so doing, the Air Asia website defaulted to an automatic charge for me and my traveling partner for checked-in baggage from Bangkok to Kuching.  The charge was in excess of 1,900 baht for the two of us.  It appears that Air Asia charges separately for each flight segment to your destination with Kuala Lumpur being the hub.  Therefore, separate baggage charges on each segment and separate charges for each reserved seat request. I tried to research the legality of such charges 'per segment' but was not able to find anything definitive. As for the 'automatic' charge for checked baggage when there may very well only carry-on, this appears to be totally improper.  You will also pay more for checked baggage if you do not pay on the website.  And there is a charge for every time you make a credit card charge. So, I paid two credit card charges because the flight was originally booked by Travelocity and another charge for my subsequent 'add-on' requests.  In the final analysis, a 'package' deal from travel agents and websites might not be the best option when traveling to international destinations on Air Asia. If anyone else has had a similar experience, I would appreciate your feedback and guidance. I sent an enquiry to Air Asia a week ago but still no response.

[beaufoy]

I do not like air asia, but cannot remember having luggage problems. Hong Kong express played a nice trick they asked (online) if i had luggage. I had hand luggage and there was no box to tick to say just hand luggage, so I ticked luggage and was charged. When I checked in I was told hand luggage was free, but they would not give me a refund......you live and learn

[Jiu-Jitsu]

You have no argument with Air Asia. It was your choice to book with a travel agent. If you had booked direct with Air Asia, you would saved yourself a headache. In almost all cases, the best way to pay for a low cost airline ticket, is direct. That way, you get to see and price up the options in advance. You live and learn. 

[Clamhua]

My family and I fly often on Air Asia and have been caught out on the not unclicking the luggage box before.

 

So now I use Traveloka to book online travel and rooms, no credit card charges and no added boxes to unclick...then when you go to the Air Asia website

to online check in, you then have options to add on or not...

 

FYI Mas is often cheaper than AA now, especially around Asean cities

[siam2007]

other budget airlines in Asia (Jetstar, Tiger) to it the same way when it comes to luggage charges for connecting flights within their system.  I would never book a package that involves a budget Airline, even less so when there are connecting flights, as this means asking for trouble