Air Asia Website - Now Everyone Can Pay More

[Kinnock]

There's an old thread on a similar issue with the Air Asia website, and I thought they had stopped these questionable practices, but I noticed two issues when making a recent booking.

 

1. Automatically adding meal and luggage:

 

You choose your flight, and do not choose any of the packages and extras, as you don't have checked luggage and don't want a meal.  Then when you click confirm to move to the next stage, it automatically adds luggage and a meal.  It also adds the tax, so I suspect many people will not realize that the jump in cost is not only tax, but also the added package that was not requested.  Also, on the page you land on - there's no option to remove the additions.  To remove the non-requested additions, you need to go to the next page and click 'No Thanks".

 

2. Automatically choosing a poor seat:

 

The system allocates the seat, and even though the flight was showing as nearly empty on the seat-location screen (most seats still available) the chosen seat was middle, back of plane.  When I tried to book a better seat, there's a 100 THB charge to change seats.  Other airlines will automatically book the best available seat, not the worst.

 

I then checked the final price, and assuming the automatic additions were not removed, and I did not want to sit in a middle seat at the rear of the plane, the cost was going to be higher than a normal 'non-budget' airline.

 

 

[ezzra]

This is what happened when an a LCC airline is getting full of themselves

and thinking that they're too good to be simple and cheap any longer

like they have started out with.... I gave them the flick long time ago.....

[KhunBENQ]

Good observations.

Booking at the AA website is kind of navigating through a maze.

In the end you might have to pay for payment (each kind of).

 

[allane]

The last time I booked with Cebu Pacific online, they asked me if I wanted a seat. A rather ridiculous question, since I don't think that I would have been permitted to stand, even if I had wanted to. I think that when I ticked the"yes" box, I was given a premium, exit-aisle seat, which I had to unclick if I didn't want to pay extra. And, they too automatically sold you a meal if you did not unclick that box.

Edited May 24, 2017 by allane

[Colabamumbai]

I only book AA with an online booking.com where the total price is shown, seat included etc. Too much time and hassle, removing insurance and luggage charges, rechecking the price.

[al007]

I recently flew on one of the Indian equivalents of Air Asia in India, cant remember the name

 

BUT so much better, The Thais do not know service, and are shall we describe it as devious

 

Having said all this I still use Air Asia a lot, but in KhonKaen we are now getting more competition, and unless A Asia improve they will loose customers

[Familyaffairs]

Have flown them twice since inception, both times disappoining and delayed. Now I only fly TG, costs not really that much more.

[phuketrichard]

i fly them 3-4 times a year and have no trouble, as long as u can read, no one else should either

[Salerno]

1 hour ago, al007 said:

The Thais do not know service, and are shall we describe it as devious

What has that statement got to do with a Malaysian airline?

[Crocbait]

I recently had to pay an extra USD$24 on an Air Asia flight from Vietnam to Malaysia when paying by credit card. This was $6 per leg of the journey per person, nothing but an exorbitant ripoff! I couldn't use any other form of payment as my Visa card bank wasn't one listed.

I have always used Air Asia for flights, but now will only do so when I have no other choice.

[stevenl]

I just tried to replicate the OP's situation, but can not.

 

On the first screen with Thai Air Asia I get the price, including VAT already, and with the choice of add ons (meal, seat selection), which are preset to 'off'. Only automatic add on is 20 kg luggage, which I can deselect later.

[novo58]

it is common practice ( unfortunately) in Australia ...if you book a flight on line  then your ONLY method of payment is by credit card and they then charge you a surcharge for doing so ....as stated by another poster above ----pay for paying ...........but unlike in thailand there is NO alternative way to pay like at 7/11 , tesco etc.

[psyvolt]

18 minutes ago, Crocbait said:

I couldn't use any other form of payment as my Visa card bank wasn't one listed.

Huh? It doesn't matter what bank your visa card is thru, it accepts all visa cards.

Mine isn't listed either (tbh, I don't even use a bank, I use a building society) and have never had a problem booking flights with both my visa credit and debit cards.

[psyvolt]

11 minutes ago, novo58 said:

it is common practice ( unfortunately) in Australia ...if you book a flight on line  then your ONLY method of payment is by credit card and they then charge you a surcharge for doing so ....as stated by another poster above ----pay for paying ...........but unlike in thailand there is NO alternative way to pay like at 7/11 , tesco etc.

No it's not, you can use Debit cards, or Paypal for some flights on Air Asia out of Aust.

[malibukid]

i always buy their premium package and just chuck the meal, having the option to change the flight can come in handy and of course a primo seat.  who knows what trinkets on will fine so it is cheap insurance to get the 20kg. luggage allowance included.  i like to shop.

most people op. for the cheap seats so i usually end up with primo row to myself.  

Edited May 25, 2017 by malibukid

[yooyoo]

21 hours ago, ezzra said:

This is what happened when an a LCC airline is getting full of themselves

and thinking that they're too good to be simple and cheap any longer

like they have started out with.... I gave them the flick long time ago.....

I avoid flying with Air Asia...at least on Nok Air you don't pay for checked luggage!

[psyvolt]

3 minutes ago, yooyoo said:

I avoid flying with Air Asia...at least on Nok Air you don't pay for checked luggage!

Of course you pay for it, it's just bundled up with your flight costs. Where as with Air Asia its ab optional extra, which works well for me as I generally only fly with carry on.

[dotpoom]

Your final statement left me on tender hooks wondering what you discovered......you said you checket the total price "assuming" it was going to be more expensive than a normal low budget flight....great stuff.....you wrote the post so well it was like reading a thriller novel....but then you left me dangling.....What were your findings.

    Will I be able to sleep tonight without finding out ...."who shot JR".

   A jolly good read though.

[Gloucester]

Be wary about budget airlines jacking up prices during peak periods; can be higher than regular airlines.

 

Ladies at Jet... Bangkok once demanded my passport although i asked for the ticket price to decide.

Manager lied through her teeth that "all flights are full during new year".

 

Both Thai & SQ had seats at lower prices.

 

PS: I boycotted MAS since they tried  offload us in London. More than 20 years ago but i have a long spiteful memory: the only other company I boycott/tell the world is Prudential.

Other people have their own bad experience with AIA, Herbal Life..and a long list of con jobs still in business.

[JTHEA1960]

I fly Air Asia often.They advertise themselves as a budget airline but with premium service. I find them a lot cheaper than their competitors with friendly and helpful flight attendents.Yes I do agree when booking on line it does take you through a maze of options and questions.Having used this service many times now I know how to navigate through it with not much effort.My biggest problem with Air Asia and I have emailed and complained a couple of times.At the beginning of last year they ceased their service to and from Kuala Lumpur and Adelaide, citing lack of passengers and the cost of flying into Adelaide twice a week.After this Malaysian Airlines immediately increased their fares.Every time I flew either into or out the planes were always either full or three quarter full.Many flights i have taken from other destinations since are often the same.Then it must be down to cost. Come on Air Asia recommence your flights in and out of Adelaide! 

[CNXBKKMAN]

1 hour ago, yooyoo said:

I avoid flying with Air Asia...at least on Nok Air you don't pay for checked luggage!

Nok Air changed recently . There chepeast airfare has no hold luggage allowance just carry on in the cabin. 

    

[NoshowJones]

Crooks, capitalist b@stards.

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, Salerno said:

What has that statement got to do with a Malaysian airline?

Nothing wrong with the poster making a statement about any airline that is flying to or from anywhere in Thailand.

Some people have nothing else to do but complain.

[Beachdude]

I'm no expert at navigating airline tickets online but the only one I have consistent trouble with is AA. So I go to Tesco where they have a booth attended by a young lady. It costs more but she gets it done and hands me the printed itinerary . 

 

And it seems to take her a long time to get through the process even though she does it routinely as her job. 

[Fairynuff]

I used to use AA frequently, probably averaging once a month. They were always the cheapest. Not so anymore and have had a few issues with them. Now I only use them to Penang because there's almost no ther choice. Regular trips to Vietnam have almost completely switched to VN Airlines with better service better flight times and luggage included at fares broadly similar to AA. A couple of years ago AA stranded me in HCM overnight by cancelling my flight. 

Regarding AA ticket prices, every time they're having a sale the fares increase just beforehand so the sale prices are not true. I've fallen for it a couple of times and paid more for a sale ticket than normal price. I mostly ignore their sales. My trips on AA are now 2-3 a year instead of 10-12 a year.

[Kinnock]

5 hours ago, stevenl said:

I just tried to replicate the OP's situation, but can not.

 

On the first screen with Thai Air Asia I get the price, including VAT already, and with the choice of add ons (meal, seat selection), which are preset to 'off'. Only automatic add on is 20 kg luggage, which I can deselect later.

I tried it on an Android tablet and a Windows laptop, in case it was a browser issue - in both cases the site automatically adds the 20KG luggage and the meal package, then you can only remove these on the next screen.  You are right that they can be removed later in the process - but it's the automatic adding of extra cost services that I feel is questionable.

 

And the "Now everyone can fly" approach suggests that some of their customers will be new to air travel, so may not be experts at navigating tricky sites.  If you book the same flight via Expedia, there's no non-requested additions that need to be removed later.

[Hardie]

Booking Air Asia on Expedia or something such is much smoother, though price is usually with luggage, but credit charge is processed in your home country, so better. I won't use their website after multiple glitches...

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

What about insurance, that used to come on even if you don't want it and was impossible to get round.

Last time I cancelled the booking and went Nok which was about the same price as  with the "options".

[metisdead]

An offensive post has been removed. 

[Bangkok Barry]

6 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

I used to use AA frequently, probably averaging once a month. They were always the cheapest. Not so anymore and have had a few issues with them. Now I only use them to Penang because there's almost no ther choice. Regular trips to Vietnam have almost completely switched to VN Airlines with better service better flight times and luggage included at fares broadly similar to AA. A couple of years ago AA stranded me in HCM overnight by cancelling my flight. 

Regarding AA ticket prices, every time they're having a sale the fares increase just beforehand so the sale prices are not true. I've fallen for it a couple of times and paid more for a sale ticket than normal price. I mostly ignore their sales. My trips on AA are now 2-3 a year instead of 10-12 a year.

As a Big Points member I always get 24 hours notice of an AA sale and can always book Khon Khen - Bangkok and vv for 390 a flight and then I travel every month. Far cheaper than the VIP bus. They do operate a devious pricing strategy but once you've spotted what they do you are aware of it next time. But what they do with pricing, opt out instead of opt in, is illegal in Europe, I believe.