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Thursday 29 December 2011

Now Not everyone can fly..a letter to Tony Fernandes



I took Air Asia X flight on my way back to Malaysia last month because I've been wanting to fly with Air Asia X in order to support our own Low Cost Carrier company. I have experienced quite a bad flight journey with their staff and customer service. 

I was thinking to share it in my blog so that friends and family (especially those who travels with baby/child) that are going to use Air Asia X in the future; are well-prepared to face the same condition that I've went through. So for those who are interested to know about my experience, kindly read this letter of complaint from me to Air Asia X.

=================================================================================

Mr Tony Fernandes
CEO, Air Asia
LCC Terminal, Jalan KLIA S3, Southern Support Zone
Kuala Lumpur International Airport 64000 Sepang,
Selangor Darul Ehsan                                                                      19 November 2011








Dear Mr Tony, 
I was a passenger on one of  your flight (together with my son and my sister in law) from Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) on 17th November 2011 (Flight D7 523). Forgive me for writing directly to you, but I feel you personally need to know exactly how badly your customers were treated by your front-line staff so you can take appropriate remedial action.




(1) Before On-Board
My rough experiences with your staff begin at the check-in counter. I was told that I can’t bring my child’s stroller up to the aircraft door/steps. I used to fly with several other airlines to go to Malaysia such as Malaysia Airlines (MAS), Korea Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways before this and all of these airlines allow me to bring my child’s stroller up to the aircraft door/steps for international flight.


I have even checked in the Air Asia website, and it is stated that “You can continue to use the stroller up to the aircraft door/steps”. So I told your counter staff politely about it, and then they look at my son and told me that “he can walk, he don’t need a stroller”. If it is so, why I couldn’t find any clause in your website stating that as one of the criteria to bring along the stroller?.

+- information provided in the Air Asia website -+


Then your ‘not-so-friendly’ counter staff insisted that I checked in the stroller as luggage and pay for the extra weight caused by check-in the stroller. Again I remembered that I’ve check about it in your website and it is stated that “we allow baby buggies/strollers/prams to be carried free of charge”. When I told this politely to the counter staff, she replied with irritating voice and says “Either you pay or you throw it!".

 +- information provided in the Air Asia website -+


So in the end I was ‘forced’ to pay extra 9kg which cost me 18000 yen (2000 yen per kg) as I don’t want to throw away my child’s brand new Recaro stroller.
*18 000yen = RM 735*

After that my family and I was waiting patiently to be on board into the flight D7 523 when the delay announcement was announced due to bad weather. These things happen, I do not complain about the weather as I do understand that some things are beyond anyone’s control. After all, a flight delay case has become one of Air Asia’s ‘trademarks’; so I’m fine with that.

 +- my son and his friends; waiting eagerly to get on board -+


(2) On the plane
After getting on board, we were greeted by ‘not-so-friendly’ cabin crews. Is it that hard for them to smile to your customers?. The plane is ready to take-off, things are going well. I thought so far so good but this is what happened next :
  •   Sticky chewing-gum on the in-flight sales magazine; tell me how can I browse through the pages and buy the items when I feel gross to turn over to the next pages?. Aren't your staffs are supposed to check the magazine before putting it into the pocket?.
 +- sticky chewing gum -+

  
+- in-flight entertainment tab -+
  •   Crumpling page on the back page of the magazine where the QRReader code was displayed. Tell me how am I supposed to scan it with my iPhone when it is in that condition?. 
 
+- unable to scan QR code due to the crumpled page -+
  • I pre-book meal in my ticket booking but I don’t know whether a drink is provided with the meal. So I ask politely to the cabin crew and she replied with annoying voice and says “we only give mineral water!”. Is it that difficult for your cabin crew to reply politely to your customer?. Can’t she just tell me nicely if I want drinks, I have to pay for it as you only provide mineral water?. I don’t mind to pay for the drinks but I do mind paying for a flight ticket that gives me bad customer service
 +- my pre-booked meal with the paid-on-board drinks -+

(3) After landing
We arrived at LCCT airport, Kuala Lumpur at 6.30 a.m. For parents travelling with baby and toddler; we will usually encounter several difficulties to handle our child as they were already tired during the long haul journey, jetlag due to time difference, hungry baby and it all end up with one grumpy little child. 

That’s when a stroller become the ultimate aid as we can put our child on it and hang our carry-on bags to the stroller and then only we can proceed to comfort the child.

+- before take-off -+

 +- during take-off -+

+- still sleeping even after the touch-down -+

Unfortunately I am not able to comfort my son after the long flight journey because this is what happened next :
  •   I have to focus on carrying the hand luggage down the steps in front of the aircraft door; went up the steps again to get my child and all of these are done without any help from your cabin crew or your ground staff.
  • We have to walk on the airport pavement for 1-2 km as the plane was parked far away from the terminal door. I have to carry my hand luggage and carry my son and walk quite far; what a great early morning exercise. I was thinking, “wouldn’t it be nice if I have my child’s stroller with me so that I don’t have to carry my 12kg son on my hip and carry my 7kg luggage on my hand as well as carrying 3kg laptop bag on my shoulder?”. 
  •  It is quite dangerous walking on the airport pavement near to the taxiway and runway with my child; what with the airplane around; with the ground equipment stuffs are all over the place; with the runway transport and luggage transport moving here and there without any gate barrier or even a mobile temporary gate along the walk from the plane to the terminal door. 
  • What make it even more dangerous is that only one staff is showing the right way to go while your other ground staffs seems very busy talking to each other on the drama episodes they watch last night (I overheard them talking). It will be much safer if I can put my son on his stroller. In the end, even if my child can already walk I still have to carry him on my hip because I don’t want to be worried that he might be hit by the ground transport on the airport pavement while walking/running on the runway.
      +- information provided in the Air Asia website -+

 
(4) At the terminal
I picked up my luggage and headed through the arrival gate. But before that, I went to toilet but unfortunately I am not being able to do anything there because the toilet inside the terminal is too dirty and smells so bad.

I went to baby room to change my son’s diaper and the same condition occurs at the baby room. The room is smelly and soaked disposable diapers are all over the place because the bin is full. Like it or not, I have to change my child’s diapers and bring home my son’s soaked disposable diapers.





These bad experiences with your flight and airport services leave me with this 6 questions:
  • Does Air Asia X have any protocol in place for staff to follow the information provided in your website and also to treat your polite customers nicely?

  • If you do have a protocol, does the response I describe above fit with it? In particular are your staffs allowed to ask passenger to make payment for the items that are free to check in and direct passengers to make the payment rather than help them nicely?

  • Can I get the refund on the payment that I have been 'forced' to make for my child's stroller?.

  • Do you condone staff rudeness to passengers, and are they ever allowed to replied impolitely to the request made politely by the passenger? 

  • Why is it that the information given in your website is not so useful as it is not the same with the one at the check-in counter?

  •   Do you consider it is safe for the passengers to walk on the airport pavement without even putting clear signs on which way to go, or putting any barrier to show the limits to the boundary area that passenger can’t step in?

I am waiting for the answers to these questions because the experiences that I encounter during my flight with you are totally different with what you promised in your website. One of Air Asia X values is to offer “Low Fare, No Frills: Providing guests with the choice of customizing services without compromising on quality and services”.  


Unfortunately, as your passenger, I feel that your quality of customer service and safety is quite bad.  I would like to know if in addition to being a low-cost airline, Air Asia X is a low-service airline and a low-courtesy airline. If it is, I will make my future travel choices accordingly, and ensure that my friends and family do likewise.


I await your response.

Yours faithfully;
A frustrated D7 523 passengers.
(MSc in European Master Studies in Aeronautics and Space Technology)
==================================================================================
Pssssttt : Mr Tony, if you read this I will gladly post any reply you choose to send. I await for your response.

 ## other passengers complaints that I found regarding to Air Asia service --> AirAsia, never again?
 

 

35 words of wisdom & comments:

MRS. K ^ibuhadifhessa^ said...

gudjob sis! i tak penah pulak jadi camni. yang slalu jadi fly delay je la.. huhuh..

Buyuiazliana said...

do u did something to forward this message to tony? if not please do something...biar dia tahu. kita byr for service bukan mintak muka masam staff dia.

Hanis MY said...

huhu sieynyo la.. ore dulu naik aa maso balik jishin, sapa loni tokse naik doh huhuhu...

misha.w said...

sgt sokong! i pun sakit jiwa, pernah terkena time fly berdua with my baby on AA from KL-Labuan. Rasa nak nangis sbb FA AA tak tolong lgsg!

Ijah EmoTemo said...

aduhh kesian nya akak. mmg patut tulis mcm ni. huhu.

Cool said...

u shud snap her/his pic. bukti@!~

apakCikidong said...

bagi kat twitter dia skali... :D

Mimiamilia said...

Yati..should go to air asia fanpage and post this entri on their wall.Ataupun..bagi kat nisa (our junior) dia keje air asia..

useryna said...

Oooh Mr Tony..please read this letter!!!

Sangat berharap dia baca surat k.yati and dia improve apa yang patut..huhu

*Mode susah hati sebab dah ter'booked' Air Asia..huhu*

Ezna Khalili said...

I agree sangat2 muka masam FA masa flight nak balik ke Malaysia from Indonesia. Boleh berborak borak instead of say thanks to me....

☆♥L@dy @yU♥☆ said...

check in kat haneda airport tue selalunyer nihonjin yg layan khen....last january ai blk ngan AA gak but prob kat situew x der plak maybe sebab darl ai speak nihongo not eng then alhamdulliah kat situ di permudahkan....just yg delay tu mmg sakit hati sebab our flight delay almost 1 hour then bila smpi LCCT kl luggage plak kuar lmbt almost 45 minute br ai dapat...then tergesa2 gi check in nak blk penang plak....kat kaunter siap tnya ngan nada perli awat la cik semua datang AWAL sgt... lagi 15minute flight nk fly dah...ai dah hangin then ckp bkn slh kami dah flight delay , luggage plak kuar lambat mmg bengang giler....

bab layanan x friendly tue mmg dah tahu sebab kiter bayar murah so dapat pun layanan low class la....rasa bab layanan ni MR tony kena hantar theyols punya staff dtg training ngan nihonjin kat sini, manner pun kurang....senyum bkn kena bayar pun khen....

Oyis said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Oyis said...

PS: i hope u get a refund. did u get a glimpse of the steward(ess)' name tag? patut report semua2, from kaunter to FA. gaji depa sket sgt kot, tu muka kelat2 semua

Oyis said...

will definitely keep this in mind when we fly next. so far x pernah guna AAX lg...

nieda said...

kalau i kena pun hangin juga. hopefully dpt refund balik duit tu

So.Am.I said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Teratak Hami said...

Kesiannya awak, dilayan begitu. Akak tak suka bab stroller tu. Memang tak patut betul. Boleh imagine camne awak jalan dgn dukung anak dan barang2 semua. Akak pergi Medan ok jer dgn AA. Maybe 1 jam jer kot.

Unknown said...

yatie

last time, my hubby pnh tulis blog pasal airasia ni. and Mr Tony reply. maybe you can just email or tweeter him. at least kasik inform, how he act on this matters doesnt matter. at least kita luahan unsatisfactory kita with AA

http://kambingbujang.com/2008/05/08/mas-has-crossed-over-the-line-disturbing-air-asia-business/

reitak said...

OMG!! This is so ridiculous...Pnah fly AA with AIR few times and it was ok...AAX pulak la yg wat hal huh? mmmmm

hopefully he replies and you get that refund!! Giler lah, threatening you to pay!!

mazni_azis said...

bravo ucu...:)...nk tgu jugak mr tony reply apa....

Farah said...

i pon dah banned nak naik airasia ni..servis teruk sangat.

Now kitorang tukar firefly plak.lagipon kat airport subang dekat dengan rumah dari nak menapak jauh ke lcct tu.

Unknown said...

yatie,
actually everything comes with a price..even if you dont have to pay it with money..see this as an example..now im glad that i've never fly with air asia..maybe i would never try...

semoga u dapat refund stroller tu.. teruk betul kan..

atoyissan said...

yatie..last flight ke perth stroller kimi blh jek bwk naik smp ke tangga flight..masa nk naik tangga baru crew lipat masuk dlm luggage bawah..knp you kena extra charge? cuma masa di airport perth..stroller kena check in di counter..lepas tu ada extra baby stroller utk parents guna (yg ni dkt perth airport jek takde dkt lcct)..tapi part entertainment kit dan customer service mmg buruk la..

kalau tony dh reply..you paste dkt blog tau..nk gak dengar aper comment dia

Min Aina Ila Aina said...

Hantar betul-betul tau, hak pelanggan. Teruk betul perangai staf. Memang patut ambik je nama staf tu biar kena basuh.

Zaila Mohamad said...

bagus buat lagu ni..kurang2 Mr Tony tu tahu kelemahan service diorang ni

yatie chomeyl said...

Mrs K : tu la, kalau flight delay boleh terima lagi..ni mcm2 hal tu yg x leh sabar ni

buyuiazliana : I dh fwd kat Air Asia, kat fesbuk and kat titter diorg

Hanis : bakpo xsey naik doh ? ado kejadian x best jugop ko?

yatie chomeyl said...

Misha : memang diorg x tolong lansung jugak ye?

Ijah Emo Temo : tu la, akak bukan saja2 nak complaint tp dasyat sgt service diorg

Jiji : tu la, next time mmg kena snap segala bukti

yatie chomeyl said...

Cikidong : dah bagi :)

kak Mimi : dah send kat page diorg dah..skrg tgh tggu feedback diorg

useryna : kalau gitu, kena hati2 la...so that u wont experienced the same experience as I do

yatie chomeyl said...

Ummi Dania Yasmine : mmg diorg payah nk senyum kan?

lady ayu : tp sbnrnya tiket diorg bukan murah sgt, lebih kurang je dgn MAS. i je gatal2 nak naik sbb nak try. tobat lepas ni tak mo try dah

oyis : I hope so too

yatie chomeyl said...

nieda : I pun hatrap2 dpt balik la coz I tak sepatutnya kena bayar pun

teratak hami : susah kan kak kalau ada anak kecil then tak de stroller..dh la brg berat huhhuhu

kambing bujang : entah dia nak reply ke x lah apa yg I tulis ni huhuhuuh

yatie chomeyl said...

Reitak : yup, I pun pernah fly fgn AA so far Ok tapi service AAX mmg sucks huuhuh

angah : kita sama2 tunggu apa dia nak kata

farah : tu la, naik firefly lg sennag..xyah gi ariport jauh2 ye dak?

yatie chomeyl said...

Rai : teh thing is tiket AAX bukan murah sgt pun..also I complaint untuk apa yang tak sepatutnya I bayar...sigh..I pun harap I dapat balik refund duit I tu

atoyis : tu la, mmg dh state dkat dlm website tu yg I bengan sgt tu

yatie chomeyl said...

Aina : dah hantar betul2..tengah tunggu feedback je ni

zaila : dio meme tahu doh kot, sajo buat2 x tahu huuhuhuh

e.l.i.z.@ said...

doh la mhl caj utk stroller tu..on the spot keno byr, kalu xdop duit gak, demo nk tohok la stroller tu? haiyaaaaaa

cikpuanhady said...

ha, sepatutnya stroller tu takyah bayar, kebanyakannya boleh bawah sampai kat tangga plane or before memasuki plane dan depa akan letak kat luggage khas utk stroller kot.. tapi ade jugak sesetgh airline/airport mmg kena bagi masa check in tapi tak perlu bayar..

dan setakat ni, stroller tu kitorg amik kat tmpt amik beg juga, kekadang ada sekali ngan tmpt beg, kekadang ada tmpt khas utk stroller..

tapi memang tak patutlah cara diorang handle customer camgitu..

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