4 December 2011
The gloves are off: AirAsia’s public campaign against the airport tax hike imposed by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) that took off on Thursday may have taken some by surprise, but the low-cost carrier’s discontent with MAHB has been brewing for a long time.
Abasir: AirAsia is operating in an environment increasingly shaped and governed by an incompetent and now politically arrogant and jealous GLC (government-linked company).
Much of the acrimony and venom comes from the fact that the airline is the brainchild of Tony Fernandes.
Instead of building on the strength of the business model and complementing it, instead of facilitating greater job creation, and doing everything possible to support spotlighting Malaysia as a destination, the Umno-ised GLC which also takes in taxpayer funds, has decided it will do everything to undermine it.
This is typical of Umno and its ‘dog in the manger’ mindset. All of this is not to say that AirAsia is beyond improvement.
It must continue to add real value, increase flyer options and be innovative even as it battles the small minds and imbeciles in Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).
Anonymous_3e86: AirAsia is no better than MAHB. MAHB is trying to milk money from the airlines, while AirAsia milks money from the passengers by imposing heavy penalties.
In the end, it’s the fare-paying public who suffer. Look at KLIA – it looks more like a ‘pasar malam’ (night market) than an international airport. KLIA used to have wide open spaces leading to the waiting lounges. Now it is crowded and very chaotic.
Pandee Sutoo: AirAsia is fighting hard for MAHB not to raise taxes so that they can raise their own fees.
For passengers, it is the net price they pay that matters. If the net price is too close to MAS’ price, passengers will ditch AirAsia.
No one bothers whether it’s because of this tax or not. Even in paying by credit card, one has to pay ‘convenience’ fees. How else is one expected to pay for a flight booking?
They also fought hard against using the aerobridge. I’ve been stranded a few times in the plane at the LCCT (Low-Cost Carrier Terminal) during heavy rain as no one could disembark.
This is pure and simple greed. If the outgoings are high, AirAsia cannot charge more.
Borg Kinaulu: I don’t know about others, but personally I have felt bullied, harassed – both verbally, psychologically and physically – by AirAsia and its employees, hence I am unable to muster any sympathy for Tony Fernandes.
Socialist007: A majority of Malaysians support the free-market system. Then why we are complaining about AirAsia since Fernandes is running a business on a free-market basis? We can choose other airline services.
Why is it other airlines like MAS and even SIA (Singapore Airlines) cannot sell very cheap air tickets
140V: Please look into the mirror, AirAsia. Recently I booked a flight ticket for five persons by credit card, and though I paid with just one swipe of the card, I was charged RM16 x 5 = RM80. This is daylight robbery!
VoteforChange: I know AirAsia is only collecting the airport tax on MAHB’s behalf. But could someone in AirAsia please clarify if you have settled the past arrears in full? Are you guys now paying the amounts collected from the passengers to MAHB on timely basis?
If AirAsia is merely an agent of MAHB in collecting airport tax, please explain what happens to the airport tax portion in the event of a forfeiture.
If AirAsia’s model is to allow passengers to pay only what they want, why are you forcing them to only consume F&B (food and beverages) that you offer on board?
Shouldn’t they be given a choice to bring their own, at least drinking water? RM3 for a small bottle of drinking water when they’re dehydrated at 35,000ft is absolutely unethical.
Most importantly, if AirAsia shares the same opinion like the rest of us that the present LCCT is so pathetic, why did you insist on staying back and pressured MAHB to expand that temporary structure when they offered you a new, permanent LCCT back in 2007?
Now that the situation in the present LCCT is in such critical state, why not move back to the main terminal? If you have agreed to utilise the under-utilised main terminal, there is even no need to talk about the so-called klia2, and billions worth of public funds could have been saved.
If you have no vested interest in the airport tax increase as claimed, let the consumer and ultimately, the rakyat, be the judge and decide. I don’t see a need for AirAsia to launch a campaign of this magnitude.
Md Yazid Atan: If AirAsia is world’s best low budget airline as recognised by Skytracks International, then we Malaysians should be proud of it. Instead, we complain about the fares when in actual fact it is much lower than many other airlines.
I travel a lot and I know it. It is our choice if we want to stay in a five-star hotel and get five-star treatment or stay in a two-star hotel and get two-star treatment.
Please don’t go to a two-star hotel and demand for five-star treatment. You are either crazy or stupid.
Not Convinced: Yes, Md Yazid. But there is world of difference between getting what you pay for (as you have rightly pointed out) and being fleeced as consumers.
In other parts of the world, they have the Consumer Protection Act. We too have one, but the authorities pay lip-service to it.
Source: www.malaysiakini.com
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