22 June 2021
A PENAMPANG resident has taken AirAsia to task for failing to inform him that his flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu had been cancelled.
ANDRE said he was shocked to learn about the cancellation when he arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2 on April 10.
“No prior notification about the cancellation was emailed to me,” he said, adding that be bought his ticket “months earlier”.
“The ground-staff, whom I approached at the airport, informed me that I would have to reschedule my flight on my own.”
He later learned that he would only be able to fly back to KK with AirAsia on the following day.
Andre enquired if he would be reimbursed, or at least partially subsidised, for his overnight stay. He was told that this would not be possible.
He could not understand how this could have happened considering he provided the airline with all his contact details, including his email and handphone number.
“I am very disappointed with AirAsia’s policy and its handling of this matter.
“I was almost stranded at the KLIA because I was caught off-guard by this change. Thankfully, I managed to secure a hotel room at the last minute.”
Andre related his grievance in a letter to Hotline which was forwarded to the firm.
AirAsia Chief Customer Happiness Officer Adam Geneave empathised with the passenger’s frustrations, saying that the airline was trying its best to keep flight disruptions to a minimum.
“Guest satisfaction is always our top priority,” he said.
Nevertheless, he refuted the customer’s claim that he was not informed in advance about the cancellation of his flight.
He said a check revealed that notifications were sent to all the affected passengers more than two weeks before their April 10-departure.
“All guests on the flight were notified about the cancellation on March 23, via their registered email.
“They were offered a transfer to the next available flight, or another flight of their choice on the same route, free of charge.”
Despite confirming that the resident flew on April 11, “without further incident”, Geneave declined to explain the reason for the cancellation.
“When a cancellation occurs, AirAsia notifies all the affected guests as soon as possible via email.
“We offer a range of provisions to help minimise the inconvenience.”
When asked if these “provisions” included reimbursement for additional costs which passengers might incur due to the cancellation, he said no such compensation was offered.
“Expenses for additional hotel stays or Covid tests have to be shouldered by our customers.”
He urged passengers to keep the airline apprised of any changes to their contact information.
“It is important for guests to ensure that their contact details are up to date so that they can stay informed about any flight changes, if and when they occur.
“It is also advisable for guests to check their flight status online, before they fly.”
Geneave said this could be done online via AirAsia’s chatbot: AVA.
Source: dailyexpress.com.my
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