Fly Air Asia? Not Me. The Other AirAsia.Com Website

Are AirAsia 'babes' - marketed as flying prostitutes?

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:36:00 +0000

breaking news

AirAisa stewardesses know how it feels to be treated like cheap sex objects. As if it is not enough mucking out toilets, the airline's tacky advertising has painted each as a 'hostess meets whore' for over a decade.

Consider headlines: "The new girl has finally arrived. She's twice the fun and half the price" or "Now taking reservations. The seat, not the girl". This is the way AirAsia demean staffers. We are going to show you how tasteless, dangerous promotions play out in reality.

Take the disturbing video and pictures that pepper the Internet, where perverted individuals and amateur pornographers photograph stewardesses' behinds, breasts and up their skirts. This is a mild example.

This website hastens to add that none of the lewd or distasteful photographs featured in this article were taken or commissioned by our team. Such pictures are abundant on the Internet. As it happens, airlines that do not sexually exploit stewardesses do not feature significantly - at least not in a pornified manner - on the Net. AirAsia habitually demean staff - and appear infinitely more regularly than most on smutty sites.

According to insiders, a decade of demeaning AirAsia advertisments and objectification of its crew has manifested into many offending passengers 'competing' and using mobile devices to take lewd photographs, and a number of alleged unreported sexual assaults. You are surprised? Let's just say that AirAsia's passengers are hardly civilised travelers.Trailer trash ..

AirAsia don't think twice about draping 'bimbos' en masse over some geeky male passenger in what looks like a still from a sex video. Perhaps we could have a competition to give the sex movie a title. Maybe it could star the old perv in the 'Blow Me!' t-shirt.

As a low-cost operator flying tens of thousands of Australian passengers, we're wondering if AirAsia are subject to legislation governing the Australian workplace. If so, the Malaysians could be in for a rude awakening. Have they not heard of Collective Shout?

"Wow ... you mean that headline doesn't give middle aged tourists permission to cop a friendly feel of my booty?" "If they're lucky, maybe they can dance up against this little Asian girl back in the galley."

Does the sexist treatment manifest itself in less obvious, but nonetheless negative ways? Do the young girls themselves begin to act out this image that has been pinned upon them by the AirAsia airline?

Do they have a say in it? If they are expected to act like playful sex bunnies against their better judgement, and arguably against their will, who among them is going to put their hand up and complain??

It is patently obvious that stewardesses from Singapore Airlines, and even Malaysia Airlines to a degree, are considerably more urbane and refined than the type of staff AirAsia sets out to attract. Does that, however, mean that girls who are not as worldly should be subjected to such sexist treatment from AirAsia?

It is telling that major AirAsia shareholder Sir Richard Branson lost a very public bet with AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes - a typically puerile PR stunt - and wagered what both decided was the ultimate humiliation. The loser had to dress up as an AirAsia stewardess. We think that says rather a lot, don't you? While we have people such as sleazy old Sir Dick treating staff like objects he can pick up and manhandle, have we really got any hope? Really, have you ever seen a multinational CEO picking up one of his staff in a short dress and parading her before the press? Tacky. Note - above - that Tony Fernandes cannot even spell the word stewardess.

While we doubt Malaysia will ever implement anything approaching adequate workplace practices, we'll let you enjoy your morning coffee ... or as the AirAsia girls would say, "Coffee, Tea, or me?" Please consider this before you next make your AirAsia online booking.

"The new girl has finally arrived. She's twice the fun and half the price".

DRUG SMUGGLING PILOT: Malysian airline pilots - underpaid, underqualified ... untrustworthy?

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:16:00 +0000

We have written about AirAsia's offhand attitude toward safety in the past, including where its management make crass statements regarding your welfare. We have also alerted readers to pilots radically substandard pay and harsh working conditions that are completely out of step with universally accepted standards. Indeed, we likened its pilots to 'indentured prostitutes'. See the articles HERE & HERE

Only today, an on-duty Malaysian pilot has been arrested in Australia for importing heroin and methamphetamine. This wasn't a small baggie, Australian police found an astonishing five kilograms (11 pounds) of crystal methamphetamine.

The 30-year-old, working for Malaysian Airlines [MAS] - an airline with several AirAsia Management on its Board, including AirAsia's CEO, Tony Fernandes - was arrested when customs officers searched his suitcase when he arrived at Sydney airport on a flight from KL.

Guess we know what the Malaysian pilot's top priority was - and it definitely was not flight safety.

Considering the mandatory death penalty the unnamed pilot would face in Malaysia, what would motivate a qualified professional to take such a huge risk?

Is he a chronic gambler with a serious addiction? Does he suffer other addictions, as is often the case with those with gambling issues - depression, alcoholism, criminality? Indeed, is he supporting his own drug habit - methamphetamine being commonly used by long haul truck drivers and those that need to stay awake beyond the limits of the human body? [... and leading to countless disastrous accidents]. Sound familiar? Our readers will surely not have forgotten the offhand remarks of AirAsia's conniving Connor McCarthy:

"Connor McCarthy says AirAsia's operating secrets aren't so secret: a lot of small cuts on the cost side and a lot of incremental increases on the revenue side. A no-frills airline requires fewer staffers -- Singapore Airlines flies nearly the same number of passengers but has four times as many employees -- and Southeast Asia's labor costs are low. Regulations are more lax too; a Ryanair pilot can only fly 900 hours a year under European Union law, but AirAsia's crew can log 1,000."

Jeff Chu - Washington Post/Portfolio.com: Business Travel, Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Is this lax attitude toward safety/remuneration - not to mention maintenance - leading to airlines such as AirAsia and MAS becoming a very real risk to fly?

The last time we received any comment from AirAsia answering our charges on this website, indeed the only time we received any comment from AirAsia, was from a representative named 'Mero' from "AirAsia Blog" - find that link HERE - you will see the staffer contended, "Sure, some pilots manage to do some crazy stuff on our flights, but they get their just punishments just as any other offender would when they do crazy stuff that affects others." Wow! We appreciate honesty, but we're probably not alone in being a little bit afraid by that admission, wouldn't you agree? In fact, it's a little bit scary to say such a thing. Perhaps he was high???

Malaysia's Sunday Times reported some time ago: "The rising number of budget airlines in the region is causing a boom ... which is turning into a conveyor belt churning out pilots for the low-cost carriers".

When the pilot under arrest in Australia graduated from the Malaysian Flying Academy [MFA] in 2001, the course fee was RM150,000 [S$64,500]. Let's not forget that this is in many respects a third world country, or an emerging economy if we are being generous.

AirAsia's McCarthy leaves no doubt as to Malaysia's lax regulations, and how AirAsia and presumably its sister, Malaysian Airlines, are only too happy to exploit them.

Is this why the Malaysian pilot was motivated to smuggle drugs? Was he simply chasing his tail trying to clear his debts? Maybe the following passage points to the reason he - and those like him - feel compelled to risk their life - and arguably those of their passengers:

The AirAsia Training Programme

Commercial Pilot Licence with a ‘Frozen’ ATPL

ONLY the training cost is sponsored by AirAsia. All other expenses such as accommodation and food plus all other miscellaneous expenditure will be borne by the cadets. All cadet pilots will repay the cost of training through monthly deductions over a period of fifteen (15) years commencing from the time they are employed by AirAsia and commence their line training as Second Officers. In addition to this the cadets will have to sign a training bond for the type-rating course on the Boeing 737 or the Airbus A320. In the event the cadet pilot is unsuccessful at any stage of the training the cadet is obliged to repay AirAsia all the training cost that had been expended up to the stage of termination plus any administrative costs. With the very fast pace of expansion of AirAsia there is abundant opportunity for all ambitious candidates who are willing to work hard.

[Source: Air Asia's website, according to flydamnit.com]

http://www.flydamnit.com/2007/01/04/air-asia-cadet-pilot/

Let alone the stress of working hours that most international pilots would refuse, consider the undue financial pressure that an AirAsia graduate pilot is under to repay his training. Yes, they have to repay every cent - hence being indentured prostitutes.

It would take a pilot his or her lifetime to pay back a student loan - particularly on the reduced wages of the cut-price carriers such as AirAsia. Wouldn't you also harbor a degree of resentment toward an employer/teacher that boasts such a draconian HRM policy as this, treating me like I was in a juvenile facility? It stands to reason that these people who have our lives in their hands are simply in a holding pattern and waiting to land a decent salary with one of the major airlines, that will afford them more respect.

Now, we don't want to cast dispersions on the already fraught cut-price pilots, however, it seems that the public have the right to know that they are in all probability going to get a rookie who is rather B-Team vis a vis experience. And today's drug bust simply cements the fact that lax regulations and emerging countries rife with corruption are not providing us with the caliber of professional our families deserve.

AirAsia CEO, Tony Fernandes, has contrived to become the single biggest shareholder of former arch rival Malaysia Airlines - and all with the blessings of the Malaysian Government. Read the article HERE if you want to attempt to grasp why the Malaysian aviation industry has fallen into such sad disrepute.

Tony Fernandes: ""I know Malaysians very well," said Fernandes, a native of Malaysia. "If you put a fare low enough, they'll risk their lives," he said, as the crowd laughed."

Tony Fernandes - World Low Cost Airline Convention, thestar.com, 2009

Many have already pointed to dire reductions in MAS standards since the AirAsia merger. When does one decide that a cheap flight isn't worth risking their life over? We'll have to leave that question to you. Think about this next time you are considering your AirAsia online booking. Fly AirAsia? Not Me.

Life's fun when you're an AirAsia paraplegic

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:19:00 +0000

Why is our AirAsia cripple smiling?

Are you on a meager disability pension? Do you struggle to make ends meet? Smile .. because you get hit with an extra charge that others don't have to pay. In a nutshell the disabled are about as welcome on AirAsia as dog excrement on a pair of Nike running shoes.

Who finds AirAsia's latest 'smiley' poster offensive?

You have got to love AirAsia spending millions upon millions of dollars sponsoring international football and F1 teams - yet force disabled pensioners to pay a penalty to get onto one of their planes. Worse still, they have the nerve to paint you as happy campers.

We did a story on this once before - HERE. Who on earth would create such a tasteless piece of point-of-sale? Who would approve something this crass and deceptive? Curiously, it seems that old people, pregnant people or mothers with newborn babies are not portrayed as wearing a permanent grin. Are the people in wheelchairs intellectually disabled perhaps? Still, they are all corralled to the special needs counter, where they get to sign waivers and pay fees.

Really, AirAsia, when are you going to stop lying about your exploits? You are truly bereft of any morals.

Before you make your next AirAsia online booking, spare a thought to just who advertises: "Now everyone can fly" - and those passengers that actually can't.

Many thanks to the AirAsia staff who keep us up to date with the activities of this crooked airline.

Cut-Price? AirAsia Online More Expensive than Qantas, British Airways and Singapore Airlines ..

noreply@blogger.com (Fly AirAsia? Not Me.) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:10:00 +0000

Malaysia Airlines SGD $630.40
Qantas SGD $748.10
Tiger Airways SGD $766.62
British Airways SGD $802.20
Singapore Airlines SGD $854.20
AirAsia SGD $932.00

THE SURVEY *

Holiday Airfare Survey was conducted on Wednesday 23rd of November, with all Singapore-Perth return flight searches being made online 10am - 5PM. In each instance, the lowest economy fare offered by each airline was the one selected and featured in the survey - all fare data was taken from each airline's own website, not from airfare aggregators such as Expedia.com. For all holidays there was a standard departure date of 05/12/2001 and return of 31/12/2011, though the actual arrival and departure times obviously differ among the various operators, kept within 24hours. Screen captures at the base of this article will evidence each fare.

The Holiday Airfares Survey has revealed opportunistic low-cost operators are frequently more expensive than full-service airlines like Qantas and Singapore Airlines. We conducted our study and discovered that AirAsia hiked their holiday airfares so high, the no-frills operator is now more expensive than the top-shelf full-service carriers.

What's most amazing about AirAsia slugging families with this artificially inflated holiday fare is that it doesn't even offer a direct flight to our first sample holiday survey destination - Singapore to Perth. The unfortunate AirAsia passengers are held captive in transit for a good part of a day in KL. Regardless of this less than ideal schedule and cattle-class transfer, the fare is SGD $300 more than reputable full-service airline, Malaysia Airlines.

As explained by a guest on Tripadvisor: "If you check, most of the airlines are full-service - and among the most awarded airlines in the world. They don't demand extra fees in addition to the booking for seat allocation, stowed luggage, food and drink, et al. The MOST expensive holiday fare on the sample routes by a considerable margin was the 'cut-price' - AirAsia - boasting fares that include none of the comforts/necessities of the full-service outfits. So, why are they so much more darned expensive?"

The respected full-service carriers - but not MAS - all offer direct flights. As AirAsia is not able to offer a direct flight, could that perhaps explain why it is more expensive than other airines? Well, another 'cut-price' airline in the survey is Tiger Airways, which also has its own stopover on the Singapore to Perth route, yet its fare is one of the lowest in our pre-holiday survey.

Currently, there is an AirAsia Singapore campaign touting new year flights to Melbourne and Perth from SGD $189, as opposed to their current holiday gift to you, where you pay SGD $932 for no legroom and crap service. How many $189 flights do they actually release for sale to the public, hmm?

Malaysia Airlines are offering the lowest fare of ALL the carriers, albeit with a short stopover under an hour and a half. Should we applaud MAS? Well, let's just say fares like this wouldn't have occurred before the recent takeover of Malaysia Airlines by the politician-laden board of AirAsia. Rest assured, 'Teflon Tony Fernandes' and Malaysia's bent politicians are already showing telltale signs of what they have in store for the two former Malaysian competitors. Stay tuned for our new expose in the next issue - our special Christmas follow-up to our original AirAsia scam report HERE.

Finally, we priced flights Singapore to Melbourne. Incredibly, before we factor in the typical extraneous 'cut-price' costs, versus none on full-service carriers, AirAsia was already over $200 more expensive than Qantas. What the heck? Isn't AirAsia supposed to be a cut-price operator? Again, let's not forget that we haven't included any of the add-ons that you will incur with AirAsia, such as food & drink, check-in luggage, seating allocation, et al. Let's add $50 for that. Take a good look at yourself, AirAsia?? We are going to be onto you like Sea Shepherd blitz around Japanese whaling boats.

The moral is do not blindly rely on cut-price carriers to offer cheaper flights - they frequently do not. They are polished conmen marketeers and they are clearly relying on people blindly assuming that 'cut-price' will be significantly cheaper than full-service carriers. Further, shop around - in advance. Last minute deals are for hotels, not airlines - AirAsia push the prices way up when they know we most desperately need to travel, during holidays plus when it's unexpected and on short notice. Do not use aggregators such as Expedia.com for anything but research - they are significantly more expensive than going directly to the airline's website. Do not believe their lowest price guarantees - as that is a marketing scam. Use the aggregator to shop online for the cheaper alternatives, then go to the airline website and be nicely surprised by the 10-30% you will save.

THE EVIDENCE *

1. Singapore to Perth - terms as above

Malaysia Airlines

Tiger

British Airways

Qantas

Singapore Airlines

AirAsia

2. Singapore to Melbourne - terms as above

Qantas/BA

AirAsia

Government allows AirAsia and MAS 'merger' ..

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 10:36:00 +0000

Tony Fernandes has contrived to become the single biggest shareholder of arch rival Malaysia Airlines - and all with the blessings of the Malaysian Government.

Yes, it's too silly - and fishy - to be true, but it's a done deal. According to 'The Star Online": "Sources said the deal, which was struck last week after negotiations over the past year, became urgent after MAS' poor showing in the last two quarters." It would appear that now AirAsia, which has been known to have the special “abilities” to owe airport taxes to the tune of more than RM125 million since it inception until 2010, has been made out to look like a white knight for MAS. Please wake up, Malaysia!

This is eerily similar to how Fernandes and ex-political allies of Dr Maharthir came to own AirAsia, paying just a Dollar for the privilege. Is this history repeating? A perfectly good airline allowed to fall into disarray, or made to appear as if it is in trouble, and snapped up for nix courtesy of the same incumbent players. As we pointed out once before, most of AirAsia's Board of Directors are retired politicians, all allies of one Dr Maharthir. The rule of thumb must be, get out of politics and get into a dirty airline.

AirAsia's original dirty deal HERE

And what are those same politicians cooking up this time? Only time will tell. You certainly wouldn't see an anticompetitive deal like this approved in any civilised country, then this is Malaysia. Even the one-eyed news portal and Government mouthpiece, The Star Online, wrote: "Industry players expressed surprise at the deal because of past animosity between the management of the two airlines. Those who were aware of the negotiations were also surprised at the speed at which it was concluded. Fernandes declined to comment when asked about the deal." Surprise, surprise.

As one blogger wrote: " This 'share swap deal' is a joke. THE PERTINENT QUESTION NOW: IS AIRASIA BAILING OUT MAS OR MAS HAS BEEN USED AS A VEHICLE TO BAIL OUT AIRASIA? AirAsia buys MAS’ RM1.60/share using their own money but Khazanah buys AA’s RM3.95/share thru taxpayers’ money? In quantum, we pay more to get some part of AA while AA pay less to get ownership in national carrier?" And AirAsia laugh all the way to the bank.

Meet AirAsia's Politicians!

DATO' PAHAMIN AB. RAJABChairman, Air Asia

TAN SRI DATO' (DR.) R.V.
NAVARATNAM
Independent Non Executive Director

*Retired '08

DATO' LEONG SONNY,
Non Executive Director

DATUK ALIAS BIN ALI,
Independent Non Executive Director

Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad
Adviser & Mentor - Honorary

Fernandes said, "I had this desire to start an airline and I thought a low-fare airline would work very well in Malaysia. So I went around and started putting the plans together. I roped in three partners — Datuk Pahamin, Aziz and Kamarudin, for starters. Datuk Pahamin helped arrange a meeting with then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad.

"Fernandes pilots AirAsia to greater heights." Kang Siew Li, New Straits Times, Saturday, December 20, 2003

He said it was easy for people to criticise the Government and say they were not given equal opportunities. "Let me tell you that I am living proof of someone who had no political backing. Through sheer hard work and determination, which every one of us is capable of, we can succeed.

Faridah Begum - The Star, March 07, 2008

Air Asia seems to be blessed with what could only be described as a divine almost heavenly relationship with politicians. Why??

After brokering the introduction between Mahathir and Tony Fernandes, political heavyweight Pahamin beat a hasty retreat from official politics. He immediately reemerged as the Non-Executive Chairman of Air Asia - which also happened to be the airline Malaysia's PM sold them for $1.

Amazing. An honest Malaysian Member of Parliament

Before you make your next AirAsia online booking, please be sure to read the article HERE and HERE by Wee Choo Keong, one of the very, very few Malaysian Members of Parliament to question the AirAsia deals over the years - actually he goes them boots and all. It is an eye opener and you owe it to yourself to read this blog post. It's almost as good as or Not AirAsia online booking website.

AirAsia's dirty deal HERE

AirAsia Racist Slurs Backfire ...

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:15:00 +0000

"We're Asians, not a bunch of white

guys running the airlines"

In a classic piece of chutzpah, AirAsia's CEO attacked Asian carrier Tiger Airways in a Bangkok Post interview over a senior hire, saying he was skeptical over Westerners running any Asia-based businesses. Tony Fernandes criticised Tiger, and parent Singapore Airlines, as a result of their employing a Caucasian, saying: "We're Asians, not a bunch of white guys running the airlines." Fernandes skipped one important point ...

But ... a white guy created AirAsia

Tony is forgetting that an Irishman, Connor McCarthy, ex-head of Ryanair, is the undisputed brains behind AirAsia. Indeed, this flightglobal.com article here credits Connor McCarthy as being AirAsia's "co-founder' . Yes, it was Connor whom hatched the scheme of AirAsia's short-haul model and accordingly the birth of the cut-price industry, wait for it, across Asia: "After all, the long-haul operation was his [Fernandes'] original plan until former Ryanair executive Conor McCarthy, who became an AirAsia investor, persuaded him that the short-haul market had better prospects."

All this from a white man completely unfamiliar with Asia, is it possible? Indeed another flightglobal.com article here continues: "AirAsia co-founder and former Ryanair executive Conor McCarthy "tore it to pieces", says Fernandes, and instead they drafted the short-haul no-frills business plan that McCarthy ended up investing in." For once, it appears as if Tony is being honest. It wasn't Fernandes, with zero experience in running an airline, but the ex-Ryanair boss, McCarthy, who truly launched AirAsia.

Most recently, Fernandes followed this white faces idiocy with more puerile stirring: "Funny how SIA keeps putting foreigners in charge at their LCC (low cost carrier). Don't they have faith in Singaporeans. I do. My Commercial Head is a Singapore. Odd company. If I were a Singaporean, I would really be upset with SIA." People in glass houses, Tony, they shouldn't throw stones. Tiger Airways, headed by British Tony Davis, has naturally expressed disappointment over Fernandes' racist remarks in recent times. Maybe he can call Connor McCarthy for some colonial sympathy. Meanwhile, Fernandes is still basking in the false glory of having created AirAsia.

Tony, we'd imagine that the Singaporeans would be less affronted by their hugely successful national carrier employing a white face, than the outrageous scam that was perpetrated upon the Malaysian taxpayer when you and Connor McCarthy - and a gaggle of senior government ministers - inherited AirAsia for the princely sum of sixty cents. Tsk tsk, Tony - up to your old tricks again, hey? Yes, in case you missed the 'Sedition Edition' expose, Dr Mahathir was very good to his political allies. Think about this before making your next AirAsia online booking.

Read the infamous AirAsia

Malaysian Government rort report HERE .

http://bersih.org/

AirAsia online booking upgrade - are they still fraudulently witholding passengers' refunds?

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:05:00 +0000

"AirAsia's customers get a ticket via this Internet machine ... and they then get sent ... you call it email?? Gee whiz, that's a marvelous development, Wilbur. What if they are due a refund? I see, so AirAsia haven't cracked the technology for that."

It has been a while since we met the AirAsia technical guys, or indeed the crooked AirAsia marketing conmen. The last time we encountered them was as we exposed one of AirAsia's hugely profitable online ticketing scams, fraudulent graft that would break the law in every country on the planet, with the exception of Malaysia. The laws are somewhat different there. This is the story of AirAsia online booking practices - and it stinks.

“Due to the high volume of passengers, it is not easy for us to track the number of no-show passengers”

Kathleen Tan, Vice President Commercial, AirAsia

It was back in '07 we revealed that AirAsia had long been intentionally defrauding passengers - ludicrously claiming they were incapable of issuing refunds on airport taxes and fuel surcharges that should rightfully be returned to each and every passenger who misses their flight. Kathleen Tan said that it was quite impossible to track passengers to refund their money.

Huh?

Let's not forget that each time you use AirAsia online booking that they capture your credit card details and ask you for your email. Just how hard can it be to find you, we ask? Indeed, why doesn't the AirAsia Online Booking Department simply debit the money directly to your credit card??

Let's say a bank - your trusted bank - concocts the excuse that its infrastructure is incapable of performing a simple task of keeping a record of its accounts. Sure, it's a baseless claim in an age where computers can land an aircraft. Instead of rectifying the situation, they make an inane statement that 'it is not easy' returning the customers' money. The onus to discover that their property is unaccounted for is on Trusted Bank's customer.

Read this AirAsia newspaper article from '07 in which AirAsia acknowledges that they owe passengers a refund - but that passenger has to fetch it. As luck would have it, one in a thousand remember their money is missing. AirAsia isn't going to alert them for goodness sakes! Naturally they are entitled to have it back, but first they'll get the runaround. Has he got ID? Does he have the itinerary? Keep him waiting on the phone, disconnect the call. When he calls back, he gets another 'customer support' member - start the story again. Would anyone like to explain why they are not all in jail?

We'd like to offer Kathleen some advice. In our experience when a person arrives at your AirAsia check-in counter, a staff member enters those passenger details into your computer system, right? And when that passenger booked his/her ticket, you sent them an email itinerary, yes? Subtract the number of cattle that didn’t go up the chute, by those that did! Voila! There you have it - you might then inform absentees via that email that you have their money! Is that too high-tech for your airline?

We revealed that rip-off in November 2007 and contacted AirAsia, yet they have not changed a thing. But wait! Last week AirAsia announced that it's clearly archaic online booking system will be shut down from Friday to Sunday to allow a new, 'state-of-the-art' system to be put in place, touted to be a huge improvement over the current AirAsia online booking system. So, let's take a look at how far they've come - from the AirAsia site:

Click to see all upgrade parameters.

Good old Kathleen Tan in a media statement Wednesday said the new and improved system will spell for AirAsia’s guests "countless benefits, including savings that will come as a result of the more efficient operational processes" created by the new system. Savings? And how about refunding money they owe? Surely it would be unconscionable and morally reprehensible to continue this misrepresentation, wouldn't it?

Click to see our email to AirAsia CEO, Mr Tony Fernandes.

As you can see, we have contacted AirAsia's Mr Tony Fernandes and asked him if this means the hundreds of millions of dollars in misbegotten booty that AirAsia have been dishonestly pocketing since its inception is going to be returned to its faithful flock, or at very least whether it is their intention to commence issuing refunds now that the AirAsia online Booking system is completely revamped. We'll also ask for clarification of what precisely a "convenience fee" actually is - and indeed if this is one of the 'savings' that we can expect from AirAsia's online booking overhaul.

Professor Andrew Aeria asks AirAsia why they have introduced another "rip-off" in their "convenience fee"

An Open Letter to AirAsia published in Malaysiakini

by Prof. Madya Dr. Andrew Aeria

For some time now, AirAsia has been trumpeting the fact that customers only pay for their flight ticket costs and taxes. Its website loudly proclaims, 'No Admin Fee, No Fuel Surcharge, All Destinations!' Indeed, this fact is clearly seen in white reverse on a big red banner at the bottom of its main website and at various points during the online booking process.

Thus, imagine my consternation to discover that AirAsia recently decided to sneakily slip into its ticket charges a clandestine 'convenience fee' of RM5 per flight if one books a ticket via credit/ debit card! Excuse me but what 'convenience' exactly does this 'fee' give to those who buy tickets online?

It's only after you enter all your credit/debit card details when purchasing tickets in their web- booking system that the 'convenience fee' suddenly appears. AirAsia defines this 'convenience fee' as follows: 'Convenience Fee: Please take note that this fee is chargeable at 5.00 MYR per passenger for each way when payment is made through credit card or debit card only'.

Which really is not much of an explanation. Instead, it's just rhetoric, a vacuous statement reminiscent of unscrupulous retail traders charging their clients an extra service charge of between two to five percent on top of their advertised prices in shops – a sales tactic that is not only blatantly misleading and unfair but arguably illegal since businesses and their banker friends already make huge amounts of money from credit card users.

Pray tell AirAsia, has this charge been approved by the ministry concerned? Is it even legal? And why now when travelers have been purchasing tickets online ever since Day One of AirAsia's launch over eight years ago? Why no 'convenience fee' previously?

Or is it because AirAsia is now trying to re-coup its desperate corporate losses from its loyal (and some would say 'long-suffering') customers given AirAsia's inability to turn a profit on its business model due to overly ambitious expansion plans and shortsighted fuel-hedging policies?

Honestly, given the lack of competition and fair trade in Malaysia, we ordinary travelers and consumers suffer a lot of abuse. And it's these kinds of sneaky business practices that really see AirAsia test the goodwill of its patrons who want to see the airline succeed for the long term.

It's practices like this clandestine 'convenience fee' that demand the government enact a Fair Trade Act (like the one in Australia) that genuinely protects consumers from all unfair trade practices.

It is already irritating that the government has imposed a RM50 fee on all credit cards in the latest budget; a cockeyed 'one-size fits all' measure that punishes innocent and prudent credit card users along with all those who don't know how to manage their finances.

AirAsia's sneaky 'convenience fee' thus not only adds insult to the injury of all credit/debit card users but also seeks to emulate the government's cockeyed one-size fits all approach of making travelers pay for the corporate bungles of its over-ambitious management.

It is also time we had a genuine open skies policy in Malaysia so that air travellers may receive value for money by benefitting from genuine competition in budget air travel. And scrap the 'convenience fee'. It's just another rip-off!

Original article on Air Asia online booking by Dr Andrew Aeria - Malaysiakini, Nov 5, 09 needs a subscription to Malaysiakini.

AirAsia's Head of Communications responds to what he calls the Professor's 'spurious allegations'

AirAsia very recently imposed a convenience fee for online credit card payments. This fee is meant to recover costs in implementing, upgrading and maintaining our online payment systems. It subsidises but does not cover the full costs of the related systems.

It is also to enhance security features for credit card payments to give guests a comfortable and safe booking environment. The convenience fee is neither a surcharge for use of credit cards nor an administration fee.

In the past, we absorbed these costs. However, now that AirAsia is experiencing a rapidly growing number of online transactions, these costs have significantly increased.

This convenience fee is charged on a per way per guest basis because the costs of these systems are driven by the value of the transaction rather than by the number of transactions. As costs vary per country, the convenience fee also varies.

Contrary to the writer's spurious allegation, the convenience fee is not only legal but an accepted industry-wide practice. Several other airlines, both legacy carriers and low-fare carriers, have imposed such fees, which the writer could have confirmed with a little bit of research. In fact, our fees are the lowest in comparison with those airlines.

AirAsia has other payment channels that do not impose the convenience fee. The fee is not imposed on transactions using direct debit, E-Gift Voucher and credit shell. Neither is it imposed on transactions made through the call center, at airport sales counters and at sales offices where the normal service fee applies.

The writer's allegation that AirAsia 'decided to sneakily slip' the convenience fee into our charges is unfounded. Our online booking system clearly shows that we impose a convenience fee.

His accusation that AirAsia guests get to know about the convenience fee only after they enter their credit card details is false. Information about the convenience fee is reflected on our
website, right above and before the portion asking guests for payment details.

As for the contention that the convenience fee is being imposed because of AirAsia's financial situation, we believe that this is an unfounded allegation. AirAsia has been consistently profitable in its operations since the new management took over in 2001.

The only year in which the airline suffered losses was in 2008, due to the volatility in fuel prices and our decision to unwind our fuel hedges and buy fuel on the spot market. This courageous move by the management has since proven to be the correct one given that other airlines are still sitting on huge losses because of their hedged positions on fuel.

AirAsia has been praised by analysts and experts for its transparency on this issue. AirAsia, though effective business planning and implementation, has contributed positively to the growth of Malaysia and the Asean region.

We have developed tourism and helped mitigate the impact of the economic crunch on the local economies. We have served countless communities with our low fares. By winning accolades in the aviation and tourism sectors, we have done Malaysia proud. It is unfortunate that the writer appears to have overlooked the positive impact of AirAsia and instead chosen to launch a scurrilous attack on our company for reasons best known to himself.

Malaysiakini Letters: Raman Narayanan, regional head, Communications AirAsia, Nov 06, '09

Trust the doctor, or the spin doctor?
AirAsia - economy - with the truth.
Which AirAsia website do you trust?

AirAsia Safety - Part #2

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:09:00 +0000

How can the untrained eye of a passenger spot a wing literally popping at the seams at 20 meters, when a team of crack mechanics fail to notice it?

It doesn't take a structural engineer to do the math. You do not plonk something the size of a Tony Fernandes inside a jet engine - unless it is fully powered up and sucking back at a million RPM - and dream that the mounts won't break loose at some point.

Jokes aside, the question is not why the wing and the engine need maintenance. They just do.The question is more one of how a commercial aircraft falls into disrepair and accumulates so many obvious faults & flaws without them being rectified. And assuming that maintenance is strictly enforced, who allowed it to reach this point, especially when AirAsia's PR Machine would have us believe their aircraft are thoroughly and regularly maintained. Clearly, not the case.

What caused the impact on the the wing that left the dirty 'skid mark' and damage to the wing? We all believe it happened in the workshop. As to exactly what 'it is', your guess is as good as ours. Obviously, AirAsia maintenance staff aren't versed in the use of logbooks, as they would have noted and rectified the manifold flaws in that case. You'll get an insight into what we suspect the reason is when we hear some brutally frank words from AirAsia board member, Connor 'Con' McCarthy.

We have also contacted Tony Fernandes on his personal AirAsia blog and invited him to comment on this, so we will keep you posted as soon as we receive word. The last time we received any comment from AirAsia, indeed the only time, the staffer contended, "Sure, some pilots manage to do some crazy stuff on our flights, but they get their just punishments just as any other offender would when they do crazy stuff that affects others." We're sure readers will be fascinated to hear Tony's comments!

"When you stuff equal parts kerosene and cargo into an aluminum tube and fly almost the speed of sound and navigate marginal weather and crowded airport areas for a living, smiling hostesses should be kept in perspective.

Whats more important yet invisible to the traveler in 14B is the preparation and logistics involved in this complicated dance we call air travel. One should care more about how well are they taking care of the airplane than the passengers."

Brian Gonzalez , Conde Nast Portfolio.com,
Air Asia - The $3 Flight, Nov '07

So, let's take stock of faults on that aircraft - from what we our resident expert can tell us from the clips that we were handed. Before we do, we'd like to thank the passenger who passed us this clip. He explains that he took the video to the AirAsia information desk in Singapore Changi immediately following the flight, asking that they inform the pilot. He says that he explained the situation and then showed the clip to two AirAsia girls. They weren't remotely interested, blankly staring at the footage. If you have ever attempted to use AirAsia online booking and encountered problems, you'll know how helpful the AirAsia staff can be. These two must have failed the tele-sales zero personality test.

How can the untrained eye of a passenger pick up a wing popping at the seams at some 20 meters distance, especially when a team of crack AirAsia mechanics fails to notice, let alone repair it? We have seals that haven't sealed the engine crud we see all over the pylon, courtesy of irregular, ill-fitting panels. Look at the tolerances between the panels and the sorry state of the riveting resembling a patchwork quilt.

The mechanics have, however, been busy doing a bad job of camouflaging the 'skid mark' and trying to paint over the damage. Amongst all of that dust and what appears to be some oil-based spill, you'll observe the sections of paintwork have fractured and fallen away. Where once there was gleaming red paint, now we see rust.

So, we have the aircraft chattering, bending and vibrating away, rivets rattling loose and paintwork fretting. Should we be surprised to discover metal fatigue, evidenced by the 8" fracture on the engine pylon?

Here's one of the holiest areas of an aircraft that has the rather hefty responsibility of holding the vibrating engine to the wing - and occasionally Tony Fernandes and his wallet. Which brings us to the wing, conveniently enough. Observe a dozen rivets popping like corn, the skin beginning to wrinkle, with its aluminum yawning as the stresses of torsion hastens the day where it will be put out to pasture at the back of the AirAsia workshop.

Ironically, AirAsia treat their machines much like they treat their maintenance crew, which probably doesn't fill you with very much confidence seeing the standard of both today. It is our opinion that these workers are not approaching acceptable international standards - and they are certainly not accorded anything near what the international airline industry have legislated as minimum wages and work standards.

But don't take our word for it. Let us introduce you to AirAsia's Connor 'Con' McCarthy.

Jeff Chu - Washington Post/Portfolio.com: Business Travel, Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Nicely put there, Con. It's lovely to see your respect for, well, fuck all. We've said it before, and fortunately we're not going to have to say it again, because we're simply going to link to the AirAsia article that exposes their frightening attitude to AirAsia safety.

Safety Report - Part #2 HERE

Any Reservations? Sir Richard Branson's Virgin AirAsia.Com 'Star Online' Sham Interview

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:56:00 +0000

Malaysia's 'Star Online' talks to Sir Richard Branson about AirAsia:

This is the official Star Online You Tube page, right? With respect, is this 'interview' journalism or an AirAsia advertorial? We would have thought the 'Star' might have considered that being independent is tantamount to the 'Hippocratic Oath' of journalism. This is a terrific 'Star Online' insight into Sir Richard's sizable shareholding in AirAsia without the 'ADVERTORIAL' tag attached; consider how comfortable Sir Rich looks associating with AirAsia as indicated by the stupendous number of times he says "Ummm' during the PR speech. Let's not underestimate how important the words of an important matsalleh are to Malaysians though folks! If we can't find legitimacy in-house or indeed in-country, let's go elsewhere. Here's an idea: why not jump into bed with one?

click here for article

From the placement of the 'Star Online' logo, we can see Dick gets a huge hard-on for money regardless of where it comes from. We're impressed he can lie straight in bed. He does come across as ... ummm ... a little bit .. ummm ... high, doesn't he? So, possibly not the best times to be asking the hard questions. Still, what about discussion of AirAsia's hugely irregular government dealings - such as the sale of AirAsia by Dr Mahathir to his friend and bunch of political allies? What about asking Richard about the wide criticism of AirAsia safety and maintenance? He touches on competitive practices, open sky policies and MAS, but there's no mention of the millions owing to Malaysia's taxpayer surprisingly. Has Malaysia's 'Star' not been informed of all this before? It must have been, yes? OK.

Let's say we make absolutely sure this time, readers - and we take a screen grab of this posting on its official You Tube page and publish it here on the alternative AirAsia website that shows there are half a dozen issues begging to be exposed - yet none of them ever seem to grab the Malaysia Star Newspaper's attention. Why is this please, independent Malaysian newspaper? Even though this mammoth piece of PR/BS must have taken months to organize and had a paltry 227 views - and we will increase that after we publish this - it'll be interesting to see if the 'Star Online' mods approve the posting that you can see above. Will 'Star' acknowledge this alien contact from Planet Truth [AKA 'Fly AirAsia? Not me']? And will they follow up the leads? Let's get Richard Branson to discuss AirAsia on YouTube, by all means, but Anita Gabriel, Editor of Business Weekly Magazine, might try a little less premeditated prejudice? [and a little less preening for that matter. Stop your gushing and fidgeting, girl!]

Ummm, umm, ummm ... how was that? Did I sound convincing, guys?

The Air Asia Sale

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:30:00 +0000

report

The Fly Air Asia? Not Me
1st Anniversary Sedition Edition.

The Story So Far ...

The sale of a company for a nominal amount of less than a dollar implies that it has a zero or negative net present value. Air Asia BF [before friends] was making US$25 million per annum. The value of those contracts were only revealed in the Prospectus of Air Asia's initial public offering years later. Each aircraft the consortium was gifted could be valued at $30-50 million a piece. They weren't.

The Air Asia Company’s evolution as a carrier is best described as existing in two distinct periods, first as a Malaysian Government owned national carrier, and then in its present incarnation under retired political allies of Mahathir.

As the scholarly politicians and corporate elite on the Air Asia board are undeniably experts when it comes to running their hugely profitable operation, then perhaps they could have stepped up to the plate with Air Asia MK1 and worked together to rescue it. No, of course. It wasn't theirs yet, was it?

The PM's friends ended up at the controls of what became an overnight success of such epic proportions you could well argue that if Air Asia 'BF' wasn't groomed to fail, it certainly wasn't assisted to succeed.

Air Asia MKII on the other hand, was afforded such astounding assistance that in comparing the two you must question the intelligence and/or integrity of every public servant in Malaysia. Maybe there was so little cash left in the treasury that nobody could afford a whistle to blow.

Don't let's mistake what Mahathir, Pahamin, Fernandes & Co. pulled-off as a rescue or masterful reincarnation. This swindle has taken hundreds of millions of dollars from everyday Malaysians and made injustice the beneficiary. Oh! And the Board of Air Asia. Illegal? Immoral? You judge!

Meet Air Asia's Politicians!

DATO' PAHAMIN AB. RAJAB
Chairman, Air Asia

TAN SRI DATO' (DR.) R.V.
NAVARATNAM
Independent Non Executive Director

*Retired '08

DATO' LEONG SONNY,
Non Executive Director

DATUK ALIAS BIN ALI,
Independent Non Executive Director

Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad
Adviser & Mentor - Honorary

"Fernandes pilots AirAsia to greater heights." Kang Siew Li, New Straits Times, Saturday, December 20, 2003

Faridah Begum - The Star, March 07, 2008

Air Asia seems to be blessed with what could only be described as a divine almost heavenly relationship with politicians. Why??

Why don't you drop Tony a note and ask him directly tony@tonyfernandesblog.com We'd be fascinated to hear what he has to say for himself and the AirAsia Board. If you get a reply, please send it to us and we'll happily publish it in full ....

.......................................................................

[right here]

That Fernandes is a disingenuous con and a low-life is a given. Regular readers know that we have evidenced it again and again on this website. Frankly, we have bigger fish to fry. Until now, this blog focused entirely on non-political issues and chose not to publicise this story from Ganesh's excellent investigative journalism in his blog. That changes today. Public servants need to be reminded that they are public servants. We reveal a sweetheart deal that is nothing less than scandalous and so morally corrupt as to make you feel like you've just eaten from Air Asia's menu. Today Pahamin and a handful of former politicians sit on the Board of Air Asia and rule the roost of one of Malaysia's most profitable corporations.

The reason why Malaysia was cash strapped post-Mahathir might just become a weeny bit clearer today. Gifting an airline beats the traditional gold watch hands down and so it goes, the Air Asia Myth was born. Courtesy of improper dealing of the highest order, Malaysians were taken for a huge ride. Notice we didn’t say illegal. No, this was done with a brazen degree of in your face transparency. Who would question Dr Mahathir? Who would dare to question him? We'd all be thrown in jail!!

We have Air Asia ‘BT’ [Before Tony] - a lame duck airline with millions in debts in December of 2001 when the meeting with Dr Mahathir happened and the deal was done. It was in the black and turning a profit in less than a year. Well, that’s what we’ve been led to believe. It was turning a profit, but it wasn’t paying a good many bills. Obviously Air Asia were robbing Peter to pay Paul.

DRB-HICOM - the government conglomerate established the airline in 1993 and like most businesses of that magnitude, it took a few years to set up and to ramp up. Air Asia ‘BT’ operated for nine years, amassing what we're told was $US11 million in debt. As we now know it was making US$25 million each year. Was it instead CLEARING debts, say, money owed on those two Boeing 737s that were later written off in the boys' KL fire sale? Again, before anyone should assert that we are politically motivated, please consider this blog has been operating for a year - and with the single exception here of lamenting Malaysia's pathetic contribution to the tsunami relief - there has been no bias whatsoever. Now the gloves are off.

Each of the two Boeing 737-300 aircraft Mahathir gifted his friends were valued by our technical consultant at anywhere between US$30-50 million each. That is the tip of the financial ice berg. This was an out-of-the-box airline. Like a Harvey Norman computer it came bundled with an operating system boasting administrative and booking teams, ground staff and catering, pilots and flight crew; systems, hardware, licenses and much more.

But why take our word for it?

Tony Fernandes: "I think Dr Mahathir's vision was all about turning companies around as opposed to starting new ones. And it was the greatest thing that could ever have happened because one, AirAsia has a strong brand. Two, it was a good airline that DRB-HICOM had started. Operationally, the airline is a safe airline, with good pilots and good staff. "So, we didn't have to go through the painful process of recruiting and training people. We had a working model from day one. We just had to change the strategy a bit."

What sort of strategy? We'd call it a questionable one. Anyhow, what a steal, hey? Magically, new routes suddenly appeared out of thin air on both the domestic and international scene. Dr Mahathir was like an American Presidential nominee [Ouch!] and off negotiating open skies agreements for Pahamin's new outfit. Of course there were unbelievable tax breaks - literally and metaphorically - and rather a few other benefits one might think. Who can forget the deal with Thailand's fugitive former PM. History shows what disaster resulted from that deal. Emerging through a fog of smoke and mirrors and PR rhetoric was Fernandes. Again, our friend Ganesh's own sedition edition digs up the dirt in his NEW tax expose here.

The laissez fair libertine has a lend of the government, the taxpayer, the customer and laughs all the way to the bank

Fernandes and the politicians have been siphoning off huge profits while making a ludicrously half-baked attempt to repay their creditors. The big question would be, was this incredible deal illegal? You'd surmise that in any other civilized country they'd all be in jail. But not in Malaysia. Of course, Mahathir will say that it was for the good of the country and friend Pahamin was free to enjoy his 'retirement' any which way he pleased.

It wasn't for the good of Malaysia. Just look at how much money is owed by Air Asia, the laughable escalation of debts that to all intents and purposes never get repaid. Air Asia employ less staff than most airlines in the world. Those staff earn less than the majority of companies pay their people. The group walk all over people with no fear of repercussions. They test the law at every turn. Frankly it is unconscionable that Fernandes and his merry bunch of former politicians charge a disabled passenger 12RM for a wheelchair; when they are worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

With no disrespect to Air Asia's passengers who are not even remotely affluent - has tourism benefited significantly because Air Asia exists? Nope. What about KLIA? Surely the airports have prospered? Quite the contrary! So, what good has Air Asia brought anybody other than those people running a privately owned, government gifted airline?

Fernandes has bulletproof shield that verges on Diplomatic Immunity. A quick look at who is sitting on the Air Asia Board goes a long way in explaining it. Grave safety incidents go mostly unreported – which we will expose in part three. The US$30 million debt only came to light after Air Asia's blow up with Malaysian Airlines stopped just shy of a dogfight.

CNN: When you purchased the airline, it was millions of dollars in debt. Were you that rich?

Fernandes: No, I wasn't, and everyone thinks there was some invincible man behind this. We purchased the airline for a ringgit. In fact we took over a lot of debt with three major suppliers that were owed money: Petronas, Malaysian Airlines, and Malaysian Airports. We did not ask for haircuts, because we wanted to respect the creditors. We thought we had a long relationship with them so we asked for time to pay them off, which they gave us because I think they thought they didn't have a lot to lose. We restructured the business model and we were cash positive from day one and that was able to pay the debt off -- we paid it off in full.

CNN.com July 26th 2004

There you go telling lies again, Tony. Do we need to chat to MAS and Malaysian Airports and see what they have to say on the matter? And to say there wasn't an invincible man behind it is bullshizzle, isn't it? Credit where credit's due. You have to ask yourself why the debt remained a secret for so long. Take the example of the Air Asa jet that crashed in Malaysia - Malaysia's press miraculously failed to notice. We have irrefutable evidence that Bedawi's private jet literally had to pass within yards of the stricken wreck. How is it that the only group or journalist who mentioned the story was a blogger? Reporting facts in Malaysia is hazardous. We at Fly Air Asia? Not Me have taken precautions with our lawyers and Smith & Wesson on this one. As we have a couple of dozen contributors and 200,000 subscribers - and growing - we think they'll need to build a new jail just to hold us.

We digress. To say that airline had been grossly undervalued by Mahathir is as laughable as it is despicable. The Malaysian people – the taxpayers - were hardly going to be consulted. From the very beginning the protectionist policies and advantages flowed like wine. Oh, but didn't Fernandes put on a good show about how unfair life was for their little airline. Mahathir's political friends were discovering that private enterprise beats public service.

This is the same aircraft as the Boeing 737's that Mahathir gifted his friends, only with Lufthansa's livery. If we were to believe our forgetful friend Fernandes' assertions, he inherited two 'aging' aircraft. For the record, it remains one of the most widely used LCC aircraft on the planet today.

Fernandes clearly boasts an economy with the truth and integrity that many would conclude are prerequisite hallmarks of a politician in Malaysia, a country infamous for nepotism and abuses of privilege. His being an 'independent' and perceived as a jolly battler ostensibly kept this political sweetheart deal under the radar for the most part.

This is the same Tony Fernandes who today says that he's, 'living proof of someone who had no political backing'. Incredible as it may seem, Two Faced Tony Fernandes is notorious for shooting his mouth off and not following the script provided by the Air Asia Board. His role has been hugely exaggerated and was improbable from the beginning. Yes, Fernandes' story is great PR fodder. He's like a retarded moth in a kerosene lamp. He frequently trots out that old story that he knew absolutely "0" about running an airline. Consider this ! Did Fernandes' lack of experience matter to the Prime Minister and the Government cronies who brokered the deal in an official capacity?

Imagine you're the PM. You've just written down the value of an asset worth a hundreds million to less than a dollar. Presumably you have been assured that this reincarnated Air Asia MKII will provide employment and increase tourism. [Of course, this move has the added benefit of seeing you hold favour with your political support system - and future Air Asia Board members. Say you need to get someone put away for re-sodomy.]

You surely wouldn't, however, take a risk with the taxpayers money and accept the pitch of a record company executive with no airline experience, would you? We'll grant you that the ownership was being transferred by Mahathir to the 'private sector'. But he was tasking a rookie with paying off the airline's reputed debt of $11 million that was owed to the taxpayer. It seems more than just a little cavalier risking stuffing up a second time, doesn't it?

Consider Mahathir's personal blog and his utter disgust over MV Augusta:

Click to enlarge!

No - we will not give him link love.

Mahathir being Prime Minister between 1981-2003 you'd think he might have set Air Asia 'BT' [Before Tony] – or perhaps that should be 'BF' [Before Friends] - on the runway to recovery. That is, rather than divesting Malaysia and her taxpayers of it for less than a buck. Who ultimately has to take responsibility for its demise? The Head of State.

It would be Anwar, but he was wallowing in jail. History shows us that Tony & Pahamin achieved better results in months than MKI had in years! It makes you think. The early incarnation of the airline was let go. Nobody intervened. It didn't rise from the ashes like some rusty Phoenix. It was in perfectly good shape. The pressing question is how this white elephant could be reverse engineered to turn a titanic profit in the time it takes a stockbroker to act on a hot tip. Remarkably, while his friends' airline skyrocketed, it was MAS that was now on the slide:

"In the two decades of Mahathir’s rule, one financial scandal after another beset the country ... "Malaysia’s state-owned airline was driven to near bankruptcy with RM9.5 billion (US$2.94 billion) in debt under a Mahathir appointee, Tajuddin Ramli. The government bailed out Tajuddin by buying his 29 percent stake in 2001 for RM1.79 billion at RM8 per share when the market price was just RM3.62. When Badawi brought in Idris Jala as chief executive officer in 2005, the airline had booked a loss of RM1.3 billion in that year alone." [The Asia Sentinel]

The stench is indeed very bad! While Fernandes has always been the TV front man, the huge Government involvement in pushing a private enterprise barrow to the benefit of a group of politicians is undeniable. What is despicable is the unpatriotic motivation of the players and their complicity in arguably the greatest scam in Malaysian history. And not a law was broken. It goes down hill from there. One character is conspicuous by his absence in our story to date. Where was Bad Boy Bedawi throughout this whole episode? Notwithstanding his bitch slap sissy fighting with Mahathir these days, he was the Prime Minister's golden boy back then. Was he privy to the wheeler dealing of Malaysia's greatest scam? Bet your bottom dollar.

Bedawi applies a little bit of Aer Lingus to Tony's Alitalia as US$30 Million in government debt is finally revealed.

Forbes Asia valued Fernandes' personal wealth at $300+ million, so he and the ludicrisly rich politicians could be forgiven for losing track of loose change. “AirAsia did not agree with the outstanding balance and had asked for a lower rate, so the matter has been forwarded to the Finance Ministry,” said Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat. He said, "AirAsia owes Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) more than RM100mil for all the airports it has utilised in the country."

- reported by Malaysia's Star newspaper.

An argument broke out between Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin and Wee Choo Keong over the RM100mil owed by AirAsia to Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB) for use of its airports in the country. Wee questioned why MAHB did not initiate legal action against AirAsia to recover the money owed since 2002. Among finger pointing and Yes Minister demarcation issues, Wee said the figures claimed by AirAsia are different than those stated by the airport, and here's the kicker ...

"The AirAsia rates also included discounts which it had requested, but were not agreed to by MAHB,”

The Air Asia Board of Directors aren't simply visionaries and airline entrepreneurs, these former politicians have pioneered a whole new approach to finance. Rack up huge debts ... and then negotiate with the creditor. Isn't that what bankrupt company's in Alitalia 's position do as a last resort? All that expertise at the table and that's the best they can come up with? The question must be, why has this been allowed to continue unabated? Tune in next week to find out how fabulously the Government under Bedawi handled the situation.

- COMING SOON -

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Shocking AirAsia Safety Admissions

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:30:00 +0000

Is AirAsia safe? We reveal their directors' candid reasons NOT to feel safe with their cavalier cut-price practices. Supported by their own words, we expose ludicrous cost cutting from hazardous directives to tight fisted maintenance; advantages gained by lax Malaysian regulations, exploited pilots who the CEO disrespects and flagrant corporate greed. You be the judge as you sit back and listen to AirAsia talk safety!

"Bo"

"One rule that hasn't changed, says Bo Lingam, AirAsia's director of operations, is "Cost is the enemy." The statistic that the airline's management obsesses over is its cost per available seat mile, an industry metric of how much an airline spends -- including everything from maintenance to marketing -- to fly one passenger one mile. AirAsia's C.A.S.M. is just 5 cents, lower than that of any other airline in the world, including Ryanair, which spends 7.6 cents."

Jeff Chu - Washington Post/Portfolio.com: Business Travel, Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Bo, we'd rather like the statistic that AirAsia.com Management obsesses about to be SAFETY. When doors start falling off Qantas planes there's something wrong in the industry. Yours is a cut-price no-frills cheapo outfit who think nothing about charging the disabled for a chair. While your CEO gets fatter on his US$300+ million fortune and McCarthy - down below - boasts lower wages, longer hours and less staff by the power of 4, then we'd suggest Air Asia have a particularly unhealthy obsession with cutting costs. Air Asia's Director of Operations doesn't instill confidence when he literally uses 'maintenance' as a parameter that Air Asia spend less money on than any other airline in the world ... followed by 'marketing' because we all know, we've all been misled by the cheap flight that isn't, or the flight cancellations that put your airline to shame.

In the comparative sampling from independent Flightstats.com, Air Asia are flying less than half the flights than Jetstar with its exemplary 99% record. Jetstar manages 4 cancellations and 3 excessively late flights. Wow - Air Asia 67 canceled flights! And 112 flights that span from 'late' to 'excessively late'. And you're operating 1/2 the flights, Bo! Is there something wrong with Air Asia's aircraft? Are they unable to find spare parts? Are their crew overworked and sleeping through their wake-up calls?

Air Asia .... Tiger ... Jetstar Asia

Historical Ontime Performance Ratings Jan 15, 2008 through Mar 15, 2008

www.flightstats.com

Good ol' Connor McCarthy gives us a huge wake up on that front next. Is the booking system malfunctioning? What's coming next? Charge passengers for Oxygen masks? Life jackets? Wheelchairs? No, YOU are the enemy with an attitude like you have. It isn't COST, not when KIDS climb aboard. If you don't have something intelligent to say, you shouldn't be in that job. What's worse, you are in that job.

A quick last note about Bo and indeed an absolutely startling swathe of Air Asia's logistics and admin staff - people who make you safe and comfortable - they are all former Warner Music employees. They are now charged with YOUR safety. Bo himself was a Promotions Manager. Indeed, if you check out pages 17-21 on the Air Asia annual report here, you will discover exactly what level of airline experience all the people behind the scenes actually have. We are putting our lives in the hands of ... a recording company??

"When you stuff equal parts kerosene and cargo into an aluminum tube and fly almost the speed of sound and navigate marginal weather and crowded airport areas for a living, smiling hostesses should be kept in perspective. Whats more important yet invisible to the traveler in 14B is the preparation and logistics involved in this complicated dance we call air travel.One should care more about how well are they taking care of the airplane than the passengers."

Brian Gonzalez , Conde Nast Portfolio.com, Air Asia - The $3 Flight, Nov '07

"Con"

Jeff Chu - Washington Post/Portfolio.com: Business Travel, Tuesday, October 23, 2007

What sort of person are you, talking so condescendingly about Asia and being flippant about MY safety? You pay pilots less than every other airline in the region and you brazenly admit to pushing them beyond internationally accepted limits in a region where regulations are already lax. Thanks for backing up our previous feature article about Air Asia safety and treating its pilots like indentured prostitutes here.

And Fernandes again caught in a lie [with leaked excerpts from the Air Asia pilots handbook beside his hollow words of Air Asia building a better tomorrow], when the fact is your pilots spend 15 years repaying you for their training. Just listen to your inconsiderate attitude. You were talking to a reporter when you were quoted here. You do understand that? What must your attitude be when the press aren't about?

Let's analyze your Public Relations skills in summing up Air Asia ... cheap labour costs ... 4-times less employees than Singapore Airlines [undoubtedly not as well educated and able to read hard stuff like log books and technical diagrams too, hey?] ... regulations being more lax [which Air Asia recognises and capitalise on without any regard to pilot or passenger]. Our safety is in the hands of those people you are relentlessly squeezing more hours out of - MORE than EVERY civilized aviation body deem ENOUGH.

Presumably they set that limit for a reason, no? Air Asia ground crew conduct 'pit-stop' turnarounds with 1/4 the manpower of an airline like Singapore Airlines or Qantas [both which devote due diligence to our safety and are ten times more thorough - and yet look at Qantas recently. Perhaps you contend Air Asia's maintenance standards are superior to Qantas and Singapore Airlines??]. Connor, you sat atop the most hated airline on earth in Ryanair, and YOU created that 'culture' The Economist wrote about:

Safety Report - Part #2 HERE

Pahamin and Fernandes brought your schlock mean spirited ass here to Asia and didn't you do stupendously well on the share allocation, hey? And you've done a good job of migrating all of those deplorable traits from the UK to Malaysia, with its lax legislation and bent politicial system. Thanks for sharing your attitude to our safety and that of your own staff. We've got a whole feature devoted to you, coming very soon.

"Tony"

Tony Fernandes: ""I know Malaysians very well," said Fernandes, a native of Malaysia. "If you put a fare low enough, they'll risk their lives," he said, as the crowd laughed."

Tony Fernandes - World Low Cost Airline Convention, thestar.com, 2009

Tony Fernandes: "My engineers talk to my pilots about how to fly the plane more efficiently, "We went from 80 landings per set of tyres to 180. We showed them how to brake on the runway, how to use the reverse thrust, how they should descend. We burn just 770 US gallons per hour of fuel. MAS, using a similar plane burns 1100 US gallons.

Vikram Khanna - Business Times Singapore - The no-frills CEO, 5th July 2003

Cost cutting is an obsession for Mr. Fernandes, who often oversees operations from AirAsia's tiny headquarters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport . He once suggested that pilots avoid using their brakes as long as possible upon landing. "Friction usually does the trick, so our brake pads and tires last a damn sight longer than most," he says.

Discount Airlines Proliferate - 20 July 2004 Source: The Wall Street Journal

AIR ASIA'S SAFETY RESPONSE!

Please read the following web mail. You will see the original posted at the bottom of this thread. By clicking the author's name you will be taken to the AirAsia blog - an IMPOSSIBILITY had the email not genuinely been from AirAsia. Finally, we have an official statement - and we thank you. While we find it amusing that their spokesperson has chosen to ignore the bulk of the charges we have leveled at AirAsia - they have discussed 'safety'. And also confirmed a good many of our assertions into the bargain. That said, it was a polite letter and we intend to publish it way up here, rather than way down there - as a courtesy. Of course, we will now make a posting on the AirAsia blog - and we will surely be afforded the same hospitality.

"You can approach us anytime for facts. Safety is our utmost priority when it comes to operating an aircraft. Sure, some pilots manage to do some crazy stuff on our flights, but they get their just punishments just as any other offender would when they do crazy stuff that affects others. We have systems up and running on the ground that is akin to a speed ticket. Of course, we can't apprehend pilots as they bash a plane, but we sure as heck will do that right afterwards. Plus, we will never release a plane until it's really safe to fly. Some planes had to be grounded for almost a year because of an incident, costing us millions of dollars in revenue. This is quite unfortunate, but I swear to god, as long as that plane is not fit to carry passengers, it won't. EVER. We make absolutely certain that the only damage inflicted on our flights come from incidents, not accidents. For each incident, we get to its root cause and get to work on killing it. For instance, a lot of Airbus320 hard landings around the world are caused by keeping power up at touchdown. Now, we keep tabs on anyone who does this, and as a result, we haven't had a hard landing since October last year. A lot more can be covered here, but I guess I can post on my own blog about more stuff on safety. Do pay us a visit to learn more!"

Mero, AirAsia Spokesman via AirAsia Blog

That article  goes on to say AirAsia turn planes around in 22 minutes at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, keeping them in the air 10 hours per day. Well, looking at a JUNE 21 leaked Air Asia report - here - where you have two planes out of commission because of DISASTROUS landings, is it any wonder? According to the Air Asia internal memo, "they [Pilot + Co] were both performing 4 sectors in the afternoon comprising of an international and domestic destination". "On the last landing at KUL, the weather was fine and the PIC was the PF. With consideration of the weather and fuel conservation, he elected to ..." The pilot smashed the arse of a huge jet into the ground so hard that it has grounded your plane. And how patronizing to your pilots, who you'd be nowhere without, purporting that your engineers virtually have to teach them how to fly a plane.

This video is an example of a TAILSTRIKE - a minor one from another airline. The Air Asia aircraft hit the ground so hard it was 'grounded' for  months, by all accounts. Your other incident was a HARDLANDING. We probably needn't explain to the readers what that one means. Rumour has it that everything from the chassis to the fuselage are  a buckled wreck. Consider the numerous discussions going on PPRune.com, a COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOTS' WEB PORTAL - they don't see how the aircraft isn't in pieces.

One pilot remarks: "With a landing of over 4.25g I am pretty concerned as to how they manage the maintenance/repair of that plane. Anyone has the registration? If the maintenance guys didn't get it right, it's gonna come back and bite some unfortunate souls very badly in time to come."

For the benefit of our readers, that is video to example the hazards of a hard landing. 4.25 of G-force is for rollercoasters and wrecking balls, ok!!! Not a your shiny new Boeing which is SUPPOSED to descend with AirAsia.com's cargo in mind - PEOPLE! PASSENGERS! Get it? Slipped another one under the press' radar Fernandes. Stop your damned penny pinching - YOU ARE RICH. Next time people may die.

We think you are a sheister, so we will not accept your apology after the fact. What did your AirAsia.com memo  say up above that had your pilot and engineer distracted ... "FUEL CONSERVATION".  What are you pushing them to do? CONSERVE TIME! CONSERVE FUEL! CONSERVE TIRES! MORE HOURS!

While you screw them financially, compared to legitimate airlines [yes, you are illigitimate and we'd love to debate it on TV or in court], have them running FOUR sectors, dog tired and stressed about not using the bloody breaks so you can save money - what do you expect? Look at the three Air Asia directors gathered here, two of whom are disgustingly rich. Give a little back. And stop with the 'I don't play the politics' BS. You're half the company Air Asia MKI was, in spite of your partners; your debts are three times as big [maybe more, considering how forthcoming and honest you are]. You'll literally be lynched if a plane crashes.

We know quite a few pilots and that includes the poor bastards that you squeeze the life out of and then disrespect in a self aggrandizing interview, again promoting yourself as a 'roll up the sleeves' team player. It's clear what team you play for. As this is our sedition edition, let's see how you go without your pilots. You are sailing dangerously close to the wind bodoh boy. A word to the wise - your pilots are pretty damned fed up - maybe en masse they'd rather 'walk' than fly. You've had tail strikes. How about a pilots' strike? You better reach into that US$350+ million personal fortune afforded you by Malaysia's taxpayer and start to compensate each pilot in line with internationally accepted standards.

It's Award Season Again ...

The brash Air Asia will grossly exaggerate as they trumpet an award this week, yet once again the truth of it is that Jetstar & Tiger blow Air Asia to the dead weeds at the end of the runway. Sometime tomorrow Air Asia will announce their Center for Asia Pacific Aviation Award 2008.

Nothing has changed since they won it last year. And we'll point out again that CAPA is actually a niche magazine publisher with a stable of alliterative sounding titles such as "Peanuts! The Low Cost Weekly" , "Regulatory Affairs Review" and "Airport Business Daily". No, we're not making that up. You wouldn't know it from the logo that Air Asia will hoist onto their web page. Look for the one that looks like a skyscraper.

We featured it here last year.

Of course what Air Asia will not tell you is that the entirely independent Skytrax 'Best Low-Cost Airline Asia Award' was given to Jetstar. That's the same Jetstar that crushed them as we reported here in our Award for Misleading Awards Award last year. According to the CAPA's website the Air Asia award is judged by, "Industry stakeholders including travel agents, tour operators and destination management companies [who] voted for the airline in a three-month poll" conducted by the magazine. Yes - stakeholders! And just how big was the sampling? Was this like some sort of African election [Hell, make that Malaysian election!] or were there some controls in place. It just doesn't strike [there's that word again] like a reliable methodology.

The Worlds Best Low-Cost Airline survey doesn't involve 'stakeholders'. It is commissioned and conducted by Skytrax Research of London. No outside sponsorship or external influence is applied to any aspect of the study. More than 90 different nationalities of passenger took part in this major undertaking conducted between August 2007 and July 2008. A total of 4,440,126 eligible interviews were completed for this worldwide critique of low-cost airlines. Jetstar won that award globally in '07. While we have no affiliation with any airline - although we're certainly open to offers - we'd probably tend to lean toward Jetstar to fly us safely from A - B. You?

*********** Case in Point ***********

This is the story of Air Asia Flight FD3024 illustrated with the help of
Air Asia's ugly yet ironic FREE desktop design!!

From the Phuket Gazette:

“If we are not 100% ready, we will not take off,” said the Air Asia spokesperson. But they did! After the initial takeoff, the plane landed back on the runway. After a short delay, the pilot attempted a second takeoff, only to be forced to land the aircraft again. AirAsia’s duty executive at PIA, told the Gazette, “The 6:15 pm flight from Phuket to Bangkok was forced to land twice yesterday.

"There was a technical problem, but the pilot was trying to get the passengers [to Bangkok] on time as our next flight was at 9:50 pm.” A passenger on the flight told a Gazette source, “I heard the sound of wind rushing and then the engines roar [shortly after takeoff] and thought something had happened, but the crew didn’t tell the passengers exactly what was happening.."

"There was a technical problem, but the pilot was trying to get the passengers [to Bangkok] on time as our next flight was at 9:50 pm.”

“We transferred some passengers to our next flight at 9:50 pm, but some of them did not want to fly that late, so we transferred their tickets to fly with another airline,” the spokesperson said. We rather think we would have switched airlines too! Flight FD3024 did eventually make it to Bangkok. Considering that there was obviously a problem, Fernandes' brow beating his crew had them scrambling to take off, whether the aircraft was willing to cooperate or not. What pressure he brings to bare is anyone's guess?

http://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asia-news/30467-airasia-flight-forced-land-phuket-twice.htmlh

How's this for a ridiculous - and somewhat suspicious - turn of events. Just a few short weeks after revealing Air Asia's huge debt we mention in the article above, Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat wasn't serving them with a court order, he was awarding the ex-politicos with the entirely vacuous KLIAs 10th Anniversary 'Low-Cost Carrier of the Year'.

Wait one second! Don't Air Asia owe KLIA a hell of a lot of money? Remember, since 2002! Of course it had to go Malaysian - in spite of the more obvious choice being any other airline, anywhere. Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat must not have read this posting plainly showing that Air Asia is quite possibly one of the most inefficient airlines on the face of the planet. Hello? Indeed, should Air Asia actually be eligible to qualify? There is the matter of Air Asia not being a member of IATA - representing 93 percent of scheduled international air traffic. Safety is IATA’s number one priority, and IATA’s goal is to continually improve safety standards, notably through IATA’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Are regularly unscheduled delays and inexcusably frequent abortions indeed connected to safety? Fortunately, expectation & legislation is 'lax' compared to ... you know ... civilization.

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000

hidden message

Annabel Chong Vs Air Asia	Another award for Air Asia?
	Misleading Awards Award

EXPOSE: Do Air Asia owe YOU a refund?	EXPOSED: Air Asia Babes. Boleh Boobalicious!!!
Air Investigation: Hidden Cost Competition

If you were in any doubt as to why i t's called 'Cattle Class'	"Don't get trampled in the Stampede"

Boycott Malaysia Part 1 + 2	Air Asia Viral Advertising [Call For Entry]

Now Everybody Can Fry "Ravi, did we put the wheels down?"	Attack of the Baggage Handlers Vote for your fave AA vid >>

Travel Light. If you are not in need of your legs, then leave them behind.

The AAAs - Asia's only award for airline incompetence
Win 2 FREE* flights on Air Asia

Dear Air Asia - Open Letter	The Causeway Co-Operative

Air Asia's Toilet & Safety Tips	Air Asia's "FREE" Banzai Promotion

Air Asia Sponsor Williams F1 ...	Fail to notice Sir Frank's wheelchair as they again take a dump on Asia's disabled

Now Everyone Can ... Caption Contest	AirAsia.com Branding Bloopers - You actually HATE Man U?

EXPOSE: Cut-Price Safety?	Air Asia Staff Entrance

EXPOSE: Advertising, Ethics & The Tribunal.	Our Beloved Founder A.Horribilis 2007-2007

Welcome to the New Fly Air Asia? Not Me fansite. We ask very little in return for our biased investigative efforts. Please vote in the various competitions. By all means fly AA, do it with your eyes open and your camera at hand.

- our mantra -

"I'm as mad as Hell,
and I'm not gonna
take this anymore!"

Email us and tell us we're appreciated. Email Air Asia and demand an explanation regarding their policies, especially toward disabled passengers. We are human beings, goddamnit. Our lives have value. Tell Air Asia you're mad as Hell, and you're not gonna take it anymore!

Vote with your wallet. Spread the good word of our deceased founder, A.Horribilis. Demand refunds - it's yours, not theirs. If you have anything to contribute, please do it. Remember - Air Asia deserve scorn, we demand honesty. Not to put too fine a point on it, our sponsors keep us - and you - flying.
Oh, and this too!

There's lots more. You'll have to scroll through the site.
The video 'Hairspray' is just too bizarre ...

Another Award for Air Asia

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:54:00 +0000

Air Asia .... Tiger ... Jetstar Asia

Historical Ontime Performance Ratings Jan 15, 2008 through Mar 15, 2008

www.flightstats.com

Jaunting Jetstar Asia

Abysmal Air Asia

Trying Hard Tiger

Yes, you've seen that snappy little logo all over their ads and on the airasia.com website. Naturally, they didn't mention that their low-cost Airline Award was only for Asia - and not the significant award - when you consider direct competitor Jetstar won the World's Best Low-Cost Airline in the same World Airline Awards. That's the same Jetstar that is flying a good many of the same routes that Air Asia fly across Asia. Jetstar also picked up the World's Best Low-Cost Airline Australia/Pacific. So, together across both awards Jetstar beat out AirBerlin, EasyJet, Virgin Blue, FreedomAir and a hundred or so others. You could safely include Airline of The Year - Air Asia somewhere down that list.

http://www.worldairlineawards.com/Awards_2007/Lowcost.htm

In the comparative examples above, Air Asia are flying less than half the flights than Jetstar with its exemplary 99% record - and Jetstar manages a minuscule 4 cancellations and 3 excessively late flights. Is there something wrong with Air Asia's aircraft? Are they unable to find spare parts? Are their crew overworked and sleeping through their wake-up calls? Is their booking system malfunctioning? Wow - 67 canceled flights! And 112 flights that span from 'late' to 'excessively late'. Hello! What's this?

Yes, the second gong, the Airline of the Year from CAPA award - the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (www.centreforaviation.com) is "a specialist information and data services group focused on the aviation industry in the Asia Pacific region". That is the award that is so proudly atop Tony's mantelpiece. Air Asia did win our Global Bunch of Clowns Award

Further Reading -

Refunds Ripoff.
http://airasiaannus.blogspot.com/2007/11/part-ii-shhhhh-press-release-or-when.html

Disabled Sponsor F1 & Football Team
http://airasiaannus.blogspot.com/2007/12/laughter-is-best-medicine.html

Bend the truth. Whip the pilot.
http://airasiaannus.blogspot.com/2007/10/ok-these-arent-air-asia-but-consider.html

Advertising - Malaysia!
http://airasiaannus.blogspot.com/2007/11/air-asia-is-holding-your-money-for-safe.html

Annabele Chong & Tony Fernandes
http://airasiaannus.blogspot.com/2007/12/annabelle-52-men-in-one-10-hour-session.html

Fair fares? No.
http://airasiaannus.blogspot.com/2007/12/its-beginning-to-feel-lot-like.html

Air Asia Passengers Stranded by Air Asia X
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/3/22/nation/20727710&sec=nation

Letters
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/72107
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/65834
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/38517
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/36958

By B.K. SIDHU - The Star Online

Considering the latest figures released today, Air Asia has got a considerable amount of work to do before it can be taken seriously. What we have shown here amounts to an business that is is consistently economical with the truth and patently nowhere near international standards organisationally. Unless you think that many cancellations are acceptable from an airline that is arguably representative of Malaysia than Petronas.

“AirAsia is a strong brand and an airline that has managed to create a market for itself. It has gone beyond Malaysia’s borders and would continue to carry the Malaysian flag to more countries,” Tony Fernandes.

Other than this StarBiz 'news article' restating the history of Air Asia, and Tony's usual bluff and bluster - this extremely sycophantic article draws all sorts of bizarre comparisons between Coke and Air Asia; Singapore Airlines and Air Asia and tells us to expect the brand on billboards and watches. It is! How amazing to see such drivel, particularly as The Star Online was the newspaper that broke - albeit very quietly - the news about Air Asia withholding refunds [here] that rightfully belong to its passengers - claiming it does not have the capability of crediting the customers' account. It's sad to see ad revenue take precedence over a follow up - because Air Asia is still holding onto a vast amount of money which isn't theirs. The Star were also made aware of the Boycott Malaysia campaign in the not too distant past. Still, it's good to hear that rags to riches story again.

Is Air Asia going to suggest that due to unforeseen circumstances they encountered sixty more instances of bad luck than Tiger and Jetstar? Or will they admit to aborting scheduled flights that didn't rake enough passengers, offloading them to fill later flights? If this is not a breach of contract, then it is certainly an ethical one. This is illegal.

Presuming Air Asia claims it is not treating customers like dirt, it raises more serious questions, not least of which is safety. Let's assume a flight gets aborted when it is significantly under half-full. By our estimations that amounts to roughly 4000+ people per month on average that paid for a flight, only to find it was aborted by Air Asia. Disappearing with each aircraft went whatever holiday plans, reunions, business meetings, connecting flights - and the occasional dying relative - that awaited each passenger at their destination.

http://www.adoimagazine.com/home/index.cfm?ar=3232&version_id=3234

So, just how well is Air Asia
carrying Malaysia's flag?

CLICK

Full Report

"Now Everyone Can Fry" Promotion?

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 17:17:00 +0000

You cannot make stuff like this up [You'd get thrown in jail]. These classic screen-caps from the AirAsia.com front page today, Dec 3, offering a disturbing prophesy? After years in the ad game, I tend to second guess the client and predict 'client-like' questions. I'm going to be the client today, pecking away at the brand aura - just for fun.

Top left, perilously low, AirAsia 666 counts its final seconds - a hopeless emergency landing after hydraulic failure saw the Michelins' fail to drop [ED: I didn't add the shadow or alter the photo in any way]. Top right, I am seeing an Air Asia flight heading toward a distant skyscraper; The 2007 building is like a magnet. [Airline of the Year?? It must be a mirage*] And just to hammer home the point, a gang of wild-eyed jihadists - masquerading as maintenance men with only a huge bang in mind [those vestal virgins eagerly waiting 'on the other side']. 'Fly Air Asia? Not Me' is excruciatingly critical of Air Asia at times. So, I just thought we'd start the week with a gentle FaceBook-like poke.

fancygens.com

fancygens.com

and ... that ... is going to
be your last meal! I will
take my chances with the
emergency landing -at
least there's a glimmer
of hope I might survive.

'Hairspray Overdose'

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 17:15:00 +0000

Let's assume your flight misses the skyscraper - it turns out the threatening lads' in yellow were the steward's man-pals and actually a wholesome boy-band who wouldn't hurt a soul; the aircraft didn't break up during the 200kmh belly landing and slid gently to rest against the soft bosom of a Air Asia staffer. There's no need to panic. Keeping a cool head just comes naturally to some ... [Well, it seems that this genteel young man's video came to the attention of Air Asia's Management and was promptly removed. Fortunately, we are left with a screen cap. In a nutshell, the trainee got into such a heightened state of hysteria during his emergency drill, his indiscernible screeching and flapping would have caused widespread panic and confusion in the event of a real emergency. Hence the original title, as one might be forgiven he was sky high on ... God only knows. We will be far more careful in future with our videos, as we have been from the start documenting online evidence, which often disappears like scheduled AirAsia.com flights. Jolly old shame really, because it would have made you pee your pants.]

[Voting:'Hairspray Overdose?'] We'd love to hear more from our overworked and under appreciated friends within AA. This one from 'FDTaO' - 'Taken while performing door drill/ emergency evacuation for Airbus 320 at AirAsia Academy, Kuala lumpur'. Well, many thanks to you and we hope that it's still as much fun. We liked your singing in the other video!

Captain Ravi & First Engineer Neer - We're Alive!!

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 09:15:00 +0000

"Testing ... testing ... one-two-three ... pffft ... pfft. Hello ladies & gentlemen. My name is Captain Ravin Labang and welcome to Flight 666 to KL. I'm sure you'll all need a donut and a coffee after that little bit of excitement. We do apologise for the delay. I am assured that the lady is fine. Frostbite sounds far more serious than it is - and she is being nursed by our public relations people until we can medivac her to Singapore. The incident before was a perfectly understandable misunderstanding. You see when I explained that there was a disabled person yet to board ... the hostess understood that to mean 'disable door' ... at which point the disabled lady was still attached to the exterior of the aircraft during takeoff. You know how these things happen ...... and as I've explained, she's got both feet firmly back on terra firma in safe hands. I'm monitoring events and assured medical crews will arrive any time - and our PR team are just great ... ah ... so, settle in. We've got a little less weight on board now, so we might even pick up a few of those lost minutes ... I'll check in a bit later and let you what the sky looks like from up here. On behalf of the First Engineer Neer and the rest of the crew, I'd like to wish you a relaxing journey .....[5 minutes later] ... pfft ... pfft ... Sorry, it's Captain Ravin here again. It has been pointed out to me ... when I said our pasenger has both feet back on terra firma, well, that was just a turn of phrase. We are very conscious of disabled people. So, there was absolutely no offense ... and you may have heard mention of a certain website that takes a rather light hearted poke at the airline. I guess most of you have read it ... I've read it ... he he .. some funny stuff there. All made up, of course - those clowns. Anyway, I'm sure we needn't mention today .. to them. Yes, thanks. Listen, I'm shouting you all an Ovaltine and a sugar donut. Ok. Better get back to the flying this baby then. Thanks ...."[A.Horribilis: We'd hasten to add that this is a parody story and to the best of our knowledge no incident involving a disabled person has ever occurred on a flight. This probably doesn't come as a surprise to many of you considering the airlines' track record with disabled people - it wasn't too long ago they couldn't fly at all. Then, nothing seems to have changed too much. Anyway, if you have questions for Cockpit Confessions hosts Captain Ravi and Engineer Neer, use the New CHAT feature - starboard side. You can chat to other passengers too. We're so hi-tech, we'd give AA a run for their money!]

Sir Frank Williams gives you "AirAsia.com Branding Bloopers IV - When Airlines Attack"

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:16:00 +0000

Air Asia sponsor Williams F1 Team.

Nigel Mansel and Sir Frank Williams
- and his wheelchair -

But at what cost?

Service Charges! Screen-cap Dec 2nd '07

What would Sir Frank Williams
have to say about Air Asia's
treatment of the disabled?

Give 'em a Wedgie!!!!

What better way make Air Asia's brass to stand up and pay attention? Let them experience that it's not at all fun being glued to a seat. This is not a violent protest, and makes Bill Gates' cream pie look like an assassination. It is not an affront .... rather more a behind.

Instead of a small child being ignored and tugging on their parent's shirt tail, using the same force we simply apply an upwards tug to Tony's Calvin's. Roll up, walk up, sneak-up ... and give them all wedgies. Once Air Asia's people have been suitably embarrassed in front of their peers and the press and well-wedged, we get sensible. As this previous post shows, there is a serious reason ...

http://airasiaannus.blogspot.com/2007/10/not-everyone-can-you-have-got-to-check.html

Background links on Air Asia's policy toward the other four wheelers,
which goes far deeper than simply charging for wheelchairs:

Let's all add some weight and lean on the Air Asia's of this world for the 'wheelies'. All that sets these guys and girls apart is they're sat in a wheelchair. That's it. The same position able bodied people hold all day at the office or plonked in front of television. It strikes me that the last thing that they want is to be singled out for special attention. They simply want to be afforded the same respect that you or I get when we are standing as when we're in a chair. The only extraordinary treatment they receive from Air Asia is that they are quite clearly an inconvenience. They are catered for purely due to political correctness and public pressure. Peter's letter above shows that Air Asia must still have an appetite for public pressure. As you may have gathered, we're up for it. Personally, it will be a pleasure to give Tony a wedgie.

http://www.petertan.com/blog/2007/11/01/airasia-still-practices-discrimination-against-disabled-people/
Peter Tan's blog [link] regarding Air Asia's track record is a must read.

Tony-Two-Phase astride the the William's F1

[Photograph Air Asia public domain press release; lead photo BBC online]

5th Annual Asia-Pacific

Low Cost Airline [+Wedgie] Congress

22nd - 24th of January

Suntec Convention Center, Singapore

A.Horribilis Award for Airline Anarchy

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:01:00 +0000

We loved the "I'm as mad as Hell, and I'm not gonna take
this anymore!" attitude of these lion-hearted passengers.

WE NORMALLY RESERVE OUR SCORN EXCLUSIVELY FOR AIR ASIA ... but we had to hurriedly create a new award in recognition of these passengers who epitomise the spirit of everything we represent.

It's Christmas lah. 'Tis the season for more family disharmony, separations and suicides than at any other time of year. Now, if it had been Air Asia in this situation they would have handled things pretty much as badly - only they would have switched the lights off too. This video from Scott & Adeline is in the running for the video awards '08* [Vote 'Tiger Time']. We think they 100% deserve to be in the mix, although it's not AA.

As to the A.Horribilis Award for Airline Anarchy, do we give it to the Singaporean ex-national serviceman or the Aussie? If points were awarded for volume - sounding like a 747 under hard braking - it must be the 'sheila'. We'll leave that up to our voters - as we try to work out how to get the winner a fun prize. Meanwhile, back to the griping. If you read the You Tube comments that accompany this video, you'll see that old chestnut 'you get what you pay for' cropping up again and again and again.

One must assume that some of these would be courtesy of the no-frills airline doing a bit of damage control [perhaps a few lessons in grammar would help their cause]. What really disturbs us are the private citizens who really believe it. Watch the video - and see that these passengers DID NOT GET WHAT THEY PAID FOR!

If you read this website, you will see that its reason for existence is because people have not been given what they paid for. We at the Causeway Co-Op are sick of these brain challenged pedestrians that keep sprouting that ridiculous phrase. We will offer the first person who is prepared to put it in writing and provide a photograph of themselves, a free flight for two between Singapore and Malaysia. You will then be among thousands of other people that apparently share your views. Please note that it will be a one-way flight - and we require your passport for safekeeping after you arrive in KL.

If you need a little bit more information about your ultimate destination please follow this World's Biggest Gang Bang link.

http://airasiaannus.blogspot.com/2007/12/annabelle-52-men-in-one-10-hour-session.html

Send your details to the 'I am a complete fucking idiot competition'. As we have said all along, the alternative airlines we offer at the top of this website are 'alternatives' and nothing more. The jury's out as to whether we remove Tiger. If you were on the flight, please let us know how this resolved itself - and we will update the story accordingly - send all emails to a.horribilis@yahoo.com

* Voting for Video Awards '08 will start after current competition ends.

Air Asia is holding your money for safe keeping. They didn't mention it? You didn't know?

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 21:57:00 +0000

Air Asia EXPOSED - Part One

I watched a BBC TV article reporting that a European Commission study has found that airline websites commonly mislead the consumer. Hmmm ... now tell us something we didn't know.

The main infringements were false advertising and marketing: prices that did not include taxes and charges, "free" flights that were not free and nonexistent cheap seats. Sound familiar? Remarkably, opposition to Air Asia seems to have gone quiet. Perhaps it was as a result of a Malaysian government inquiry in '04 where the airline was given the 'all-clear' - according to a highlighted press release on AirAsia’s website.

Misrepresentation-interpretation Malaysian style.

Air Asia's typically aimless PR, post-tribunal:

"AirAsia’s advertisements are similar to those used by other low fares foreign airlines such as EasyJet, RyanAir and Virgin Blue, which are governed by stricter advertising guidelines in their respective countries."

So that's one rule for the rest of the civilized world and a watered down one for Malaysia? It is not unusual for some commentators in Malaysia to fall back on its 'developing nation' status - I'll never forget Dr M's parting shots in his final address to the world - but using it in regard to ethics? I hope you didn't miss the bit about their highest fare still being 20% less than full-service airlines. You decide if cut-price Air Asia is worth the pain.

The upshot of the European Commission? Its laws state that it is illegal for airlines to leave airport taxes, fuel fees and other charges off their advertised fares. Let's not even go there with Air Asia. I can just hear it: "Steady on there! The information's there in the copy." No, it's your bog standard 'fine print' - and there shouldn't be fine print.

Air Asia X ... or Air Asia Y?

If a flight costs $X then tell it as it is!

At the end of the day, we must respect the Malaysian tribunal, the tight packed envelope of Datos' saw nothing at all suspicious or untoward. Bottom line is that Air Asia brings bags of this to the table ... as in, to the Malaysian economy. I would hasten to add, I am not inferring impropriety. Not Malaysia!

No punishment? No caution?
How about no pudding and
early to bed?

Anyway, I started thinking about money and how it corrupts. Ever wondered what happens to those taxes and surcharges when we miss a flight? [The extras that make your free flights not free.] As usual, I jumped on the Net. It took a hell of lot of finding, but there it was.

[.. to be continued]

It's a rummmble in the jungle ... [LONG ARTICLE, BUT THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ]

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 10:00:00 +0000

STARRING

Annabele
'The Champ'
Chong

&

Tony
'We all prostitute ourselves'
Fernandes

&

Brad
'I'm an insult to Asians'
Pitt

Travel to America to engage in 251 sex acts with 70 men over a ten hour period, or fly into the wild blue yonder to spread the Malaysian love?

As a contributor to this website and lead on this piece, I feel I should let readers know that I am Malay. But first, I am Malaysian. Accordingly, I would like to begin by insulting Singaporeans. I'm joking. Many Causeway Co-Op live  in that charmed, progressive city.

Who is the most famous person 
to emerge from Singapore?

It is arguably one Annabel Chong - famous porn actress who did the business with no less than 52 men in just one 10 hour sitting for The World's Biggest Gang Bang. Tony's also done a hell of a lot of on-camera work. He and his airline are the new face of Malaysia. 

Do we want Tony Fernandes to be the Annabell Chong of our country? It's happening. That Air Asia - far more internationally visible than Petronas - is allowed by Malaysia's people and government to act like a Al Capone at a swingers' party is our bad karma. Let's not forget it paints us as rogues on the world stage. Through inaction, by default we allow AA to 'represent' us.

It's sad that Cyberjaya is lampooned, because Air Asia can't manage to return unclaimed monies and paint themselves as IT Neanderthals into the bargain - add the fact that questionable practices don't raise the ire of the authorities after we raised the red flag.

Malaysia is the target of more ridicule as Air Asia claim high safety and purport civic responsibility, while pilots are treated like indentured prostitutes in Calcutta and the disabled are outcasts. The excuse of legislation being applied in other countries and inferring we can act under a different set of rules to the rest of the world is shameful.

Yet again, let's revisit one of Dr Mahathir's final addresses to the people. I am not alone in being embarrassed that it was beamed to a global audience - and that is with no disrespect to the politician. He was right. To paraphrase, a deal of his speech became a lecture regards Malaysian malaise and the corruption and disintegration of values. I cringe when I think of Zainuddin Maidin, under Dr Mahathir, banning Brad Pitt 

"We canceled the ads because they were considered an insult to Asians. Why must we use their faces in our advertisements? Aren't our own people handsome enough?"
Zainuddin Maidin

There for all the world to see. And didn't the global press jump on that story!!! Oh, for the love of God. Is it any wonder we're seen as backward, village idiots and/or fundamentalist extremists?

[ED: Pretty boy and western cultural imperialist Brad Pitt is currently spearheading the rebuilding of New Orleans, appealing for international aid to help tens of thousands of displaced Iraqis and donating huge sums to charity - and doesn't have time to comment on the following, the US$25 million Malaysia spent to study teh tarik in space. Nor do the tsunami victims.]  

And I make you feel inferior, do I?
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/12/16/offbeat.malaysia.pitt/index.html

After the tsunami hit our 'brothers' in Indonesia, which country contributed the
most financial aid?

You won't find Malaysia listed. We had already earmarked our community chest for something more Muslim, more deserving ...

http://www.usembassy.it/pdf/other/RL32715.pdf

http://www.un.or.th/documents/Tsunami-OneYearLater_4july_rev_000.pdf

Astro Boy & "Mr Glove".

'The Russian Federal Space Agency offers any individual or government an opportunity to visit the ISS for USD25 million. The government that becomes the customer can decide whether to call the man and/or women sent to the space station an "astronaut" or a "space tourist". The Malaysian government decided to call its candidate an "astronaut" and assigned him activities to perform, which makes him an astronaut rather than a space tourist.' [ED: Activities like making tea.]  ' These third world astronaut programs are being implemented in order to promote the country' image internationally and to provide confidence and pride to its people.' 

The Symbiotic Relationship between Astronaut Program and Space Tourism Development - A Third World Perspective -   Presented at 2nd IAASS Conference, Chicago, 14 May 2007

http://www.spacefuture.com/archive/the_symbiotic_relationship_between_astronaut_program_and_space_tourism_development_a_third_world_perspective.shtml

From New Scientist -
"The astronauts will also learn how to conduct research and experiments in space, such as an examination of the space-behaviour of Malaysia's favourite beverage, a sweet concoction of tea and condensed milk, called teh tarik. The astronauts said the inclusion of teh tarik would showcase Malaysian culture and lend a unique Malaysian flavour to the mission. Russia agreed in 2003 to send a Malaysian to the space station as part of a billion-dollar deal to sell 18 Sukhoi 30-MKM fighter jets to Malaysia.' 'Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation, hopes the space project will be an inspiration for Muslims across the globe and recall the glory days of Islamic science and discovery. [Ed: Oh, the glory of it all. I'm ashamed to call myself a Malaysian today.]
http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn9991-malaysian-doctor-wins-his-place-in-space.html

Let's talk about our national identity! In the world's eyes we're lumped in with the lynch mob who wanted to string a school teacher up for innocently calling a teddy bear by the Prophet's name. We're the same guys who want to whip a girl to within an inch of her life for being gang raped. Oh. That's not us!

Would someone kindly define Malaysian values! Is it a burping and farting of Boleh echoing in factories and workplaces that produce on par and nothing more? Is it bad service delivered with a gob of phlegm? Is it endemic corruption? Is it that a young man's sole ambition is making his bike's exhaust so illegal it makes eardrums bleed? It all surrounds apathy -

Example: the simple fact that Google Analytics shows the length of stay for the audience of this Fly Air Asia? Not Me site amounts to around 13-15 minutes among Thais and Singaporeans [that was before today's article was published], down to 6-9 minutes for Australians and countries as far afield as Sweden. And a good many come back again and again. On average, retarded attention Malaysians devote 00:02:10 minutes to finding out what's going on here - and presumably not much more about the world around them. The average United States visitor stays longer at 00:03:24. Anyone who has watched Jay Lenno hit the streets of NYC to vox pop pedestrians about current affairs can see that stat is alarming.

Malaysia is just too damned apathetic to care about its global  reputation. As a Malaysian I see that our 'national carrier' [Is there another?] can make us shine, or it can make us ... sleep because we don't give a darn. I could care less about football and Formula One when it comes at the expense of the disabled, or funded by what many people consider dubious practices. Elsewhere in this website, the author points to Malaysia's lax legislation, jingoism and falling back on developing status to shrug off criticism. Rather than being ashamed, Air Asia write about the latter in a press release and publish it on their website!   

Does the shiny red paint and noisy engine on the flying machine dazzle us like a stun-grenade so we can't protest how people in wheelchairs continue to be treated as 'in-valids'? Is Tony's tinnitus-like self promotion actually biting, or is it just plain boring? If so, is it actually a diversionary technique to have us nod off to any mention of Air Asia?

Hey, wake up Malaysia. The rest of the world are paying attention. They tell us so. No prizes for guessing where we get the least email from. We're not proud enough to really care that Air Asia shames us? Aren't Asians famous for not wanting to lose face?

With the law the way it is
in Malaysia, one doesn't need
to be above it. 

Al 'Scarface' Capone

No - we're not suggesting that Tony Fernandes is involved in organised crime, a gentleman mobster or anything of the sort. Nor do we think he is a gentleman.

I can see the lawyers saying, 'Bingo! We've finally got the little delinquents.' No. With the law the way it is in Malaysia, frankly one doesn't need to be above it. I think there is a certain irony that when Charles Lindbergh performed his famous transatlantic flight in 1927, Capone was the first to shake his hand upon his arrival in Chicago.

Tony Fernandes is a pioneering 'Lindbergh' to many. Malaysian politics is 'Scarface' Capone, shaking his hand while the world watches on. It's legal and there for all to see. But nobody feels entirely comfortable or knows quite where to look. 

 Read this website from top to bottom! Air Asia have. The embarrassed PR people are shuffling your letters that condemn their practices - but doing nothing. When is Air Asia going to answer its critics? It's not. We've repeatedly requested that they refute our claims. We've openly offered to give them some good PR - that their staff seem unwilling to offer. No comment. No cease and desist letter. No hit men. No defense.

We've grown way too big for any action other than affirmative action. Notwithstanding that, if it weren't for witnessing the passion of Malaysian Bloggers, we'd question if the country's telecommunications were down. They've indicated a welcome swing toward political and social change - and a hard rain is going to fall on any government or corporation that thinks that they're going to sweep groups like us under the carpet. 

The chap that started this did Malaysia a service. And I think he'll be remembered for making a difference where Malaysia's hierarchically crippled system slept.

Like I said, Air Asia is flying into Europe and Australia, with more countries on the way. We can either seize this opportunity to improve our atrocious image or we can become a truly global laughing stock. I predict huge changes. Air Asia is going to be a great citizen in the near future. Not voluntarily. Not because they sponsor a football team. Because people are going to boycott Malaysia as a tourist destination - the government and the people of our fine land will have to finally stop turning a blind eye. 

Have a happy holiday everyone.

'Eye in the Sky'

 and The Malaysian Chapter of
The Causeway Co-Op:

'Bangsar''Engineer Neer' 'Chen' 'XXX'
'Tea Anyone?' 'Spock' 'Elves' 'Proton'
'Tony2Phase' and an infestation of roaches.

For the record - and not that it should really matter - the Causeway Co-Op has a greater percentage of Malaysians than all the other membership put together. So please do not be tempted to complain that we Malaysians are being picked on unfairly. We are picking on those that pick on others and deserve it.

Air Asia Exposed - Part Two.

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 09:59:00 +0000

Press Release. More a case of when pressed ... whisper!

Shhhhhh! AirAsia will refund
airport tax on unused tickets

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia passengers who did not board their flights will be refunded on airport tax but not on fuel surcharge. “AirAsia is a low-cost airline and the bulk of its ticket sales are purchased online, some for even 11 months ahead of the traveling date. “Due to the high volume of passengers, it is not easy for us to track the number of no-show passengers,” said its executive vice-president (commercial) Kathleen Tan in a reply via e-mail. The airline advises passengers who want to claim any refund to contact its guest support team at 603 8660 4388 (from 9am to 6pm daily) or by e-mailing to guestsupport@airasia.com. “But our policy on no-refund on the fuel surcharge remains unchanged,'' Tan added. On the reduced airport tax, she said AirAsia's online booking would reflect the new rates from June 1. “We are happy with the reduced airport tax. However, we believe that it could be lower. As we do not want to burden our passengers, we hope that cost will be exempted totally,” she added. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/5/27/nation/17848468&sec=na tion

Kathleen Tan and her assertion that due to the high volume of passengers, 'it is not easy' for Air Asia to track the no-show passengers ... to return their money. So, do nothing!

"Air Asia's customers get a ticket via this Internet machine ... and they then get sent ... you call it email?? Fantastic! Gee whiz that's a sci-fi development, Wilbur. What if they are due a refund? I see, so they haven't cracked the technology for that yet. Cyberjaya for lunch?"

If any language can make something sound beautiful, even sexy, it's Francais. Let's run Air Asia's Executive Vice President through the BS Detector: “AirAsia est une ligne aérienne peu coûteuse et la majeure partie de ses ventes de billet sont achetées en ligne, certains pendant de même 11 mois en avant de la date de déplacement. “ ;En raison du volume élevé de passagers, il n'est pas facile pour nous de dépister le nombre de passagers discrets,” Non! Sorry - No. Our French fans inform us it sounds the same in French. What was the exact word they used, "Merde"? I'll need to check the BS Detector for that one!!

I'd like to offer Kathleen some advice, even though I'm not an IT guy. In my experience when a person arrives at your check-in counter, a staff member enters those passenger details into your computer system, right? And when that passenger booked his/her ticket, you sent them an email itinerary, yes? [Not in my case!] Subtract the number of cattle that didn’t go up the chute, by those that did! Voila! There you have it - you might then inform absentees via that email that you have their money - direct debit!

No? Why?

This refund-revelation - was Air Asia's response to, rather than offered - comes courtesy of The Star. Try to find the article without clicking the link below. Try to find any announcement! I checked Air Asia's terms & conditions - the fine print and the even finer print. I've missed a few flights with AA - and nobody ever called me and offered to return my money. They must be 'babysitting' a lot of cash. All in it amounts to about US$50 per passenger per missed flight. 99% of my fellow pushovers never thought to claim. Factor in the menagerie of extortionate penalty charges - anything from ludicrous amounts on excess luggage [well, 'excess' on AA] to charging disabled passengers $US5 to use a wheelchair [I thought they'd stopped that nowadays* see below!] and a dozen punishable offenses. Shameful.

This isn't misrepresentation. What is it? I mean, what would you classify it as? Let's say a bank - Your Trusted Bank - concocts the excuse that its infrastructure is incapable of performing a simple task of keeping a record of its accounts. Sure, it's a baseless claim in an age where computers can land an aircraft. Instead of rectifying the situation, when pressed you make an inane statement to the media that 'it is not easy' returning the customers' dosh. So, what do you do? It's quicker to pocket the money - for safekeeping mind. There is a word for this ...

The onus to discover that their property is unaccounted for is on Trusted Bank's customer. As luck would have it, one in a thousand notice their money is missing. Naturally they are entitled to have it back. But first they'll get the runaround. Has he got ID? Does he have the statement? Keep him waiting on the phone, then disconnect the call. When he calls back, he gets another 'customer support' member- start the story again.

Now, let's try the same with Trusted Air Asia. I cannot see Air Asia's Kathleen furnishing us with the figures of how many suckers don't claim, but we'll fire her off a note. Instead of discovering the Trusted Bank skimming off the top, where you'd immediately close your account and maybe even have a chat to the constabulary, Air Asia's official line is they can't find you easily. I guess they just keep your money, until it comes to you in a dream.

But somehow Air Asia's crap service has led to this one limp excuse I keep reading over and over on many travel-related forums where legions are people are dissatisfied, when Diane Dimwit or Dwayne Pimplepot pipe up, "Orrr, yeah, but you get what you pay for." That is a US$50 sack of horse manure. That attitude must have leased another five jets.

The new Causeway Co-Operative team are taking over the Fly Air Asia? Not Me reigns [as today's it for this old boy due to non-insane non-raving non-committal-commitments ]. Why Causeway Co-Op? It's an easy one, roughly half the disgruntled are in KL and the other half in Singapore. The blogging thing is second nature to them - as is law, finance, marketing and other forms of prostitution - and they make my teeth look blunt.

In so many instances of people being completely dissatisfied - I have a dossier three inches thick - people just say they get nowhere with "Guest Support" and they give up. Then there are the few that sharpen the aforementioned fangs. Any 'service' oriented business expects certain levels of attrition, 99.9% of complainants will give up anyway. The problem with that theory? They see the remainder, the vocal minority, as being as effective a Peter Finch screaming 'I've had enough and I'm not going to take it anymore!!' out of his window, not blogging.

The case-file or case-disc is a living, breathing thing. Let's hear from anyone who missed a flight and didn't miss their money until they read this today - and particularly anybody who has had difficulty getting what is rightfully yours from those to which it does not belong.

I have a great friend from Singapore who must miss more flights that he makes. I'm seriously talking in the hundreds. You're not going to have a boarding pass, of course. You've got a diary, emails that are easily searched and grouped, and your credit card receipts. Let's say it amounts to $50, $100 or $1000+. More people that spread the word the better.

While the airline industry over in Europe is getting its house in order, Air Asia might like to occupy the vacancy that is on the next step up the ladder ... and the step above that ... climbing huffing and harking until it gets its act together.

Malaysia's Pride makes Aeroflot look
sexier than Singapore Airlines.

http://www.airasia.com/site/sg/en/pressRelease.jsp?id=2e904cf7-c0a8c85d-177e6b40-524d7ed0
- Air Asia press release, screen-cap from AirAsia.com website Nov 25th ‘07

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7091950.stm
- BBC article

Calling
Air Investigators.
Hidden Cost Prize Giveaway.
Find the words 'Hidden Cost' on this
website and you'll go into the Grand Prize
draw for a flight [2pax] to any Air Asia
destination. Frankly, you've got a better
chance here. Email us the location,
and you're in the draw.
Good luck!

Please type 'Hidden Cost' on the email header to
a.horribilis@yahoo.com

Another Air Asia Expose! Boycott Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 09:50:00 +0000

One flight.
Two sets of values.
Smells like Air Asia.
Boycott Malaysia!

Parts 1 & 2

Thai Air Asia is 49% Thai owned and we are all for supporting Thailand - particularly as Thais are getting hit by this [find out why below!]. Please check out the links to Thailand here on the site - and visit one of the most beautiful and friendly countries in the world. There's a far better solution ...

If you wish to stage a protest, might we recommend looking to the Malaysian government. If you feel that Air Asia's treatment of passengers, the disabled and the disadvantaged who are not in a position to defend themselves against a greedy corporation BOYCOTT MALAYSIA tourism - let's see how quickly the Prime Minister slaps Air Asia into line. Fly Thai Air Asia, but fly it to anywhere but Malaysia! The airline has demonstrated its conscience - or lack thereof - and you can be sure it won't change voluntarily. Malaysians are good people and they won't take kindly to the disruption.

Click to visit Amazing Thailand

BTW - we didn't seriously think you'd want to be traveling Christmas day, no matter what God you fly with. The 25th was a good example. Next time you are flying - Air Asia or not - remember to send the Malaysian government a message ..

They're sure to pass it 
on to Air Asia.

This is Air Asia FD302 Singapore to Bangkok. If you were booking via Singapore, before fees & taxes, it would cost you S$197. Whereas the uncharacteristically glum Thai guy sitting beside you, also flying out of Singapore, it would cost him S$238.

Air Asia's
Singapore
website ....

= THB 5,509.70
= THB 5,758.38

= THB 11,358.25

Inc taxes & fees

Compare prices with Air Asia's Thai site ....

THB 5,509.70 = 6,535.00 ....
That seems fair, Air Asia!

:-(..

And that's before the considerable added costs that appear out of thin air - which we notice Air Asia simply refer to as a gentler 'going out' and 'coming back' costs nowadays. We'll keep 'pointing out' their faults until they become responsible citizens. Like we said, these two screen grabs are taken at the same moment - it is not a matter of the cheap seats being snapped up first come first served. Thais fund other people's tickets!

Can this be correct? We've said it many times and we'll say it again ... if Air Asia feel that our calculations are partly or wholly incorrect, we will not only retract this and apologise - we'll send them a turkey! It's just too fantastic. You think this is an isolated event? Power up Firefox and open AirAsia.com in two tabs. Enter the site via two countries and check prices. There's no correlation with exchange rates. A ripoff. See for yourself!

All correspondence to -
A.Horribilis@Yahoo.com

Thailand Website

*Air Asia FD302 25th Dec flight S$238

click for full page version

Singapore Website

*Air Asia FD302 Sing-Bkk 25th Dec. S$197

* All prices before you get whacked by the taxes & fees

Air Asia is a big Malaysian corporation. Being based in one of the world's most populous Muslim nations - which doesn't celebrate Christmas on the whole - we felt we would see if Malaysians get the same holiday treatment as the Thais. No!
Well, would somebody let us know what in God's name the Thais did to deserve this!!!

BOYCOTT MALAYSIA! That's right, we encourage you to take your tourism dollar anywhere but that country. Let Malaysia know and Air Asia will soon get the message! Locals, you know what to do. There are alternative airlines too.

*Air Asia AK880 KL-Bkk 25th Dec. Malaysia website S$100.23

*Air Asia AK880 KL-Bkk 25th Dec. Thailand website S$120.79

The most expensive ex-Singapore flight is still S$40 less
than it costs Thais to fly the other way.

197.00 SGD

=

4,139.81 THB

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:27:00 +0000

"When searching Air Asia's database using the term'crap service', I am surprised to find it yields No Results. When you have finished my story and reading the contributions of what I foresee will become hundreds of disgruntled Air Asia passengers venting their air anger, I think you will agree - there's no class in cattle-class, but there's good economies in class actions"

In my particular case -

A] Book multiple promo flights on Air Asia. Too good to be true!
B] Credit card 'declined' - Air Asia finally admits technical error.
C] Get right royally shafted, robbed in Air Asia's inimitable way*
D] Don't get angry, get even - and start warts & all Air Asia blog.
E] Air Asia send out mean hit-men to kill me [Nah, not really].
F] Retract E] Air Asia send stupid PR people to utterly annoy me.
G] Wish Air Asia had sent hit-man instead. Maybe they will.
H] Read the full story and so many others here ...

Use your mouse to try your luck with the

Casino Royale of cut-price ticketing!

* In a nutshell, I was able to prove to Air Asia that I had booked half a dozen 1THB promotional flights. Due to technical failure of Air Asia's online booking system, my card was repeatedly declined. In spite of providing screen grabs of my 'purchases' immediately after, I was effectively told this was bad luck.

To add insult to injury, in spite of repeated requests to be issued an itinerary on regular flights I had booked at about the same time, I was forced to cancel my annual holiday - in Singapore, Indonesia & Thailand - because this was obviously beyond Air Asia. To their credit, the Air Asia staff did manage to send aforementioned itinerary AFTER the flight departed. I haven't received anything approaching adequate compensation for this misadventure. I vowed to devote a couple of those lost holiday days to learning to blog; I've got to say, it's very therapeutic. Don't get angry, get even ... and learn a new skill.

http://airasiaannus.blogspot.com/2007/10/i-would-rather-fly-one-two-go-into.html

Hero photograph [accompanying headline] thanks go Alexander Watts

If you were in any doubt as to why they call it 'cattle class' .... Welcome to Air Asia

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:33:00 +0000

Some time before 'Fly Air Asia? Not Me' was born - and before I had been driven insane by their 'Guest Support' staff - I wrote to them and suggested that I was going to start a blog if they didn't get their act together. I sincerely believed the suggestion of being 'outed' might actually put a rocket up them. It didn't, so I did. Driven to blog! Who could have imagined that people would be queuing up to contribute such hysterically funny videos as the next two? Thanks!

This one comes from Anthony Thomaz [Voting: "Cattle Class"]. Please keep them coming guys. The Air Asia TV Awards, top videos will be posted to await your vote on the site - some amazing prizes are going to be awarded. I only need a few more before voting opens.

Don't get trampled in the stampede! Hilarious.

noreply@blogger.com (A.Horribilis) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:14:00 +0000

This is one for those of you who have never flown Air Asia. If you were wondering if all those stories can actually be true, then these guys have captured it on film. Thanks to Rasta1982 for this one. It's just too damned funny. [Voting: 'Air Asia Stampede']