REF: COMPLAINT AGAINST AIR ASIA SEEKING COMPENSATION FOR THE MISSED FLIGHT AK237 BOUND FOR THIRUCHIRAPALLI I had booked seven (7) tickets for my family to travel to trichy on 15/12/09. I booked the tickets months ahead to avoid unnecessary travel inconvenience during our journey. It was a school holiday season as such my children were so happy and very excited. In fact we were flying to attend a family reunion and a wedding on 19/12/09.

We arrived at the the airport (LCCT) early and the check in Counter No:37 which opened at 1.30pm. At the airport the bill board states that International Flight check-in is 3 hours before flight departure. We checked in our luggage at 1.40pm and we were holding our boarding passes awaiting at the waiting lounge to board the plane.

The flight scheduled departure time was 3.25pm. We waited long enough and no announcements were made about the flight boarding time. As time ticked in, we became restless and started moving up towards GATE T16 well before the departure time of 3.25pm. Upon approaching the gate, to our surprise we were denied entry to board the plane by the airasia ground crews who were on duty.

The ground crews on duty were Mr B and Mr M and they conveyed to us that the gate had already been closed. Despite numerous request and pleadings, our request had only fallen on deaf ears. We were fatigued, rundown, tired and totally exhausted on the process. Finally, the above mentioned staffs approached us and offered us a solution to board the plane. They requested us to pay RM100 per person to board the plane. We were stunned and flabbergasted upon hearing this. Later, we moved on to the information counter to check on the status of the flight AK237 bound for Trichy.

Through the information counter, it was brought to light that the flight took off only at 3.58pm. We felt depressed, heartbroken and dejected at the attitude of your staffs. I am a frequent flyer and I have been travelling for more than 2 decades. I have not encountered such a rude, unhelpful and arrogant behaviour of your staffs. Unfortunately, my encounter with airasia turned out to be the most disastrous and humiliating experiences in my life.

I think Airasia is the worst airline which I had come across with no sensitivity to service. Experiencing frustration and denial, I made a police report at the LCCT, KLIA on 15/12/09 at 9.50pm. In view of the situation, we had no other alternative rather than to jump on a flight the next day bound for Thiruvananthapuram at 6.20am on 16/12/09. We had incurred heavy monetary loss with the whole episode and the quantum of loss incurred is rather substantial to us who are middle income earners. As such I am seeking compensation on the loss incurred physically, mentally and financially.

I hope the concerned authorities will leave no stone unturned and investigate the matter thoroughly and give us a fair judgement. The financial loss for 7 persons 1.KUL-TRZ FLIGHT CHARGE : RM260.00 X 7 = RM1820.00 2.Travel cost from LCCT to KL : = RM 300.00 3.Cost incurred for overnight stay in KL : = RM1000.00 4.Travel cost from KL to LCCT : =RM 300.00 5.KUL-TRV Flight Charges : =RM4886.00 6.Cost incurred to travel back from Trivandrum to Trichy =RM 750.00 Particulars of Bookings: Travel Date: 15/12/2009 Flight :AK237 -KULTRZ PNR NOS: SMVTBV/QN49CQ/TNFLBW/EUPYBN Travel Date: 16/12/2009 Flight: AK295-KULTRV PNR NOS: J2KNBR

I do hope that my request would be accorded with due consideration, and compensate for the loss incurred.

AIRASIA REPLY;

We thank you for emailing your feedback to AirAsia.

In response to your issue, we have conducted a thorough investigation and have concluded our findings and our explanations are as per below.

Your flight to TRICHY was scheduled to Depart at 3.25pm. and thus the Check-In counters are opened from 12.25pm. This 3 hours before departure signage; is displayed below the Electronic Information Display Board. Our Logged information in our Server shows that our first guest for that flight checked-in at 12.20pm.Yes; our check-counters actually opened 5 minutes earlier than normal practice. This is proof that our counters were opened on time, and not as you have stated below; that it was opened at 1.30pm.

Our logged information shows that your party was checked-in at precisely 2.02pm. and not at 1.40pm as stated below.

Upon receipt of your Boarding Passes the printed information at the bottom of each pass specifically states in bold the ‘GATE CLOSES 20 MINUTES BEFORE DEPARTURE TIME’. This clearly means that the Gate Closed at 3.05pm for the Scheduled Departure time at 3.25pm.

The information in our Flight Speed shows that your party arrived at the Boarding Gate at 3.20pm. which is 15 minutes late. Please understand that you were late and our staff Mr B and Mr M correctly informed you that the gate was closed. The Final call was made at 3.10pm. giving our guests an extra 5 minutes grace for those guests who might be late but our staff did not see your traveling party at; or near the departure gate.

Our investigations show that our staff did carry out the duties diligently. This may have come across to you as being unhelpful, and we apologize for that.

Your allegation that the staffs in question requested you to pay RM100 per person to board the plane is strongly denied by all four (4) staffs that were together. We also find this implausible, as both Mr B and Mr M do not have the authority to reinstate guests once the procedure to remove guests is initiated. This is an irreversible procedure, and all our staffs are aware of this, and thus will not be able to reinstate guests who have been removed [off-loaded] back into the flight manifest.

Please be informed that aircraft movements; on the tarmac, runway clearance and take-off etc. is with the Airport authorities [Air Traffic Control] and the time you stated 3.58pm. is aircraft “Off the Ground”.

We empathize with you; but regretfully, we are unable to compensate you, due to your late arrival at the Departure Gate. Please understand, this could have been avoided if your travelling party had been on time.