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Fernandes: All We Ask For Is Two Flights A Day To Singapore

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KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- Winston Churchill's quote "Never, never, never, never give up," is probably AirAsia Bhd's group chief executive officer, Datuk Tony Fernandes' main mantra in his ongoing quest for the chance to fly the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route.

 

His hopes for an earlier opening of the route was dashed when the Singapore government recently announced its decision to stick to the Asean Open Sky policy, which will come into effect in 2009. This will give Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines (MAS) continued monopoly of the lucrative route for another year.

 

But Fernandes says that AirAsia's request has nothing to do with the policy which will allow unlimited air access between the 10 Asean capital cities.

 

"All we ask for is two flights a day from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. This has nothing to do with the open sky policy," he told reporters recently.

 

AirAsia, he said, has been receiving many requests from the people in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak who are working in the island city and vice versa.

 

He feels that there is no level playing field in Malaysia's aviation industry. "I don't think there is any other business in Malaysia that faces such a situation, Celcom and Maxis operate everywhere, Proton and MyVi (also have equal market access here) but why are we being treated differently?"

 

He also said the flight fares charged by MAS to Singapore was high.

 

MAS is offering tickets to Macau at RM99 while its fare to Singapore which is much closer is around RM800.

 

"Macau is four hours, Singapore is 45 minutes. Is the fuel charge in Singapore that expensive? I know I fly to Singapore from Bangkok and I fly to Macau, I know the cost structure it is the same if not more expensive in Macau."

 

The low cost carrier, Fernandes said, has never stopped any airline flying into routes that it had created.

 

AirAsia, which introduced its low fare, no frills concept in December 2001, now flies to about 100 destinations in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Macau, China, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos.

 

To date the AirAsia group has carried over 35 million passengers.

 

"I am happy that MAS went to Macau. That shows there is market for two different service providers. Macau is a route developed by AirAsia. MAS is increasing its flight to Macau to four times a week. So, we will throw a party for MAS there but don't stop us from throwing a party in Singapore."

 

-- BERNAMA

 

Where 4th floor boy???

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poor guy ... kesian la dia, MH. He's a poor chap trying to make a living. All he wants is two measly A320 flights a day. Nothing more. He wants to beraya in Singapore too. MH and SQ are so selfish la.

 

hahahahaha

 

It won't stop once he gets two flights a day. don't listen to his bull s#1t. i've heard it all before!

 

 

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poor guy ... kesian la dia, MH. He's a poor chap trying to make a living. All he wants is two measly A320 flights a day. Nothing more. He wants to beraya in Singapore too. MH and SQ are so selfish la.

This has nothing to do with SQ.

 

 

It won't stop once he gets two flights a day. don't listen to his bull s#1t. i've heard it all before!

Agreed !! :lol:

 

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Huh ?

 

Mula-mula mintak betis

Lepas itu mintak paha

 

Sorry, guys dunno how to translate above words heheh

 

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2 flights is nothing. you'll see everyone fighting to book on those two flights if guaranteed. don't you want RM 9.99 fares to singapore? oh yeah, i forgot that most of us are premium travelers, even for a 40min flight. everyone starts worrying when they make their presence, eh?

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So i'm not the only one who notices the amount of pro-MH premium business-class "ohh-they-served-my-latte-in-a-round-mug-this-time? b/s! i-want-my-latte-in-a-classy-cup-now!! and-bring-my-creme-broullet-immediately!!" people here. Respect to them for being up the food chain...

 

But, Average Joe and Jane says, bring more cheap flights around!! We don't really care about a few inch differences in seat pitch or lattes in a mug.

 

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This has nothing to do with SQ.

Isaac, care to elaborate? PM or email me if this becomes a political issue......which I am sure many are not willing to discuss.

 

A year or two ago, I remember TF said they don't need to go to Singapore and he is so assure of it? But now somebody is begging for this route. Correct me if I am wrong!

 

 

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Isaac, care to elaborate? PM or email me if this becomes a political issue......which I am sure many are not willing to discuss.

Can write it here. Not a sensitive issue. Singapore Airlines is ready to let go of their duopoly (SIA & MAS) in the SIN/KUL sector. MAS is the one who doesn't want the route to open up to other airlines (especially AK in this case).

 

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Nearly all of the Kl Singapore route are businessmen and executives.Do you think they'll go for the delays of Air Asia once they're given the flights???Improve on your delays first,Fernandes..Don't talk nonsense,you're already lucky enough to be given an LCCT terminal and have it all to yourselves...

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pax point of view... give me the damn cheap flight!!!

my point of view... let Air Asia suffer first, then they will appreciate the route as thing that come in easy will not always appreciate just like RAS. Don't our parent teach us this way when we small.

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Nearly all of the Kl Singapore route are businessmen and executives.Do you think they'll go for the delays of Air Asia once they're given the flights???Improve on your delays first,Fernandes..Don't talk nonsense,you're already lucky enough to be given an LCCT terminal and have it all to yourselves...

 

They just serve different markets I believe. Most businessmen will not be taking AK.

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Singapore, I heard, is ready to open up the routes and most SQ's passengers flying these routes are either businessmen or connecting from other flights. Opening the routes to AK will only strenghten Singapore's position as a hub and this is what they want to achieve. AK probably will not try to attract those businessmen, but those leisure travellers that normally take the bus across the causeway.

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please do think if AK is to serve that route, many bus, taxi, or even the rail service would have to start worrying. don't merely judge on current market. 2 flights shouldn't be a problem if you still want to talk about delays. i wonder if both SQ and MH never had any delays on this sector? people sometimes can just get too hatred over nothing.

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Singapore is used to competition, a clear example would be QF massive operation in SIN for Kangaroo Routes.

 

MAS je yang manja sangat... :rolleyes:

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exactly - once KUL-SIN route opens up - the winner will be SIN and their airlines, Tony fernandez. As Keno says - QF is the second largest operator in SIN - handling 2 million pax/year. SIN and SQ are not afraid to open up and face the competition because they know SQ will be able to hold its own. Anytime.

The manja airline MH will be the biggest loser as they have been protected so far and bailed out on many occasions. Liberalisation will kill them off. Just like proton.

 

 

To N Azman..

 

Somehow i felt that your comments were directed at me. Don't get me wrong - I am NOT a business class traveller OR a premium traveller who likes latte in special chinaware. I don't agree to MH increasing prices and reverting to el cheapo tactics. If you pay a high price, you should EXPECT high quality service.

 

WHAT i DON'T like is Tony's insistent nagging that he is doing all of us a favour. He's NOT. This is for himself. If a few of us gain by having cheap tickets - fine. In general - ticket prices are still HIGH, especially if you're a last minute traveller. Not everyone is lucky that they can plan their year's journey in advance and list it on their profile.

In my line of work - you take your break when you can, if you can.

 

I can't afford expensive tickets either...

 

 

Edited by Izanee

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ummmm....i remember when they were rejected last time to fly into singapore tony said "who need singapore when we can survive without them" -.-"...the table seem to turn the other way around now.=)

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To N Azman..

 

Somehow i felt that your comments were directed at me.

 

WHAT i DON'T like is Tony's insistent nagging that he is doing all of us a favour. He's NOT. This is for himself.

 

Naah I hope no offence is taken. I was just trying to put the comments accross with as much wit as possible. Apologies.

 

No doubt Tony has himself and Airasia in mind most of the time in his decisions. Us Joes and Janes are just trying to benefit from it as much as we can.

 

And whilst I agree that busy people relax whenever they can even on flights, and quality should be first and foremost in a premium-priced air ticket, I think everyone should have a choice between easy-relaxed-flights and cheapo-no-frills-fighting-civil-war-for-window-seats-flights. Choice is imperative.

 

And, for flights between KUL and SIN currently, people are not given this choice.

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Most businessmen will not be taking AK.

 

Not what I noticed on my recent AK flights (especially the early morning BKI-MYY one) :pardon:

 

Plenty of businessmen.....

 

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Maybe he also want to charge RM800/ticket.

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TF knows that SIN-KUL route is making a lot of money for SQ and MH, so that's why he's eager to have a bite of the pie which SQ and MH is savouring at the moment. somebody should quote TF statement a few years back when he said that he does't need SIN-KUL route and show it to him, either it is from the newspaper or tv news report. see what he has to say about it.

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I perceive it as more AK attempting to use the SIN catchment area to feed into their long haul flights, part of his ambition to create a LCC hub out of KUL and thereby a thriving LCC out of AK.

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It doesn't matter what the motives are, as long as the consumers are the clear winners. The SIN-KUL route is ridiculously expensive. A lot of my friends do not want to stop at KL simply because its too expensive to fly there and therefore prefer stopping over at Bangkok instead. KL is partly losing because of this duopoly. Some people always think that KLIA will be losing out if this route is open up, but overlook the fact that it may benefit KLIA as well as more people can get to KL easier.

 

Enough already... bring out the competition! Go AK, TR, 3R, or any others... Let the fares drop....

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