AirAsia needs to wake up big time

[Naim 6]

http://www1.malaysiakini.com/letters/85314

 

AirAsia needs to wake up big time

A Concerned Malaysian | Jun 30, 08 3:56pm

 

After a one-hour frustrating and futile search for an e-mail address to send my feedback, all I could find on the AirAsia website was a ‘Compliments Archive’ but no avenue for customer feedback, negative or positive. I wonder how the company got all the compliments! Via snail mail, perhaps?

 

The only e-mail address I could locate was that of the guy in charge of investor relations with big red bold letters below his contact details saying, ‘Only investor relations queries, please’. Not the e-mail address I’m looking for, obviously. Talk about customer service of the Best Low Cost Airline in Asia.

 

My husband suggested I try and see if this letter will be published by one of the most read newspapers for the discerning community.

 

I had an enjoyable stay in Hangzhou visiting my brother and was looking forward to coming home. I was on the late night flight scheduled to depart at 23:10 hrs. The flight was slightly delayed coming into Hangzhou due to weather conditions (cyclone), which was understandable, although that meant my two-year-old daughter ran around in the departure hall quite a bit.

 

After lulling her to sleep with Barney’s ‘We are flying in an airplane, looking out the window…’ just as we took off around midnight, I was looking forward to at least four hours of rest before going to work in the morning. Unfortunately that was not to be, hence this letter.

 

After the hustle and bustle of the air steward and air stewardesses serving food, getting the trash into bin bags and selling souvenirs, the plane settled into a sleepy mood with the lights being dimmed, slightly past one in the morning, or so I thought.

 

I was seated on the first row of the economy class together with my husband, daughter and niece in the middle of the plane, with a middle-aged couple on my right across the aisle. Soon after the lights were dimmed and people started to doze off, the air steward (there was only one as far as I could see) and about three or four stewardesses gathered at the area to my right (just in front of the middle-aged couple) and started chatting away on top of their voices in total disregard of the needs of passengers who needed to rest.

 

They had probably had a long afternoon nap and ready for a major ‘relax session’. Two of them sat on the passenger seats which were unfortunately not occupied (right next to the emergency exit), another one on the crew seat and at least one or two more standing next to the counter (where they have hot water etc).

 

The situation was no different from a scene in a local market or busy coffee shop or ‘mamak’ stall, the way they were shouting to each other as they chatted away. I’m not kidding. This was against the backdrop of an almost silent cabin where practically everyone (except those of us around these few crew members) was either dozing off or fast asleep.

 

Too bad I was not able to record some of these ‘shouting chats’ due to restrictions on the use of mobile phones and electronic devices on board. I could see the middle-aged lady in the window seat desperately trying and failing to get any rest.

 

After some time, the middle-aged man on my right went up and spoke to them to request them to lower their voices, but the noise continued to disturb us. I was getting annoyed and started staring at them. The steward looked at me twice and they continued chatting on top of their voices.

 

I finally decided to go up to them and asked them if there was anywhere else they could go to chat (like the almost empty ‘business class’ in front), because we were all unable to rest due to the loud noise. By then, my little daughter who was fast asleep had been woken up by them and my husband had to carry her to stop her from crying, despite the ‘fasten-seatbelt’ sign being on throughout due to bad weather.

 

After I chased them away, the group dispersed from there and continued chatting somewhere further in front for another 15 minutes before the noise died down and I was finally able to get some rest.

 

I went to work with a very heavy head, the result of a ‘no frills, no sleep’ flight on AirAsia. I believe sleep is not included in the list of ‘frills’ in the AirAsia ‘Company Profile’ web-page.

 

I am deeply disappointed at the level of professionalism of AirAsia’s crew and this experience was in total contrast to the stories I had read earlier on the in-flight magazine about the quality and innovative work AirAsia was supposed to be doing. If the in-flight culture is anything like what I experienced last night, I do not think the company will go very far.

 

It is my sincere hope that AirAsia takes this issue seriously and ensures that the culture of its crew in-flight (as well as in other aspects of its services) matches its reputation as the best low- cost airline in Asia and one of the 50 most innovative companies in the world, and will not subject its customers to a flying experience of a sub-standard third rate airline.

[reyneo 0]

I was seated on the first row of the economy class together with my husband, daughter and niece in the middle of the plane, with a middle-aged couple on my right across the aisle. Soon after the lights were dimmed and people started to doze off, the air steward (there was only one as far as I could see) and about three or four stewardesses gathered at the area to my right (just in front of the middle-aged couple) and started chatting away on top of their voices in total disregard of the needs of passengers who needed to rest.

 

They had probably had a long afternoon nap and ready for a major ‘relax session’. Two of them sat on the passenger seats which were unfortunately not occupied (right next to the emergency exit), another one on the crew seat and at least one or two more standing next to the counter (where they have hot water etc).

 

The situation was no different from a scene in a local market or busy coffee shop or ‘mamak’ stall, the way they were shouting to each other as they chatted away. I’m not kidding. This was against the backdrop of an almost silent cabin where practically everyone (except those of us around these few crew members) was either dozing off or fast asleep.

 

Too bad I was not able to record some of these ‘shouting chats’ due to restrictions on the use of mobile phones and electronic devices on board. I could see the middle-aged lady in the window seat desperately trying and failing to get any rest.

 

After some time, the middle-aged man on my right went up and spoke to them to request them to lower their voices, but the noise continued to disturb us. I was getting annoyed and started staring at them. The steward looked at me twice and they continued chatting on top of their voices.

 

I finally decided to go up to them and asked them if there was anywhere else they could go to chat (like the almost empty ‘business class’ in front), because we were all unable to rest due to the loud noise. By then, my little daughter who was fast asleep had been woken up by them and my husband had to carry her to stop her from crying, despite the ‘fasten-seatbelt’ sign being on throughout due to bad weather.

 

After I chased them away, the group dispersed from there and continued chatting somewhere further in front for another 15 minutes before the noise died down and I was finally able to get some rest.

I had experienced a similar situation (at the back of the plane) on an overnight D7 flight (KUL-OOL). Difference was, I did not have the balls to tell the crew to shut up and they went on yapping through the night. That, plus the 90degree seat backs (the hand rest on my seat was removed, so the button to recline did not exist!) meant I was counting virtual sheep all night to no avail. The almost 2 hours delay and the lack of sleep meant I had to change my holiday plans, and waste one day sleeping in the Gold Coast.

 

But then again, for the price, I can't complain. After all, you get what you pay for. Cheap tickets = cheap old aircraft + unprofessional crew (oh but the food was HEAVENLY! Hands down, one of the best airline meals (Nasi Lemak) I ever had, second only to maybe some of SQ's.) I guess the RM0 fares and great food's a good enough reason to fly them again

Edited June 30, 2008 by reyneo

[Ahmad M 1]

I think you are a little mistaken. The crew are not suppose to behave like they did no matter what kind of airline you are flying. I am sure the crew department does not condone this behaviour and any customer will have a right to complain.

[mokay87 0]

I think you are a little mistaken. The crew are not suppose to behave like they did no matter what kind of airline you are flying. I am sure the crew department does not condone this behaviour and any customer will have a right to complain.

Agree with you, the crew should show their professionalism while they are on duty, and Air Asia said they want to become five-star, can they? with this kind of crew and service to the paasengers!!!

 

I am imagining the situation is like a group of people standing at market chit chat loud loud.. hahhaha..