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AirAsia faces backlash over delayed pandemic refunds | Aviation


Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysian airline AirAsia is facing a wave of complaints from customers who say they have yet to receive refunds for flights that have been canceled or rescheduled during the pandemic.

AirAsia and its subsidiary AirAsia X (AAX), both owned by Capital A Berhad, made thousands of flights in 2020 and 2021 after the Malaysian government closed state and international borders to limit travel. spread of COVID-19.

But months after the low-cost carrier resumed flights after lifting interstate and international border restrictions on Malaysians in October, hundreds of customers took to social media to complain. Complaints about poor customer service and long refund waits.

Rohana Betak, 60, said she asked for a refund of 4,000 Malaysian ringgit ($911) after the airline canceled her flight between Senai and Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah state, following the start of the lockdown. aircraft nationwide in March 2020.

Betak, who plans to visit the area around Mount Kinabalu, Southeast Asia’s highest peak, with her family in October 2021, said the airline’s automated online customer service is only available to her. Choose to travel on different dates. Betak decided not to accept the offer due to uncertainty about when restrictions would be lifted and concerns about COVID-19 fishing. Two years later, she says she’s still waiting to get her money back.

Betak told Al Jazeera: “In my request I said that refunding me on booking was fine but instead I was reminded in June 2020 that I had to board a flight to Sabah one day. other and will not be refunded”.

“It didn’t help because instead of giving me at least credit for a refund, it told me I had no choice but to travel on different dates.”

    Rohana Betak
Rohana Betak, pictured with a pink hat in the back row, said she waited two years for a refund from AirAsia [Courtesy of Rohana Betak]

Travel to Sabah before October 2021 is strictly limited to certain types of tourists, including those on business and those born in the state. Rohana and her family do not fall under any of the exemptions.

“When it asked me to get on another flight, I asked if they wanted to take me and my family to our deaths?” Betak said. “It’s frustrating and I’m so tired of trying to get my money back I’ve accepted that I probably won’t get my money back.”

Many complaints have been directed towards AVA, AirAsia’s online chatbot, which is the sole line of communication between customers and the airline regarding booking or flight related issues.

In particular, some have questioned why it is so difficult to contact customer service to request a refund, even for flights booked since pandemic restrictions were lifted.

Customer Aulia Chaerisa Salleh said she was waiting for a refund for a flight between Batam and Jakarta that had been booked earlier this month after she was told there were no seats available.

“I paid for my ticket and it didn’t register in the system so I tried to get a refund for my ticket. I tried AVA live chat but it didn’t help at all. It’s been days, I haven’t heard from them,” she said.

Under AirAsia’s current refund policy, the airline will offer customers a refund, credit or a new travel date whenever a flight is canceled or delayed.

AirAsia told Al Jazeera that the airline is engaged in ongoing dialogue with consumer regulators across the region to ensure compliance with all local regulations.

“The policies of the AirAsia Group are consistent with many low-cost operators in the travel industry worldwide and are fully compliant with all regulatory requirements and as a customer-centric airline, We have focused on resolving all customer inquiries during the pandemic as soon as possible,” a spokesperson said.

The airline group says it has resolved more than 90% of refund requests and is committed to resolving a small number of claims backlogs as soon as possible.

“In Malaysia for example, our current refund progress is only 0.03% of the refund requests we receive and we look forward to completing the refund exercise for all remaining queries. backlog over the next few months,” the spokesperson said, adding that the past two years have been the most challenging in the history of commercial aviation.

The spokesperson added that “our passengers remain our number one priority” and the airline will “continue to enhance our service to deliver the best in air travel.” safe, affordable and reliable aviation”.

‘I have a problem’

Tan Kok Liang, president of the Malaysian Association of Travel and Travel Agents (MATTA), said the refund backlog is a short-term issue and the 3,100 members will continue to book tickets with AirAsia for as long as the customer requests it. .

Tan told Al Jazeera: “The main issue is AAX and while air connectivity is crucial for tourism recovery, based on media reports, AirAsia should be more accountable to all Stakeholders.

The massive compensation paid to airline co-founders Tony Fernandez and Kamarudin Maranun, who took home nearly 30 million ringgit ($6.8 million) last year, is also staggering. .

Following the release of Capital A’s 2021 Annual Report last month, some social media users vented their frustrations on Fernandez’s personal Instagram account, with one comment highlighting AirAsia as “an airline” The only airline that doesn’t have a customer service phone number.

Despite generous operator compensation, AAX, the group’s long-haul carrier, was last year forced to restructure its debt to save itself from liquidation after taking on huge debts during the pandemic. .

In March, AAX announced it had completed a debt restructuring after previous creditors agreed to an agreement under which the airline would pay only 0.5% of outstanding debt and terminate contracts. existing VND to restructure RM33.65 billion ($8.1 billion) of liabilities.

During the debt restructuring, the group provided travel credits in lieu of flights.

However, the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) has urged the airline to refund customers who purchased tickets and threatened to exercise its powers under the Malaysia Aviation Commission Act 2015.

Capital A posted revenue of 1.7 billion ringgit ($387 million) in fiscal 2021, down 47 percent year-on-year, as capacity fell to just 36 percent from 2020 levels.



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