Air Asia sales

Yep, another post about Air Asia and the fact Everyone can fly. This time a moan and groan about the way they sell you tickets and then cancel flights or change them.

Every few months Air Asia announces fantastic Sales and stupid cheap tickets to fly to anywhere they fly, often within time limits and all are non refundable and fixed dates. And to be honest for the price they offer, there should be no reason to change the flight times.

Luckily, if you fly with Air Asia Indonesia, they are so helpful they will do it for you.

I have bought tickets several times during their sale promotions in the belief I am getting a better deal and bargain only to have the airline simply cancel or change the promoted flight times. Leaving me ultimately out of pocket, frustrated and having to travel at less useful times. The reason I bought the tickets at the particular times are not only because they are cheap but also because they suit my travel needs.

So changing the flights makes me feel that they are simply a con to fill seats and a quota to impress the stock market not to help the consumer.

The flights to and from Bali in November 2011 were rescheduled and they were 'very sorry for the above reschedule.' But insistent that for me to...
'understand with the issue and accept our sincere apologies.'

Being a 'Dear Our Valued Guest,

 First and foremost, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing Indonesia AirAsia.

We deeply regret to inform you that AirAsia flight...' 

The above statement does not really help. This is classic giving bad news in a positive way.

Then in May I am flying to Bali again to sort out wedding details, I need to be in Bali before the evening as I have things I need to do. Air Asia prices are so cheap it was a good idea to buy the tickets. All the meetings etc arranged around my flight times. Then the bomb drops that the flights have been cancelled so I have had to reschedule the whole of my trip.
Yes it is my fault for believing one of the largest and most successful airlines in the world and the promotional material and promises it makes. Yes I should fly Garuda and not deal with the cheap end of the market and Yes, serves me right for trying to do things on the cheap, however like everyone else who buys these tickets, we do so because of the price and the flight times.

'Dear Our Valued Guest,

First and foremost, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing Indonesia AirAsia.

AirAsia would like to advise that our flight QZ 7624 scheduled to depart from Bandung ( BDO ) to Denpasar ( DPS ) at 17:00, effective 25th March-25th October 2012 has unfortunately been CANCELLED and MOVED to later flight QZ 7916, which DEPART from Bandung at 19:40 and arrives in Denpasar at 22:25. All in local time.'

Cancelled? Did the flight really exist? Cancelled a flight to fill the late flight to Bali I presume. Cancelled a flight which must have been filled pretty much due to the price.

Flying that late into Bali is a pain and a waste of the evening. Hence why I chose to fly earlier.

'Once again we hope you will accept our sincere apologies for any inconveniences caused, and we will try our best to improve our service continually to meet with your satisfaction.

We are looking forward to welcoming you onboard and provide you a renewed and positive Indonesia Air Asia experience.'

My satisfaction will be met if the flights I book I can actually take and then the flights are not late taking off (which is also the norm).

We will try our best - suggests currently they are not.

How will the cabin crew provide me with a positive and renewed Indonesian Air Asia experience?

The cabin crew on a whole are fantastic as are the pilots and ground crew. The service from those that operate the airline needs fixing.  Thats all.

You can also be sure I will write about my day trip to Bandung and my flight from Bandung to Bali in May.