Category: Customers
It is just amazing that after just half a day of initiating the “Say NO to Airport Tax Increase” campaign, we’ve received an overwhelming rate of support and backing to the Campaign by people from all walks of life. This instant consensus by people far and near only goes to show AirAsia’s stand in this matter is commendable and on the right direction.
Apart from emails, supports and backings flew in through various modes of communication such as facebook and twitter, which came through in thousands. There’s also an online petition created at http://www.change.org/petitions/malaysia-airports-holding-berhad-reverse-the-enforced-increment-of-passenger-service-charge-airport-tax
Firstly, I need you to know that AirAsia doesn’t derive profit from airport tax collected because the entire amount goes to Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad (MAHB) being the airport operator. Nevertheless, AirAsia took on the lead role in launching this Campaign on the belief that the increased rate will only detriment the travel industry of Malaysia, thereby making it less and less competitive to our neighbor country down south. Additionally, I truly believe MAHB has absolutely NO justification to implement such increase.
I have over and over again stressed on the sorry state of LCCT and that it is not up to par with other low cost airports around the region. This sentiment has been echoed on each email I received today, which is either sent directly to me or MAHB with me in copy or blind copy. Here I would like to share with you an email from Colin where issues raised by him are very very real and I’m sure they have crossed your mind each time you visit the LCCT or even KLIA for that matter.
Subject:
A 300,000 miler complaints (WAS: Fwd: Say NO to AIRPORT TAX INCREASE)
From:
“Colin Charles” 
I may be exasperated by all this but I would definitely not let it go without a good fight. So, I would sincerely recommend MAHB to start doing some soul searching and ensure the amount of airport tax imposed is worthy of the facilities provided. To all of you out there who feel you have been short changed, come support and back us by signing the petition (here). AirAsia is committed to bring you affordable air travel as per the tagline “Now Everyone Can Fly”!
|
|
||||||
|
Share this:
 |
 |
|
||||
I received this letter late last week and I thought I’d share it with you. This just goes to show that we’ve come a long way since we first met because when we first met in 2007 it wasn’t in the best of terms and now just a couple of years down, here we are working together to better educate ourselves on the needs of everyone who would fly.
It is amazing and blows me away to have these disabled friends of ours, understanding where we are as a LCC and their unrelenting commitment to make the LCC work for disabled guests and everyone in general, with what we have and mind you which is with limited resources and the airport layout. That itself is humbling indeed and from the bottom of our hearts we thank you BEAT!
Barrier-free Environment and Accessible Transport (BEAT),
c/o No 4, Lorong 1A/71 J,
Jalan Carey, 46000 Petaling Jaya.
15 November 2011
AirAsia Berhad,
LCC Terminal, Jalan KLIA S3,
Southern Support, Zone KLIA,
64000 Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Attention : Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Group CEO AirAsia Berhad,
Mr. Bo Lingam, Head of Operations and Planning, AirAsia Berhad.
Dear Tan Sri Tony and Bo,
We, at BEAT, feel very honoured to be given the opportunity to be involved and to support AirAsia in providing training for your staff. Thank you, AirAsia for giving BEAT the full trust and confidence to develop the cross disability training syllabus and modules and to conduct the training.
We are also thankful to be given the opportunity by AirAsia to introduce Disability Equality Training (“DET”) on top of the Disability Related Service Training (“DRST”). DET gives us a correct understanding of disability issues from the perspective of equality and justice. With DET, DRST will be properly understood, better appreciated and more effective.
BEAT wants to give maximum credit to Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, group CEO of AirAsia, for it was Tan Sri Tony who recognised that the training would be best conducted by and with the involvement of disabled people themselves - the end users of the service. It was Tan Sri Tony who invited BEAT to be involved in the training.
As a gesture of his commitment, Tan Sri presented BEAT the AirAsia cap he was wearing on when he met us on 20th July,2007, with his hand written wordings “To all my BEAT friends”, “You have my 100% commitment", and “Dare to dream”. These words which came directly from Tan Sri himself had given us great motivation to give all our best to support AirAsia in the effort to further improve the service to include disabled passengers. Knowingly or unknowingly, Tan Sri Tony has helped put into practice our very famous slogan “Nothing about us without us”. Thank you, again, Tan Sri !
As part of our mission is to work towards a better and accessible environment and an inclusive society including improved services, we see it as part of our responsibility to offer and share our knowledge, experience and expertise because we know best our own needs and how we want to be served. BEAT is fully committed and proud to be working in partnership with AirAsia in implementing change for better and improved service. We know that the good service will ultimately benefit us and the community at large.
May we also take this opportunity to put on record our special thanks and deepest appreciation to Mr. Bo Lingam, Head of Operations and Planning, who was entrusted by Tan Sri, to work with us for the past 3 ½ years. To mention a few, we found Bo to be friendly, easy going, trusting, understanding, accepting, accommodating, fair, reasonable, open minded, and fun to work with and to be with. In short, we have “fallen in love” with him More importantly, Bo has been able to work with us not just as a working partner but as a friend.
Over the few years of working together, Bo has been able to better understand our struggle and appreciate us for who we are. On most occasions, Bo would make his time available even after office hours to accommodate our timing as many of us work during day time. He would let us decide on the venue of meeting most accessible to us. At times, when we had more issues to work at, the meetings would be dragged till late nights and Bo would stay put throughout every meeting session. There were also occasions when Bo sacrificed his Saturday mornings to meet us. Thank you, Bo for your full support and commitment!
Through Bo and his team, we have got many changes implemented. Among them - the terms and conditions which were discriminatory and unfair towards disabled passengers have been removed. Disabled people who travel unaccompanied are now able to travel on AirAsia. Online bookings are now made possible. Disabled passengers are no more required to sign Indemnity Forms. RM 12 is no more charged for usage of each wheelchair. Special assistance is given upon request without charge. Aisle chair made available when a disabled passenger is on board. Passenger boarding lift made available at LCCT upon request. Special Assistance Service Counter established at LCCT. Developed DET&DRST cross disability training syllabus and modules and mainstreaming them as part of the overall syllabus conducted at AirAsia Academy. Syabas, Bo and Team!
In the face of alternative training offers by local and international groups, Bo recognized the effort, commitment and past record of BEAT and stood by us. Bo maintained that BEAT would continue with the training in Malaysia and also help to extend the training to Thailand and Indonesia. Hence, Bo was in fact instrumental in realising the recently concluded DET&DRST Training of Trainers involving participants from Thailand and Indonesia. Thank you, Bo!
Now that Bo has “left us” for greater tasks else where in AirAsia, we sincerely wish him the best in all his undertakings. We assure you, Bo, that we will give our full support to Zaman and team as we continue the good work you have laid down.
To Bo, we thank you for all that you have been to us. Please do drop by and visit us as and when your time permits. We know that we are not only going to miss you but we will miss you a whole lot!
Warm regards,
Christine & Team,
B.E.A.T. Malaysia.
|
|
||||||
|
Share this:
|
|
|
||||
Since the 2008 general election, one particular MP has been obsessed with us and has been obsessed with AirAsia.
He claimed we would go bust so we shouldn’t collect money up front and that the government would have to bail us out; he goes on and on about us owing Malaysian Airpots RM 120 million two years ago. The list is endless.
Now he’s attacking us on the MAS-AirAsia shareholder share swap.
I wonder what his constituents think of his antics. Many of them use AirAsia thanks to our affordable fares; some of them even work for AirAsia. Rather than support us, this MP seems to want us to go bust and make 9,000 people jobless. STRANGE for an elected Wakil Rakyat. And his dislike of me personally is just immense. After all I have done for this country.
It’s a free world and he can feel what he wants but as an elected representative, he should come visit us at AirAsia and find out for himself. I’ll be more than happy to meet with him. In fact, I’ve invited him many, many times. Good leaders should listen to all sides and get the facts instead of just venting.
Come take a look at the LCCT . See if we should be paying half of the charges levied at the Main Terminal of KLIA. Are the services and facilities provided at LCCT equivalent to half of those at the Main terminal? I dare say they are only 30 percent.
This MP claims to be a “man of the people.” Yet he was happy for Malaysian Airports to raise airport charges. Which would have meant that his constituents would have to pay more for air travel. Like I said earlier, STRANGE.
So, YB for Wangsa Maju, here’s another invitation: Come and see me, come and see what an amazing job the staff of AirAsia have done and how they’ve helped 130 million people fly to places and at fares they never believed they could do before.
Come visit us, YB and to all YB too, ask whatever you would like and let’s find a way for Malaysia to win.
|
|
||||||
|
Share this:
|
|
|
||||
A letter from Andrew
| Categories: Brands, Marketing, Technology, Customers, Others |
I have been travelling quite a fair bit lately and once in a while I receive letters like this and it really makes it worth while.
Thank you Andrew Ciseau of Brisbane, Australia. I’d also like to hear from you out there and help us make it better for you.
Good afternoon Tony,
My name is Andrew Ciseau from Brisbane, Australia, and I am writing to you to provide some feedback on my recent trip on AirAsia and AirAsia X.
It has been just over 3 years since I last travelled multiple legs on AirAsia, and I must say I am impressed with how things have changed.
The biggest thing I think you have achieved is consistency of product and service. My flights from Gold Coast, KL, Langkawi, Penang, Singapore and back home again were all of a high standard of customer service, as well as travel experience. Everything from the plane décor and food were consistent, which for a traveller is very comforting when visiting new places. This is in stark contrast to my last AirAsia experience which started with the old IT system which was anything but user friendly, and didn’t get much better after that. However it is good to see just how your product can shine once you have all of the ‘backbone’ infrastructure in place and settled down.
One thing I would suggest is that you start marketing yourself in Australia as a Low Cost, but high quality service airline. The LCC offerings in Australia, have had customer service levels driven to the lowest common denominator, which in my opinion has tainted the LCC market here. Your product is not in the same league as these LCC carriers, so you really do need to get the message out just how far your product has come. After my experience, I would not hesitate to travel anywhere with your carrier given the outstanding value it represents when compared to a full service legacy carrier, and the service offering was more than adequate. People need to know why this is.
To be fair, there is still room for improvement in some quarters. Like all airlines and airports, Terminal information screens are vital, particularly for visitors from overseas. I noticed many of these boards were slow to update, and in some cases passengers lined up at gates for boarding, when the aircraft was in fact delayed, but no announcements made, or screens updated. These are the little things which should be getting done right. Technology means that as soon as the arriving aircraft departs, electronic messaging means someone, somewhere knows how late or early it will be in most cases, it doesn’t take much to publish this information on displays.
Also, on the whole I am not a fan of the KLIA LCC terminal. On your first visit you are simply overwhelmed by the size of the place, the different location of check-in areas, and odd signage and counter numbers. I don’t have any particular suggestions for improvements, however it just seems to be harder than it needs to be.
On the whole I am very excited about the future of your airlines, and the competition and services you provide to Australia, and beyond. I am not afraid to tell people why this is.
I thank you for your time.
Regards,
Andrew Ciseau
|
|
||||||
|
Share this:
|
|
|
||||
WOW, 3 times in a row! Thank you, thank you and thank you!
I am deeply humbled by this show of support that you, our guests, have given to us at AirAsia. Being voted World’s Best Low Cost Airline; not once or twice but thrice consecutively is just amazing. This recognition is very meaningful to all of us at AirAsia as it is an award bestowed following an independent global survey that was conducted by a respectable London-based aviation consultant - Skytrax. Over 19 million travelers worldwide took the survey and we came out top in this most prestigious and respected airline award survey, which measures airlines’ product and service standards. This goes to prove our constant effort to improve and innovate are working.
I believe by pouring your heart and soul into your dreams, you can undoubtedly achieve it and it is just a matter of time. However, to be the best and stay on as the Best takes passion and the spirit of never give up!
3 times a charm!
Whilst I am over the moon on this, I would not forget the blood, sweat and tears of everyone at AirAsia. So, I am going to attribute this award to the AirAsia Allstars who are and have been the pillar of our success all throughout. I can still recall vividly how AirAsia started with just mere 250 employees in 2001 and we have now grown with strength of over 8000 employees across the ASEAN region. Also, the long and winding road of each of the battle we fought tirelessly. What could be a better gift then this award as we celebrate our tenth year anniversary in a few months’ time. A big pat on the back of all the AirAsia Allstars who made this dream come true. You guys really and absolutely deserve this award. A big and fun celebration will ensue and after that we will work even harder to lift AirAsia to the next level and into the next decade.
Din and our girls with the award
As for you, our guest, we will strive to be more customer friendly and orientated, make available great and unbeatable products and services that span over a much bigger network of connectivity like there has never been before. We are indeed very proud and grateful to have been chosen as the People’s Champion, People’s Airline once again. I would just leave you now with a BIG thank you for the wonderful support expressed. There’s never an end to dream, as if it does life would be a shame. Therefore, the next one to realize could be elusive but not entirely impossible; Let’s see if we can get this next year - Skytrax World’s Best Airline Cabin Staff Award – AirAsia! After all, YOU should Dream the Impossible! Don’t Take No for An Answer! Believe the Unbelievable!
Good day folks, sit tight, stay tune and be surprised by us!
Blood.Sweat.Tears
|
|
||||||
|
Share this:
|
|
|
||||
I’m proud of my AllStars. They’ve shown that AirAsia is more than just a low cost airline. Together we’re just going to get better and better from here.
I am a regular Air Asia passenger with a 6 yr old son. My son is fascinated with the Air Asia fleet of aeroplanes and have a collection of model aircraft. Last Sunday, Sept 12th, we went to Pavillion Shopping Centre and saw the REDMEGASTORE booth. He was excited and wanted to get the A330-300 x-tra long model aircraft. However, to our disappointment, the lady at the counter has sold the last one to another family. The lady told us to go to LCCT to buy it as there is another booth there. So we drove all the way there from Pavillion. When we got there, the unfriendly booth lady told us she did not carry that model and offered no other assistance. My son was really upset, so we went and asked around and was referred to counter R16.
I met Mr Lloyd Ferguson there. Mr Ferguson immediately picked up the phone upon listening to my dilemma and spoke with someone trying to find ways to help me. After he hung up the phone, he called a staff Mr Prithivi Thomas to do an extra ordinary request especially for me. Mr Prithivi Thomas ran off in a jiff to find all departing aircrafts to help my son purchase his dream A330-300 x-tra long aircraft model. He was back in 15minutes with the purchase!! You cannot imagine the joy that shone in the eyes of a 6 year old boy when he was presented the aircraft model.
Through Mr Lloyd Ferguson and Mr Prithivi Thomas's efforts to do the extra ordinary, it has exceeded all customer service expectations and most importantly it has made a little boy's dreams come true that evening. Never had I imagined Air Asia would have such dedicated staff who showed so genuine customer care and would take such efforts to help out customers such as myself in such ordeals.
I hope this compliment reaches Tony Fernandez so that he will know that he has such exemplary staff such as Mr Lloyd Ferguson and Mr Prithivi Thomas who clocks in to work everyday but brings a hope, a smile and many joys to customers such as myself. Truly you have a gem in Air Asia that makes all the difference called Lloyd Ferguson and Prithivi Thomas!
|
|
||||||
|
Share this:
|
|
|
||||
What a hectic two weeks, it has been. First Barcelona then Monaco which was a fantastic race with Heikki finishing as the quickest driver among the new teams; then it was a whistle stop in Tokyo to collect the Nikkei prize.
What really ended the week on a high though was AirAsia being named the Best Low Cost Airline by Skytrax for the second year running. This award means a lot to us for two reasons. First it is the second consecutive year which we’ve been given the accolade and second, the Skytrax survey is an independent worldwide passenger poll. Winning this gives us public and global recognition for the hard work we put in at AirAsia. For this I’m giving our AirAsia AllStars thumbs up for a job well done.
Operating more than 2,000 flights a day to move 24 million people over 120 routes while ensuring that we keep costs down, is truly a massive logistical feat and I am very proud that we have made it to be of world class standards.
They say that being at the top can be a curse because it leaves you nothing more to aim for. I reckon that’s only true if you don’t aim to stay there. What we would really like now is to score a hat trick and win this award again next year. Ultimately we would like to one day be voted as not only the world’s best low cost airline but the world’s best airline, period.
To get there I’m well aware of ways we can make things better. That’s why we take in and listen to all feedback and complaints from our guests, no matter how small. From queues to the in-flight experience to booking and the response from our guest support; we are working out ways to improve and serve our guests better.
I realise AirAsia is a subject that evokes strong emotions from people perhaps owing to our rather unique history, but mostly because so many of you fly with us. We will never forget that it is because of our guests that we are the success we are today. So yes, we know we’re not perfect but we’re sure as hell going to try to be.
Thank you all for your support.
|
|
||||||
|
Share this:
|
|
|
||||
It was back in September when I launched a competition on my personal Twitter and Facebook page. Simply tell me where and what route you would like AirAsia to fly to and you win free flights for a year. The response was overwhelming.
I know it’s been a long time coming and most of you are probably wondering when the winner of the competition will be announced if at all. Today, I’m going to announce a date. 8 December 2009 to be exact. On that Tuesday, I’m going to call some of my media friends to come along as I unveil the winners to the world. Have been tinkering with technology a bit lately and we’re going to try to experiment with Cover It Live at the event itself. So mark your calendars as I unveil the winners of the first competition on Facebook and Twitter to a year of free flights.
All I’m going to say is that one of the winners chose an Asian destination that we’ve been eyeing for a while now. Will see you on 8 December 2009. It’s all happening live. Let the drums roll.
|
|
||||||
|
Share this:
|
|
|
||||
AirAsia the ASEAN Arline: Serving the People of ASEAN
| Categories: Business & Entrepreneurs, Customers |
I have received many letters both negative and positive in my years at AirAsia but this letter really moved me. It just goes to show how AirAsia has changed lives and how our dream of uniting ASEAN is fast becoming a reality. This wonderful appreciative man does not look at us as a Malaysian airline but instead as an ASEAN product that has made his dreams come true.
I just wish we can do even more for guests like him. Look at his wish list for us! But how do we set about fulfilling these expectations when we can't even seem to be able to get the details sorted out on our new home, the purpose-built Low-Cost Carrier Terminal at KLIA?
Four months have passed and we still have not heard from the Malaysian Airports Holding Berhad. I am despondent because if we had been allowed to go ahead with Labu, we would have done so much already. The country should not slow down private businesses, especially now in these testing economic times. We need low costs --- and we would welcome more efficiency and passion from MAHB so that we can make more dreams like those of the author of this letter come true.
In times when many focus on the negative, it is so wonderful to get this letter. Thank you Muliadi. You have made an old man very very happy.
Letter from guest
Dear Tony Fernandez,
We send our regards by Attaching my photos with my 4 children in royal palace bangkok. But your system can not allow it.
1. It is a great pleasure to have your letter. You are a legend. The world will remember you for the next 100 years. I will keep your letter to my grand-grand sons. Dou you have pen or anything else with your signature that you can send me so i can keep it too? I do not mind if you like to send me your first airplane. That must be very precious now and next 100 years.
2. How can AirAsia the World’s best low cost airlines because of us? If :
- you do not operate airasia and put the promotions everywhere, how can we fly to other country with cheapest price?
- If Tony Fernandez does not stay in the airport to meet the customers, to know what customers need, and have a passion to serve people, knowing people difficulties, how can I bring my wife, 4children, my mother in law, my father and my mother fly to other country?
- God created the world, to make people realize there is God. and we must see it. To praise and worship Him. He use Tony Fernandez to help us fly. By giving you the vision to see the imposible.
- You create the problems, and we love it.
3. By what you have done, indonesia, malaysia, singapore, thailand, laos , kamboja, myanmar, london, australia, india, received more tourists than before. Hotels, restaurant, shops, everything getting more profit. All the people where there is airasia, they love it. We are live! They are happy. Goverments in those country should give you rewards. But they do not do it nor say it. They just clap their hand. Because there is a song said”if you’re happy and you know it... clap your hands!” My mother 65 years, my father 70 years old, my mother in law 74 years, my children, my nephews, my sister in law, they are so happy these days because they know they will go to Kuala Lumpur on July 10, by airasia. Even it is still 3 months from now. For us$ 45/person return ticket. Low cost create happiness. When will you make promotion from Bali to London for Rp. 0,- cost? I do not mind order it 4 months before.
4. If i may suggests:
- Make agreement to airplanes factory, Buy more airplanes. Make it 7500planes in next 5 years. Open the route all over the world. Let People pay for that 7500planes and then fly them. Promote it:”WE buy the planes, you paid for it! Order now, fly next year”. I believe it will help airlines factories, countries in this global crisis.
- We need cheap rooms to stay during transit in Kuala Lumpur. Before we go to other destination. Nevermind if 1 small room have 6 beds. Like in the prison. Special for airasia passangers. As long as it cheaps, we are happy. In that hotel, we need 7 eleven. That’s it. Will you make that happen? Start from KL airport? Let people pay for that. ”WE built the cheap rooms for you, you paid for it! Order now, stay next year”.
Tony, i like you. You are special. I deeply thanks to you.
Best regards,
Muliadi Sumardi
|
|
||||||
|
Share this:
|
|
|
||||
Getting Back to all of you
| Categories: Business & Entrepreneurs, Customers, Others |
Hi Everyone,
Firstly, thank you for giving me such a warm welcome to the world of blogging. I must say I really enjoyed reading the 150 comments and emails.
I have so much to say but I will start by trying to cover some of the comments raised by all of you.
Please call me Tony, so that's what I would like to be called. This is me, not a ghostwriter so pardon the typos and poor grammar. Just returned form London and went to watch basketball (my next project an Asean Basketball League - will tell you all about it soon) and today went to watch the Women's World Cup of Table Tennis as AirAsia was a sponsor.
Back to your comments. I will use this blog to share my experiences, give my views and share some of my inner thoughts on life and business.
I hope to meet many of you as you've requested and I'm always around the airport or planes so just come and say hi. You may also see me at a Tune Hotel. Someone asked did I play Ping Pong, yes I did. Love the game. My main sports were Rugby Cricket and Hockey. Now I play the odd game of football and Squash.
Many of you have sent suggestions on AirAsia and complaints. I've set up an email for this and it's tony@tonyfernandesblog.com.
I would like to suggest that you use this email to send your suggestions or ideas or complaints to me. Would be easier for me to reply and I will reply. You can also send to the AirAsia Blog or Guest Support at AirAsia.
|
|
||||||
|
Share this:
|
|
|
||||
Gallery
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
Subscriptions