Updates on 11-5-2014 @ 1:45 pm:
AirAsia has said that it has to pass on the charge of RM3.00 KLIA2 Airport Fees to passengers because of MAHB’s charges for aerobridge, check-in system and others. It was crystal clear that AirAsia was trying hard to pass the blame to MAHB for AirAsia’s own imposition of the KLIA2 Airport Fees of RM3.00. It would appear that the nation has been burdened with endless problematic AirAsia. Please read below the view of Malindo Air on the AirAsia’s KLIA2 Airport Fees of RM3.00.
Malindo Air chief executive officer Mr Chandran Ramamurthy told The Rakyat Post that his airline’s prices were all-inclusive and confirmed that the RM3 free, as MAHB had said, was set by AirAsia. “We don’t want to burden our passengers with our operations cost. The airport does not charge RM3 per passenger. AirAsia came up with RM3 based on their own calculations.” For the full report by The Rakyat Post, please read HERE.
Everyone thought that AirAsia is a very powerful airline when it announced that it will stay put in LCCT despite the completion of KLIA2. Now Everyone Can Laugh Out Loud at the 180 degree u-turn when AirAsia starts to operate at KLIA2 today.
Now AirAsia has created another controversy whereby it is charging KLIA2 Airport Fees of RM3.00 per passenger. AirAsia directors must be given credit for coming up with such innovative Airport Fees which no other airline dare to dream about it.
It is an open secret that Ms BK Sidhu has been highlighting stories to make AirAsia smell like a rose. Surely this is a matter of public interest which a responsible newspaper ought to carry to keep the public informed of this new development. Lets see whether the highly acclaimed editor of Business Star Ms BK Sidhu will highlight the RM3 KLIA2 Airport Fees charged by AirAsia.
When this Airport Fees have gone viral in the cyberspace, many can’t help but to believe for a moment that KLIA2 was built with AirAsia fund. It is definitely not otherwise YB Datuk Nur Jazlan, the PAC Chairman would not have issued the strange press statement, HERE.
KLIA2 was built by MAHB and every passengers have to pay Airport Tax to MAHB for the use of KLIA2 or for any other airport in Malaysia.
Since passengers have paid the compulsory Airport Tax, AirAsia or any other airline have no right to impose an Airport Fees of whatever amount.
Just look at the above tables of hidden charges, which were a few years old, levied by AirAsia upon its passengers. Can you imagine there is a Processing Fees of RM30.00 for international flight and RM20.00 for domestic flight charged to the passenger if credit card was used for payment! By the way most of AirAsia’s passengers purchased their tickets online and the mode of payment had to be by credit card. In another word, on top of the fare, fuel charges, Airport Tax the passengers had to pay the processing fees for using credit card to make payment.
How about the CONVENIENCE FEES of RM8.00 ? What is so convenience for passengers to travel with AirAsia? Prior to moving to KLIA2, there was no aerobridge and the passengers had to walk up to the aircraft. If it is raining then the passengers will be facing inconvenience of being getting wet even with the use of umbrella. For those disabled persons then they will have to pay for wheelchair service fees of RM60 per trip.
One would have thought, there are more than enough profits made by AirAsia from the above hidden charges. For every domestic passenger, the total minimum hidden charges had to be paid is RM31 (Credit Card Processing Fees RM20, Convenience Fees RM8 and KLIA2 Airport Fee RM3.00). The additional RM31 does not include another charge of RM10 for Counter Check-In Fees.
It is high time that Ministry of Transport (MOT) must immediately prohibit the imposition of PROCESSING FEES, CONVENIENCE FEES, WHEEL CHAIR SERVICE FEE and KLIA2 AIRPORT FEES by AirAsia and/or other airline using our airports. Further, MOT must issue new directive to AirAsia and other airline that all charges imposed or to be imposed except for fares and fuel surcharge must get prior approval from MOT.
