Would you prefer to fly by Budget Airline?

[madwolfie]

Assistant CEO or assistant to CEO or PA?

[emiko08]

Ah . . . . it must be - how sily of me . . .

let me become your assistant CEO

You are sweet, Emiko . . . and I feel baaaad for some of my posts . . .

what post?
sorry but my english is bad.

i am sweet? then there are ants crawling on me.!!

[emiko08]

and i can't be your assistant anymore because ants will crawl on you too.!! hehe.

[dot dot dot]

careful emiko,

Vaucluse is married and under surveillance 24/7....

Eric

[Vaucluse]

[Baron Greenback]

under surveillance 24/7

Reminded me of this:

[Vaucluse]

under surveillance 24/7

Reminded me of this:

[dot dot dot]

sounds like a good pick-up line?

Eric

[riversandlakes]

:D

[asiandivergal]

Having to fly back and forth between Langkawi and Singapore every month, Air Asia is my main mode of transport - it's cheap, and sufficiently efficient for my needs - to me it's like taking the public bus, compared with hopping into a cab. Sometimes the bus gets delayed, it's crowded, it's slower than a cab etc etc etc, but it gets you to the destination safely and well enough.

Ok, here we go then - AirAsia are the most woeful airline to have hit a runway - they have the worst record for late departures/arrivals but sugarcoat the figure by some bizarre manner.

Yup, they have a poor record on delayed departures and arrivals, compared with other airlines. But it's really not that bad - I have experienced around 4-5 delays for every 25 flights taken - and one or two of the flights were delayed for 15-30 minutes. It's not an issue for me, coz I am working on the go, so even if there's a delay, I just plug in my laptop and continue work while waiting. Guess this is not an option for those with urgent business appointments in another state to upkeep. But then, even if you take a non-budget flight, there is bound to be delays, so it really depends on your luck.

Their attendants are simply the absolute pits in human degeneration - pathetic wanna-be's who are more interested in making sure their blue contact lenses don't slip out of place or that their skirts are not too too too tight when they try to walk up and down the aisle -

I wouldn't trust them to start a piss-up in a brewery.

Agreed. They suxx. Nothing to defend them with, unfortunately. Blame it on their lack of training...but hey, it's a budget airline, there's no budget for training attendants.

What about having to dash across the runway with rain pelting down, the elderly getting totally drenched?

Depends on the airport facilities where the plane lands. At Langkawi International Airport - whether budget or non-budget flights - there's no covered walkway connecting to the airport terminal. But that's the part I love about arriving at Langkawi - the feel of the sun on my face welcoming me back, the smell of the fresh air and the first sight of the mountains, oceans...even if it's raining, hey, that's god's gift and mother nature! In the malay kampungs here, the elderly love to take a shower in the rain, and they just carry on with their chores like norm in the rain. But I digress.....

Their pathetic attempts at letting the elderly and those with children board first, and then give them a few seconds headstart - and not giving a stuff when people cut in line? They get caught up in the maelstrom of the others rushing past them for seats - what is this crap about no assigned seating - would it add cost?

Never happened before in my experience. There is a separate queue for the elderly and the children, and this queue boards first. Everyone always gets a seat in the end, so what's the worry? Whether you assign seats or not, whether you rush to be in the front of the queue or back, in the end, everyone gets a seat. BTW, I like the free seating arrangement, I like to be able to choose my own seat, depending on my mood for the day

Nope - does it get Malaysians to arrive at the airport on time. Nope.

I don't get this point, I really don't Budget or non budget flights, you won't get SOME people to the airport on time - whatever their nationality (except Germans I guess).

you are sounding like the mad doctor Mahatir, blaming everything from his pimples to the fact that he's a whacko on Singapore first and the Caucasian world second.

grrrrr..down boy! After spending 3 years in Malaysia, I have a better understanding of Mahathir and the people here - why they say the things they say, and do the things they do. I really respect them, far more than LKY and Bush (yucks!!). That's something you won't understand till you come here, and meet Mahathir in person yourself. I met him and spoke with him at KLIA once, he really talks to his people and love his people. A really great guy. Malaysians can just walk up to him, greet him, take photos and all, and he accept all this graciously (while on his own private time). Can you do the same with LKY and Bush? Remember...what you read in the media...is there for a political reason...whoever said the the search for truth will be an easy path?

And really, what does Mahathir have to do with Air Asia?? I thought we're just bashing Air Asia here?

Again, I digress.....

Has any budet airliner fallen out of the sky? Not yet.
How many have had their licenses revoked for shoddy maintenance? A few

A few rotten eggs in the basket do not make all equally bad. Sometimes if you look hard enough, you'll find a gem within. I feel much safer in an Air Asia flight than taking their inter-state buses (e.g. Singapore - Trengganu). Never felt any sense of danger in all my flights so far. But then again, I could also die in a Singapore Airlines or Silkair plane which had crashed in the past, so it doesn't really make a difference. When it's time to go, it's time to go.

How many have had landing rights refused for the above reason? A few.
I could go on, but then I'd be AirAsia bashing.

Yes you are, but everyone's entitled to their opinion, and you are entitled to yours, so voice away

Air Asia ain't great, it ain't perfect, it has its faults and flaws, just like any other products in the market - OR HUMAN. But I think it suits my needs just fine, and most importantly, it saves me a total of S$5,000 in air fare every year. I'd rather roll this money on my business than let it fly in the air.

Just wanted to show my support to these poor guys, I think they've been doing a far better job than most people give them credit for. And anyway, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the under dogs

[Vaucluse]

ADG, I'm glad you like AirAsia, especially if it's the most effective means and brand of transport for you.

Your admit that they have a poor record of being on time, especially compared to other airlines. Nothing more for me to add there.

Agreed. They suxx. Nothing to defend them with, unfortunately. Blame it on their lack of training...but hey, it's a budget airline, there's no budget for training attendants.

Again, we agree. I would take exception to your last line, however - have you tried Tiger Airways? Very well trained and professional attendants. NOK Air as well. Hapag Lloyd Express? Excellent machines and crew.

Regarding people having to dash across the tarmac when it's raining, you said:

Depends on the airport facilities where the plane lands.

Clearly I was referring to the airports where they are not not paying to use the bridge, otherwise the point would have been moot.

In reference to the elderly and those with kids being overtaken . . . it has happened every time, except in Bangkok. They do get checked in first, but as soon as they are done the others get going. No prob. The issue I was referring to arises when they do have to traipse across the tarmac - a longer way for the oldies and kids to walk. Assigned seating would mean that there would be no mad rush to get 'the' seat.

Mahatir . . . I'm happy for you that you managed to chew the fat with the anti-christ of hyperbole.
What matters, really, is not that he is a nice guy who has the odd chin-wag with Asian diver gals, but what his policies, views and influence on unilateral and bilateral relations are/is with other countries.
By the way, it was tongue-in-cheek - a kind of humour, but the above still stands were we to enter into a serious discussion about it.
Have you has a quick chat with Bush or LKY? No? Then how can you say they are 'yucks'?

A few rotten eggs in the basket do not make all equally bad. Sometimes if you look hard enough, you'll find a gem within. I feel much safer in an Air Asia flight than taking their inter-state buses (e.g. Singapore - Trengganu)

Well, I guess if you're in one of those rotten eggs that kisses mother earth at 500mph then it's kind of a big deal - albeit only for a few seconds. And that you feel safer in a plane than a Malaysian bus - no surprise there. I took abus recently from Mount Kinabalu to KK - - - harrowing is the only way I can describe it.

Initially my comment was simply:

AirAsia . . . . no, thanks.

and then Riversandlakes made the astonishing remark:

Hey, Vaucluse, what's with AirAsia-bashing.

If the words 'No, thanks' constitute bashing then I guess I'm in for a penny as well as a pound - get knocked or it anyway.

Seriously, I'm glad you like AirAsia. I don't.
Simple.
And I gave my reasons for it as well as my preference for Tiger, despite their add-on charges.

Continue to support them and I'm glad they suit your needs, as I am sure they suit those of many others as well.

[riversandlakes]

There, the add-on charges and bleeding red-ink perhaps is caused by the budget for cabin crew training...

Is it a trade-off you're willing to take for a RM39.99 flight from JB to KL? Equivalent is RM318 via MAS.

It is true AA seems to avoid paying to use the airbridge whenever possible. Perhaps KLIA regulations demand its usage, but Senai Airport doesn't...
Yet another trade-off in order to avoid hemorrhage...

[riversandlakes]

I just have to take offense at this. I practically grew up under his administration (some will call regime), so his is the only premiership I'm familiar with.

There're wrongs as well as rights, but they seem all refuse to acknowledge the wrongs? Up until the shit hits the fan (*hint* Iraq), but still, not Dr M.

Which is why foreign commentaries (The Economist quoted here) were confused at the recent Chinese police-shooting. It was rare for Chinese police to shoot civilians ever since the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, but rarer still for the government itself to admit the incidents.

http://tinyurl.com/bx7te
'Though protests are increasingly common in China, the violence in Dongzhou was uncommon. Rarer still was the reaction of the authorities. Rather than deny the police crackdown—though efforts were made to downplay it—the government of Guangdong province at the weekend criticised the “wrong actions”

[Cheekybeek]

careful emiko,

Vaucluse is married and under surveillance 24/7....

Eric

Really???? someone married Vaucluse???? and she didn't detect a hint of sarcasm when he said 'I do'???

[Vaucluse]

careful emiko,

Vaucluse is married and under surveillance 24/7....

Eric

Really???? someone married Vaucluse???? and she didn't detect a hint of sarcasm when he said 'I do'???

I know!!! Amazed me as well.