when air asia comes up with the plan to create low-budget flying packages about five or six years ago, everyone seemed unassumed with the fact, believing its just another high-level marketing campaign mischief a-la prepaid mobile providers. but as we all found out now, it is indeed true, as real as the fact that we have to leave behind the memories of airline novelties
so off goes the aerobridge, in-flight services, three-tier 'caste system' (first,business,not-so-poor-but-not-so-rich-but-still-can-afford-to-fly) and also the fact that now 'eeeeveryone can wait' (for delayed flights) while remaining patient and tak marah-marah.
one of many problems haunting this low-cost-carriage airlines is the fact that without the airbridges, disabled passengers (ie wheelchair-bound) have to get off their assisting equipment, and climbs up the stairs (with assistant from the staff/relative in charge, of course) WHICH can both be harmful and time-consuming.
but now thanks to the consideration of mr tony fernandes, air asia is launching ambulift services for disabled passengers, which currently (as it seems) apply to their main hub in LCCT.
However, few questions may be asked following this latest addition of services offered by air asia. first, when will this ambulift be available in all the airports currently served by the asian largest low-cost airliner?
for this question, mr tony has revealed that he will hold a discussion with malaysia airports berhad to make free usage of aerobridges possible, in case the airport was not equipped with ambulift service. this, however brings us to another question: there might be very few wheelchair-bound personnel boarding the plane on one occasion. how will air asia handle the other 100-something able-bodied passenger? if they will be using the aerobridge as well, for how long will the service remains free of charge ?
it has been several days since mr tony make a quite startling announcement that each checked luggage piece carried by passengers will be tagged with a fee
http://www.airasia.com/site/my/en/page.jsp?reference=baggage
mr tony might have came up with plausible reasons to introduce this idea. hence, in relation to the ambulift project, another question arise: for how long will the ambulift service remains free?
this service, according to logical thinking, will require labor and use of machineries and fuel to certain extent. all of these requires capital resources. since one of the reason behind the luggage-fee introduction is to save money from fuel price hike, for how long will air asia remain true to its cause in providing the community with this ambulift project? and will there be any other new fees to be ushered in the future? only time will tell.
for now, lets hope air asia will stay as the cheapest and safest passenger airliner in this region, and remains as the shining ruby of malaysian economy for decades to come
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alo megat
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