A consumer group and a lawmaker have called on the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) to address the concerns of air travellers who continue to complain about pricey air tickets, flight cancellations, and delayed refunds.
The subject was raised in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, following questions by Wan Hassan Ramli (Pas-Dungun), Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan), and Alice Lau Kiong Yieng (DAP-Lanang), who brought up the issue of the prices of air tickets, especially during peak seasons, among others.
Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, in a TikTok video, later urged Mavcom to take action against airlines that imposed high fares, often cancelled their flights, and delayed refunds to their customers.
While he did not name the carrier, Syed Ibrahim made references to AirAsia via news reports in his video.
Malaysia Consumers Movement secretary-general, Sukhdave Singh, said this consumer issue involving airlines was, unfortunately, an ongoing issue “with the airline operators at the winning end”.
“Mavcom, as an agency entrusted with protecting consumer interests, is toothless. We saw this during the Covid19 period where airline operators initially ignored requests for refunds, and following a public outcry, offered limited travel credits and vouchers, much to the dissatisfaction of many,” said Sukhdave.
“Following this, AirAsia X claimed that 270,000 affected travellers had received their refunds. But who can verify this? We, at the Malaysia Consumers Movement, continue to receive complaints that there are still people waiting for their refunds. As a matter of fact, I am still waiting for my refund for the flight that was cancelled by AirAsia.”
“Worse still is that passengers’ monies were treated as creditor funds, and 0.5 per cent was offered as a refund. This is laughable, and again, after an uproar, Mavcom issued a statement against this, and even threatened action (against the airlines). However, we are unsure of the outcome.”
He added that passengers seeking resolution to their issues could only communicate with “machines”, leaving them frustrated.
“Frustrated consumers, who have the stamina, may pursue the matter further, but many will just accept this loss of money as ‘fate’.
“It is undeniable that airlines, especially in the low-cost segment, have transformed the way we travel, making it affordable to everyone. But this cannot come at the expense of the consumer.”
He suggested that airlines have a ‘trust fund’ containing monies generated from ticket sales for future services. Such a ‘trust fund’ should be a part of the operating permit.
“Refunds should be immediately processed when a flight is cancelled for whatever reason. This move will definitely put pressure on airlines to improve their service.”
Sukhdave said as for the price of tickets, it was a commercial matter, and there should be minimal interference from the government.
“To ensure that prices are competitive, the government must increase market segment competition, which will automatically benefit consumers in the longer term.
“One consumer setback which we noticed, was the lack of legal challenge instituted by consumers, to seek redress. We wish that more consumers would rely on the court process to assert their rights.
“Mavcom must also intervene and immediately solve this long-term, recurring problem, or risk continuing being branded a toothless regulator.”
At the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Datuk Henry Sum Agong (GPS – Lawas), who is the deputy Transport Minister, said the government was sympathetic to the plight of air travellers, but said that the government does not control ticket prices.
He added that Mavcom, in a study to implement a ceiling price for air tickets carried out in August 2018, found that such a mechanism would result in “negative effects to the consumers in the long run”.
“The government has been monitoring the prices (of air fares), especially between Peninsular Malaysia to Sarawak, and suggested that the (airline) companies increase their capacities to meet the demand, especially during peak seasons.”
With a general election looming in Malaysia, many would fly back to their hometowns to cast their votes. Also, many Sarawakians and Sabahans based in Peninsular Malaysia will head back to their home states for Christmas in December.
Mavcom, had in the 12th issue of its bi-annual Consumer Report for the first half of 2022, said it received 1,251 complaints from January to June with 99.1 per cent (1,240) complaints received on airlines while 0.9 per cent (11) complaints were related to airports.
AirAsia received the highest number of complaints from January to June 2022, comprising 42.1 per cent (527) of total complaints, followed by Malaysia Airlines with 40.7 per cent (509) and Batik Air with 7.9 per cent (99).
In a Sept 8 statement, Mavcom announced it had approved the renewal of an air service licence to AirAsia Berhad for a period of six months effective from Oct 1 to March 31, 2023. Mavcom added it may renew the licence for a further period of six months (from April 1, 2023 to Sept 30, 2023) “if AirAsia complies with specific conditions imposed by Mavcom by Dec 31, 2022”.
Mavcom did not elaborate on the “specific conditions” it had imposed on AirAsia.