The Star Online > Nation
Monday July 16, 2007
SEPANG: More than 20 disabled and wheelchair-bound members of the Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) held a protest against AirAsia for its refusal to take passengers who were completely immobile.
The protesters, headed by the group's co-ordinator Christine Lee, and assistant co-ordinators V. Murugeswaran and Peter Tan, demanded AirAsia reviews its policies and takes reasonable steps to ensure facilities and services provided at the low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) are non-discriminatory.
Lee said that unlike KLIA, the LCCT does not incorporate aerobridges, which allow easier access for passengers to board planes.
“Passengers are instead required to walk up a flight of boarding stairs – a daunting task when one is disabled from the waist down,” she said.
Lee said that when booking AirAsia tickets online, a separate icon would appear on the website asking if the ticket purchaser would require “special assistance”.
“If you clicked 'yes', then you won't be able to proceed with your booking.
“That's when I called AirAsia's call centre, and was told that they were unable to accept passengers who are completely immobile.
“This is even stipulated in AirAsia's terms and conditions!” she added.
Lee also said that AirAsia charged RM12 for renting out a wheelchair, which a passenger could use to go from the ticketing counter to the departure hall.
“One would then have to go from the check-in gate to the aircraft without the wheelchair, which is quite absurd.”
Murugeswaran pointed out that AirAsia also stipulated that the carriage of persons with limited mobility was subject to whether they were able to climb the boarding stairs unaided or aided.
“Passengers who are unable to board the stairs without any assistance would be requested to travel with a caregiver or companion.
“This is blatantly discriminating, unfair and unacceptable. We want to be independent and not have to rely on other people to chaperon us when travelling,” he said, adding that nothing has been done despite BEAT holding a dialogue with AirAsia on the matter more than two years ago.
During the protest, BEAT also urged Malaysia Airports Bhd to ensure all new and old airports in the country are equipped with facilities to improve accessibility to disabled passengers.
When contacted, an AirAsia spokesman said they were unable to comment on the matter at present.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------‘Now everyone can fly’, except the disabled
16 July, 2007
SEPANG: AirAsia may use "Now Everyone Can Fly" as its tagline but not everyone can actually fly with the low-cost carrier. The airline does not take passengers who are wheel- chair users.
Wheelchair-bound Peter Tan said he couldn’t book tickets through AirAsia’s website because he could not tick the box confirming he did not require special assistance.
"I couldn’t proceed because of it and each time I contacted the call centre, I was told: ‘If you can’t walk. then we can’t take you, It is company policy’," he said.
Tan was among the 40 members of the Barrier-free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) who staged a peaceful protest at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) here yesterday to express their disappointment with AirAsia’s refusal to take passengers requiring special assistance.
Tan, who is BEAT assistant co-ordinator, said the AirAsia operator at the call centre informed him that if he could not manage the steps of the airplane himself, he had to bring someone to help him.
"Even so, it will still be impossible for us as our carer can’t possibly carry us onboard," Tan added.
BEAT co-ordinator Christine Lee said there must be some mechanism AirAsia could use to lift passengers up to the aircraft, similar to those used to load luggage and food.
Lee said AirAsia should provide facilities for passengers who were immobile and those with limited mobility.
The group is calling on Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd to ensure all new and old airports are equipped with facilities to improve accessibility for the disabled.
An AirAsia spokesman declined to comment on the matter.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fury after being kicked off flights
By : Mazlinda Mahmood
Frustrated passengers at KLIA were only told that the flights were full when checking-in.SEPANG: The mood was ugly at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) yesterday.
Hundreds of passengers were stranded and some, facing delays, were furious when informed that their Malaysia Airlines flights were overbooked.
Perth-bound MAS passenger Darren Woon, 25, was upset when told his flight was full.
He claimed a MAS employee said it was overbooked by 50 people.
"I can understand if it’s just five people ahead of me, but 50?"They didn’t even make an effort to contact us. They merely waited for us to turn up, then tell us the bad news.
"This is so unprofessional."
Woon claimed he was supposed to be at work today in Perth.
Foo Ee Lin, 26, who was sending off her 17-year-old sister to Melbourne on a MAS flight, was outraged when told that the flight was overbooked by 60 passengers.
"I’ve been flying to Melbourne for the past six years but this is my worst experience."
She said MAS should have called as her sister’s seat was confirmed. "My sister is having her exam (today), if she misses it, how does MAS plan to compensate?"
Yesterday, the New Straits Times reported that on-time departures had fallen below the airline’s record of above 80 per cent of flights.
Productivity fell as many employees were reportedly unhappy after the management carried out a performance appraisal using a system which they said they were only trying out.
They were also disappointed about their performance bonuses, share options and a recent one-off payment.
MAS human resource senior general manager Effendi Abdul Rahman yesterday issued a statement saying that under the mutual separation scheme last year, 2,622 employees left the company, and not 20,000 as reported.
This year, he said manpower may be reduced by 700.
Sources at the KLIA claimed MAS employees were on a so-called "silent strike". Because of this, they said many international and domestic flights were delayed, including those to Perth, Melbourne, Auckland, Penang, Johor Baru and Kota Kinabalu.
