by AUFA MARDHIAH / pic by TMR FILE

THE Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) will conduct investigations on AirAsia’s flights delay involving various domestic destinations.

Its Minister Datuk Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi said KPDNHEP will work with the Transport Ministry (MoT) to resolve this problem and ensure it does not continue. 

“The delay was detected to have occurred since the end of last month and is still ongoing. 

“KPDNHEP will continue to conduct investigations from the customer’s point of view,” he said in a Twitter post today.

He added that airline users have the right to claim for compensation (subject to several factors) including meals, phone calls and Internet access (for delays of two hours or more), hotel accommodation and transportation (for delays of five hours or more), as well as a full refund or alternative flight (if the flight is cancelled).

However, the compensation is not applicable in cases of “extraordinary circumstance” such as safety risks or extreme weather, which the airline cannot anticipate.

He advised airline users who have not received appropriate compensation to submit a formal complaint to the airline before contacting the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom).

The complaints were made following AirAsia’s flights delay of over 10 hours during the long holidays last week in conjunction with the Aidilfitri and Labour Day breaks.

Meanwhile, MoT Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has urged affected passengers to make specific complaints in cases of unreasonable delays for Mavcom to take immediate action.

He said flight companies cannot give staff shortage as an excuse because they should have foreseen peak season demands. 

“During the Covid-19 outbreak, the companies said there were not enough passengers, but that is not the case now.

“The destinations that are being offered now are those in high demand,” he said during the prime minister’s (PM) Aidilfitri open house yesterday. 

Wee also mentioned that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has affected domestic and international flight ticket prices globally. 

He said globally, air fares are determined through a dynamic pricing mechanism.

“In Malaysia, as requested by PM Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, we have asked Mavcom to monitor the situation between April 29 and May 8,” he said. 

Wee added that ticket prices can be controlled for early purchases but if they were bought at the last minute, they cannot be controlled. 

He advised consumers who claimed to have purchased domestic flight tickets between RM2,000 and RM3,000 to show the dates of their purchase, whether their tickets were bought two weeks before the flight or at the last minute. 

He also reminded the public who want to travel for the next Chinese New Year celebration to start booking their flight tickets to ensure they get the best prices.