AirAsia X review by Stuart

AirAsia - premium flatbed - 20/11/2018 D7237 PER > KUL, AK886 KUL > DMK. Having flown with this mob for the last 10 years I know what to expect, they are a LCC, it's why I always fly premium (their version of business 'J' class), it's perfectly reasonable to expect a better service than cattle class but it's basically for the angle flat seat so at least I'm not crammed in like a sardine, and sometimes I can even get 40 winks. They say any premium seat bookings are fully flexible, change without extra charge, but that's bollocks as inevitably there isn't any seats at the price originally paid, so there's always extra to pay. Over the years they have probably screwed me over an extra $2K with these fees.! Just this one alone cost me an extra $890. Other issues have also occurred over the years too, like lost and/or damaged baggage and other smaller issues like advertising priority check-in at certain airports when none exists and damaged/broken locks, no hot water in the toilets/showers at their lounge. But this most recent trip would have to have been the worst I have ever experienced, with any airline. Normally I would fly PER > KUL > CNX, but for some reason they had no flights to Chiang Mai in November so I had no choice but to book another flight DMK > CNX, but within Thailand I prefer to use Nok air rather than Thai Airasia. So I allowed 4 hours 30 minutes between flights, more than enough time for clearing immigration and check in, even if there were flight delays. So only 1 hour and 10 minutes before AK886 was due to depart I get an SMS (and email) informing me it's been delayed by 3 hours. As check in for Nok air closes 45 minutes before departure, 45 minutes to clear immigration, collect luggage and go from T1 to T2 for check in at DMK, just not enough time. But as a precaution (remember I know what this mob are like) so 2 months earlier I decide to book a cheap seat on FD3429 DMK > CNX as, shall we say 'insurance' incase they stuff up, then at least I have a seat to CNX, but I didn't bother putting any luggage on it. If you have been to KLIA2 you will know it's one of the worst terminals at any airport and of course D7237 parked at the last airbridge at the end of the satellite terminal, felt like 1k to the transit area. So I get this SMS and go to the transfer counter, but no they can't help there, they direct me to another counter, but it's in the main building, over the skybridge. There I encounter the rudest, most belligerent customer agent ever, not only could I not get a word in edgewise, it would be reasonable to think that as they have stuffed me around, guaranteeing I will miss my Nok air flight and as I had booked a precautionary Thai airasia flight they would at least add the luggage for free, but no, there was no way she was going to do that. Not only have they caused me to lose the entire Nok air flight, they want to add insult to injury and charge me for the bags. And this is the way they treat a premium customer, god help those poor souls in cattle class.! Finally AK886 leaves 3 hours and 27 minutes late, not happy Jan..... What if I hadn't booked FD3429, what would they have done, nothing, left me stranded at DMK on the second busiest day on the Thai calendar, it was Loi Krathung festival, all flights would have been fully booked. Just not good enough, if I could give them 0 stars I would. Honesty and integrity is in short supply with this airline, if you can use another, give this mob a miss. Thai Lion have a nice new A330 with the exact same seats but they are only using it on the DMK > HKT (Phuket) run, the sooner they realise it could be more profitable using it on long haul to PER the sooner I will use them as I am so much over these idiots.