Fly Lah!

(AFP) - AirAsia was Tuesday slapped with a lawsuit by Australian regulators accusing the Asian budget carrier of failing to disclose the full price of fares on its website.

The Malaysia-based airline, which flies international services out of Australia from the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth, with Sydney to be added from April, was named in documents lodged at the Federal Court in Melbourne.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the country’s consumer watchdog, claims some fares sold on AirAsia’s website do not display prices inclusive of all taxes, duties, fees and other charges.

“Businesses that choose to advertise a part of the price of a particular product or service must also prominently specify a single total price,” it said in a media release.

The regulator alleged the fares relate to flights from Melbourne to cities including London, New Delhi, and Hangzhou in China, from the Gold Coast to Ho Chi Minh City and from Perth to places such as Taipei and Phuket in Thailand.

The matter is listed to be heard on March 2 with the watchdog seeking an injunction “to restrain AirAsia from engaging in misleading conduct in the future”.

It also wants a court order “that AirAsia publish corrective notices on its websites regarding the conduct”.

AirAsia could not immediately be reached for comment.

About time!
No 'watchdog' here in bolehland and we the consumers have no protection.

Kuala Lumpur. Asia’s biggest budget carrier AirAsia said on Thursday it has taken “corrective action” to resolve complaints in a lawsuit brought by Australian regulators over its online fare information.

The Malaysia-based airline, which flies international services out of Australia from the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth, with Sydney to be added from April, was named in documents lodged at the Federal Court in Melbourne.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the country’s consumer watchdog, claims some fares sold on AirAsia’s Web site do not display prices inclusive of all taxes, duties, fees and other charges.

AirAsia said in a statement that the problem “appears to have arisen from an IT issue in September 2011” and that it intended to “constructively resolve the matter” with the commission.

“AirAsia always seeks to conduct its business fairly and in an ethical and proper manner and in full compliance with all applicable laws,” it said.

“As soon as we became aware of the matter based on the ACCCs complaint we have taken corrective action and are focused on ensuring that our customers have all relevant information on our fares,” it said, adding it had resolved the issue on its Web site.

The Australian regulator alleged the fares relate to flights from Melbourne to cities including London, New Delhi, and Hangzhou in China, from the Gold Coast to Ho Chi Minh City and from Perth to places such as Taipei and Phuket in Thailand.

The matter is listed to be heard on March 2 with the watchdog seeking an injunction “to restrain AirAsia from engaging in misleading conduct in the future.”

It also wants a court order “that AirAsia publish corrective notices on its Web sites regarding the conduct.”

Agence France-Presse

-- Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:08 pm --

I like how they blame the IT dept for the mistake... I guess the IT dept problem affecting all Air Asia advertisements.. 1Rm sale for a ticket.. hahaha. plus tax, admin fees and etc etc... 301Rm... thank you very much... SUCKER.. by the way 1Rm only for 10seat on each flight... which they know they cant fill. You are doing Airasia a favour... than the other way round... SO I wonder if the IT dept will fix its advertising for ALL countries...

SO DONT GET BLINDED WITH PICTURES OF CABINCREW POSING SEXUALLY (by the way the Cabincrew does not get paid for the photoshot and recieve no money everytime the picture is used) WITH NAUGHTY CATCH LINES.... READ THE SMALL print...