Letters | I missed my flight because it left early: but airline says I’m to blame
- This failure to depart at the scheduled time caused me to miss an important meeting in Bangkok, as well as a student examination the following day
I have observed an increasing tendency in recent years with low-cost airlines, particularly AirAsia, to leave earlier than the scheduled departure time, leaving behind any unfortunate passengers who do not happen to arrive at the departure gate well in advance of the boarding time.
The reason for flights departing early seems inexplicable to me, but perhaps some airlines merely try to ensure they statistically arrive on time or ahead of schedule so that they can claim to never be late.
On May 7, I missed a flight, left behind precisely due to this practice. I held a confirmed reservation on Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ 252 to Bangkok, scheduled to depart from Jakarta at 4.30pm. Having already checked in online, I arrived at the boarding gate, in strict accordance with the directions shown on the boarding pass, some 25 minutes prior to departure (4.05pm), only to be told that, not only had all boarding been terminated, but that the aircraft had already departed some 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled time.
I was utterly bewildered. I stood there speechlessly trying to comprehend the situation. I had received no prior notification of the shift forward in departure time. Moreover, the airline ground staff, far from offering any courteous explanation, instead insisted that the error had been mine alone, in that I had failed to arrive at the boarding gate in time.
They refused to accept any responsibility, simply suggesting that I take the next flight, departing the following day, more than 15 hours later.
Adding insult to injury, I was offered neither a refund nor any compensation from AirAsia. As a result, I was obliged to incur not only all the associated costs involved in spending a further night in Jakarta, but also all the additional costs involved in the issue, and purchase, of a fresh ticket.
This was actually the second time I had missed a flight in recent months due to departures prior to the scheduled time, both instances at the Jakarta airport. And, based on what I have heard, I am not the only person to whom this has happened.
I might add that, as a senior lecturer at Thammasat University, this failure to depart at the scheduled time caused me to miss an important meeting in Bangkok, as well as a student examination on May 8.
With all due respect Mr Tony Fernandes, group CEO of AirAsia, apparently the company motto of “Now everyone can fly” is not entirely accurate.
Dr Nicolas Revire, Thammasat University, Bangkok
