Budget Travel - Screwed by AirAsia: AirAsia denies the ticket I bought for a friend

Hey

Not sure how many folks here fly AirAsia. It's certainly the big airline over here in Asia now.

Anyway, I bought a ticket online for a friend to come visit and when she went to check-in, AirAsia said there was some sort of fraud and that she had to pay in Cash or she couldn't go. Sadly, she didn't have the cash with her and wasn't able to fly.

Online, she was able to check-in and even was assigned a seat number. Looking at the booking, it showed confirmed and payed.

I went to their office to vent and was given no recourse. Some sort of credit card processing thing they said, probably because the card was in a different name than the flyer. They showed me something that said it had been rejected two days before the flight.

Did they send me an email? SMS? Any contact thing? Change the online status? Nothing!

This is absolutely terrible - about the worst thing any airline can do - promise a ticket and then deny it. Can you imagine if you bought a ticket for your mom and they couldn't go, and you had already paid for it?

Anyway, just thought I'd see if this has happened to anyone, see what people did to rectify, and if I have any recourse.

Also a warning out there - AirAsia is a shady airline. A ticket isn't always a ticket.

Common anti-fraud measure.

Two days before?

IIRC, the one and only flight I booked, paid, and then took was fine, BUT I do recall webpage saying that I would have to present credit card I used to purchase said ticket at the aiport when flying. Don't think they acually asked to see it when I flew.

EmailKid

Common anti-fraud measure.

What's anti-fraud? Canceling a ticket and not telling the customer they are rejecting the transaction?

Doesn't say anywhere anything about presenting the card or not being allowed to book 3rd party tickets.

First thing first - have the ticket been charged on the account at all?

What's anti-fraud? Canceling a ticket and not telling the customer they are rejecting the transaction?

EZY have been known to cancel bookings due to suspected card fraud, but at least they actually cancel it so it doesn't show as perfectly OK on their website.

Neil

Quite a few airlines require the credit card used to pay for the ticket to be presented at the time of checking in/baggage drop. This is one of the reason why I prefer using Expedia's et all as this doesn't apply to ticket issued using agencies.

I just booked a ticket on AirAsia.com today for the first time in my life for travel this coming Monday. I have bought one previously, but only at the airport after one cancellation.

Did AirAsia email you the booking confirmation and the long PDF too? I just went through the PDF that I received and it did not have any requirement to present the card used at check in.

Did AirAsia email you the booking confirmation and the long PDF too? I just went through the PDF that I received and it did not have any requirement to present the card used at check in.

Yes, I had PDF confirmation. My credit card was charged, and not refunded until 3 days after the flight (after I filed a chargeback).

I booked the ticket 5 days in advance. It's not like it was a same-day thing. No mention of showing the card at check-in.

I understand they have fraud protection - but if you are going to cancel a ticket - isn't it contractual that you notify the party? They canceled it 3 days before the flight and gave no notice.

Anyway, I prefer not to do business with companies like this. Principles and customer service should matter.

I recommend you avoid them too.

There is no need or the pax to present the credit card used for purchase on any on the Air Asia's. I would not just let this go. I would hound Air Asia for at least voucher for future travel.

(after I filed a chargeback).



Anyway, I prefer not to do business with companies like this. Principles and customer service should matter.


Well if you issued a chargeback I'd be almost certain they won't accept a reservation from your card again, so you shouldn't have to worry about doing business with them anymore.

There is no need or the pax to present the credit card used for purchase on any on the Air Asia's. I would not just let this go. I would hound Air Asia for at least voucher for future travel.

I have flown with them at least 6 times, and with a partner. No problems, bought on line with U.S. charge card, never any questions.

Write to the CEO, lay out the actions, ask for an explanation and suggest they review their procedures with reservations and accounting. If it looks like you want to help, they might be grateful.
I have also flown NOK twice, a bit of bad luck there....cancelled, but hey, got bumped up to Thai both times. The mother hen takes care of her chick !!

Flying on Asian low cost carriers is still growing up, should improve with time.

I have had the same thing happen when departing KUL, except it was on another LCC. I had purchased a ticket for my gf on said LCC but when she tried to check-in there was no record of her ticket. I was present [flying out on a different airline to a different destination] and produced a confirmation number and online purchase receipt. Still not good enough, no ticket in their system. Another ticket had to be bought on the spot or they would not let her fly. Luckily it wasn't that much more than the advanced purchase ticket and it impressed upon my gf that I really would take care of her.

I would be pissed, but what can you expect. Air Asia is a budget airline and an Asian one. Not a good combo. I've flown with them many times and not a problem, but I never seem to be able to get a ticket with my credit card through their website. I have to find their nearest outlet and purchase cash in hand.

I've had no trouble booking a ticket for a friend and paying with a local creditcard with Verify by Visa. Maybe its a Malaysian issued credit card that helped it. But still, it shouldn't be a problem if its verified by Visa or Mastercard Securecoded?

I've had the same thing happen to me twice when I've used my credit card to pay for other people's ticket.

The first time the person only found out at the airport.

The second time I had bought the ticket several weeks in advance. One day I saw a refund from AirAsia so I called them and asked them. They said the passenger will have to pay cash at the airport.

Just a follow-up on all this:

I couldn't figure out how to complain to Air Asia, so I didn't get any response for them. No surprise.

I received two refunds from Air Asia, one for the ticket three days later, and another one a week later. In the end the second one was in response to my chargeback. Two weeks later, the chargeback refund disappeared. Whatever trouble I caused Air Asia with the chargeback is the extend of my retribution (except for complaining here!)

The lesson to be learned is this does happen with Air Asia. If you buy a ticket for someone else, either pay cash, or make sure they (or you) are prepared to pay in cash at the airport. And make sure they get to the airport extra early. Had my friend arrived 2 hrs early I could have gotten to an Air Asia office and paid it myself, but since I thought it was an issue with an already paid ticket, I spent the time with my credit card instead.

I've flown Air Asia about 15 times without issue (well except for them changing flight times, etc) by myself tho, so this is only a warning when booking for others. Jerks.