MAS, What A Poor-Show!

Malaysia Airlines Bhd replaced AirAsia Bhd to emerge as the top contributor of consumer complaints filed with the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) last year. The commission said it received in 2017 the most number of complaints about Malaysia Airlines at 44.8%; followed by AirAsia at 21.4% and Malindo Air at 20.2%.

Judging from the recent experience of my niece, I can understand why MAS won the “title” for being the top contributor of consumer complaints filed with the Malaysian Aviation Commission in 2017.

My niece, working as a registered nurse in Adelaide, came back to Miri in late March for a long holiday. She booked her to & fro tickets online in Adelaide.

Come April 30. It was time for her to return to Adelaide. She was booked to fly on MH2593 from Miri to Kuala Lumpur. That flight’s estimated time of arrival in KL was 19.20 pm, giving her plenty of time to catch the connecting flight MH0139 to Adelaide, scheduled to depart KL for Adelaide at 22.20 pm.

It was almost 1 pm on April 30 when my niece received an email from MAS informing her that her flight MH2593 to KL had been cancelled and that she had been placed on MH2585 which was scheduled to arrive in KL at 22.15 pm. She would have missed her connecting flight to Adelaide if she were to take that flight.

She rushed to Miri Airport to liaise with the MAS office.  It was lucky that she had brought along all her luggage as she managed to get a seat on MH2575 that was scheduled to depart at 14.30 pm.

She thought that was the end of her problem. She was in for a shock when the time came for her to board her flight to Adelaide. Though she had checked in online and had her boarding pass, she was told that her name was NOT ON THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. Can you believe that? She had also paid an extra AUD63.55 when she chose her seat 10H during her online booking.

The lady at the check in counter was most unfriendly and could not answer questions posed to her by my niece. What is the use of having a front line staff who does not seem to know anything? After much delay, my niece managed to secure a seat on the flight. When she saw her allocated seat was 40F, she asked whether MAS would refund her the AUD63.55 that she had paid for her selected seat 10H which had been given to someone else. The lady curtly told her it was not possible to get any refund. Luckily a male MAS staff stepped in to help my niece when he heard that my niece was unable to get her seat 10H. He changed the seat from 40F to 12H.

Boarding pass from KL to Adelaide

According to my niece, she was not the only one who had problems. An Australian man who had booked a business class seat was downgraded to economy with no reasons given. He was furious and had a long argument with the staff at the check in counter but to no avail. He was given an economy class seat that was not as good as the seat given to my niece. Even when he was on the plane, he was visibly still very upset. I don’t blame him. Anyone in his shoes would have been angry. A Kuching couple with a baby who had checked in online was also angry to find that their seats in Row 11 had been given to others and that they had been reallocated seats in row 28. Because of these hiccups, the flight was delayed.

All these just lend credence to the ridicule that MAS stands for Mana Ada Sistem. I really wonder what kind of system MAS is running. MAS need to seriously buckle up or else it is going to lose more clients. My niece, for one, has decided to use MAS only as a last resort from now on.

On second thoughts, MAS should consider hiring Dato’ Sri Iris Jala as CEO again. He can teach MAS how to run an airline!