The world’s best low cost carrier? Air Asia? Nah!!!

Update at 8.58am : Self-checked in just before 8.30am.
In the queue at baggage drop counter number 53 at 8.33am.
At the counter by 8.35am.
Done by 8.36am.
Lesser crowd than earlier, but also fewer counters manned.
Some F&B staff told me that the scene this morning is a daily occurrence.
Huge crowds with grossly inadequate counters to clear them efficiently.
________________________________________________

In 2007?
Maybe.
Now?
Cheap, yes, but what’s that saying about peanuts and monkeys?
Was scheduled to fly this morning at 6.45am out of the KLIA LCCT.
Self-checked in yesterday afternoon on the web.
The boarding pass indicated that the gate would close at 6.25am.
Had one bag to check in.
Cabbed it out this morning from the office at 5am.
Was at one of the baggage drop counters for domestic flights by 5.50am.
Only about half the counters were manned.
The ones that were manned had queues that were long and moving at a snail’s pace.
I asked a few people ahead of me if I could jump queue as my gate closure time was drawing near.
They all had the same predicament.
40 minutes after I started to queue, I finally got to the counter.
Too late.
“Please go to counter 68″, I was told.
Went there.
Told that the plane doors were closed and I would have to purchase another ticket for the next flight, the earliest being 10.30am.
RM308.00
I c0mplained about waiting 40 minutes to get to the baggage drop counter, the huge crowd and the number of counters that were unmanned.
“Ok, sir, I’ll just charge you a fine of RM100 for your ticket for the next flight”, the staff offered instantly.
I sit here waiting for the 10.30 flight, RM100 poorer, with meetings at the intended destination having to be rescheduled.

Now everyone can fly, eh Tony?
Don’t bet on it, folks!