This is mostly about the scheduling malfunction. I’m currently sitting in the airport in Bali alone coz of a series of unfortunate events. I realized too late that my Taipei trip overlapped with my Bali departure so it was decided that my better half would fly out first and I’ll go join her in Ubud when I came back from Taiwan.
I hadn’t realized that the ticket conditions prevented me from taking the return trip if I hadn’t shown up for the departure.
Yup, the original ticket was on Malaysia Airlines, not a point-to-point airline like AirAsia or I wouldn’t have this problem.
My dear had bought us both tickets to Bali but since I was in Taiwan at the time, I had to buy another ticket from KL to Denpasar (cost me RM 432). I don’t have a problem with this, little did I know that since I was a “no show”, I revoked my rights to travel back on the return leg.
I’ve been travelling quite frequently since I was a kid and never ran into problems like this until the downgrading of Malaysia Airlines (in the glory full service days, you could just about do anything). Maybe all you needed was a small rebooking fee, but with the cost saving measures by MAS, it’s now effectively a low-cost airline with restrictions. It’s definitely not a premium airline anymore.
I assumed that I could travel back on the return flight and didn’t think to do anything until my better half told me she couldn’t check in for me and I wasn’t listed. After talking to a distinctively unhelpful Khairul (“I’m the only Khairul in Customer Service“) in Malaysia Airlines, it turns out that he couldn’t help and I decided to just rebook my return flight using AirAsia.
I managed to get one slightly after my original flight for an additional IDR 1,512,350 – you need to pay in rupiah if you’re in Indonesia while booking online, it’s about RM 504.
This was very late into the night, we had just came back from Venezia Day Spa & Salon in Ubud where the rather misleading Honeymoon Package (IDR 607,000) is the price for one, not for two. At least my better half thought it was for the both of us, I had suspected that it’s just a name and it’s the price per person.
It turns out that the total price was IDR 1,214,000 or IDR 1,358,699 with 12% tax of IDR 145,680. It’s still decent for a 5 hour treatment since 1.3 million rupiah is about MYR 452 and the important part was that she enjoyed herself. I didn’t mind the treatments too, I’m just not used to these kind of things – my first manicure and pedicure.
Anyway, after realizing late into the night that my return flight wasn’t secure, I had to quickly book another ticket back on the rather unreliable hotel WiFi – it took me the better part of an hour before the credit card payment went though.
I’m writing this now from Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali while awaiting for my flight – it’s been a long week with little sleep but it sure was fun though, certainly an interesting past few days. It was great, we needed the break and it made us all the more closer. 🙂
Ahaks…I conned you to the spa. Actually it was my fault since I did not double check with them if it’s for the price of one or two. Nevertheless, thank you for sponsoring me to the full spa experience.hahaha
No worries at all dear! 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the spa, I just not keen on the mani + pedi + hair thing but I don’t mind the others. Haha! Yeah, it was a couples massage but I figured it couldn’t be for two coz it’s so long (5 hours) and had so many components. Honeymoon Package is just the name for the best and longest, most luxurious treatment they have – the entire treatment range, it’s their flagship product/service.
yea, MAS getting sucks these days. I was on MAS to Bali some 2 weeks ago and their meals were so not up to par…Even AirAsia serves better food than them now.
Yeah, I agree, MAS is really terrible nowadays.
It’s been a downward spiral for the troubled airline, they’ve tried to rebrand themselves, do some media/PR work but the people who fly with them e.g. customers know what’s up. I took Malaysia Airlines to Taiwan too, it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good either. It’s a far cry from Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and other top-tier premium flights.
Likewise, my dear had terrible food to Bali while flying Malaysia Airlines, her wrap was cold. Sorry to hear about your bad experience with MAS.
Today only I know, after reading your post, about not getting the return flight if you did not depart from the airport.. But the tickets were already fully paid wor.. Like not logic..
Yeah, coz they’re kinda like a semi low-cost carrier now. 😡
They have “promo fares”, MHFlex etc, different types of tickets in order to remain relevant and try to catch up to AirAsia since they’re losing so much market share. In the past, you didn’t have this problem – I used to fly SIA, MAS and ANZ (Air New Zealand) to Christchurch when I was 15 and they were all good, they used to be very helpful too – can rebook flights for you if you missed it, no admin fee since it’s (used to be) a premium airline.
Even if I didn’t make the departure, I should be able to take the return for point-to-point carriers like AirAsia, but not for Malaysia Airlines, at least not now. Last time, they’ll help you rebook the next flight out no problems, but not anymore even though we paid for both people for return flights.
MAS is charging for everything now. It’s sad, guess that’s what happens when mismanagement is institutionalized and there’s low morale after their troubles with the two crashes/missing planes. I still had fun though, it was a good trip, I was just surprised at how low MAS standards have sunk.
My cousin had the same experience. She did not take the SBW/KUL flight for her SBW/KUL/ADL and hence, automatically, her connecting KUL/ADL was cancelled. The lucky thing was it was not on the same day. SBW/KUL on a Saturday and KUL/ADL on Sunday. We went to MAS office on Saturday in KL Sentral to reconfirm the KUL/ADL and was told to pay penalty for…….not getting on the SBW/KUL flight! How ridiculous was that?!?!?!?!! Of course, I gave the man at the counter my piece of mind but in the end, there is nothing I could do because if we don’t pay, he will cancel the KUL/ADL sector.
The other new thing I learnt was, because the ticket was purchased in Australia the penalty was in AUD!!! @#$%^&* If the tickets were bought in Malaysia, it would be charged in RM. Hence, my cousin paid RM400 plus after conversion as penalty so that she could get on her KUL/ADL scheduled the next day.
I just think this is super unfair. We have already purchased the tickets and should not be penalized for not getting on it, right!? Stoooopid!
Having re-read the above, perhaps I should clarified that because she wanted to follow me to KL on a FRIDAY, she forgo her SBW/KUL flight which was scheduled on Saturday.
For me, the MAS flight from Kuala Lumpur to Adelaide was quite okay, except that the stewardess was ready to snap at any disobedient passenger. I guess they only upgraded the services for the international flights. I hope they’ve managed to maintain the service even after the change of ownership, though. =/
On the bright side, it’s good that you and Ling had fun in Bali! =)
That sounds like quite an adventure you had with the schedules and all. I can never travel back-to-back like that. Maybe because I always travel with kids so we’ll definitely need some time to ‘recharge’ before going flying off again.
Oh dear! Oh dear! MAS, now MAB, has terminated their Kuching-Sibu sector so one would have to fly MasWings that is running the so-called “rural air service” here with their ATR aircrafts. There is talk about the Sarawak government taking over that. Thank goodness there is Air Asia, many flights in a day…so no great loss.
Gosh!!! I will have to be extra careful when making my own bookings online, wouldn’t want to get into some kind of fix like that. My heart may not be able to take it. Even in the good ol’ days, it always stressed me out – me, dinosaur…so no used to these things.
To be fair to MAS (mana ada sistem?), the return trip policy of no show had alwiz been there. I knew it coz I had experienced it. But in the past you just had to re-validate the ticket..unless you are last-minute situation.
On a brighter note, glad u enjoy Bali. More for couple. My family did not really enjoyed our trip though.
Cheers
Whoa! I was in Bali for the past week, too, as bridesmaid for a very close friend’s wedding! Was also in Ubud for a day (20th September) but mostly was in Uluwatu/Sanur. Would’ve been cool if we had run into each other…I would’ve said hi definitely!
I flew Malaysia Airlines to Bali, too. Whilst my experience wasn’t awful, the airline has definitely jatuh standard from the time period of the early 2000s (when I was freqeuntly travelling as a student – going home and the likes). But lately my husband often always book MAS as a first choice, because he felt sorry for the airline…(yeah I don’t know what reasoning is this…)
This is really great to know! I normally fly Air Asia, but I like Malaysia Air for longer legs. Thanks for sharing!
I did not know about the return leg will be gone if the first leg is a no show. Thanks for warning us. Sounds like a good trip except for a few hiccups. Hahaha, I have never done a manicure and pedicure too and never will.