I have been travelling to and from Malaysia for over 30 years and now reside here with my wife and child. I have businesses in the UK and Malaysia and still clock over 200,000 air miles a year. I have travelled AirAsia on several occasions over the past few years and received the service expected from a budget airline.
Unfortunately, my trip to Laos on Feb 19 with AirAsia turned out to be one of the most disastrous and humiliating experiences of my life.
Being disabled, I made sure that I informed the ticket centre at least 48 hours prior to my departure that as I am unable to climb stairs that I would require the service of their ‘Ambulift’.
The gentleman at your call centre confirmed that a note had been put on my reservation and told me that I should report to the two desks that would handle my request and a wheelchair.
When I arrived at the airport with my wife and son, we checked in and went to a desk which was right at the end of the check-in desks and was, I believe, numbered sixty something.
The guy at the desk confirmed my request for the ‘Ambulift’ and then told me to go to desk 41 for a wheelchair, which I did, also telling them that I had requested the ‘Ambulift’.
After going through passport control, I was pushed to the gate only then to be told that the ‘Ambulift’ was not available. This was some five minutes before boarding and at no time prior to this was I informed that it was not available.
To add insult to injury I was then questioned as to whether I had even requested it. To get me on board the aircraft, three of the ground staff carried me and the wheelchair up the stairs which was not pleasant for me and most strenuous for them but I was on board and we flew to Vientiane only to find that I had an even worse problem there.
After several attempts, it was decided that I was too heavy to carry down the steps in the wheelchair and one of the ground staff then grabbed me and attempted to carry me on his back which resulted in me on the floor of the aircraft after he dropped me.
I suffered severe chest pains and it was only when the air crew came to my rescue that I was able to stand back up again and get my breath.
To cut a very long story short, there was no way that the staff were able to get me down the stairs and I ended up crawling down to the runway on my hands and knees.
To add insult to injury, several people boarding another aircraft stopped to film my decent on their video cameras. With apologies from the aircrew who seemed to be most embarrassed, I was wheeled in to the terminal with my suit covered in dirt and dust and my hand filthy.
I can honestly say that I have never been so embarrassed and humiliated in my life.
AirAsia has had over 48 hours to advise me that (i) the ‘Ambulift’ at KL was not available and (ii) that there were no facilities at Vientiane for disabled passengers.
I sent a complaint to AirAsia on March 4 and every week since but have yet to receive a reply.
