AirAsia faults ‘IT issues’ for hidden costs

By Debra Chong

January 27, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — Airline giant AirAsia has blamed “IT issues’’ for allegedly hiding information on its full fares online that led to a lawsuit by Australian regulators.

A week ago, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) sued Asia’s largest budget carrier for allegedly failing to disclose the full price of fares for flights from Australia.

The suit was filed the same day AirAsia launched fares as low as A$99 (RM319) for one-way flights on its new route from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur.

AirAsia was reported saying in a statement today that the problem “appears to have arisen from an IT issue in September 2011”.

The statement added that the airline had taken “corrective action” to resolve complaints in the lawsuit brought by Australian regulators over its online fare information and planned to “constructively resolve the matter” with the commission.

“AirAsia always seeks to conduct its business fairly and in an ethical and proper manner and in full compliance with all applicable laws,” it said.

“As soon as we became aware of the matter based on the ACCC’s complaint we have taken corrective action and are focused on ensuring that our customers have all relevant information on our fares,” it was reported as saying by AFP.

The Australian regulator alleged the fares relate to flights from Melbourne to cities including London, New Delhi, and Hangzhou in China, from the Gold Coast to Ho Chi Minh City and from Perth to places such as Taipei and Phuket in Thailand.