Netizens complain flight fares spiked shortly after GE15 dates announced

 

With today’s announcement that the 15th parliamentary election will take place on Nov 19, out-of-state voters have been looking to purchase flight tickets back to their home state the day before polling day.

However, many of them were shocked to find flight ticket prices spiked so quickly after the announcement.

CityPlusFM radio host Teck Chai shared on Facebook his experience today trying to buy flight tickets for Nov 18, from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu.

He said when he first checked with AirAsia at 12.20pm for the price of a return flight ticket, it was RM330.

About 20 minutes later, when he checked the same return flight again, he claimed the price had gone up to RM736.

“The cost of a ballot ticket is RM800 plus, is it worth it? Don’t forget the transport fees to Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) are not cheap.

“Of course, for those who can afford it, the value of democracy cannot be measured by money, right? But I am just an ordinary person.

“I think many East Malaysians who are working in the peninsula will have similar feelings of ‘RM800 plus?’ Are you kidding me?” Teck lamented in his Facebook posting today.

In such a situation, he questioned whose fault is it that voters do not go back to vote.

“Is it the voters’ fault (for being) stingy and having no democratic consciousness? Or is it the government’s fault (for) not making the effort to promote and preserve democracy? Or is it the airlines’ fault (for) trying to rob the people amid the election?” Teck said.

A Twitter user known as ‘Iced Nyior’ also had similar complaints about the sudden jump in flight fares from Peninsular Malaysia to East Malaysia.

She shared screenshots of her attempt to purchase a return flight ticket from Johor Bahru to Kuching at 12.35pm, which stated the total to be RM359.42 for one ticket.

However, she received an error code while she was trying to confirm the transaction.

In another screenshot she shared, the price for the exact same return flight had shot up to RM727.44 by 12.50pm.

Questioning AirAsia about the error code ‘Iced Nyior’ received, she said it does not make sense that the return flight fare is now double the price.

“Same issue for outbound flights on Thursday (Nov 17). Same initial pricing and then increased fare and same error. Such a scam!” she said.

Her tweet caught the attention of incumbent Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin, who urged several airlines to offer promotional prices for voters in tandem with the GE15.

“Flight ticket (prices) have doubled. GE15 is not the time to make excessive profits.

“I urge AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and Malindo Air to offer GE15 promo price for voters. If you can do it in GE14, why can’t (you do it) now?” Sim asked.

Another Twitter user known as ‘Wong Joey Yee’ said flight tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Sandakan now cost almost RM1,000.

She said as a student from a low-income B40 family, it is not easy for her to save money for GE15.

“They better have discounts for Sabah and Sarawak voters (residing in West Malaysia) because we still don’t have postal voting rights in 2022.

“Malaysia ‘boleh’,” she said sarcastically.

Meanwhile, one reader informed Malaysiakini that she also saw an increase in ticket prices when she checked flights from Selangor to Kuala Terengganu for Nov 18.

When she checked at 1.54pm, the one-way ticket prices for the 7.15am and 11.20am flights were RM184 and RM211 respectively.

About one and a half hours, later at 3.33pm, she said the prices for the flights at the time had gone up to RM211 and RM238 respectively.

The Election Commission announced around 12.20pm today that polling day for GE15 will take place on Nov 19.

Nomination day has been set for Nov 5, with the campaigning period lasting 14 days. Early voting will take place on Nov 15.

Elections for the Perlis, Perak and Pahang legislative assemblies and the Bugaya by-election will follow the above dates. - Mkini