On February 12, 2018, Air Asia's flight AK 885 from Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok was supposed to depart at 1455 hours (Thai time) and arrived Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 in more or less about a flight time of 2 hours, at about 1810 hours (with the time difference in Malaysia).
Just before the half hour before the departure time, we were told the flight was delayed for an hour.
After 1 hour waiting and just before the stipulated boarding hour, we were again told the new timing to board the plane would be sometime at 1630 hours. This time round, the plane did arrive at 1600 hours and passengers from Malaysia alighted the plane.
At just about 1630 hours, we were told to board the plane. As we awaited the rest of the passengers to settle into their seats, we felt the warm sensation throughout the aircraft. (There weren't any queries or complaints as we all thought this was normal; however, I did feel something's amiss as I never boarded a plane with such a condition. However, I decided to just settle down first and perhaps allow the crews to carryout their jobs.) As all the passengers already boarded, the plane became warmer and warmer and I was sweating and perspiring. The uncomfortable scenario indulged me to begin conversations with my neighbours seating next to me. A couple, on their pre-Chinese New Year vacation outing to Bangkok. They also felt the unpleasantness of the heat, and they played with a portable fan from their belongings. I began to fan aggressively with the plane's inflight magazine.
Minutes later, the Captain voiced over the aircraft's intercom and advised that there was a glitch in the airplane's air condition unit, hence, a malfunction and they wished to rectify (the problem) before flying. Without rectifying the air condition system, any airplane generally cannot fly because the air environs within the plane can be treacherous to passengers since the ventilation is also linked via the system.
Apparently, the glitch was not a minor one and as the plane grew warmer and became hotter for some of us to bear, I started voicing out to one of the flight attendants. Initially, she told me to hold on, but soon some kids started crying loudly, and parents were also becoming disgruntled with the seemingly heat. Again, I became more aware of the conditions, and signaled the flight attendants via the plane's call-for-assistance-button. A flight stewardess came, and I firmly told her that if the situation persisted we should be let out of the plane, and let the technical crew figured out the glitches. She checked with the Captain, and later, and over the intercom, we were allowed back into the terminal. The Captain apologized for her hindsight.We were relieved.
As we depart from the plane, obviously the terminal was not aware of our departure from the plane, and hence, we were made to wait at the jet bridge just outside the departing lounge gate. The door was locked and the airline and security crews needed permission from the top before we were allowed back to the boarding-gate lounge. Apparently, the administrative ground crews have to shift another load of passengers from our boarding lounge to another boarding gate lounge. About half an hour or so the door opened and we were back at the lounge. The airline staff further made announcements to inform passengers of another Air Asia flight (to KLIA) to transfer to another gate.
As we waited at the terminal, the situation became more desperate and Air Asia told us to bear with the technical difficulties. However, the problem here was they, and again, did not want to reveal the exact timing the plane was supposed to leave. Some of the travelers apparently were on connecting flights to various parts of Asia and Australia from KLIA 2. Thus, these individuals became infuriated and wanted to know what's the condition. Air Asia ground crew revealed to them that if they wanted to leave earlier, they could. However, if they were to take their baggage out of the plane, there wouldn't be any guarantees as to the safety of their luggage and they would not be able to transfer them back to the plane if they changed their minds. Nevertheless, a few passengers that travelled with only overhead compartment luggage or bags decided to transfer to another aircraft. I couldn't do it as I already checked in the luggage earlier and there were a couple.
In any case, many passengers on the flight were somehow put off by the idea that they did not want to lose their luggage or items bought in Bangkok, hence, many decided to wait until the repair was rectified. However, the deception seemed to be mind boggling, and some Western passengers later became irate and started raising voices with the ground crew. Some of them apparently wanted to have an overnight stay in Kuala Lumpur and enjoy a quickie tour before leaving (the next day). Apparently, that would not be possible if the plane was to arrive late. As for those connecting flights, the administrative ground crew decided to get as much information as possible and liaise with Kuala Lumpur to make the needed arrangements.
Somehow, I was not convinced that Air Asia could satisfy passengers' delays because a few years back, Air Asia had to totally cancelled my flight to Manila at the 11th hour because of a typhoon beating up Subic Bay. I ended up travelling with MAS from KLIA Terminal 1 (an hour before the flight, and I was rushing through the airport) because the flight route for MAS was directly to Manila International Airport, and not Subic International Airport. For compensation, Air Asia gave me some sort of a flight redemption voucher to travel within a time frame.
Coming back to the Don Mueang's scenario, initially, the first discussion became heated about the transfer, the number of baggage or luggage and/or, basically the deception on the timing the plane was supposed to take off. Many of us thought we either had to spend the night at Don Mueang or leave the airport and opted for other transportation. I did think of that but it's already too late and even if I opt for another mode of transportation, I only ended in Hatyai (the Southern city) the next morning. Moreover, I am not sure whether Air Asia would reimburse the returned fare (as the seat I bought on that particular day was a priority seat close to the front of the aircraft).
As the discussions grossly became heated with a number of travellers, the administrative crew called in security reinforcements to manage us all from getting rowdy. What a joke! After seeing the security staff many decided to hold their emotions. But as the day became pitch dark, some of the Europeans became very unsettled and arguments at one point with the security and administrative staff became caustic. As more and more passengers suddenly became more defiant and reluctant to be bogged down by deception, all the ground staff and crews became vulnerable.
On seeing the situation, I stood and told them that it's time, they be honest to us so that we could all make our decisions. The leader in the admin pack then asked what do we want. I said, its simple; tell the Captain to give us an honest answer on whether the plane could fly or not and not keep us waiting. We were hungry, tired, disgruntled, and many of us had been travelling as well and thus we just want to get to our destinations and not be held up by this deception.
The leader then went into the jet bridge and into the aircraft to speak to the Captain. Minutes later, he returned that the Captain would come and speak to us and told us to stay put for the time being. Initially, we thought it seemed the leader was dragging his feet and not prudent and persistent enough to engage the Captain. In the end, after various of our grouses, he went back to the plane to retrieve the Captain. By then, it was sometime close to 2015 hours.
The Captain and the leader of the admin crew appeared, and we all started to crowd around to see what she had to say. She mentioned about the seriousness which I known for sometime, and being a person in-charge she felt responsible that she needed to have the plane fixed before taking off. She understood our many predicaments and had informed various management to assist especially those who needed to connect flights. The plane is good for now for the flight to Kuala Lumpur International Airport and on behalf our predicament she offered us food and drinks. Each passenger will receive a hamburger and a bottle of mineral water. The Muslims would get a beef burger and the non-Muslims will have a pork burger. Apparently, staff have already bought the burgers ready from McDonald's, a gesture of goodwill from Air Asia.
Despite that day I was supposed to have the priority seat, after the technical tragedy, that's also not in the books already, basically money wasted. We just board as if there weren't any conditions and nevertheless, we were all desperate to board and arrive at our destination. The plane took off about 2100 hours. The ride was very smooth and my presumption was that it was a new plane, perhaps a neo A320. And the reason why there were glitches to the air condition system. My neighbours decided to change seats and sat up front leaving myself in the aisle. We arrived KLIA 2 at just about midnight and I knew I had to spend the night at the airport because there weren't any public transportation after midnight except taxis and I didn't want to waste money for that.
