Air Asia resembles the "budget" or "no-frills" airlines elsewhere and does not sound any more annoying than the rest of them. The full-service airlines can be more accommodating; just choose one of them instead and pay more money.

Southam,

"Budget" or "no-frills" does not or should not equal annoying. Southwest a budget no-frill airline is often a pleasure to fly and has a very simple easy to use online booking process.

IMO, Air Asia needs to improve their online ticketing process because no matter what type of airline you are, good customer service should be important.

I agree. For me CS is a huge factor in choosing a service, a business, etc. I don't like feeling like I'm being chipped away at.

I had a lot of problems booking and couldn't get through to their US phone line in SF. Finally, booked it all online OK. The flight, plane, crew were all very good, on time, new aircraft.
We got a very low price, added seat selection( didn't need to do that)..It was US $50. Saigon -BKK, vs quadruple that on other airlines.

HappyTrvlr,

I had the same experience as you did while flying Air Asia with an odd twist.

I sat right in front of the exit rows (12 seats) with only one passenger on the opposite side occupying one of them. During the flight another passenger got up and move to one of the free seats. The passenger sitting on the opposite side complained to the flight attendant that he paid extra to sit in "an exit row seat" and if this passenger did not pay he should not be allowed to sit there. After being told it was THB$350 extra to sit there the passenger returned to his original seat.

Interestingly, the complaining passenger proceeded to lay down across all the seats in his row which by his own admission earlier he paid to sit only in "an exit row seat", not all of them.

For a moment, I thought about challenging him and the flight attendant but IMO obviously he is a miserable person and traveler.

I travelled from Singapur to Bali with Air Asia last fall.
Compared with the budget airlines I am used to in Europe, I found their website easy to handle, the costs for preferred seats or meals moderate, and attitude or friendliness on board and at check- in in SIN outstanding.