AirAsia X (AAX), the medium to long-haul affiliate airline of AirAsia Aviation Group, announced that it has successfully compensated over 270,000 cancelled bookings caused by the pandemic over the past two years, including all RM499 Unlimited Pass holders, with a five-year travel voucher to the full value of the outstanding bookings.
The travel voucher can be used to book any AAX flights (airline code D7) immediately and for future travel to a number of exciting international destinations currently on sale. Many more routes will be added to AAX’s network, including Japan, Australia, Hawaii, New Zealand, London, Dubai and Istanbul in 2022.
Guests who have yet to receive the travel voucher are required to register for airasia rewards members here using the same email used for the booking, as the travel voucher will be linked to the account. AAX will continue to prioritise processing all remaining compensation entitlements, including for bookings made by travel agents in the coming weeks. All guests will be contacted via their registered email address.
AAX Acting Group CEO Tony Fernandes said: “I am thrilled to share that we have delivered on our commitment to AAX guests and given back more than US$92 million worth of travel vouchers for over a quarter million bookings. That is about 80% of the total booking, and we are reaching out to the final groups of guests until everyone gets back what they are owed.
While many have supported us through thick and thin, I understand many others have expressed frustration with not receiving a cash refund for the cancelled flights. AAX wasn’t able to pay cash refunds due to the legal process of the restructuring, but we have worked hard to balance survival with paying everyone back with credit vouchers to fly again to exciting destinations now and in the future.
Once again, thanks to those who have shown us patience and understanding, we have survived the most difficult two years without significant revenue or any government subsidy. We are now focused on coming out the other side of this tunnel stronger than ever. We may not always be perfect, but we strive to do all we can for our people and our guests. Now we are back repainting the skies red and making sure everyone can fly again.”
AAX CEO Benyamin Ismail said: “The past two years have been extremely challenging for the travel industry worldwide, including AAX, due to the prolonged ongoing effects of the pandemic and closure of international borders in our key markets. Despite all these challenges, we want to assure our guests that AAX will honour our commitment to everyone with outstanding credit as we return to the skies.
“Before the pandemic, AAX carried over 40 million guests, and we look forward to welcoming many millions more back on board. The downtime in flying over the past two years has enabled us to review, reset and restart operations with a more robust platform for a sustainable and viable future. AAX now has perhaps the lowest cost base in the industry to remain more competitive than ever, which we can pass on to consumers in the form of the best value fares once again.
“The AAX revival is now well underway as the world continues to reopen. We are bringing back everyone’s favourite destinations and much more for everyone to enjoy. After not being able to travel for over two years, there is strong pent-up demand for medium to long-haul travel. Once again, we thank our guests for their patience and understanding, and we look forward to welcoming you all back on board with our great value fares and industry-leading service.”
