I think Singaporeans need some education on the purpose of Low Cost Carriers/Budget Airlines such as Tiger Airways, Jetstar Asia and AirAsia.

The reason that these carriers are able to keep prices low is that they cut operational costs where possible. That is, no meals and drinks, no early check-in, lower baggage allowances, no special assistance for anyone, lesser leg space and lean ground operations. They also earn a little extra from higher cancellation and amendment fees for travellers who want to change their plans.

I realised that many stupid Singaporeans just can’t grasp this concept. We are well-educated and well-traveled people generally, but somehow this doesn’t translate into intelligence and wisdom.

Last week while waiting to check-in for my AirAsia flight back from Bangkok, I encountered a seemingly well-heeled Indian who was queuing in front of me. He was looking pissed and kept on bugging the ground staff on when he can check-in. I was at the airport early, as it was my first time flying from the new Bangkok airport. For those who are not aware, check-in for budget flights normally begins only 2 hours before the scheduled take off. Not knowing this fact is not an excuse, because it is usually stated in the airlines’ terms & conditions of carriage.

This particular guy with his branded bags and briefcase, obviously looked like he could well afford a full-service air ticket but here he is with a ticket for a budget flight and complaining about something that is stated clearly when he purchased the ticket. Making Singaporeans look ugly overseas.

These few days, there have been news of Jetstar and Tiger Airways having long flight delays and only compensating with a $100 voucher and full refund respectively. People were complaining that it was not enough. Personally, I agree that the compensation is not sufficient for the length of delay involved. However, bearing in mind how good a deal the air tickets were (sometimes a flight to Vietnam costs less that $30 before taxes), it somehow seems rather reasonable that no comprehensive compensation packages were given.

Look at it this way. All airlines have the same type of expenses and costs. For budget airlines to cut costs so as to provide low prices to passengers and yet still be able to make a profit at the end of the day, they obviously have to exclude lots of stuff on all fronts. This includes compensation for flight delays.

By refunding the full ticket price (in Tiger’s case), the airline is already making a 100% or even higher loss on the flight. If it has to compensate a few hundred dollars more per person, multiply by about 200 passengers… that would translate into a greatly higher cost. The airline is already providing more than it should, given that the terms & conditions usually states that the airlines will not be liable for losses due to delays.

If budget carriers have to factor in such risks in future, it is almost guaranteed that ticket prices will go up significantly. Perhaps after all the hoo-ha these few weeks by stupid Singaporeans, the airline executives are already working on a new pricing scale to include costs of such risks into ticket prices. Sigh. When will Singaporeans ever learn?
I read about one blogger’s plight about having to reschedule his connecting flights. I think he’s quite dumb. And showing that he’s proud about it by blogging his complaints for the whole world to see. How cheapskate can Singaporeans get? If I have a connecting flight to catch, I wouldn’t risk my $1000 investment on the connecting flights by taking a budget flight just to save $100 or so. Penny-wise but pound foolish. Serves him right.

I’ve taken lots of budget flights ever since they were launched. I generally have nothing much to complain about other than the sometimes rather awkward flight timings (such as 6am in the morning). But I understand they have to do this to maximise their profits and continue to provide low fares. I only encountered delays perhaps 3 or 4 times and the worst was 2 hours. But I tell myself that it’s just my luck and I’m already getting good value on the air fare.
If one is afraid of flight delays, then a travel insurance that costs $30 – $50 is well worth the money. Afterall, you never know when things can go wrong. Hmmm, maybe cheapskate Singaporeans just don’t want to pay for anything extra even if it’s to protect themselves… then blame it on everybody else other than themselves.

Having said all this, I hope those people who can well-afford full service airlines and cannot tolerate the no-frills service of LCCs will stop taking up space on budget flights and leave more space for poor students like me =)

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