AIRASIA Aviation Group Ltd (AAAGL) has clarified that it has resolved over 99% of guest queries and refund requests set off by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years.
AAAGL group chief executive officer Bo Lingam said that as one of the world’s largest airlines flying close to 100 million passengers per year before the onslaught of the pandemic, it has seen an unprecedented volume of queries averaging around 200,000 daily during the peak period.
“We have spoken to over five million guests since the pandemic began and settled the vast majority of requests relating to cancelled flights by issuing credit accounts, cash refunds or flight changes,” he acknowledged.
“Given the sheer volume, this is no mean feat. Across all airlines in AAAGL we have provided a cash refund or credit shell to over three million bookings to date. In total we received US$1.8 bil in refunds requested by guests since 2020.”
According to Bo, of the total cash refunds requested, over 99% has been resolved with only US$14.66 mil (or 0.8%) still in process.
“We are working hard to resolve these in the coming months. Now as we are flying again in all our key markets, we can fast-track any outstanding requests as soon as possible,” he explained.
“We do our best to keep our guests updated frequently with emails regarding their refund status, and they are also able to check the status of their refund anytime of the day via AVA, our multilingual virtual Allstar.
“Meanwhile, the large majority of our guests across the Group have opted for a credit account which is processed immediately and valid for up to two years for booking from the date of issuance.”
With the resumption of domestic flights and the reopening of borders in most of AAAGL’s key markets, Bo noted that 88% of credit accounts issued have been utilised, thus signifying a strong appetite and confidence for air travel among the public.
“We thank all of our guests for their patience, and look forward to welcoming everyone back on board once again with our steadfast commitment to providing the best accessible, affordable and inclusive air travel in the region,” Bo said. – March 29, 2022
