I refer to the letter AirAsia: Griping won't do much which made the point that I should, after complaining about AirAsia, decide never to fly on their planes. Well, I did expect such a reaction when I made the point that I might still fly AirAsia again.

To be honest Stefan, I would like to say I will never be an AirAsia customer ever again but that would mean that I would never be able to go to many areas that I would like too. There are lots of people, me included, that simply cannot afford the exorbitant ticket prices of 'regular' airlines. With some regret, I concede that I do not have an expense account or have been blessed with a lot of money.

Airlines like AirAsia have been a dream come true, in one sense, for ordinary citizens. For many NGOs, religious organisations and just poor people like me, it has meant that we have been able to do things we would never have able to otherwise. In many cases, we have no choice literally but to fly AirAsia.

Many years ago, I was stuck with an Art900 network phone. During peak hours, you simply could not make calls and I used to curse and swear regularly. But I kept the phone because there were simply no other choices. The moment GSM phones arrived and competition came in the form of four other telcos, I dumped my Art900 line.

I had a choice then, see? In the case of AirAsia, I'll continue to make a lot of noise (and still fly AirAsia!) in the hope that ordinary consumers like me will one day get a fair deal. Please don't tell me that I am getting what I paid for. The fact is that we are being shortchanged.

Now, if the government can open up the skies and allow other low-cost carriers in on an equal footing, I'll be the first to stop flying AirAsia. But when we have no choice, we have to take a risk sometimes which was what my letter was all about.

If you are going to fly AirAsia, do so with your eyes open. Be prepared and know the risks. Don't forget that people still board buses that are clearly dangerous on festive occasions. We still go out and breathe the air during the haze. But those acts should not preclude us from demanding justice.