As a person who needs to transit at Denpasar to go on to my place of work, I welcomed AirAsia and have already subscribed to their services no fewer than 20 times. Letters regarding AirAsia's service, or more accurately the lack of it, have appeared in alarmingly volume in malaysiakini. Yet as far as I can see, no effort has been made by AirAsia to respond to these letters.

As a frequent customer, let me recount a recent episode I was involved with. I turned up just a few minutes late for check-in at the airport. I patiently waited in the queue at KLIA where the AirAsia counter says 'Indonesian Flights'.

There were many passengers also in the queue, the majority of whom were maids with a lot of luggage. Check in was therefore understandably slow. Without any notice or announcement, there was no way I could have known whether or not I could be accepted for my flight since the very long queue was formed by passengers checking in for three different destinations.

I reached the counter after an extended wait and only then was told that check-in for my flight was closed exactly forty-five minutes before the published departure time. In answer to my queries, I was firmly told I came late and therefore AirAsia would not put me on the next available flight nor refund me any portion of the fare I had paid.

This despite the fact that I had no check-in luggage and I could have easily walked to the departure gate well before the published time of departure. As I had to look for alternative flights to proceed to my destination, I stayed on in the airport for some time. It was then that I heard over the public address system the last call for passengers for the AirAsia flight I had paid for.

And what was the time of that announcement? Well past the published time of departure of that said flight.

Being a 'warga emas' (senior citizen), I understand and appreciate that there must be rules and regulations in any organised activity. But these rules must apply to both sides of a business transaction. Air Asia tolerates no nonsense from its customers. The rules are published and if you as a passenger are unable to satisfy any part of the published rules, you will not be accepted for a flight nor will you get back any of your money. Fair enough.

However, AirAsia, it seems, does not need to subscribe to any responsibility to punctuality. When its flights depart late no matter by how many minutes or hours, all it takes is for the AirAsia pilot or stewardess to just say sorry before take off. From AirAsia's point of view, its own flight delays can be excused.

What Air Asia is saying is: 'Our planes can be late even by hours but you passengers cannot be late by even a few minutes'.

As a common man, I too subscribe to the maxim of 'Now everyone can fly'. I have stood always for the common people. I have cheered all who strive to improve the lot of common people. I have applauded the introduction of discount airlines and have happily subscribed to the services of

airlines such as Ryan Air and Easy Jet.

I do not subscribe to the saying 'cheap things no good, good things not cheap'. There is a need for affordable services and products in the various business sectors. But all businesses must subscribe to the basic rule that clients and customers have basic rights. Businesses infringe on these rights to their own peril.

To Air Asia, I say, yes 'now everyone can fly' but I won't be flying with you again. Goodbye.