I cannot agree more that Air Asia is quickly going downhill: I liken the airline to those horrible buses which refuse to start moving until all the seats have been filled up, with some brash and loud conductor herding and cramming unsuspecting customers into its hot and smelly interior!

It was a good idea to begin with, and it still is, but low cost doesn’t mean low quality, and it sure doesn’t mean no quality!

I realise many things – like food – must and can be compromised on, but two things simply cannot, in my view: The absence of fixed seating and the 15kg baggage allowance. I have been complaining about this since goodness knows when, with nary an acknowledgment or response.

Express boarding does not solve the burden of the elderly’s comfort; it simply means they can get out of the gate first, but they still have to walk a long way to the plane, and it is daunting to see the others at the back swiftly catching up!

For the others, long queuing (in terms of time as well as distance) at the terminal is likewise very far from a pleasurable way to start any holiday!

For international transfers, the 15kg baggage allowance is of course a real hassle, having to downgrade from 20kg. Air Asia is so strict now they won’t even allow a single kg leeway, you cannot share allowance with other passengers not on the same ticket, and they are not sympathetic or friendly about it either!

Many a time I have heard passengers screaming at the ground staff, and have heard tourists proclaim it to be the worst airline ever!

And yet they refuse to listen, let alone learn. They carry on to make their money.

I do not begrudge them their profits, of course, but not through this dastardly and scheming way. Far better I think to charge more to begin with, but have the basic amenities and comfort of fixed seating and compatible baggage allowance.

There is no denying that they are arrogant. Their latest in-flight magazine features the top 10 man-made marvels in the destinations Air Asia flies to. Number one are the Petronas Twin Towers, well ahead of Borobudur and Angkor Wat!

Of course, it is in no particular order, but humility should see to it that the Twin Towers are ‘last but not least’, while common sense and marketing savvy should place in first position the latest Air Asia destination, in this case perhaps Westminster Abbey.

During my last flight with them, I asked if duty free was cheaper on the plane or in the airport terminal. Both steward and stewardess replied that cigarettes were RM2 cheaper on the plane, but it turned out that they were the same price.

Trivial, I know, and easily overlooked and forgiven, but the point is that if they don’t know what they’re talking about, then they should simply say so and not try to make more money!

Will RM2 save Air Asia’s soul? Will cheaper fares (only on the surface of it) make their reputation? I rather think not, and once people have had enough, no manner or quantity of cajoling will bring customers back.

I for one will only book Air Asia now in case of an emergency, and take advantage of their free tickets.