Air Asia - Booking a Flight That That Is "Subject to Government Approval"

Shaman on 31/07/2022 - 19:58
Last edited 01/08/2022 - 11:16

Hi all,

Like many others, the wife and I are deciding on a holiday early next year. Planning to go to Kuala Lumpur with Air Asia. We have decided on dates and ready to pull the trigger but the air Asia flight we are booking for has a note stating that it is "subject to government approval"

I've not seen this before, as we're not exactly avid travellers. Just wondering if anyone with more expertise in the area may enlighten us? Is it worth to book it anyway? My concern is if it isn't approved, and our hotel booking goes to waste?
Is it worth the risk? Or is it more likely the flight will be approved, and it's just going through whatever normal processes flights are going through after resuming from covid?

Thank you

Edit: thanks for all the replies, after some consideration, we decided to book anyway knowing and comfortable with the fact that there's a small chance it won't go ahead anyway. Our hotel booking is free cancellation upto the day of check in anyway, so there isn't any concerns on that end. Fingers crossed now!

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    Book anyway
  • 6
    Don't book it
  • 3
    Pay more for another carrier
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Comments

  • WookieMonster on 31/07/2022 - 20:06

    "Subject to government approval" usually refers to the fact that the airline has not yet been approved by the relevant government authorities to operate on a particular air route. The airline usually only has provisional approval to operate on the route (which means they can start selling tickets on this route), but they haven't quite got the final approval at this stage.

  • jjjaar on 31/07/2022 - 20:12

    If everything else you book is flexible and can be cancelled until the day of (or a few days before, because ideally you’d know a few days before if the flight is actually going ahead), then there’s no problem with booking this kind of flight.

  • saltcheetah on 31/07/2022 - 20:15
    +3

    Please don’t book with Air Asia.

    Check product review.

    Check Google for ‘Air Asia debt restructure’.

    If you’re transiting through Asia you might not even have an approved airline that is capable of flying (not just the approved route per wookiemonster). Dirty business tactics.

    They have taken money for flights that never got to fly and then claimed bankruptcy. I know it may not be the same Air Asia because it’s the Malaysian section of the business etc etc. just don’t risk it over a few hundred dollars.

    Read product review.

    • iNeed2Pee on 31/07/2022 - 20:17
      +3

      Let's be realistic. If I trusted everything on Product review, I would not have bought one item.

      Let's also talk about how YOUI has a 4.1 review over 6.5k reviews. Do not go solely off PR :)

      • saltcheetah on 31/07/2022 - 20:21

        That’s not an argument to do something because you showed an opposite.

        Sure, agree you shouldn’t solely go off Product Review but it’s pretty damning.

        You might have gotten a bad experience with Youi but it doesn’t mean the others have. Product review for Air Asia is 90% bad.

        • iNeed2Pee on 31/07/2022 - 21:35

          Product review is known to be one of the shadiest websites for reviews.

          Most airlines are horrible on product review.
          Nearly all of them.

    • Flying Ace on 01/08/2022 - 08:23
      +1

      If you read product review you would never buy anything.

      How many people fly AirAsia every day?

      Most people would never leave a positive review, they just get to their destination and go about their lives.

    • Ponka on 01/08/2022 - 09:41

      By this logic, you also shouldn't fly with Jetstar, Qantas or Virgin.

      Which…admittedly, not a bad idea. If you need to travel on a plane though, unrealistic.

  • capslock on 31/07/2022 - 20:17
    +2

    Most new routes on most airlines carry this warning. If the flight gets cancelled it is more likely because of low bookings rather than no government approval.

  • nxllson on 01/08/2022 - 01:08

    You'll often see this when airlines have not operated on this route for a long time or are starting a new route. Like others have said, AirAsia have been conditionally approved to operate that flight, meaning that it will go ahead, but only after final government authority checks (normally with CASA).

    The process of getting a refund if AirAsia does fall deeper into the hole of a financial wreck they've already gotten into will prove difficult. You can see other OzBargain forum posts regarding this back in 2020-21.

    Until I see AirAsia operating consistent flights, I am going to advise against booking with AirAsia for now. I can see a few Malindo Air flights for less than what AirAsia is going to cost you - this in addition to being a full-service airline. If I wanted to fly KL, I'd take this route as there is a chance it might end up costing you more with AirAsia.

  • dasher86 on 01/08/2022 - 12:31

    I booked a route like this one with AirAsia and they added government taxes once it was approved.
    It was either pay taxes or cancel flight.
    Nightmare to deal with like any airline if you have an issue.

  • SidekickSimmo1 on 12/10/2022 - 13:04
    +1

    Hey OP, I have booked a similar flight in Decemeber. Do you have any updates on your flight?

    • vagabonddutt on 21/10/2022 - 03:08
      +1

      I have booked from 22nd Dec to 4th Jan. Hope for the best.

  • rc97640 on 14/10/2022 - 22:01

    When I contacted the AirAsia agent today I was informed that "majority of d7 flight have that (subject to government approval) just incase of covid surge in country of destiantion."
    Has anyone else been given this same response for this matter?

  • vagabonddutt on 21/10/2022 - 03:06

    @rc97640, I was trying to find the air asia contact number but couldn't find it. Can you please provide ?

  • derweep on 21/10/2022 - 03:18
    +1

    Not sure if this good news or something else but I have rechecked most of the flight leaving from Perth to KL and it does not show the subject to government/regulatory approval anymore. Just the info on the flight, such as time, aircraft type, etc. Does this mean they have approval to fly on the route?

    • SidekickSimmo1 on 21/10/2022 - 14:02

      I've also been monitoring this weekly and noticed yesterday the government approval warning has gone. First direct flight is 1st of November. Very happy to see this.

      Although I'm fairly sure I don't, can anyone confirm if I need to check in again at KL airport if I've booked from Perth to bangkok via KL through AA directly ?

  • AndoMan on 10/05/2023 - 09:23

    The airline AirAsia is in financial stress, just google it.
    They have a license to operate till September 23 it says from the authorities yet they sell tickets for December 2022 to Jan 2024 so if they don’t get approved. . we’ll kiss your money away as getting a refund would be virtually impossible !

    • marketingpolice on 05/06/2023 - 22:21

      This sounds like a worry. Can you provide website link which states they have operational approval until September 2023. I was thinking of booking for November and can't find details on the license timing.

  • AndoMan on 10/06/2023 - 07:55

    Yeah, Malaysianow.com

    Then search Bursa, that’s the government body to approve AirAsia operations.

    Bursa allows 3-month extension for AirAsia X to submit restructuring plan, they now got an extra 3 months to operate.

    • marketingpolice on 15/06/2023 - 16:47

      Thanks for info. That could be an issue? I wonder if credit card will cover it if it goes under?

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