We just saw an airline collapse overnight. MyAirline, the newest airline in Malaysia, was suspended not even one year into its operation. Mirroring another ill-fated airline, Rayani Air, the new airline had big plans to go against the status quo, but unfortunately, it all went up in the air as the company announced its shutdown earlier this morning.
As a passenger, you have the right to be angry. Your hard-earned money went to buy the ticket to fly with the company, but the company can’t deliver their services to you. The question now is what can you do to rectify this situation?
What are my rights as a MyAirline passenger?
All airlines in Malaysia are bound to the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 in regard to customer protection and rights. According to the code, customers have rights that are protected by the law that the airlines need to adhere to.
Under the code, the airline is liable to pay compensation to the customers if the flight they are scheduled to be on is cancelled, and “the reimbursement needs to be paid within thirty days of the full cost of the ticket at the price at which it was bought, including taxes and fees.”
However, the same code also says that “An operating airline shall not be obliged to pay compensation if it can prove that the delay or cancellation, as the case may be, is caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.”
Great – I may not get anything from MyAirline then. Can I claim from my insurance?
Depends. Some insurance companies may be able to help with your insurance, but after checking with several insurance companies, many do not cover any “financial related problems faced by the airline.”
Some of the insurance companies we contacted include AIG Insurance, Chubbs Insurance and Etiqa Malaysia.
What happens to my trip?
Essentially, the trip is burned as the airline is not in a financial position to refund your ticket and tax costs, and many insurance companies are not able to help as the operational problems faced by MyAirlines are financial, not day-to-day interruptions.
However, MyAirline is encouraging people to email [email protected] to submit any refund enquiries and request.
In a statement, MAVCOM (the Malaysian Aviation Commission) said that MyAirlines need to pay refunds to affected customers after they abruptly stopped operations today.
“The Commission stands firm that MYAirline is still liable to refund consumers who have purchased tickets with the airline but are unable to travel. MAVCOM has instructed MYAirline to immediately manage affected consumers which include amongst others, notifying them of the suspension, and publishing the said notification in the airline’s available communication channels.”
MAVCOM
Who can I report to with the government?
You can make a report directly to MAVCOM. They have a complaint page which affected passengers can access through this link.
Passengers can also check the status of their report after submitting it via the same page.
Fine, I guess I may not get anything back – what can I do now?
For the trip, your only option will be to find alternative travel arrangements with other airlines.
Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Batik Air have all since stepped forward to help passengers affected by the closure.
Malaysia Airlines has stated that the company will re-allocate passengers on its flights from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi and Bangkok.
Batik Air Malaysia meanwhile is offering a special fixed one-way fare on selected routes from Kuala Lumpur. The fares include Penang at RM129, Langkawi (RM159), Kuching (RM199) as well as Bangkok (Don Mueang International Airport) and Kota Kinabalu at RM299, for one-way.
MYAirline’s affected passengers are required to attach a copy of their MYAirline tickets and make the booking through [email protected].
At the same time, AirAsia is offering a 50% discount on base fares for affected MyAirline customers. The special offer is applicable to all MYAirline passengers with confirmed flight bookings to and from Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Tawau, Kota Bharu, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu-Tawau, and Don Mueng-Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi-Bangkok.
To redeem this offer, affected passengers can present their confirmed MYAirline flight bookings at AirAsia Sales Counters at KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur, KLIA Terminal 2 in Sepang, Langkawi International Airport, Penang International Airport, Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (Kota Bharu), Kuching International Airport, Tawau Airport, Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Don Mueng International Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
MyAirlines has shared that the company, shareholders and board of directors are currently working hard to sort out their difficulties and have expressed the idea of returning – but for now, they have yet to commit to any concrete plans or tentative deadlines on when they are returning
