Officially starting from 1st December 2011 at 00:01hrs (GMT+8), AirAsia will be collecting the newly raised airport taxes on behalf of Malaysia Airports Berhad. The change will be reflected in www.AirAsia.com
We thank you for your support, and though the ruling has been passed, we will still continuously lobby for our guests.
The schedule below indicates the airport tax adjustments throughout Malaysia airports.
DALLAS (AP) — The parent company of American Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday, seeking relief from crushing debt caused by high fuel prices and expensive labor contracts that its competitors shed years ago.
The company also replaced its CEO, and the incoming leader said American would probably cut its flight schedule “modestly” while it reorganizes. The new CEO, Thomas W. Horton, did not give specifics.
For most travelers, though, flights will operate normally and the airline will honor tickets and take reservations. American said its frequent-flier program would be unaffected.
AMR Corp., which owns American, was one of the last major U.S. airline companies that had avoided bankruptcy. Rivals United and Delta used bankruptcy to shed costly labor contracts, reduce debt, and start making money again. They also grew through mergers.
American — the nation’s third-largest airline and proud of an 80-year history that reaches back to the dawn of passenger travel — was stuck with higher costs that meant it lost money when matching competitors’ lower fares.
In announcing the bankruptcy filing, AMR said that Gerard Arpey, 53, a veteran of the company for almost three decades and CEO since 2003, had retired and was replaced by Horton, 50, the company president.
Horton said the board of directors unanimously decided on Monday night to file for bankruptcy. In a filing with federal bankruptcy court in New York on Tuesday, AMR said it had $29.6 billion in debt and $24.7 billion in assets.
With reductions to the flight schedule, Horton said there would probably be corresponding job cuts. American has about 78,000 employees and serves 240,000 passengers per day.
AMR’s move could also trigger more consolidation in the airline industry. Some analysts believe American is likely to merge with US Airways to move closer to United Continental Holdings Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. in size. Such a merger would leave five large U.S. airlines compared with nine in 2008.
US Airways declined to comment.
American will delay the spinoff of its regional airline, American Eagle, which was expected early next year.
AMR, however, wants to push ahead with plans to order 460 new jets from Boeing and Airbus and take delivery of more than 50 others already ordered. New planes would save American money on fuel and maintenance, but the orders will be subject to approval by the bankruptcy court.
Analysts said all airlines will benefit if American reduces flights — especially if the cutbacks are more severe than American’s new CEO is letting on. They said the chief winners were likely to be United and Delta, which compete for the same business travelers and have global networks like American’s.
The losers will be American Airlines employees and AMR stockholders.
Shareholders almost certainly will be wiped out. The stock had already lost 79 percent of its value this year on fears of bankruptcy. The stock fell to 26 cents Tuesday, down $1.36 from the day before. In January 2007, after a 4-year rally, the shares peaked at $41.
AMR has lost more than $12 billion since 2001, and analysts expect it will post more losses through 2012. Speculation about an AMR bankruptcy grew in recent weeks as the company was unable to win union approval for contracts that would reduce labor costs. The company said it was spending $600 million more a year than other airlines because of labor-contract rules — $800 million more including pension obligations.
On Tuesday, Horton said no single factor led to the bankruptcy filing. He said the company needed to cut costs because of the weak global economy, a credit downgrade that raised borrowing costs, and high, volatile fuel prices. The price of jet fuel has risen more than 60 percent in the past five years.
Expectation of a bankruptcy filing increased in November as contract talks with the pilots’ union stalled and union leaders rejected a company offer without sending it to members for a vote.
Ray Neidl, an analyst with Maxim Group LLC, an investment banking company, said AMR was wise to file for bankruptcy while it still had about $4 billion in cash. That way, the company will have a cushion to keep operating without worrying immediately about lining up new financing, he said.
Fitch Ratings analyst Bill Warlick said American will focus on shuttering pension plans and getting wage concessions from workers. Both Neidl and Warlick said American might be pushed into a merger with US Airways because size and global networks are more important than ever in the airline business.
Darryl Jenkins, a consultant who has worked for the major airlines, said, “American will still be with us in one form or another 10 years from now.” But, he said, its workers will “take a major hit. Their pensions are in danger.”
Union leaders expressed unease.
James C. Little, president of the Transport Workers Union, which represents mechanics, baggage handlers and other ground workers at American, was harsh in his assessment of the impact on labor.
“This (bankruptcy) is likely to be a long and ugly process and our union will fight like hell to make sure that front line workers don’t pay an unfair price for management’s failings,” Little said.
AMR, which has headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, lost $162 million in the third quarter and has lost money in 14 of the past 16 quarters.
The company barely escaped bankruptcy in 2003, when it was still reeling from the drop in air travel caused by a recession and the September 2001 terror attacks. That downturn helped drive United, Delta and US Airways into bankruptcy while American used the threat of a filing to wring wage and benefit concessions from workers.
American was founded in 1930 from the combination of many smaller airlines. Its hubs are in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago and Miami. Major international partners include British Airways and Japan Airlines.
News of the bankruptcy swept through AMR’s hometown.
“American Airlines is an institution in Dallas-Fort Worth, and when institutions start to crumble, you look at everything around you,” said Elaine Vale, a jewelry store owner who flew back from a Thanksgiving holiday on American. “After American, then who?”
前两天才给大家秀过美国国际航班免费机票（连燃油附加都免），可是武汉的潘女士10月下旬参加了中国国旅（武汉）国际旅行社组织的美国游旅行团，却共花费12万多元，其中全程机票9万多元。在旅途中，她与同线路的一位旅客聊天得知，对方与她舱位相同，机票总价格却比她少了3万多元。感觉自己被”宰”了的潘女士与旅行社多次交涉未果，于是向武汉当地记者投诉。为何同舱同线的航班价格相差好几万？中国的专业媒体记者就此展开调查。
国际航班同舱同线价格差几万
潘女士是武汉一家通讯公司的老总，应朋友之邀参加”赴美考察团”，便委托武汉国旅办理签证出境手续。10月9日，该旅行社导游周莹为潘女士拼了一个9人的旅行团，每人总报价37000元。其中，全程航班为经济舱，总价15500元。
潘女士行程
考虑到国际航班旅途长，潘女士提出将国际航班更换为商务舱。在约定了经济舱升商务舱补差价的方式，潘女士与旅行社于10月9日签定了旅游合同。并按要求于10月11日支付了92360元。10月18日，潘女士又与周莹协商，希望对在美国国内行程中两个飞行稍长的行程升舱。旅行社报价说这两个航班升舱需增加26500元，并要求立刻汇款才能升舱，潘女士于19日下午也按要求支付了此款项。
10月20日，潘女士搭乘大韩航空公司的班机，从武汉出发，经首尔中转往夏威夷，开始了此次旅程。在往夏威夷的飞机上，潘女士与同舱一位浙江商会的旅客聊天得知，对方与她的旅游线路相同，但升舱费用仅用4万多元，比她少花了3万多元。潘女士非常纳闷，下飞机后，便找随行导游周莹了解情况。潘女士回忆，”周莹当时解释，回国后会出机票给我，以上面的价格为准，如有多的差价，返回国内后会退还。”周莹在请示了公司领导后，代表公司写了承诺书，承诺”对于升舱行为，只按航空公司出票价格，向客户收取航空公司要求的升舱费用，不加收任何服务费或其它任何费用。”
11月5日，返回国内后，旅行社提供给潘女士费用明细，其中，全程机票款95160元。潘女士要求旅行社提供机票明细，并根据协议退还超出航空公司出票价格的费用部分，但遭拒绝。经多次交涉，旅行社提供了一套行程单。
机票价格扑朔迷离
11月28日，根据该行程单，记者登录大韩航空公司和美联航空公司网站，查询近期与潘女士行程线路同舱位的机票价格，总价为83000元左右，比潘女士实际花费少11000多元。而此前，潘女士也通过其他旅行社查询了同公司同线路同舱位机票价格，总价79000元左右，比潘女士实际花费要少16000多元。
记者就此采访了武汉国旅的相关负责人。该公司总经理邹旺胜解释，机票价格是有浮动的，“提前一个月与提前10天订票的价格都不一样”，而潘女士是要求的临时升舱，所以价格会比较高。
对于“临时升舱”导致票价高的说法，潘女士并不认同。她介绍，浙江商会那位旅客也是临时升舱，不过他是在机场自己办理的升舱，没有通过旅行社。而且一路下来，潘女士发现商务舱基本上很空，根据她以往的经验，在此情况下，航空公司除收取差价外，不会对升舱加收额外的费用。
记者致电大韩航空武汉办事处，对方证实，即便是特价机票，也可以升舱，且只用补齐差价。而对于记者”查询潘女士机票实际价格”的要求，对方表示，这个价格只能由旅行社提供。
而就“旅行社出具的行程单是否是真实机票价格”的提问，武汉国旅出境部负责人赵玉中表示，航空公司出票以后，没有办法查到当时的价格，只能查到现在的价格。也就是说，旅行社并不能保证，行程单上是潘女士的当时乘机时的机票价格。
记者认为国际机票亟待透明
同一条线路，相同的舱位，记者通过航空公司查询的票价，和不同旅行社的报价都不相同，且差别巨大。为何会出现这样的情况？
旅游行业业内人士指出，目前国际航班价格不透明，是产生问题的根源。据介绍，与国内机票明折明扣不同，国际机票没有折扣的概念。国内航班，所有的代理商都是按照各个航空公司规定的折扣进行销售，旅客拿到的电子客票行程单上有真实的机票价格，而代理商赚取的是销售返点。
国际航班机票却不是这样。大韩航空武汉办事处工作人员介绍，旅客到航空公司直接购票，是按照航空公司公布的运价。如果旅客通过机票代理商购票，航空公司只管代理商给航空公司的费用，至于机票代理商是在运价之上还是运价之下销售给旅客，航空公司无权过问。
正是这种销售模式，导致国际航班机票上并不显示实际成交价格，消费者也无从得知自己在代理商手中买到的机票真实合理的售价是多少。由于不同航空公司的机票价格相差甚远，即使同一个航班不同舱位的票价也是千差万别，这使得国际航班票价有相当大的操作空间。“一般航空公司与代理商之间有一个协议价，代理商在协议价基础上加一定费用卖给旅客。除了代理费之外，赚取机票差价才是代理商的主要利润来源。”一位国际机票代理公司负责人告诉记者。
由于价格不透明，旅客即便知道自己吃了亏，也很难维权。业内人士介绍，如果是国内机票，代理商加价销售的话，旅客可以向中国航协投诉。对于违规代理商，中国航协有权吊销其代理资质。而对于国际航班，由于牵涉到众多国际航空公司经营，中国航协就无能为力了。
潘女士目前已经向武汉市旅游局投诉，并通过律师，对旅行社提出了法律维权，要求其退还超出航空公司出票价格部分费用，赔偿损失并道歉。而旅行社表示，潘女士的要求没有依据，他们也已经进入法律程序。