INDONESIA AirAsia X is dumping its troubled Bali service from Melbourne and Sydney on September 1, handing Tigerair its biggest break yet.
The AirAsia X service got off to a bad start in late 2014, when the airline was forced to cancel dozens of flights due to commence on Boxing Day because it failed to get regulatory approval.
Thousands of passengers were left out of pocket for months as they sought refunds, adding to the poor perception of the budget carrier.
Services did get underway in March 2015 but faced stiff competition from rival carriers including Jetstar, Garuda Indonesia and as of March this year, Tigerair.
Passengers booked with the airline later this year were shocked to learn via email, their flights had been axed due to “the suspension of the route effective from September 1, 2016”.
“The route suspension is part of a network restructuring aimed at improving operational efficiencies,” said the email.
Guests were then given the option of moving their flight to a date before September 1, rerouting on AirAsia flights via Kuala Lumpur or being given a credit shell for use on other AirAsia products.
A full refund was offered as a fourth option but travellers have had difficulty getting through on the call centre number provided.
There has been no official announcement from Indonesia AirAsia X about the decision. News Corp is seeking comment.
In response to the sudden suspension, Tigerair Australia said it would provide special recovery fares to assist passengers booked to fly on AirAsia from September 1.
Anyone who could provide proof of their booking would be eligible for a 20 per cent discount on the same route with Tigerair.
Commercial Director Adam Rowe said Tigerair welcomed affected AirAsia customers on board.
“Tigerair Australia is proud to provide Australians with consistently great value fares both domestically and now also to one of the most popular international leisure destinations,” said Mr Rowe.
“Our new international services to Bali feature in-flight entertainment and our extra legroom seats are among the most generous of any economy seat in the sky. As always the best way to secure a great value fare is to plan ahead and book early.”
Tigerair took over the Virgin Australia service out of Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth in March, for its first international service to Bali.
Its one-cabin Boeing 737-800 aircraft have the capacity to carry 180 passengers.