Day +647 : Back to kampong with web check-in

I am fine today.

I took an AirAsia flight to Sibu at 6:55am this morning. Travelling with me are my brother Richard and nephew Heng Yew.

We reached the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) at 6:30am which was only 25 minutes before the departure. As the check-in counter closes 45 minutes prior to departure, you might worried that we would be late for the flight. However, this is not the case as we already check-in through the web a day earlier.

The web check-in service makes it very easy for a passenger to board a plane. One no longer needs to queue up at the check-in counter for check-in. Holding a boarding pass printed through the web check-in, a passenger can just proceed to the boarding gate before 20 minutes to the departure. Thus the service not only reduces the trouble of over the counter check-in, it also saves time. But you must be reminded that this service is only good for passengers without check-in luggages.

According to Richard, AirAsia provided the service first that allowed a passenger to check-in through the web 12 hours prior the departure. When Malaysia Airlines (MAS) saw this, they also provided the service but allowed a passenger to check in 24 hours before the departure. Checking in 24 hours prior to departure is definitely more convenience than checking in 12 hours before departure. When AirAsia saw MAS gave 24 hours, they allowed a passenger to checking in 48 hours or 2 days before departure :-) You see, competition is good :-)

One shortcoming of the AirAsia web check-in is that no reprint of boarding pass is allowed. Once a passenger checks in through the web but fail to print out the boarding pass due to whatever circumstances, there is no way for him/her to reprint the boarding pass. This happened to Richard and he called and demanded AirAsia to email him the boarding pass, but AirAsia advised him to do a normal over the counter check-in which Richard angrily declined. He insisted that the web check-in service should allow a passenger to reprint the boarding pass.

The support staff said that the reprint feature could not be provided due to security reason, but Richard argued that the feature has nothing to do with security. Indeed, it has nothing to with security. People can print or photocopy as many boarding passes as they want.

In the end, Richard took my boarding pass which bore the same flight information apart from the passenger’s name. He printed his name and sticked it over my name and then made a photo copy of the boarding pass.

He boarded the plane successfully with the fake boarding pass :-) This proves that AirAsia should provide the reprint feature for the convenience of passengers so that they don’t have to take the hassle to DIY (Dot It Yourself) the boarding pass, as what Richard did.

That's all about the web check-in and now I would like to share with you some photos of today's trip.

Looking at the cabin, AirAsia must make a loss (rugi) for this trip :-(
Above the cloud 九霄云外 :-)
Winding rivers of Sarawak
Skyview of Sibu town
The first thing to do in Sibu - swallowing a plate of Mee Kampua (干盘面) as breakfast
My third sister Sie Chuo who was my stem cells donor treated us a very deliciouos home-cooked dinner. As I like to eat so much, I can't refrain myself from sharing with you the dishes that we had :-)

Mixed vegetable
Fried spare ribs
Canned corn
Sweet and sour spare ribs
Foochow fried mee
Fried cellephane noodles (炒冬粉) - this one by my niece Jessica
Healthy kampong chicken
Steam fish
Finally, a group photo of those who attend the dinner. Sitting in the middle is my mother.
See you next post :-)