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[yzerfontein]

No posts yet about Firefly Airlines?  How about FAX's offer to give Firefly Airline all its routes - highly unusual to say the least, and I doubt that they're profitable.

[Robert Bing]

Are you referring to this:

KUALA LUMPUR: FAX has made a dramatic offer to the Government – that the newly launched Firefly airline takes over the operations of all rural air services. 

FAX director Datuk Tony Fernandes said he made the proposal to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy yesterday as “it was the logical thing to do.” 

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Fernandes said FAX would soon be launching the long-haul AirAsia X operations and “it would be too distracting for us to also operate turbo-propeller aircraft as well.” 

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Makes perfect sense. FAX will be transformed into AirAsiaX, it does not need a small rural operation on the side. Even if FAX is profitable this could be a good move for AirAsia as a goodwill gesture towards the government and MAS.

[jaydee]

It would be nice to have two strong budget carriers in Malaysia. With MAS backing Firefly is on its way to become one.

[tsonoqua]

there was talk that Firefly would begin flights between Langkawi, Malaysia and Phuket opening up a completely new option for people visiting Phuket. Has anyone heard if this route has started booking?

[stuartmcl]

They are already flying from Penang to Phuket and Penang to Samui, but I haven't heard about a direct Langkawi to Phuket route.

You could fly Langkawi to Penang and then Penang to Phuket.

[standen]

I have experienced an unexpected cancellation by Firefly with no apology and only 46% refund. Not a good airline to book with. Worse, I had ignored warnings by Penang friends!   
Oops. Within 24 hours of this posting I received a call from the airline that my full refund was being processed. The original amound was a clerical error. So, I may try them again.

[revboy]

standen, i feel your pain.

my first experience with FireFly(z) was no better. i wanted to fly Penang to Koh Samui on FireFly, and as such i needed to get from KL to Penang, so i opted for AirAsia to do that.

going there, my AirAsia flight was changed to another time and i ended up missing the flight from my own flaws. this let me to miss the PEN-USM connection as well. so i had to rebook and pay again for almost 2.5 times of the offer price, cause it's likely last minute and all (the flight was definitely not full). managed to find my way to Koh Samui a day later than i wanted.

now coming back ... FireFly could not reach me via my mobile so it seems while i was in Koh Samui, so all they did was sent me an e-mail saying the flight back was cancelled and postponed to 2 days later. i only found out at the airport, which i had to travel back to the hotel and arrange to fly off the next day (2 days later was not an option for me). they could've sent me an sms like AirAsia, who really checks their email while on vacation anyways.

anyway the flight back was to take off the next day at 16:40 USM time, but it was pre-announced delayed to 18:20 ... fine ... happens. then delay again 18:50 ... and then 18:50 came but no sign of the Firefly F50 in the air or runway. it came much later and we really only took off at 19:35 or so. i had to connect from PEN to KUL via AirAsia at 22:45 so you could imagine the rush and anxiety. apparently, FireFly was operating on that day with only 1 out of 2 of their F50s ... so one plane flew for all flights and each of their flights in the whole region was being delayed ... how bizarre is that.

anyway, lessons learnt :
- do not connect with budget airlines, especially when it's with FireFly
- even if on vacation, try to check your mails when it is expected that the
   airline may inform you of delays or cancellations (would prefer a call or sms)
- don't fly Firefly until they have more planes for backup
- if i wanna go Koh Samui again, i am flying Berjaya (this wasn't an option for me cuz they only fly on Thursdays and Sundays)

good luck to those planning or needing to fly Firefly. good luck to the management to keep Firefly's name from burning up in flames.