AirAsia To Remove Counter Check-In Service For Normal Passengers This April

In yet another interesting change to its physical check-in counter policy, AirAsia has recently announced that it will begin to limit the counter check-in service at all airports over Malaysia this April.

It is indeed a big shift in the policy as it was recently discovered that the airline originally planned to increase the counter check-in fee to RM100 from RM20/RM30 but quietly backtracked on it just a few days later. Through this upcoming policy which will be in effect on 1 April 2022, AirAsia will generally eliminate the counter check-in option altogether.

In a statement to the media, AirAsia noted that the counter check-in option will only be made available to selected customers as listed below:

• Senior citizens aged 70 and above
• Bookings made under Malaysian Armed Forces and Government warrants
• Guests on charter flights
• Guests who have self checked-in but need to reprint boarding passes
• Guests with reduced mobility holding a valid Persons with Disability (OKU) card
• Group bookings of 10 guests and more
• Young guests travelling alone (aged 12-16)
• Guests affected by schedule changes and flight cancellations
• Guests who perform seat upgrade and/or add-on purchases at the check-in counter
• Guests affected by system outage of the super app, website or kiosk
• Guests who were not assigned a seat during self-check-in
• Corporate Full Flex and Premium Flex guests

According to the airline, the move to discontinue counter check-in service is being taken in order to accelerate the full adoption of the contactless self-check-in process which AirAsia passengers can perform via its Super App or website. It is also quick to point out that the self-check-in process has actually been made mandatory last year.

With the ability to check themselves in as early as 14 days before their departure date, AirAsia passengers would receive an e-Boarding Pass in the AirAsia Super App. They will also receive a QR code which they can use to print out baggage tags at the kiosks in the airport if required.

(Source: AirAsia.)