Family flying AirAsia racks up $1,800 fee for luggage, claims they're being ripped off

Was this family ripped off by an airline or was it a case of not reading the fine print? 

They accused AirAsia of ripping them off after they racked up a hefty fee for their four pieces of luggage.

Rocio Ocampo said in a TikTok video last Sunday (June 5) that her family had paid over 30.48 million Vietnamese dong (S$1,800) to check in their luggage for their flights to Malaysia and Indonesia.

But why the exorbitant fee? It turns out that the family of four had checked-in their baggage at Hanoi Airport instead of pre-paying for them online.

"I'm very disappointed in you, AirAsia," Ocampo said in the video, while her son, Knox, likened their "disgusting" treatment to being charged $100 for a lemonade.

@momdutyblog Shame on #AirAsia for charging us $1300 for our checked in bags #notcool ♬ original sound - Rocio Ocampo

Describing how they had "no choice" but to pay for the baggage fees that cost them twice as much as a flight ticket, her husband Nelvine lamented: "We can easily cancel our flight. But our visa expires today, so I can't do anything about it."

With the video garnering over a million views, several netizens blamed Ocampo for not reading the terms and conditions before booking her flight.

"Policy clearly stated. [If] you didn't plan it well, don't blame the airlines," a netizen said.

But other netizens were sympathetic towards Ocampo and her family.

"Funny how people kept saying read the fine prints. Wait till it happens to you. Who in the world would think baggage fees will be more than a ticket," a netizen said.

Checking-in luggage at the airport counter starts from S$56 per person, according to AirAsia's website.

But that excludes factors such as the total weight of your luggage and the number of stops before your final destination. Other charges such as taxes and credit card processing fees may also bump up the fee.

So, don't forget to check the T&Cs before jetting off to your next holiday destination.

ALSO READ: Luggage stolen from Singaporean tour group in Italy, including $15k worth of new designer goods

chingshijie@asiaone.com