First AirAsia and LCCT Experience

The plane touched down at about 10.10 at KLIA LCCT this morning. That is the scheduled arrival time as I don’t have a watch and my cell phone is still switched off. I saw the MAS Kargo building, KLAS Kargo building and some airport vehicles going about with their activities through the plane window. And then another building appeared. The sign was nondescript. So this is LCCT, smacked in the middle of the airport or so it seems.

I’m waiting for the plane to get nearer to the building but it stopped a distance away. I can see lines of people walking around the area. Oh oh… don’t tell me we have to walk all the way to the terminal and people from the terminal have to walk all the way to the plane. I already got the shock of my life when I saw people coming down from the plane and going up at the stairs where we’re waiting to board the plane earlier in Senai. I thought something was wrong with their plane? Alas, it’s a normal arrival. I just can’t imagine arrival and boarding at the same time and the same place. Back to LCCT, yup… no doubt about it. We have to walk.

I walk down the steps carefully with eyes squinting behind my glasses due to the sun’s glare. It’s a hot day and even hotter on the tarmac. I carried my hand luggage and my laptop, trying to catch up with the stewardess who is showing the way, now so far ahead with the people who came out from the plane earlier. It looked like one big kindergarten where teachers are walking in front and the pupils lining up trying to catch up with them. There are many lines going in different direction. I overtake a few parents carrying their babies and toddlers, and also a few elderly people walking slowly in the line. I’m not being rude but I can’t stand the heat. The faster I reached the terminal the better.

We have to walk about 800 metres from the plane to the terminal. I’m lousy with guesstimate so you just have to take my word for it. It’s far. I can feel the sweats forming on my upper lips and back. I felt a huge sense of relief when I finally reached the terminal. The aircond is not that cool but so much better than being under the sun. I immediately saw the Skybus counter and queue to purchase a ticket. 3 people are in the line in front of me.

While waiting, one uncle came and complaint to the guy manning the Skybus counter why we have to walk so far away? To which the guy replied, “Kementerian suruh pindah sini lah”. The uncle, still not satisfied said, “Apa kementerian? Jauh tau mau jalan sini!” The guy replied again, “Komplen dekat Airasia lah. Kita company lain.” Since you can’t hear the tone of the conversation, the uncle is angry but the guy is polite. I can understand how the uncle is feeling. Just imagine an elderly person having to walk that distance under the sun. I don’t think anyone was prepared with his or her first experience at LCCT.

Parents carrying babies won’t have thought to carry an umbrella to shield the little ones from the sun. Those carrying big bags without roller will be cursing AirAsia to no end. I don’t mind paying a little bit more if more money is what it takes to get the plane to stop nearer to the building. Or maybe they should provide some vehicle to ferry the passenger to the building. It doesn’t have to be nice bus. The vehicle used to ferry passengers at Bukit Cerakah, Zoo, Bukit Tinggi and the likes is quite sufficient. I wonder how it is if it is raining. Would passengers then have to run to the terminal or just be prepared to be soaking wet?

Anyway, from the counter to the bus, is very convenient. Just a few metres away. I took a seat, put my bags down and switched on my cell phone. It’s 10.25 a.m. I was only 2-3 minutes inside the terminal until I boarded the bus to KL Central. So that makes it about 10 minutes walking from the plane to the terminal. The verdict, my first experience with AirAsia and first experience with LCCT is scorching hot.