AirAsia refund process changed to 2 step process

Air Asia has changed its refund process. Earlier, cancelling or seeking refund on Air Asia for airport tax refund or refund due to flight cancellation involved filling up a lengthy e-form wherein customers need to fill some 30+ fields. The process was deliberately kept complicated hoping some customers never seek refund or give up. I had written about Air Asia's deliberately complicated cancellation process in detail last year.

Now Air Asia has changed the process.

E-form no longer supports refund option. For that you have to now use AVA chat bot. This chat bot captures some basic details like PNR and creates a case for you.

After few days someone will evaluate the case and if found valid, you will get an email asking for your bank details to credit refund. You need to now respond within 7 days to get your refund.

Earlier though complex entire request could be submitted in one step. Now it is a bit simplified but you should remember to watch your mail box and respond within few days on additional details asked. I think the new form is relatively better, if not the optimal way. Best way would have been to give a cancel/refund button next to the booking in MyBookings section and let people raise the request and track it online.