Having democratised air travel, airasia now drives freedom of choice on-ground

Among the many which continue to be affected by lockdowns caused by the ongoing pandemic are the small food and beverage (F&B) operators and restaurants, struggling with dwindling numbers of customers due to the “No Dine-in” regulation. 

airasia’s new food delivery platform remains committed to supporting local merchants and small to medium businesses (SMEs), to not only keep them afloat during these challenging times, but also deliver the best value meals that customers can enjoy. 

Recently, news about F&B operators voicing their concerns about the exorbitant commission rates by the key delivery providers in Malaysia were making headlines. A 30% commission rate makes it very hard for many F&B operators to financially survive, what more in these difficult times. 

Another viral post has also been making its rounds regarding various fees and charges on top of the commission rates charged to F&B operators by a particular delivery provider, causing the operator to earn almost nothing despite having many orders through the platform. 

The plight of F&B operators have not gone unheard, and that was the very reason why airasia food was established last year in the middle of the pandemic - to democratise the food delivery industry. Just like how the famous airline brand made air travel affordable for everyone, now everyone can receive great value food delivery. 

At the end of the day, we are all in this together. In tough times, we are better united and that’s what airasia food is all about - supporting and connecting great suppliers with consumers at the lowest cost. We should help and support each other to ensure the sustainability of our small local businesses, in the hope that we will all come out stronger together. 

airasia food is now available in the Klang Valley, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Seremban as well as Singapore and we continue to expand. Since its inception, airasia food is committed to offering industry-low commission rates of only 15% without any hidden fees or charges to the F&B operators. This enables them to earn more, while continuing to offer low prices to customers as well as reaching a wider audience with airasia’s significant database of over 60 million super app users. 

Launched in 2020, airasia food already has thousands of merchants across a number of key cities in Malaysia and was recently launched in Singapore and Indonesia, and soon Thailand. A majority of merchants on airasia food are small local businesses who otherwise could not afford to list their business on the other major food delivery platforms. The plan is to launch airasia food in all key markets in Asean in the near future to make food delivery more accessible and affordable for everyone. 

Let’s hear from some of airasia food’s merchant partners: 

Growing with airasia food

According to the owner of Charlie's Cafe & Bakery (Kuala Lumpur), Desonny Tuzan, he decided to join airasia food the moment he first heard about it. “When we heard that airasia has its own food delivery platform, we immediately signed up thinking that it would be great to be associated with such a prominent local brand like airasia,” adding that while the platform was relatively new in the market when he joined in December 2020, he believed that with airasia Super App’s wide reach and huge database, it would not be long until the app took flight.

“What truly made us sign up and stay with airasia food is the fact that they offer the lowest commission rate in the industry at only 15%, which is significantly lower than others whose charges vary from 20-35%,” he added.

Lowest commission rates turn heads

Up north in Penang, the owner of Farmer’s Market restaurant, Heng Chia Ang concurs that the low commission rate has really helped. Heng, 32, said: “I have been on airasia food since it was first launched in Penang two months ago. With the whole COVID situation significantly affecting our business, we have been relying heavily on food delivery platforms like airasia food to survive.”

“It would be natural for food delivery platforms to jack up the prices due to the demand and supply, but we are thankful to airasia food for not only charging such a low commission to keep our profits favourable, but also helping us with a smooth and easy registration process. This was super convenient and completed in less than 48 hours,” he added.

Under the same roof

You may have heard of Santan, the world's first restaurant brand to offer inflight food on the ground which also happens to be launched by airasia. While airasia continues its digital transformation, Santan also required a drastic operational change to meet the rising demand due to the COVID-19 restrictions. 

For Rudy Tamizi, branch manager of Santan Wangsa Walk in Kuala Lumpureach time a movement control order (MCO) with strict SOPs like “no dine-in” ruling were enforced, it means he needs to keep the business running relying heavily on the services of airasia food. 

“Whenever we asked for help from airasia food, we received an immediate response to help us deliver our famous Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak to hungry customers,” he recalled. “While we are also using other platforms to promote our food, airasia food easily has the lowest commission rate in the industry and being under the same roof, we have great synergies together.”

Helping our neighbours 

Across the Causeway, local businesses were also affected by the pandemic. When choosing his food delivery platform to keep his business running, 41-year-old Wai Fun of Sinkee Simpang Bedok was surprised by how the new platform was way ahead of its competition.

“After learning more about airasia food, I realised that it has an even wider customer base compared to the competitors. This has allowed my usual customers who had chosen to stay away from me in recent times, to be able to taste my food once again at affordable prices.”

“I have also managed to capitalise on the low commission charges to stabilise my income and the orders have been piling up thanks to regular promotions like free delivery which really makes a difference.”

airasia food is rapidly expanding in line with strong demand, and interested restaurants and F&B outlets can register to become a partner merchant by filling up this form. You will be contacted promptly for further details. 

Riding on success

Apart from the “food” aspect, no platform will be able to survive without the “delivery” support. Our delivery riders are truly the backbone of our operations and we would not be able to get to where we are without their blood, sweat and tears. At airasia, we make sure our riders are treated and compensated fairly. 

Just ask airasia Delivery Team rider Jeremiah, 28, who started his journey with Teleport, the logistics venture of airasia Digital since February 2021. He said while times have been difficult, riding with the airasia Delivery Team has not only provided him with a stable income, but the flexibility as well. “The team at airasia really do look after the drivers which isn’t often seen from the others. The commission rate is good and it gives me a stable income. It's more convenient to ride with Teleport for airasia food as we are able to select our own jobs and importantly we are treated well.”

As a matter of fact, each delivery partner in the airasia Delivery Team will be entitled to benefits such as earnings of up to RM2,000 weekly, up to RM2,000 cashback, phone damage allowance, and COVID-19 and hospitalisation coverage, among many others. Moreover, as one of the biggest brands in Asean, all airasia staff have the opportunity to upskill and grow within the Group. The sky's the limit for all Allstars. Just as how we opened opportunities for baggage handlers to become pilots, delivery partners too can climb up the ranks and become part rapidly growing digital businesses and even the airline.

Andrew Nelson, 35, who joined the airasia Delivery team just 7 months ago, decided to stay long-term. He said: “After comparing with a couple of other platforms, being part of the airasia Delivery Team is obviously better in terms of commission and incentives. Also, there are more options for the types of goods for us to deliver, which enhances our source of income.”

“Plus, the salary is always on time,” he added.

However, as Jeremiah added, it’s not just the payment, but rather the community that the airasia Delivery Team has built. 

“Here, everyone works like a family together to ensure every order is completed perfectly. From team leads to every individual driver, we help each other as a community and I believe that is the best thing about working here.”

Rider Lee Fang Kee, 44, said that for riders on the road, it is important for an easy-to-use interface so that they can keep their eyes on the road. “While this is my first time being a food delivery driver, I am grateful that the app has been so welcoming for newcomers like me. I feel that Teleport has really invested their time to make sure all drivers are equipped with the best available processes and processes to succeed.”