From the Diaspora…BOYCOTT CARIBBEAN AIRLINES, BOYCOTT TRINI GOODS - By Ralph Seeram
September 10, 2011 | By KNews.
This confounded nonsense has to stop. This is not ‘eye pass’ this is ‘r**s pass’, Caribbean Airlines and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago need to understand that we Guyanese will not take any more. We are fed up and will not take it anymore; we are making a stand from today. You treat us with respect and dignity or we will boycott your airline when we can, and all Trini manufactured goods.
I have just returned from Guyana more stressed than when I left Florida, and all because of this uncaring and unfriendly airline. This is the worst airline when it comes to customer service. On my return flight I picked up the Caribbean Airlines in flight magazine Caribbean Beat September/October issue. In a message to its travelers there is this line, “Your business continues to mean a lot to us and we want to hear your views about our service and how we can better serve you…”
Well since you ask for my views, can you handle the truth? Your airline ‘sucks’. If I can avoid your airline I will, and I am exploring this option. My unpleasant journey started at Miami Airport last week with the check in when some baggage handler keep arguing about a few pounds overweight in my carry-on bag.
“Your bag is overweight”
“So is the guy next to me, he weights over 250 pounds; I am only 125 pounds. He is taking 125 pounds more than me on the plane. He gets a pass and I have to pay for a few pounds over weight”
“You are only allowed 22 pounds”
“Sounds like the weight of the empty carry on bag” I replied, actually the case weighs about eight pounds, so what can you put for 14 pounds. Guyanese do not go to Guyana with an empty suitcase, if you know what I mean.
Having resolved that issue, the boarding pass was issued. Now when I booked my ticket, the same plane should take me to Cheddi Jagan International Airport with a stop in Trinidad. I carefully noted that if I deplaned in Trinidad and take a later flight leaving12.15 am the fare would have been cheaper.
My flight was due to arrive in Guyana around 9.30 pm; our flight arrived on time in Trinidad around 7 pm, so far so good. That’s when the nightmare started.
“We know that your experience with us today will encourage you to spread the word to your family and friends to fly with Caribbean Airlines…” the article went on. Well as I stated early in the column, do not fly Caribbean if you can help it, and here is the experience.
Having arrived in Trinidad, Caribbean Airlines kicked us Guyana-bound passengers off the plane and told us to meet the gate personnel who took us to an elevator and told us that a plane will take us to Guyana shortly.
She left us there and from then it was “the blind leading the blind”. Do we go through customs and immigration? No. We have no boarding pass to come back. Where is the in transit desk? Are we going to an in transit area? Do we have to go through security again? No. Caribbean Airlines personnel will guide you. Finally we went to an in transit desk, who directed us through security again overweight carry on and all. “You will leave for Guyana shortly,” she assured us.
Trini idea of shortly is way different from mine, so we wait. An hour passes and we wait; no word when is ‘shortly’. Two hours pass and we wait. ‘Shortly’ is turning to ‘longly’, it’s now 10 pm. “Shortly is going on three hours.”
By now the airline has kept me captive for seven hours that the four and a quarter ounce “dinner” has long gone. Let me tell you Caribbean Airline idea of a “dinner”. A 3oz turkey sandwich, a ½ oz bag of chip and a ¾ oz cookie for a grand total of 4 ¼ oz. And for over US$600. You would think they could give you a much better meal like the old BWIA used to give.
I finally confronted an employee at the check in counter. “When are we leaving for Guyana? What time are we leaving?” I demanded.
“10.45pm,” she replied.
“Its now 10.20pm. Where is the plane? I don’t see a plane at the gate.”
“The plane is on its way from JFK.”
“What nonsense you are telling me. There is no plane here but we are leaving in 25 minutes,” I replied. Apparently the airline did not train them to lie properly; you need to improve on that aspect of your training, Caribbean Airline.
To make a “long story short” there were passengers at Piarco airport in Trinidad and JFK in New York for two days, so they dumped us and sent the plane to NY. They could have got some sympathy from me if they had explained this situation earlier. They knew this since we left Miami because they were issuing two tickets to passengers who checked in later; one to Trinidad and one for the Guyana.
Had they informed us we could have informed families not to go and wait at Cheddi Jagan as scheduled. Instead, passengers had to make expensive phone calls on their cell phones. Caribbean Airline kept this deception to the very end to make fools of the Guyanese passengers.
On arrival at Trinidad they asked all Trinidad bound passengers to deplane, so we are thinking we are staying on board, then as an after thought they asked all Guyanese passengers to deplane. By 10.30 pm I needed some “hot salt food”. There was none to be found in the section we were in. I spotted a booth named the Trini Shop. At last, I thought, some food. The only “salt food” was some roti in a refrigerator, so I asked the clerk where is the micro wave, to which she replied there was none. “Who eats cold roti?” I enquired “Trini? I never heard of eating roti cold out of a refrigerator.
While this was happening in Trinidad my fellow Guyanese was protesting at JFK in New York about the way they were being discriminated against. This is the time we Guyanese must make a stand. Forget the politicians. Tourist Minister Manniram Prashad making speeches to the media is not getting it done; President Jagdeo talking to Kamla is not getting any action. The Trinidad and Tobago owners of the airline, by their inaction are complicit with this treatment to Guyanese.
We Guyanese in the Diaspora and home have to take action. I am calling on the more than 100,000 online readers of Kaieteur News as all in the Diaspora and home to BOYCOTT CARIBBEAN AIRLINES if you are in a position to do so. STOP BUYING ALL MANUFACTURED GOODS MADE IN TRINIDAD. You have to hit them where it hurts, in their “pocket books”. Only then will you get their attention. I will be asking Caribbean Airline for a partial refund as well as taking this matter to the FAA.
I have noticed that the office of the T&T Prime Minister website is under construction, so send your emails to Caribbean Airlines at mail@caribbean-airlines.com, Trinidad Civil Aviation Authority at ttcaaadministration@caa.gov.tt and to Trinidad Ministry of trade mti-info@gov.tt .
Tell them that Guyanese will not take it anymore, we want to be treated with respect, and we will boycott you until such time. When we are in transit we do not want to come off the plane, we do not want to go through the hassle of security again, in transit must mean in transit, go ahead folks flood their website with protest. It is the only way we the Guyanese travelers will get their attention, remember when you go to Caribbean store in the Diaspora do not buy Trini manufactured goods, same for you home, we have better rum, beer and soda anyhow, and Venezuela oil and gas is cheaper anyway.
Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com
September 10, 2011 | By KNews.
This confounded nonsense has to stop. This is not ‘eye pass’ this is ‘r**s pass’, Caribbean Airlines and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago need to understand that we Guyanese will not take any more. We are fed up and will not take it anymore; we are making a stand from today. You treat us with respect and dignity or we will boycott your airline when we can, and all Trini manufactured goods.
I have just returned from Guyana more stressed than when I left Florida, and all because of this uncaring and unfriendly airline. This is the worst airline when it comes to customer service. On my return flight I picked up the Caribbean Airlines in flight magazine Caribbean Beat September/October issue. In a message to its travelers there is this line, “Your business continues to mean a lot to us and we want to hear your views about our service and how we can better serve you…”
Well since you ask for my views, can you handle the truth? Your airline ‘sucks’. If I can avoid your airline I will, and I am exploring this option. My unpleasant journey started at Miami Airport last week with the check in when some baggage handler keep arguing about a few pounds overweight in my carry-on bag.
“Your bag is overweight”
“So is the guy next to me, he weights over 250 pounds; I am only 125 pounds. He is taking 125 pounds more than me on the plane. He gets a pass and I have to pay for a few pounds over weight”
“You are only allowed 22 pounds”
“Sounds like the weight of the empty carry on bag” I replied, actually the case weighs about eight pounds, so what can you put for 14 pounds. Guyanese do not go to Guyana with an empty suitcase, if you know what I mean.
Having resolved that issue, the boarding pass was issued. Now when I booked my ticket, the same plane should take me to Cheddi Jagan International Airport with a stop in Trinidad. I carefully noted that if I deplaned in Trinidad and take a later flight leaving12.15 am the fare would have been cheaper.
My flight was due to arrive in Guyana around 9.30 pm; our flight arrived on time in Trinidad around 7 pm, so far so good. That’s when the nightmare started.
“We know that your experience with us today will encourage you to spread the word to your family and friends to fly with Caribbean Airlines…” the article went on. Well as I stated early in the column, do not fly Caribbean if you can help it, and here is the experience.
Having arrived in Trinidad, Caribbean Airlines kicked us Guyana-bound passengers off the plane and told us to meet the gate personnel who took us to an elevator and told us that a plane will take us to Guyana shortly.
She left us there and from then it was “the blind leading the blind”. Do we go through customs and immigration? No. We have no boarding pass to come back. Where is the in transit desk? Are we going to an in transit area? Do we have to go through security again? No. Caribbean Airlines personnel will guide you. Finally we went to an in transit desk, who directed us through security again overweight carry on and all. “You will leave for Guyana shortly,” she assured us.
Trini idea of shortly is way different from mine, so we wait. An hour passes and we wait; no word when is ‘shortly’. Two hours pass and we wait. ‘Shortly’ is turning to ‘longly’, it’s now 10 pm. “Shortly is going on three hours.”
By now the airline has kept me captive for seven hours that the four and a quarter ounce “dinner” has long gone. Let me tell you Caribbean Airline idea of a “dinner”. A 3oz turkey sandwich, a ½ oz bag of chip and a ¾ oz cookie for a grand total of 4 ¼ oz. And for over US$600. You would think they could give you a much better meal like the old BWIA used to give.
I finally confronted an employee at the check in counter. “When are we leaving for Guyana? What time are we leaving?” I demanded.
“10.45pm,” she replied.
“Its now 10.20pm. Where is the plane? I don’t see a plane at the gate.”
“The plane is on its way from JFK.”
“What nonsense you are telling me. There is no plane here but we are leaving in 25 minutes,” I replied. Apparently the airline did not train them to lie properly; you need to improve on that aspect of your training, Caribbean Airline.
To make a “long story short” there were passengers at Piarco airport in Trinidad and JFK in New York for two days, so they dumped us and sent the plane to NY. They could have got some sympathy from me if they had explained this situation earlier. They knew this since we left Miami because they were issuing two tickets to passengers who checked in later; one to Trinidad and one for the Guyana.
Had they informed us we could have informed families not to go and wait at Cheddi Jagan as scheduled. Instead, passengers had to make expensive phone calls on their cell phones. Caribbean Airline kept this deception to the very end to make fools of the Guyanese passengers.
On arrival at Trinidad they asked all Trinidad bound passengers to deplane, so we are thinking we are staying on board, then as an after thought they asked all Guyanese passengers to deplane. By 10.30 pm I needed some “hot salt food”. There was none to be found in the section we were in. I spotted a booth named the Trini Shop. At last, I thought, some food. The only “salt food” was some roti in a refrigerator, so I asked the clerk where is the micro wave, to which she replied there was none. “Who eats cold roti?” I enquired “Trini? I never heard of eating roti cold out of a refrigerator.
While this was happening in Trinidad my fellow Guyanese was protesting at JFK in New York about the way they were being discriminated against. This is the time we Guyanese must make a stand. Forget the politicians. Tourist Minister Manniram Prashad making speeches to the media is not getting it done; President Jagdeo talking to Kamla is not getting any action. The Trinidad and Tobago owners of the airline, by their inaction are complicit with this treatment to Guyanese.
We Guyanese in the Diaspora and home have to take action. I am calling on the more than 100,000 online readers of Kaieteur News as all in the Diaspora and home to BOYCOTT CARIBBEAN AIRLINES if you are in a position to do so. STOP BUYING ALL MANUFACTURED GOODS MADE IN TRINIDAD. You have to hit them where it hurts, in their “pocket books”. Only then will you get their attention. I will be asking Caribbean Airline for a partial refund as well as taking this matter to the FAA.
I have noticed that the office of the T&T Prime Minister website is under construction, so send your emails to Caribbean Airlines at mail@caribbean-airlines.com, Trinidad Civil Aviation Authority at ttcaaadministration@caa.gov.tt and to Trinidad Ministry of trade mti-info@gov.tt .
Tell them that Guyanese will not take it anymore, we want to be treated with respect, and we will boycott you until such time. When we are in transit we do not want to come off the plane, we do not want to go through the hassle of security again, in transit must mean in transit, go ahead folks flood their website with protest. It is the only way we the Guyanese travelers will get their attention, remember when you go to Caribbean store in the Diaspora do not buy Trini manufactured goods, same for you home, we have better rum, beer and soda anyhow, and Venezuela oil and gas is cheaper anyway.
Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com
