By Dave Martins
In modern regional travel, between the normal back-and-forth and the travelers from the diaspora, Guyanese can be found any day of the week crisscrossing the airports of the Caribbean, and it’s not always a picnic. Frankly, in the recent past, airport facilities in the region have been deficient, and airport staff have been known to be surly or even hostile at times. (Some years ago in Antigua, I saw an actual fistfight between a LIAT employee and a tourist.) Lately, however, some improvements are showing.
In the northwest Caribbean, massive airport renovations are on the move in the Cayman Islands, and whereas sometimes in these circumstances the public is left to muddle through, as is the case in Antigua, the Cayman airport people are proactively supplying a number of helpful signs directing the public. Cayman’s immigration officers, too, are very congenial, and there is a general atmosphere of “helping” even in the sometimes testy area of outbound security.
A large scale revamping of the Barbados terminal has produced a delightful airport, with very open and breezy entrances, and a feeling of spaciousness all around. Although there are clearly some insensitive Bajan immigration officers, the airport terminal staff are generally helpful, particularly in the arrivals area where workers will actually come up to you and offer assistance or enquire if all is well – remarkable in a busy, modern airport. A physical revamping is underway in Antigua, although it does seem to be taking a while, and the structures in Guyana have been upgraded and expanded, although there needs to be more welcome in the mix when you land at Cheddi Jagan International.
The St Lucia and St Vincent airport facilities remain compact (reminiscent of Cayman some years ago), and, while it can get a bit crowded, there is still a kind of charm to these facilities especially in St Lucia where the French patois can spice things up in a hurry.
Trinidad, too, has an improved terminal, with jetways, if you please, and lots of room. Mind you, the Trini “no problem padna” attitude can sometimes be a bit too casual for the harassed traveler whose flight has been cancelled or whose bag is lost, but at least the place is comfortable and, unlike a few years ago, you now have some choices when you get hungry.
In Jamaica, there is a welcome change with a soaring new departure building in operation and, more importantly, where a change in workers’ attitude is noticeable. The immigration officers, in particular, make outgoing visitors want to come back.
The shift apparently began in 2006 with the impetus for the Cricket World Cup as the Caribbean braced for the expected flood of visitors coming to the islands. In Jamaica, with one new cricket ground and the major overhaul at Sabina Park, the surge was anticipated, and the folks at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) began preparing. Mark Williams, Vice President of Commercial Development and Marketing for NMIA, said the training of staff began 6 months before the cricket tournament using personnel from the Ritz Carlton hotel in Montego Bay
“We basically used the Ritz Carlton model and we applied it across the board,” said Mr. Williams, “in sessions that included all the people who work the airport – immigration, customs, taxi-drivers, rent-a-car, security, everybody. We worked on the system of training people to themselves become trainers.”
The intentions of the training were drawn from the airport’s quarterly customer service research (surveys and feedback) that identified areas needing attention, and the difference in the reception is noticeable in the new departure terminal at Manley. The immigration officers, in particular, seem to have caught the message. The previously sullen attitude has given way to friendly comments – “Did you enjoy Jamaica?” or “Come and see us again” – and there is now a positive aura that was missing before; the young ladies at the information booth on the second floor of the departure area are especially gracious; one of them even kept my cell phone for me while it was charging. That left a good impression, let me tell you.
Mr. Williams attributes the change to a mantra that “we are on show here as a country and that we must all share that vision”. He said: “We try to make our people aware that one bad experience for a customer can have enormous repercussions, and that we can’t just do it right one time; we have to do it all the time.” He tells of the commitment from senior managers, like himself and Earl Richards, President and CEO of NMIA, at times working hands-on in the Customs hall pushing trolleys, offering assistance to travelers. The work has paid off. Departing from the Kingston airport now is a pleasure (they still need some work on the arrivals side) stemming from the spanking new building, open and spacious, and the new attitude from the people who work there.
Be forewarned, however, that when you’re transiting the region’s airports, it’s a good idea to walk with your own victuals. Jamaica has a decent Island Grill in their departure lounge (you can even get roast fish), but on a recent trip through Barbados, for example, faced with mid-morning hunger, I ended up with an inedible meal, and choices are limited (not to mention, no pepper sauces) in most regional airports. Mind you, Guyanese who travel with their food from home need to be discreet: when you open up that masala curry and that mango achar you can lay out the white people sitting next you.
One small but important point: Remember you are dealing with different currencies, different rules, and different attitudes, so make sure you have a couple US$20 bills or smaller. Many airport stores do not accept US$100 bills, as I found out recently in Barbados, and the airport bank that day was closed for precisely the hour when I needed to get small bills.
In a time when air travel everywhere these days is an ordeal, things are definitely better in the region. Let’s hope people like Mark Williams in Jamaica and his counterparts in the Caribbean don’t let the standards slip.
