Stop believing and behaving as if the airlines are doing us a favour

Dear Editor,

There was a time not too long ago when our letter columns were filled with complaints against Caribbean Airlines and their lack of punctuality and reliability. Things have changed and over the past couple years, Guyana has attracted and licensed several other airlines to serve our travelling public, including the large number of international workers in the oil and gas industry. The question must be asked, however, whether the services offered are an improvement on what we had before. My experience with American Airlines in particular, has left me wondering.

A couple months ago, the traffic chaos on the East Bank to Timehri roadway caused several passengers, including me, to arrive at the Airport less than the generous time which the airline requires for checking in. The airplane was still on the ground but despite entreaties from the passengers, many of whom had connecting flights or employment commitments to meet, the airline staff insisted that the flight was closed from Miami and that nothing could be done. 

Fast forward to Sunday December 18 when a flight due to leave Miami at 6:35 PM was postponed to 8:35, then 9:47 then 10:45 before finally leaving at 11:11 PM – more than four hours later than scheduled. Passengers who persisted were informed that the plane had arrived late from Belize. It is truly astounding that an airline whose pricing system is so sophisticated that it can adjust ticket prices in real time is unable to ensure that, in the absence of “acts of God”, is unable to programme its hardware to deliver the service for which it has charged the customer in advance.

Airlines are perhaps the only major service provider allowed to unilaterally vary its delivery time at great cost to, but without compensating the other party. The consequence goes beyond the passenger. The Airport Authority, the Immigration and the Customs services must all remain on standby for when the plane arrives, and the same level of inconvenience and cost is imposed on the outgoing passengers on that same plane. While it is beyond the capacity of Guyana to order its licensed airlines do otherwise, is it also beyond the capacity and the power of our licensing authority and the other agencies to impose additional charges on airlines for lateness?

The New York Attorney General Ms. Letitia James recently called on the U.S. Department of Transportation to increase its oversight and regulation of airlines and for investigations, potentially leading to fines, if airlines deliberately book flights which they are unable to deliver. While Ms. James call was made in the context of inadequate staff to operate, the question is no less relevant to hardware as well. Guyana should continue to welcome foreign airlines but need to stop believing and behaving as if the airlines are doing us a favour.

Sincerely,

Christopher Ram