Chilled or too chilled?
Written: Jun 20 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good crew, food and free champagne in economy
Cons: No seat back TVs
The Bottom Line: A good airlines for cheap fares to Jamaica but lots of little things let the airline down against it's competitors.
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| frankiecesca's Full Review: Air Jamaica |
I flew with Air Jamaica(JM) to Montego bay airport (Sangster) last year and I wasn't very impressed with the aircraft itself or the way they took on so much luggage!
To start off with, the check in staff seemed to allow all the passengers to check in over their allowance. Even though they did charge them it seemed the majority of passengers were taking at least two OR even three bags more than most normally would and I'm certain the total the aircraft should be safely carrying was well exceeded! I seemed to feel this even more on take off as it just seemed so HEAVY and the aircraft seemed to take forever to actually lift from the airstrip - it made me feel a bit uneasy to say the least and I'm never scared on aircrafts at all. Anyway on to the rest of the airline!
Cost:
The airline are pretty good for flight costs and you can find flights for as low as $158 before tax depending on routes and dates. If you are flexible on travel dates then it is best to go online and check for specials on their website as they do a lot of 'Internet only' fares.
Check in and Boarding:
Air Jamaica fly from Heathrow and check was actually relatively smooth with very little queues considering the above! The staff were friendly enough and after check in we made our way through security and into the waiting lounge - the flight was due to leave on time but we did depart about 15 minutes late - not a major problem and think this most mostly due to traffic on the runway anyway.
In flight service:
I didn't purchase any duty free so can't really comment on this part but I did see the selection and as with most airlines there were quite a lot of goods including some branded goods with the JM logo on. prices seemed OK too. Prices were good in the airport too so I would just buy it here as that's what I did on the return leg.
The seats on JM are actually quite a good pitch at 33 inches but, the aircraft was at full capacity so I think this is what made it feel more jammed and also made it 'feel' heavier. Don't get me wrong it's good that the flight was full but if the staff knew this they shouldn't have let nearly every passenger check in so much access!The configuration of the seats were 2-4-4 as they call the economy section 'lovebird economy' so that couples can sit together in the 2 seats and not have another single person sat next to them which I think is a good little aspect of the airline!
The staff were good and quite chatty but at the same time did have an air of being a bit too chilled out - true Jamaicans but think I'd rather save this attitude for on the ground! When I needed anything it wasn't that the staff didn't do it and they were very friendly but the flight was the first I've been on where I didn't feel the staff were staff it that makes sense!
Food and Drink:
I thought the food was good - we were served a jerk chicken but, I would say it was a milder version. During the flight I had a glass of champagne which was really nice and this was the first time as well that I tried a Appleton's rum with coke and I have to say it has become one of my favourite tipples along with the red stripe beer!
They served some sandwiches as a second small snack but we were on the later flight out of heathrow so most people were sleeping which I guess why it wasn't a larger meal. However I did ask for some snacks and got a packet of crisps and some nuts so you can get more light bites. Food and drink is free throughout the flight.
In flight entertainment:
Now this was my big peeve and my main reason for not enjoying the flight as much! Now most long haul airlines have individual seat back TVs even in economy but JM still doesn't have this on all flights(and not many of their aircraft do unless you're in an upgraded seat). Now bear in mind that a flight from Heathrow to Montego bay is 9 hours and 30 minutes it is a long time to have your head tilted up looking at a shared screen! Because their is no seat back TV you have to wait for the entertainment to start and then can only watch the airlines chosen programme so if it's something you don't like then you're sat for at least an hour and half waiting for the next film! It does drag not being able to choose what you watch and maybe it's just me but, like I say it's standard on most long haul scheduled flights now and it seems strange not having this feature with JM.
Frequent flyer programme:
Air Jamaica have a good flyer programme. You earn points for flying with them and their affiliates. Quite a decent amount of points awarded and actually one of the easier flyer programmes to earn from and as the fares for JM are quite cheap it does mean frequent flying with them is fairly easy to do.
Overall opinion:
Overall, there is good things about JM such as the nice food and the fact that the staff are pleasant even though very laid back! However if you are a frequent long haul flyer you'll notice the difference between them and their competitors with lack of seat back TVs and the rather lax baggage rules - also another thing with this airline that I hear a lot about is that they overbook quite frequently and so it is worth bearing in mind that if you do travel with them it is worth getting to check in as early as possible! If you are quite an easy going flyer and will spend most of the flight asleep then this may be the airline for you!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
frankiecesca
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Location: Manchester, UK
Reviews written: 53
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
Hi,
also on Trivago, Dooyoo and Ciao under frankiecesca or frankie1984.
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