No Jamaican Paradise
Written: May 18 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Non Stop From Boston, Great Food, Free Beer Wine and Champagne.
Cons: Delays, Airplanes Seem to be Falling Apart, Rude Gate Agents, Flight UN-Attendants.
The Bottom Line: If they would spend as much money on customer service training and airplane maintenance as they do on their great food, they might have a super airline.
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| discjoker's Full Review: Air Jamaica |
Jamaica is a Paradise...Air Jamaica is another story.
My wife and I recently flew from Boston to Montego Bay for a 5 night holiday in Ocho Rios.
Check-In At Boston
Air Jamaica is a partner airline with Delta. Therefore they share a check-in area. Check-in went smooth and we were on our way.
The Flight To Paradise
We boarded the airplane (a fairly new looking Airbus 320) and took our seats. I didn't feel too cramped and the airplane looked clean inside the cabin.
Take off was smooth and once we reached altitude the flight attendants started serving the "champagne breakfast". This had to be my favorite part of the Air Jamaica experience. For once in my life, I tasted really good airplane food. It was a cheese omelet with hash browns and fruit. I was very impressed. And the complimentary champagne wasn't too bad either.
The flight attendants passed out the complimentary headphones and to my dismay they didn't work. Not just mine, the entire cabin had no sound. At this point the lead flight attendant announced that they were having problems with the audio system and there would be no movie.
Another surprise was the lack of service from the flight attendants. Once they served breakfast they were out of sight until we landed. This was my first international flight but I fly quite often domestically. Just last October I flew from Detroit to Orlando on Northwest Airlines and they ran the drink cart up and down the aisle constantly and kept asking everyone if the wanted anything else to drink. On this longer flight on Air Jamaica we were only offered beverages once...during breakfast service.
The landing was smooth and customs went smooth....I was finally off to my week in paradise.
5 Days Later
Check-In At Montego Bay
This is where our bad experience starts. You see, we weren't supposed to have to check in at the airport. Air Jamaica had a check-in desk at our resort. That's where we first checked in. We were told by the Air Jamaica agent at our resort that our bags would have to be labeled with our first initial and our last name. We labeled them and that was that. Our bags were off to the airport and all was fine....until we got to the airport. The moment we walked into the airport I heard my name being announced on the PA. It was asking me to go to the Air Jamaica check-in desk. I arrived at the desk and the agent told me that my bags were pulled off the plane because they weren't labeled properly with my first and last name. I told her that the agent at our resort told us that first initial and last name were sufficient. She told me "One of our agents would never say that." This is when I became mad. I informed her that I was told that by one of their agents and that's when she started yelling. She said "Wait right here and I am going to get the agent that was at your resort." About 10 minutes later she came out, smiled, and said rudely "Your all set, enjoy your flight."
The Flight Home
Our flight was supposedly on-time. Then it was ten minutes late. Then 30 minutes late. After 45 minutes of delays we finally boarded. Boarding was smooth, however, unlike in the United States where they call you row by row they announce general boarding and everyone rushes the gate like a herd of cattle. Once on the plane I noticed how run down and shabby it looked. My seat was broken (it would not recline). Other seats around me were broken as well. Either they would not recline or they would not return to a locked position. Also, there was a reading light a couple of rows up that constantly turned on and off by itself. This usually indicates some sort of short in the electrical system which is not a good thing. During take off my wife’s tray table as well as others around here would not stay locked. No matter how many times we tried to latch it, it would still fall.
Once we got in the air the "Champagne Dinner" service was served. Once again, Air Jamaica makes in-flight meals taste good. I had the chicken entree and it was delicious. After dinner service they started the movie. About 5 minutes in, the movie stopped and an announcement was made that they were having trouble with the entertainment system. At that point all audio channels stopped working as well. Hmm...two flights in a row on Air Jamaica and neither time did the entertainment system work.
Like the flight to Jamaica, once the meal was served, the flight attendants disappeared and didn't appear again until landing. Those around us who used the attendant call button to get service were treated as if they were bothering the attendants.
Landing in Boston was smooth. Back to the Good Ol' USA. My dreams that night were about the warm sand and cool breezes of Jamaica. My nightmares were about Air Jamaica.
If the price is right, I may fly with Air Jamaica again. However, if I can avoid flying them when going back to Jamaica without sending myself to the poor house, I will fly another airline.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
discjoker
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 1 member
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