The safest airline in the skies...and the most aggravating
Written: Sep 28 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: SAFETY, free beer, wine, champagne, reggae music on board,
Cons: Abysmal on-time performance and bad communication of delays
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| CozzifanTutti's Full Review: Air Jamaica |
There is much to love...and to hate...about Air Jamaica. The airline is majority-owned by Gordon "Butch" Stewart of the Sandals/Beaches hotel chain, and say what you will about Mr. Stewart -- he is one smart businessman. Stewart seems well aware that while TWA can have a plane blow up in the sky and survive, if any Air Jamaica flight has such a mishap, the airline is unlikely to survive. As a result, Air Jamaica is perhaps the safest airline in the skies. I am a nervous flyer, and I always feel comfortable and confident flying Air Jamaica.
Last December, on a flight from Newark NJ to Montego Bay, our flight was delayed 1/2 hour because the battery in the emergency megaphone was past its replacement date. The battery worked just fine, but because it was past due for replacement, the flight crew needed special permission to take off. Now THAT'S thorough.
That said, there are two major problems with Air Jamaica: legroom and promptness. If you are tall, your knees will be under your chin. If you are short, it's a bit better, though shifting in your seat can be a problem.
As for promptness: Getting TO Jamaica on Air Jamaica is no problem. However, it seems that once Jamaica has as much of your money as they're going to get, they seem in no hurry to get you OUT of there. Check-in in Montego is better than it used to be. There was a time when it took two hours just to check in. Now, with separate stations for placing your baggage, checking your documents, and paying your departure tax, it's a bit better. However, this year they have added a new question to the usual "Did you pack your own bags...did anyone ask you to carry anything for them" bit. Now they ask you if you have any electronic items with batteries in them in your checked baggage. If you do, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH YOUR SUITCASES AND REMOVE THE BATTERIES. They say that batteries in electronic devices can cause fires. Now, this may be true, but isn't telling you when you're already checking in for your flight just a bit late?
Air Jamaica seems to cancel flights with alarming frequency. You may arrive at Montego Bay and find that your flight has been cancelled and you'll have to stay another night, or they may fly you into another city, as they did us once, putting us on a flight to JFK instead. Even if your flight is not cancelled, it may be delayed for hours with no explanation given.
When leaving Montego Bay, KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE FLIGHT BOARD. Our return flight was never announced on the PA system. A flight to Philadelphia was announced eight times, but we had no idea our flight was boarding until we looked at the departures board.
Now, it's entirely possible that the cancellations and the delays are a result of the airline's stringent safety procedures, and that's fine. But if that's the case, better communication is a MUST.
But let's go back to some of the positives, shall we?
Air Jamaica used to have the best food in the skies, but alas, this is no longer the case (or perhaps it is, which is even more frightening). At one time, they would serve Jamaican breakfast such as escoveitch fish; but no more -- now it's rubbery microwave scrambled eggs or cold cereal. However, the Red Stripe beer, wine, and champagne are still complimentary, as are the headsets. Various reggae, dancehall, dub, ska, and other local and classical music are available, as well as a full-length movie. The flight attendants are efficient. They have never lost our luggage the way American Airlines has.
In some ways, Air Jamaica is like starting your vacation the minute you get on the plane. If they could only get their scheduling reliability up, they'd be a very good airline.
In mid-September 2000, our flight was delayed an hour
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
CozzifanTutti
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Reviews written: 35
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