PM, who’s helping stranded visitors?
THE EDITOR, Madam:
An open letter to Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
DEAR PRIME Minister, do you know that airlines and booking agents are getting away with terrible customer service with stranded Jamaica visitors, plus making lots of money out of visitors’ distress?
Primary concern is booking flights, cancelling them and refusing to refund.
Mr Holness, do you know many foreign guests are stranded in Jamaica? I have three guests stranded in Westmoreland now for over a month.
A couple of from Finland should have returned to Helsinki via London on April 7, after the two-month stay that they do at the Judy House Negril/Brighton every two years.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
No communication or reply to their texted enquiries for weeks from Virgin Atlantic before they cancelled their flights, and then later rebooked them on another flight. Then they cancelled that flight with no word on how they were prepared to assist (one to two hours expensive phone hold to contact Virgin from Jamaica, longer for TUI).
After two cancelled Virgin Atlantic flights, in desperation they booked another flight via EBookers through the US. His ESTA had expired and Trump has banned any new ESTA applications, so he had to travel to Kingston and get transit visa.
Then EBookers cancelled that flight and refused to refund, even though they had been told the flight was refundable.
Last week, they were told there could be seats on the TUI plane carrying stranded UK guests home. There were ready to travel to Kingston early a.m. but no confirmation came to tell them there were no seats for them.
Mid-morning after the flight had gone they received a text to tell them they were on a waiting list.
That made four flight cancellations! Can you imagine how that feels? Away from family and friends during this terrible COVID-19 while all the government minister for tourism seems to be doing is focusing on the revival of Jamaica’s tourism. Is customer service for guests still here, Mr Bartlett?
Virgin Atlantic texted the other day to say they have booked them on a June 2 flight, two months after they should have returned.
Is anyone actually designated to assist all the stranded visitors, of which there are many, sir?
SUSAN MCKENZIE