Dennie Quill, Contributor
BEFORE WE dump more taxpayers' dollars into Air Jamaica, I believe it is critical that a diagnostic study be made of this our struggling national airline. Not only is the competition yapping at Air Jamaica's heels, it seems some management decisions are designed to push the airline deeper into debt and eventual obscurity.
I am saying this because of recent observations. A Jamaican who lives in the United States and who has been a loyal supporter of Air Jamaica makes a call to Air Jamaica in south Florida and explains that she plans to have a function in Kingston later in the year. She has invited dozens of visitors and she would like them to experience 'Love Bird' hospitality. She asks whether she could negotiate some kind of deal taking into account the volume of business she is sending their way. Air Jamaica says we will get back to you.
SHOCKING REMARK
With time running out and no response, she decides to dial up U.S. Airways. The agent is so excited she immediately starts talking numbers and possibilities. Disappointed at the treatment of Air Jamaica, she makes another attempt and tells the agent how receptive U.S. Airways had been, hoping this would jolt them into action. To her chagrin, the agent quipped "Better for them, Air Jamaica won't go bankrupt though." Hello? What is Air Jamaica if not bankrupt? When the management continues to drive potential passengers into the arms of the competition, how can they remain viable?
My friends say I am a sucker for punishment, hence my choice of Air Jamaica. Last week, they did it to me again. I arrived at the Fort Lauderdale airport in time for my 8 o'clock flight to Kingston. The attendant handed me a meal voucher and explained that the flight would be delayed and she did not anticipate boarding before 11:00 a.m. At the time of making reservations, passengers are asked for a contact number and I know there is the technology to dial the passenger's numbers and leave a message. The cost of that software is far less than handing out US$5.50 vouchers to seduce the nearly 200 angry passengers.
So while we cooled our heels in the airport, there is an Air Jamaica plane on the tarmac and no one seem to know what exactly was happening. Long after 11, word filtered out that it was an engineering problem and Air Jamaica would not compromise on safety issues. Great spiel. But here comes the kicker. An engineer was being sent from Kingston to fix the problem. How can that make for effective and efficient management? Doesn't Air Jamaica have an engineering staff in Florida? And wouldn't it be more prudent to get find an engineering outfit to provide the service? We know Jamaican engineers are the best, but hey! Aircraft take off and land at the Hollywood Airport with regularity. Surely, there are engineers there.
STRUCTURAL CHANGES NEEDED
Well, that's Air Jamaica's style. Faced by an impatient crowd, the agent was hard-pressed to explain what was happening. In the meantime, more meal vouchers had to be produced. The engineer arrived on a flight from Kingston, performed his miracle and eventually flight 038 left after 4:00 p.m.
Long delays and slow response have been hallmarks of Air Jamaica's service for many years. And as people grumbled about the shoddy service, others were reminding them that very soon US$99 would get one from Fort Lauderdale to Kingston on Spirit Airlines.
Continuous improvement and efficient management are the only options in a competitive environment such as the airline industry. Beyond the ownership factor, it appears that Air Jamaica requires profound structural changes. We understand the pressures from soaring fuel costs, and the question is how can Air Jamaica survive with such robust competition?
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com.
