What a Jamaican Disaster! (Air Jamaica)

Name: Keelyt

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Send message to member

Product:	Air Jamaica
Date:	16/07/03 (1134 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Non

Disadvantages: Too many to mention

We advise you to prepare your review offline, then to copy it to this space. This ensures that in the event of a connection time-out your contribution is not lost on posting.Outbound Flight

Flight time was originally 12:40 we were informed of a change to the flight time late in May to 15:15. We attempted on numerous occasions to get the flight times confirmed prior to this time as we were trying to book flights from Leeds Bradford to Heathrow to co-inside with the Heathrow flight. The longer we had to wait the more expensive the transfers got.

We left Heathrow approx ½ hour behind schedule.
Headphones for the entertainments system were handed out.

An hour into the flight we had to ask if there was any entertainment as it was not on.
We received a blunt reply, telling us that the entertainment system was not working.
Not only were we on a flight with no entertainment for 10 hours but also we later found out that the system has not been working for 3 months! Why has nothing been done about this.

The reading lights were also not working, when you turned them on you actually turned on the reading light for a passenger in another seat.

The flight crews were rude to the extent where passengers didn?t like to ask for anything for fear of being viewed as an inconvenience. (The worst service I have ever received on a flight)

1-hour 20mins before landing we were told that the plane had technical problems and we were bypassing Havana and proceeding straight to Jamaica where we would be transferred back to Havana. As I understand if an aircraft is experiencing technical difficulties then the aircraft should land at the nearest airport which was Havana not Kingston Jamaica. I asked a member of the crew who explained that if they flew to Havana they would be there for 24 hours getting the aircraft fixed. This is not our problem If you have 220 passengers going to Cuba and 40 including flight crew going to Jamaica,
you go with the majority. This was a poor reason and the only explanation I can think of is that the crew wanted to get themselves home with no regard for their passengers.
<
br>
In Kingston Airport we were given no explanation for the fiasco, nobody could tell us what was happening and we were given a sandwich voucher which bought us a couple of sandwiches and a drink in an attempt to appease us.

We spend nearly 5 hours an Airport, in a country, which we should not have been in with no reason for us being there. (A great start to our Honeymoon)

After five hours in Kingston airport we were put on a replacement aircraft at 23:00 for a departure at 23:20. Aircraft was still grounded at 23:40. To our surprise the Pilot of this second shed! Announced that this plane was experiencing technical difficulties and we would be on our way in 15 mins.
Still grounded at 00:10 (06:10 UK time)

My self and other passengers demanded to know what the situation was; all flight crew met us with poor customer service. I asked for drinks to be handed round, as it was very warm with no Air-con. We should not need to ask for refreshment it should be provided straight away when a problem is realized.

On my third time of complaint with the flight crew, the assistant pilot explained that the engineers were actually changing the front brake of the aircraft with another dormant Air Jamaica shed on the runway. I find this quite worrying and amazing that at 00:30 in the dark aircrew would be fitting brakes to an aircraft with poor lighting on a runway.

I asked the assistant pilot (with reference to the previous flight) what he would do if there were a technical problem with an aircraft. Would he land at the nearest airport i.e. Havana or travel for another 1hour 20mins to another country and land there. The pilot explained that he could not answer for the other aircrafts pilot but he would land at the nearest airport, i.e. Havana.


We eventually got off the ground at approx 01:00- no more drinks were offered.

We arrived at Sandals Hicacos at 07:00am Tuesday, 9 hours after our estimated arrival ti
me. Missing the first night of our honeymoon in resort, missing a night that we have paid for, essentially drained for another 2 days as we played catch up with sleep etc taking the shine of start of our holiday and the celebrations for both our 30th Birthdays.

Return Flights

Yet again no entertainment, reading lights not working, loose floor carpeting.
This was a different plane! Does nothing work on Air Jamaica?s fleet?
The flight crews were better but this time the food was dire.

In Jamaica we were delayed again for an hour due to??. O yes Technical problems.

Fortunately we made up time due to the route taken. We still landed nearly an hour late. Fortunately we made our connecting flight (just) to Leeds for Heathrow, sadly many passengers did not.

Summary: