Dear Editor,

I should like to ask if Caribbean Airlines (CAL) write all their tickets in GMT or local time and whether they mention stopovers.

On Wednesday, July 20, I flew to New York from Kingston on an electronic ticket that read 15:40 due to arrive in the Big Apple at 22:50.

After many unanswered phone calls and emails to CAL, I finally found out that the departure time was 3.40 pm from Kingston and there would be a layover in Montego Bay. All went well on the flight to New York.

But our return was chaotic for me and several other passengers departing on Sunday, August 21. Our tickets read 01:55. On checking in three hours before 1.55 pm, we were told the flight had left at 1.55 am, and that the timing was “military hours”. What a shock that was!

Luckily for some of us early birds, a CAL desk attendant at John F Kennedy Internatioanl said a flight “was leaving for Kingston now” and a few seats were available. Did we want to get on and pay US$50 for the ticket change? We jumped at the offer! But what a hassle! Luckily, my younger sister was with me – a senior citizen – and she had to run from desk to desk, attendant to attendant to pay the fee. The flight actually arived in Kingston an hour earlier and it was left on my sister to alert family in Kingston of the new arrival time.

When I asked about the fate of the other passengers, I was told most had to book for the next day and pay an additional US$200. CAL, can you please put normal time for us mortals, and with “am” and “pm”. It didn’t even have the usual “hrs” beside it!

On a related matter, an online ticket was booked via CAL for my niece, Melissa Chin, to leave Ft Lauderdale on Sunday, June 26, departing 05:00 pm. This ticket was marked Air Jamaica and had its logo. All went well coming to Kingston. But on the day of her return to Ft Lauderdale, she met with frustration. After umpteen calls to CAL to confirm her departure time of 05:50 pm on Saturday, August 6, she was told no flight was leaving Kingston for Ft Lauderdale at that time but at 7:00 pm. In consternation she said, “But 5:50 pm is on my ticket, booked over a month ago.” CAL’s attendant on the phone put her on to one Ayana who told her the flight had been changed to 7:00 pm, confirmed her telephone number and apologised profusely that she had not been informed.

She went to the airport early to get on the 7:00 pm flight. Another bottleneck. She was told the flight was overbooked and she couldn’t get on and should wait for a voucher. They were sending her to the Pegasus Hotel to overnight and would give her US$100. Luckily, her uncle was still with her and he packed her bags into his car to take her home which she opted for. After a long wait by herself and others booked on that flight, she was told she could get on – this after someone else didn’t want that seat. Thank goodness she got back in time for school.

CAL, it would be great if you could put on more flights. There is business here in Jamaica. Air Jamaica, why, oh why, did you leave us?

Rachel Maragh

Kingston 10