BWIA baggage blues continue
Guyana Chronicle
December 23, 2004
ANGRY and tired passengers yesterday continued to flock the Georgetown office of British West Indies Airways (BWIA) seeking suitcases and other baggage that did not arrive here on their flights.
Several said they had travelled again to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri only to discover their luggage had not arrived in Guyana as was promised.
About 70 passengers showed up at the BWIA office on Robb Street yesterday afternoon to voice their concerns that their luggage was still not here.
The angry group demanded to see BWIA Area Manager, Mr. Carlton DeFour who reportedly locked himself in his office and had them waiting for more than an hour.
Those passengers who received their luggage complained that some pieces were tampered with and they are counting their losses and seeking compensation.
One irate passenger said he came on a BWIA flight on Friday evening and it was only then he discovered that his luggage was not on the same aircraft.
He said an employee advised him that the airline will call when the luggage got to Guyana.
The United States resident said the service was horrible and the staff not communicating with him regarding his luggage.
"Because of my missing suitcases I missed a wedding and a funeral. I have no clothes and it has inconvenienced me a great deal and I have not been compensated", he added.
Another passenger told the Chronicle that he too has no clothes except for what he was wearing because he is still awaiting his luggage.
BWIA said it had made arrangements to have bags which did not accompany passengers, specially air freighted by DHL to Guyana yesterday.
It advised passengers to be ready to give their names and flight details when they call the BWIA head office.
The press release added that passengers will be advised about the time and location at the airport to collect their luggage.
But up to late yesterday, affected passengers were still awaiting their baggage.
Hundreds of passengers heading here from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean for the Christmas holidays have been stranded by BWIA at various ports, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said on Tuesday.
The agency said that in a bid to address the problem, Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Clement Rohee, spoke with Minister of Trade and Industry of Trinidad and Tobago, Kenneth Valley Tuesday morning.
In a telephone conversation, Minister Valley said a shortage of aircraft resulted in hundreds of passengers being stranded at various ports to Guyana, the agency reported.
Valley, who has ministerial responsibility for the airline, told Mr. Rohee that flights were being arranged to get the passengers here.
GINA said Valley expected the buildup of passengers to have been cleared by yesterday.
BWIA passengers en route to Guyana have been experiencing delayed and overbooked flights and left behind baggage over the past few days.
Some passengers in transit at Piarco had been there for as long as four days before being flown to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, GINA said.