Best Value Under the Sun?
(Not to Rotuma)
I read somewhere on the web the wonderful slogan for our domestic airline
Pacific Sun as 'Best Value Under The Sun'.
Pacific Sun management and bosses are urged to treat their patrons and the islanders of
Rotuma
with more dignity and be more responsible and be more sympathetic and in the
caring manner you run their air services from Fiji to Rotuma.
Yesterday 19th April 2013 at least 12 passengers left their homes as
early as 12.30am from Suva and made confirmed holiday plans from as far
as Hawaii to visit their exotic, incomparable island paradise.
A
traditional island welcome was organised on the island to excitedly
welcome the arrival of a new member of a family. A lot of preparations
went into welcoming a kainaga who now makes his return to the island
after 30 forlon years. Not far behind was a father excitedly looked
forward to meeting up with his daughter and niece with friends from Fiji
on the island who are there for three months for the first time. And he is
going back after 28 years since his school days. A group of five were
greatly anticipated by their friends and brothers in Rotuma.
One should have been at Nadi Airport to see the smiling beaming
faces braving the cool morning, happily queued up amongst the group with
baggage prepared with much love and care for their island kinsfolk.
And then we got the "Best Value Under the Sun". Of the 12 but
maybe more passengers (too dejected to count) that turned up and had
called Pacific Sun a day earlier and were confirmed as booked to fly were
shot by the sacrificial lamb behind the counter when he said they would
only take four passengers.
Months of preparation and anticipation, fares paid at least two
months in advance of $632 one way. At least Pacific Sun got the Best
value on bank interest under the sun.
We urge Pacific Sun
please,to do justice to your air service to Rotuma. With the many
economic investments going into Rotuma you need to allow a wider neck for
your bottle. Investors and peoples time is important and patrons plan
their holidays and events months and months well in advance.
Help the island grow its economy and have in place a regular, reliable and trustworthy service.
Should
a flight get cancelled for bad weather or over booked cargo, can you
consider running a supplementary flight for people as soon as possible,
if not on the same day?
The people of Rotuma support Pacific Sun well by putting up with airfares that can take them two return trips to overseas destinations.
One
of our nieces travelled to Rotuma three weeks ago and the same incident was
experienced at Nadi Airport. She was called three times to go to the airport
with three cancellations. We understand this is an ever going problem with
Pacific Sun and their flight to Rotuma.
We too want the 'Best Value Under The Sun' for the Rotuma air service.
Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Fiji. I thank Allen for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.
1 comment:
While Pacific Suns customer support leaves a lot to be desired... the root of the problem in the Rotuma case is that the route is unprofitable and will remain so until AFL+govt upgrade the airport so that it can take an ATR.
With the high cost of fuel, the route just can't be profitable with smaller aircraft. That's all there is to it.
Frankly, I doubt Pacific Sun even wants to handle the route (its more trouble than its worth without an upgraded airport).
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