Dear Editor,
Out of curiosity I decided to check Delta Airlines’ website to see what they were charging for a round trip out of JFK to Georgetown and was astonished to be quoted prices of between US$1100 and US$1500 for a 21-day round trip ticket. The selected itinerary also indicated that the approximate flight time would be 5 hours and fifty minutes.
A further perusal of the said website also showed that the cost of a similar economy ticket from JFK to Los Angeles was between US$500 and US$700 with the estimated flight time 6 hours and 3 minutes. Since both of these planes should be consuming the same amount of fuel, all things being fairly equal there is absolutely no possible justification for Delta charging twice as much for essentially the same product.
I want to make it explicitly clear that I am not being anti-capitalist for bringing to the fore this anomaly, but the corporate titans of the industrialized countries are only embracing the third world because their home markets are leaking money faster than water in a drift seine because of over-saturation. They therefore see these under-served markets as being ripe for exploitation, and building in a risk premium is desirable if not a necessity to aid in their return to profitability. I am well aware that because of the price of oil, travelling has to become more expensive, but enjoying a virtual monopoly doesn’t justify what seems at best price-gouging.
Yours faithfully,
Kenneth Frank
Editor’s note
We sent a copy of this letter to Mr Junior Horatio, General Manager of Delta Air Lines’ local operations for comment and received the following response from Raquel Chandleur, District Sales Manager for Delta Air Lines Inc:
“We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the letter written by Mr. Kenneth Frank.
Delta Air Lines is dedicated to the communities in which we operate, and as a result, we take all concerns from each community very seriously. Our official response to Mr. Frank’s letter is as follows:
“Comparing fares based on travel time is not an accurate representation of the cost of a flight, given that there are many other costs involved, including taxes, airport fees and services, and other expenses that vary from airport to airport and from country to country.
There are also many other variables that determine the final cost quoted to a customer. For example, more restrictive fares may require that tickets be purchased three weeks prior to departure. In other instances, based on how heavily a flight is booked, the cheaper, more restrictive fares may no longer be available for sale.
There are many permutations and combinations that determine a final ticket costing. Time of booking, the country in which the sale is made, and travel dates, to name a few, make the final costing variable.
Delta fares are applicable to each market it serves, and the success of our international expansion in such a tough landscape of the airline industry is proof that our prices are competitive and fair.”
$1100 is a bargain to fly to Guyana and should not be compared with domestic flights since it is an international destination. I trust that the writer is now educated as to how the airlines apply their fares. The company did a wonderful job of explaining the process.
bvbocan,
sorry to say, that is no deal…maybe in canada, but in the US that is to costly.. You can fly to any other caribbean island and for $1100 the intenarry would include, flight, hotel, and rental…so great deal! I THINK NOT..
The writer is obviously not a seasoned traveller.
One can not compare fares based on travel times alone. As Ms Chandleur pointed out, airline fares are based on load factors, country of destination, taxes, etc.
The sky rocketing fuel prices also will add greatly to the cost of a ticket now.
All airlines are adding a fuel surcharge to the passenger ticket.
Kenneth should be happy that one of the largest airlines from the US is actually flying into Georgetown.
As Ms Chandleur stated many factors are the cause of a fare basis.
The airline business is suffering greatly from the soaring fuel prices and as such the costs have to be passed on to the passenger.
Kenneth should know that airlines in the US have to undergo stringent FAA regulations for maintenance and security and that cost money. It’s no fly by nigh operation.
The fare is up to the roof! No ifs ands or buts.
Junior, I know you, I was once an International Flight Attendant on Guyana Airways when you were Reservation Manager at the Hotel Tower office. Flew for five and a half years and still travel a lot around the world, so you know I’ve got your back.
Take it from me, not many Guyanese could come home with that fare. We’re not alone, we have spouses and kids. Tell them.
For a couple with 3 kids, do the math for yourself. Bring Delta to this thread and let them read it.
$1,100×5 then add hotel rates, add food, add transportation, interior travel, what is Delta telling us, that going to Guyana on a vacation is the same as spending a gold bar in value? In fact bring the hotel managers to this blog as well. And I have still not added in all the “frecks” or “small-pieces” we have to give to our family and friends.
From our point of view, it sucks!
I would love going home but why do I have to return broke? Give us something to work with instead, like a nice package of hotel, airfair etc etc.
Get a deal going Delta, say with Pegasus or one of the smaller hotels and tourist operator.
Meanwhile Mansoor Nadir, work a little harder on bringing in those other airlines you talked about. A little competition will go a long way.
While I normally agree with you, you are wrong on this one.
Guyana does not have the market for hotel/airline deals. The load factor is a critical issue as well. Trinidad, Barbados etc have hotel airline deals because they are simply swamped with visitors.
It works to the benefit of both hotel and airline in those markets. Guyana has ways, ways to go. However, the minister in charge Maniram Prashad don’t seem to have a clue.
Surely, that’s what is needed. Competition! More airlines plying the destination. But do we have the volume of traffic, (back and forth) to sustain two or three more carriers that the owners will find profitable.
For me, I’ll put up with the inconvenience of connecting flights on different carriers
those who think that the price is too high should not even travel to Guyana. What do they expect with the price of gas? a free ride? well they should all take a hike. they should be thankful that there is an airline that was ready to fill the void created by those fly by night airlines that left passengers stranded for weeks in Guyana before they declared bankruptcy/went belly up.
Good point Alli…
I stand corrected: Maniran is in, Nadir is gone. Now guys, gals, let’s do the math in USD. And I am not even going to include the frecks or small pieces we have to give our families.
Airfare….$1,100.00 x 5. Mom, Dad, three kids(average) $5,500.
Hotel(and you do want to book into a decent hotel with
adequate security in place. Mom/Dad $150×21 days $3,150.
Boy child. $75×21 days $1,575.
Girl children(2) $75×21 days $ 1,575.
Tour trips (Essequibo River/Bartica/amazon $200×5 $ 1,000.
Travel/transportation for 21 days. $ 300.
Food $ 300.
total $11,825.
Now Alli, I do not expect a free ride. I have travelled around the world since I was 20 years old, sometimes 3-4 times a week as an Internation Flight Attendant and that is for about my life. So far this year, I have been twice to Florida, Once to Atlanta, 17 days ago, to a wedding in Antigua and for Christmas and New Years to the UK.
That is light travel because I do flit in an out as often as a house fly. Do you see that figure up there? ($11,825.) It is not competitive and it makes Guyana a non-destination for a family of five. In fact, it is rediculous!
I have heard Guyanese saying time and time again, and they are not bloggers like us so you miss the moaning and groaning, including mine, but many on my website has been saying it, that going to Guyana has become too expensive.
Yes I welcomed Delta as well but whether Maniram has a clue or not, there is one thing that even he has to know, competition will bring the price down. Go out there and get it. God knows we need it!
The price of gas is not my problem when I book my ticket, it is the airline’s and I refuse to have them dump it all on my back. I’ve got my own problem to deal with.
And yes, if the airline and the hotels and the tour operators get together for a breakfast or lunch or a business meeting, they could give us a package deal, in fact many! If they can’t do it, I’ll do it for free and deliver to them a deal within a few days. There is really nothing to getting these package deals at all. So let them do it and stop turning me upside down and shaking me down.
You make good points. But Guyana is not a destination being swamped by tourists. So this will never happen. Not with this dictatorship running things. Too many square pegs in round holes in this regime. No plan of action for tourism. Guyana is priced out of the tourism market, period.
This entire nation’s phyche is messed up. We’re always lowering our expectations and are constantly getting worked over by anyone, including all the adminstrations that were in power.
So because they’re better than the worst, then we should accept bad as the norm. Give me a break! I don’t take hikes Alli, I take planes and I demand a reasonable price in and out of Guyana, just like I demand good governance.
I might not get them but that is no reason to stop expecting it. I don’t ever lower my expectation, but I never mind lower airfare to Guyana.
You are a class act gap1. Some people never expected anything in life and are carried away by the little glits the manage to etch out of their existance in north america. They are prepared to expect anything because their expectations are so low.
Do not compare Guyana with Antigua, Barbados, etc.
Guyana is in no position to bargain for the same concessions airlines offer for those destinations.
When and IF Guyana’s inept, visionless regime can come up with proper plans and actions of a tourism product maybe then they can bargain for some cheaper fares!!!
well said gap1
For that price I can fly to Hong Kong or Thailand .almost three times teh distance from NY to GT
Guyanese was and will always be oppressed when it comes to flying because the Gov’t simply DON’T CARE.