I know quite a few people that have problems when flying. One friend in particular is actually terrified. It's a mixture of the unexpected turbulence and the lack of control of her own life when sitting patiently in economy class and, despite that statistic that states you're more likely to die in a car, I think she'd rather take her chances on Trinidad's roads. Risky, I know. Therefore, I haven't told her of a previous discussion I'd had with Francois Pariseau of Caribbean Airlines that most planes never fly at 100%. This apparently is fact and, trust me, I'm not one to judge. I rarely "fly" at 100% and I'm going to hazard a guess and say that very few people actually do. On a good day, it's more like 80% and, when I'm traveling and had a 4 AM start, it's close to 40%. If this is the case, then why did I decide to travel to Washington D.C for the Annual Caribbean Tourism Summit on American Airlines via Miami? I'll tell you why - it was the cheapest ticket. But unfortunately the biggest obstacle course.
Problems started at check in. The Miami route is always popular, especially on a Friday, so Piarco International Airport was packed at 5 AM. But I manage to spot my friend and companion for the trip. She's at the counter and American has refused to confirm her seat on the plane and check her luggage. The credit card holder with which the ticket was bought must also be present and guess what? She's not she's home sleeping. I can't fault the ground staff for this, it's the airline's policy and it's in place to minimize card theft. Very important. But what annoys me is the defensive attitude that they use to convey the issue. Immediately, everyone in the situation is struggling to stay calm and civil. It's almost as if our ticketing person is used to customer complaints...
We make it through our first hurdle. The credit card holder is awoken and shows her face in time for us to make our flight. It was close, but we're tough and the adrenalin in now pumping. Who needs caffeine anyway! Now, I'm a very moody traveler, I don't like strangers to talk to me while I'm traveling, as the poor New Yorker that was sitting next to me found out. But, I do like to be greeted by a flight attendant when I board the plane. It's customary and I'm all one for tradition. However, apparently this is one of the cut backs that American Airlines has imposed and I would still be in Trinidad if I were waiting for someone to greet me onto the flight. Also, I'm of the belief that if you're going to ask people to pay for everything including a pack of Lays potato chips, you could at least be pleasant about it. That's a second strike for the attitude of the American Airlines staff.
When you land in Miami Airport be prepared to walk and wait in long immigration lines. As you disembark from the plane, you walk for what seems like forever and then you stumble upon a room filled with lines, upon lines of people from all over Latin America. The trick is to pick the right line. Even short lines can be misleading - these can also take forever as my colleague discovered. It's times like that that I thank God and my parents for my Green Card. My line consisted of 4 people and it was quick. For me, Miami was a breeze. Until of course, that breeze blew in lightening and thunder that grounded all planes for approximately three hours. I'll admit it - even I'm no match for Mother Nature. I know when I'm beat.
The flight from Miami to D.C was reminiscent of the flight from Trinidad to Miami. You have a sneaking suspicion that you're viewed as cattle rather than people, and I find myself looking longingly at the Singapore Airline's advertisement promoting their luxurious, customer oriented approach in my magazine. Not even American Airlines' plug of Grenada in their in-flight magazine American Way ("Grenada: Sun. Rum. Fun") can save them from this terrible experience. Fortunately, the journey wasn't all a loss. The gentleman to my left looks like a West Indian and, therefore must be going to the Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference. As a result, I'm willing to start up a conversation with him even if he is a stranger. He's Rodrigue Jeanty from Haiti and, yes, he's traveling up to Washington for the conference. Haiti promoting tourism? Well certainly, they need the money. But, according to Monsieur Jeanty, they have the resources to develop their tourism industry, their issues are more political - a corrupt government (in the Caribbean? Never). Why is he here? His main market is America. I look forward to speaking with him further at the conference to see how much potential business he can generate and I wish him "bonne chance".
In fact, as I begin to look around the plane I see some very obvious West Indians and almost, as if on cue, I hear someone "steups". It seems that first Annual Tourism Conference has attracted a truly regional audience, which I'm excited about. I've spotted the CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Vincent Vanderpool Wallace talking to individuals from the Spanish Caribbean and when we finally arrive, I spot the lovely Harriet Banfield of the CTO, indicating that there's certainly a Barbadian presence. Fantastic. All in all, it was a struggle; we've arrived late, but with our luggage (a small victory)! With rising oil prices having a direct impact on air travel and Caribbean Tourism I think this conference is going to be a fascinating experience, making this perilous journey all worthwhile.
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