Nightmare Easter travel to Tobago

THE EDITOR: Contrary to press releases from Tobago Express to the media, I want to relate my experience travelling Tobago Express and BWIA from Thursday April 17 to Tuesday April 22, 2003 and would like you to publish my letter.

Thursday April 17: I have confirmed two tickets to Tobago on Tobago Express Flight TB 1562, departure time 4.10 pm. At approximately 3 pm I received a telephone call from my travel agent letting me know that this flight was now cancelled and we are now on a BWIA flight 298 to depart Piarco at 9.15 pm for Tobago. My wife and I arrived at the Piarco BWIA terminal at 6.30 pm and checked in with the BWIA agent, to be told by her that there is no such flight as BWIA 298.

I argued with her that this information was given to my travel agent by BWIA. After checking with her supervisor, she told me that I was right and that I was on BWIA 298. We were given departure tickets and told to go to the Tobago Departure Lounge. BWIA 298, which was to depart at 9.15 pm, left Piarco at 11.10 pm. After being in the aircraft for approximately 30 minutes Captain De Freitas announced that the delay in leaving was due to ground crew not being able to find the Tow Truck to pull the 737-800 jet aircraft out. We arrived in Tobago at my destination hotel at 1 am Friday April 18, 2003.

Tuesday April 22, 2003: I have confirmed two tickets on Tobago Express flight 1531 to Port-of-Spain, departure time 11.15 am. At 11.15 am flight 1529 had not arrived. Shortly after noon I checked with Tobago Express again about flight 1531 and I was told that we would now be on a BWIA flight 296, departure time at 4.15 pm and that we should proceed to the Departure Lounge and wait for an announcement. We never got an announcement. The BWIA flight departed without us. After numerous complaints by all passengers left behind, a BWIA representative came to the Departure Lounge and told us “I am so very sorry, but we forgot you were upstairs in the Departure Lounge, again I am very sorry”. BWIA had to bring an aircraft from Barbados to Crown Point Tobago to take us to Trinidad. We arrived in Trinidad at 7.45 pm. On Thursday April 17 and Tuesday April 22, 2003 we spent approximately 16 frustrating and stressful hours in airports. Tobago Express and BWIA should be ashamed of their performance and a public apology to all stranded passengers should be extended.

HAROLD  J  STAUBLE
San Fernando