BWIA must focus on packages

THE EDITOR: Toronto, New York, London, Miami ... These cities have been pounded into our heads and made household names here in Trinidad and Tobago by BWIA. This scenario was responsible for BWIA’s collapse. It would be good research to find out why these were the only cities among a few others offered to the public to go to, spend holidays and do business. BWIA has it all wrong and could never survive because they are selling transport and not packages.  What is needed are agreements between BWIA and all hotels, intertwined with agreements with car rental agencies, tour operators, food and beverage suppliers, etc, etc. Basically BWIA should be telling foreigners, “Here is what you will get in Trinidad and Tobago once you travel with BWIA.” Hoteliers will go for the prices BWIA demands for the “package plan” because the hotel industry would be guaranteed sustainable and profitable business.

BWIA will not prosper selling only transport; however, the package plan will not come to fruition because of BWIA’s bureaucratic system. Judging from the past, BWIA’s management will want costly and untimely research, internal meetings after meetings, public meetings and there will be internal jostling for positions. BWIA has already been hijacked by Virgin Airways. and Air Jamaica and they sit by fooling the population and themselves hoping that government will continue to pay their salaries (15 percent reductions et al). Packages not transport is what BWIA should be concentrating on in a meaningful way. This plan could take four months to get off the ground; we will wait and see what is in the cards.

SEAN T
Port-of-Spain