Caribbean Airlines (CAL) and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) have agreed to set up a joint committee to monitor the efficiency of the $50 change fee.
CAL chairman Shameer Ronnie Mohammed led a team from the airline which included CEO Garvin Medera to a meeting with THA Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles and key officials of the THA on Thursday where agreement was also reached on other measures.
Airline officials maintained that the sale of open tickets ceased as of November 29 and changes, including the fee change, will take effect on December 12. However it was agreed that passengers seeking same day or emergency travel between Trinidad and Tobago who are not in possession of a ticket or reservation, can go to the airport and be placed on the stand by list for that day. Once a seat can be assured for the passenger, payment will be taken for a ticket without the $50 charge.
The airline confirmed that new operational procedures will be in place to treat with the changes, including extension of the opening hours of airport ticket offices to accommodate first and last flights and separate check-in counters for stand by passengers.
It was also agreed that if CAL is responsible for a passenger’s change of travel due to delay or cancellation of a flight, the passenger will be allowed to make a new reservation and there will be no change fee.
CAL officials also agreed to give “reasonable consideration” to a suggestion by Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles for passengers who exercise the courtesy of giving prior notice of change to their travel date to be rewarded.
The THA team at the meeting included Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles; Councillor Nadine Stewart-Phillips, Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Transportation; Raye Sandy, Chief Administrator – THA; Ingrid Ryan-Reuben, Administrator of Tourism, Culture and Transportation; Louis Lewis, CEO – Tobago Tourism Agency Limited; Alvin Pascall, Senior State Counsel and other THA officials.
CAL’s team was led by Mohammed and included CEOGarvin Medera; Nirmala Ramai, Project Manager; Dionne Ligoure, Head Corporate Communications and Neil Gajadhar, Executive Manager Airports.