‘Miami Flight Is Yet Another Casualty In Airlift’
“American Airlines’ Miami direct flight is yet another casualty in airlift to and from Bermuda. This is an indicator our Bermuda tourism product is in crisis,” Shadow Transport Minister Susan Jackson said.
The OBA MP was speaking after the Government confirmed that American Airlines will suspend the Miami to Bermuda flight this summer.
Ms Jackson said, “The Minister of Transport said Bermuda is one of many markets in which they have been forced to reduce summer capacity. I challenge the Minister to explain why many of our direct competitors to the south are enjoying full summer airlift capacity and record breaking tourist arrivals?
“From the outside looking in, it’s becoming increasingly clear, the Bermuda government is failing in its ability to create an environment of collaboration between hoteliers, airlines and the Bermuda Tourism Authority. How many taxpayers’ dollars have been spent on promotion in the Miami market which is now wasted without a convincing argument from stakeholders to keep such an important direct flight?
“Of additional concern is the government’s inability to advocate for local travellers. Many families living in Bermuda have relatives and friends in the Caribbean and the loss of the Miami flight undoubtedly makes connections to islands to our south much more costly with complicated flight connections.
“Bermudians love to cruise. Navigating connecting flights to meet strict cruise check-in embarkations can become nerve racking, or lead to spending additional money for overnight stays. Our regular Miami commuters, particularly students, will now have the inconvenience and insecurity of connecting through unfamiliar air terminals.
“This is just another example of the disconnected approach government seems to be taking in the island’s efforts to restore and build our airlift capacity,” Ms Jackson concluded.
Ms Jackson should know that airlines make these decisions based on profitability and demand. Yes we love to cruise, yes the loss of the flight is a nuisance. But the direct Miami flight is not the only way to get to Miami.
What does Ms. Jackson feel should be done to bring the flight back on line?
Does Ms. Jackson support new hotels or the refurbishment of Fairmont Southampton and Elbow Beach? Clearly these hotels being offline has reduced demand to fly to Bermuda.
Once again the OBA is putting out statements without offering any suggestions on what they would do differently to get better results.
Airlines have cut flights and routes because of the PLPs complete failure to attract visitors.
Everywhere else was full and busy last year. Burt didn’t want that though, he wanted the TA form, that robbed travellers and turned them away. Made millions though.
“Ms Jackson should know that airlines make these decisions based on profitability and demand.”
Firstly, you do realise that you basically said that there is no demand to come to Bermuda right? You do also realise that is an indictment against your beloved, but failing, PLP right? I mean Burt fired Dallas as head of BTA for much better arrival figures. And don’t blame Covid etc. as our cousins down south don’t seem to have the same issue as us. Actually they seem to be experiencing quite the opposite.
“Once again the OBA is putting out statements without offering any suggestions on what they would do differently to get better results.”
Secondly, your beloved, but failing, PLP had all the answers whilst in opposition. And lets not forget about teh following statement from your beloved PLP Minister Burch:
“I’m going to give you this advice for free. If you make a recommendation to us, we are going to do the exact opposite.”
Thirdly, will you ever hold your beloved PLP to account for anything? Or in your eyes, is your beloved PLP absolved from any blame for negative events whilst simultaneously 100% responsible for anything positive? You’re blind cheerleading of a Party is a detriment to our democracy.
How is it an indictment against the PLP? The Fairmont hotel closed due to the pandemic and the need to renovate. Our cousins down south dont have the same problems because their legislation and hotel developments are awarded millions in concessions. Their countries understand that they may need to award these in order to received investment. Unfortunately some in Bermuda dont feel the same. So they chose/choose not to support the concessions offered to the GenCom group, and consequently we have a stalled project. With this stalled project comes consequences, and airlift is one.
The Premier has promised how many times now that South P refurbishment was about to commence? I know I lost count. Regarding your point about concessions, if I recall they were passed in the House by your beloved PLP. And yet here we are with more broken promises and failed economic recovery initiatives set out by your beloved PLP. How many is that now (vertical farming, fish processing facility, arbitration centre etc.). Can you actually list just one positive economic success brought to you by this PLP admin?
On top of that his administration killed any chances of the casino via their power hungry ways and demolishing of any independence the Gaming Commission was set up to have and retain. Another tourism failure brought to you by your beloved PLP.
See my third point in relation to your response. Just admit can do no wrong in your eyes and you are a simply a blind sheep of a political supporter that hates Bermuda but loves their beloved PLP.
While I do not wholly disagree with you I feel like the issue doesn’t rest solely on the present government. We’ve had politicians (both sides of the aisle) who operated like this is is the 60s and 70s when folks were lining up to come here. Both parties had a crack at it with lack luster results… from “Let yourself go”…. and the money went… to the BTA… aka Blame Them A%#^%*”. The bottom line is folks aren’t going to pay all of their hard earned cash for our crystal clear water and pink sand when they can get clear water and white sand for a lot cheaper. Now ask yourself why any government hasn’t done something about that and you start to get to one of the root causes of the issue… we’ve priced ourselves out of the game, but folks in the game are looking at short term profit margins and while we all are pointing fingers at each other the folks with skin in the game (I.e. the hoteliers) are whining that they spent X amount of money so they can’t do anything. It’s not that they can’t… they won’t because in the short term they have to show a certain profit so they’ll beat a dying horse just as long as I can make it to the finish of their leg of the race and the next rider is one his own because the horse ran while I had mentality is going on. We as a country need to think out of the box with our tourism product and be ready and bite the bullet and cut our losses in some areas if we can if not we’re wasting our time blaming the riders when we have a lame horse (with pedigree) in the race. Yes it looks pretty, but we don’t need a show pony we need a racehorse.
“The bottom line is folks aren’t going to pay all of their hard earned cash for our crystal clear water and pink sand when they can get clear water and white sand for a lot cheaper. ”
People will come here, because Bermuda is MUCH safer than the islands to our south, but only a certain kind of people will come to a place with virtually no evening entertainment. That is the problem. The people we can attract are not the people our PLP Government wants to attract.
We priced ourselves out of the general tourism market in the 1980s. There is no going back, nor should we want to.
If we want to improve our tourism product we need to get Southampton Princess, Elbow Beach and other hotels back in the running and we need to provide evening entertainment. We need live music and other entertainment for both locals and tourists alike. Tourists used to enjoy sitting next to locals watching the Bermuda Strollers!
“People will come here, because Bermuda is MUCH safer than the islands to our south,”
I disagree. Bermuda isn’t that safe….and it’s certainly not safe for the LGBT community. It’s no secret that Bermuda is racist and homophobic.
Having been to several of the islands to our south, I maintain that Bermuda is much safer than the islands to our south, both for locals and for tourists.
I understand your point about the LGBTQ+ community, but in Bermuda they are vilified, not murdered, for their orientation.
That should be your advertising campaign…..”Come to Bermuda, where your vilified, but not murdered!”
Don’t forget about that low-life TA stupidness. I had to travel with my large family once, for medical reasons and had to pay $75 a head, early on. That was a huge penny when you don’t have much , and you are forking out much for health. If I hated it , I’m sure many others did to and went to other destinations! Other places open and overflowing with tourists. How about Bermuda? You know the result.
Don’t even talk about the sugar tax. That took out my children’s favorite candy store. To many rules, expensive policies and you get a very bad reputation. You know who to thank for these things.
lets step back for a moment the continued drop in airlift falls squarely on the shoulders of the current administration the plp decided to get involved with tourism …name me a successful plp minister as a hotelier. Bermuda has always paid to keep flights coming in the winter guaranteeing a % load factor , what is not being said is” We is Flat Broke” and cant/ dont want to pay, why we ask ,well if the planes dont come what happens we get dunked by skyport on their minimum and the plp will spin their OBA airport bad deal sad story. Its about elections and maintaining power not whats best for Bermudians . How about the deal the plp struck with the new hospital why no noise on their payoffs. or how did Carolina Bay actually end up at Morgans Point in the first place…The PLP to try and hide their screw ups but the list is so long long sleeves cant cover them up. Burt and some of his FF have made millions over the last 20 out of 24 years the plp supporters need to look in the mirror and ask 1 question
How much better off am i today compared to 1998
They have made millions – go search YouTube for “net worth of Caribbean Premiers” and then tell me how angry you are afterwards.
Cayman has its own, profitable airline. They have just announced new routes to Los Angeles.
Once again Cayman seems to be able to things that are beyond us.
If Cayman Airways is profitable, it is one of the few government-owned regional airlines that is.
How about Furbert yesterday saying that Bermuda routes have been cancelled because of shortages of pilots.
That’s an excuse only the 1 di ots will believe.
At a press conference yesterday, former UBP leader the Hon. Wayne Furbert said that a lack of hotel beds was deterring airlines from laying on more flights to Bermuda.
At the press conference, the current PLP Minister of Transport Wayne Furbert claimed that cuts in service had been brought about in part because airlines were struggling to recruit pilots.
He said: “From what I understand from the airlines, as we come out of this period from pandemic, they’re having challenges themselves regarding pilots getting service on their own aircraft.”
When asked if he was making excuses for poor air service, Mr Furbert replied: “We’re not making excuses.”
First, “the current PLP Minister of Transport Wayne Furbert” was also UBP Minister of Transport in the late 1990s.
Second, what Wayne said is understanding of matters (“From what I understand”), not the real reason.
He was making excuses for his failure to attract visitors.