For better or for worse...

Much has been written in the press recently about the fortunes or misfortunes of the national airline, Air Malta, with varying degrees of criticism and praise as the case may be. In its efforts to achieve economic success after a series of miscalculations and unfortunate occurrences leading to massive losses, the airline has introduced a series of cost-cutting exercises, with less than happy results.

For those of the passengers who enjoy alcoholic beverages, one of the pleasanter aspects of air travel was the generous offering by Air Malta of a drink or two of one's favourite tipple. Times were also when there was a choice of menu and lunch or supper offered two or three alternatives i.e. fish, meat or chicken. In addition, vegetarian menus were also available on request.

Whereas the actual airline catering left much to be desired, the airline sweetened the meal with a choice of either red or white Maltese wine of a tolerable quality.

All the foregoing has been reversed. Any alcoholic drinks are strictly against payment and the Maltese wine has been downgraded to such an extent that most of the passengers leave their wine almost untouched (apart from the first rather grim taste).

There is no longer any choice in the menu and the repetitious breakfast (really unappetising and uninspiring) is on a par with the unappetising lunch or supper.

Would it not be an enterprising step in the right direction to attempt to change the airline caterer and renegotiate less expensive but imaginative and appetising Air Malta meals?

Furthermore, with the entry of Malta into the European Union, foreign wines are at an all time low cost and, surely, it would be in the interest of any Maltese winery to supply the airline with their very best wines at a competitive price so as to tempt the tourists to buy Maltese wine while they are on holiday in preference to the very competitively priced foreign wines.

In offering passengers the inferior Maltese wine, Air Malta risks giving tourists the initial bad impression, which would fail to persuade tourists to drink local wines while on their holidays in Malta.

The unsuspecting tourist on a visit to Malta is in for further somewhat unpleasant experiences. After partaking of the uninspiring airline catering (and, in the case of the more seasoned travellers who use the airline frequently, the unpleasant surprise of the sudden unavailability of complimentary alcoholic beverages) the next hurdle concerns the taxi service at Malta International Airport.

A recent experience concerning the taxis at the airport is illustrative of the taximen's attitude in relation to their customers. Three persons emerged from the airport after booking a taxi to take them to their destination in Sliema. So far so good.

The threesome had rather a lot of luggage, including a larger-than-average size suitcase and several other cases. The taximan next in line to take on these customers was the proud owner of a fairly new vehicle and, therefore, he was particularly keen that all the luggage should be stowed in the boot of the vehicle rather than on the back seat or anywhere inside the car.

The luggage boot in question was rather smaller than average and had an obstruction on the left of the boot projecting from the back seat, limiting the luggage space still further.

At this juncture, most taxi drivers would regretfully have suggested that the potential customers were the possessors of too much luggage for his conveyance and have passed the passengers on to another taxi driver better equipped to cope with the extra luggage.

However, this taxi driver was not prepared to give up his 'fare'. He proceeded to squeeze and squash all the luggage into the impossibly small luggage boot; so that most of the suitcases were hanging out of the boot, suspended in mid air several feet above the ground, half in the boot, half out.

At this juncture, the intrepid taxi driver triumphantly produced two elastic straps with which he proceeded to secure the semi suspended luggage. The lady passenger was horrified!

He proceeded to reassure her that his wonderful straps would be quite secure. The scene was reminiscent of India in the days of the Raj and the proposed method of transportation of luggage would have been justified in that era and with the small luggage compartments of cars of that age.

However, in 2004 Malta, surely one should be entitled to expect a taxi to come equipped with a luggage boot of a suitable size to accommodate three persons' luggage, even if one of the cases was rather large and there were several items to be stowed away!

There was a happy ending to this saga. The lady passenger spied the next taxi in line for a fare and this happened to be an ancient Mercedes with a suitably large luggage boot. The taxi driver of this car was requested to take on the three persons with all their cases and all was happily packed away into the boot and the passengers finally went on their way to their destination!

How unnecessary all this was. Quite simply, the first taxi driver should have politely explained that his car was not suitably equipped to take on so many cases and of such a large size and passed the passengers on to the next taxi

It is true that taxi drivers in Malta have always possessed a bad reputation of 'ripping off' the tourists. Much has been done to improve the situation and anybody booking a taxi, whether from the airport or elsewhere, can query the price and it is possible to ensure that one is getting value for money. At the airport, one purchases the taxi fare prior to picking up the taxi to ensure that the prepaid fare is the correct price and no 'ripping off' can take place. This is hugely beneficial to the prospective passenger.

However, the attitude of the taxi drivers still leaves much to be desired. The first taxi driver in the above mini drama outside the airport was extremely unpleasant and angry when the lady passenger made her justifiable complaints. On being requested to remove the luggage from his unsuitable vehicle, he hurled the cases out of the boot and threw them on the pavement in an extremely bad temper.

As a result, several items inside the cases were squashed, bent and distorted. Surely, this is not the sort of behaviour one should expect from a taxi service!

Recent press coverage has highlighted the fact that Malta's tourist industry is suffering a downturn. Tourism is the lifeblood of Malta's economy and it must be in the best interests of all concerned, inhabitants, suppliers of services, restaurateurs and hoteliers all over the Islands to endeavour to present the best face of dedicated tourism to all visitors to Malta and Gozo.

So, each particular service within the tourist industry must strive at all times to ensure that customer satisfaction be the priority and that all visitors and tourists receive the sort of welcome and experiences to which they are entitled.

It should be the united desire of all branches of the tourist industry to achieve optimum service and happy tourists who are delighted to return for future holidays to the Maltese Islands.