The CEO of a European company recently spent tens of thousands of euros in Malta, hosting staff of the organisation he heads from all over Europe. The meeting went very well. Our traditional Maltese hospitality, a core element of our branding, did us proud, and the Maltese representatives who hosted this large group pulled out all the stops to ensure this was a successful trip.
These young, dynamic and successful young Europeans enjoyed their meeting, loved Malta, the hotel was pleasant, they ate well, the weather was fabulous (and still is at the time of writing). They went home, a hundred or so men and women who could potentially bring hundreds more to Malta by spreading the good word about these islands – which are still not at all well-known, particularly to younger, high-worth Europeans, beyond being a sun-drenched island-cum-rock in the middle of the Mediterranean.
They were also a sufficiently important group for one of our ministers to address in his field. The fact that a minister did this is a credit to him, to the organisers and to this island that knows, as the whole Commonwealth thing showed, how to look after our guests, how to make visitors feel special and valued – if the will is there, of course! Sadly, all this goodwill was ruined by a series of unfortunate events, that could easily have been avoided. First, Air Malta is still overbooking. So although the CEO arrived a full hour before take-off, he was shocked to find that not only was he overbooked, but there was no way off the island that evening, not even by other routes. The Air Malta girl did not want to admit there had been overbooking, but there was, so eventually she did, and worse, that overbooking on our national carrier is a matter of practice – and course – here.
Many of us know this, and I for one always ring the day before to confirm, but should CEOs of foreign companies know this too?
And we are not talking about low-cost carriers or charter flights, are we? Should a national carrier, which is the first and final impression we give as a country, actually be overbooking at all, beyond perhaps by the one seat that is almost always not filled on any one flight?
On every flight, it is true, you can usually count on one not turning up. That always happens. But to overbook by six seats is an absolute disgrace. This had become such a common practise for some airlines that now, thanks to international regulations, you have to receive e400 in compensation.
This is great for some students who are flying, but for those whose time is money, it is a great inconvenience and no compensation at all.
And, of course, Air Malta has to put you up for the night – you would assume in a decent hotel. This CEO and his group had stayed in the Corinthia San Gorg, which by all accounts pressed the right buttons. So, except for a weakish espresso, there were no complaints about the hotel and the good quality of service it offered to such an important part of our tourism industry, that of conferences and incentives.
And these people, who had just had their weekend ruined, expected a decent hotel to be offered. It turned out to be a hotel in Sliema. I only saw one of the rooms offered. It was as small as a bathroom in a four-star hotel, with a small window looking out on to a shaft. There was no AC to speak of, and the decor was third world. It was absolutely appalling. Even in my student days, this would have rated as a “pensione” that I would only have put up with because youth and too much wine and exhaustion would have made me blind to certain basic necessities.
Undoubtedly, all the authorities will receive complaints because of this. But really, first Air Malta must stop overbooking. It is a very bad advertisement for Malta and for our national carrier to do this. Second, if you do overbook, have the decency to offer a decent to very good hotel, at least four-star – because in Malta four-star really means three – and choose your hotels more carefully. This hotel ruined everything and when you consider the efforts made by so many, from the local reps, to the Corinthia hotel staff, to all the great eating establishments, Air Malta let us all down badly as a nation.
I hope such hotels are removed from Air Malta’s list. I hope they stop their overbooking policy. And I hope Air Malta realises that it, too, is part of our branding exercise. It is Air Malta, our national carrier. In this case Air Malta faltered, and failed, the branding test miserably.
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