From Ms A. Cachia

Would someone at AirMalta please explain to me what sort of perverse thinking goes on in the minds of their sales publicity managers when they come up with the following hallucinatory scenario?

Just a couple of days ago I decided to book two AirMalta flights to Milan through the Internet, quoted at e173 each but then recalled having received a e50 voucher from AirMalta through my credit card. This, I found out however, would entail having to go personally to the sales office instead of using the Internet and therefore losing my 2000k miles due from online booking. So I called customer care, as advised by the sales office, and learned through a pre-recorded message that I would automatically gain 500k miles if I booked through their number. On hearing the official’s voice at the other end of the line I asked if I could book and was promptly quoted a new price of e178 per ticket. The five-euro price hike in each ticket, I was told, was due to my not booking through the Internet. And the 500k miles, by the way, would also be lost since they were only given with a phone booking!

I was understandably confused: my so-called “free” voucher for e50 was going to cost me 2000 or 500 k miles and a further e5 simply because a voucher has to be presented in person!! What sort of muddled mind could come up with a piece of nonsense like this?

But the cherry on the cake was when I went in person to the airport sales office and bought my two tickets: the price was increased by a further e5 per ticket for the simple reason that I was not buying them through the Internet!! Can you believe it? AirMalta were actually penalising me e20 and 2000k miles for using a free e50 voucher they themselves had sent me.

I am not incensed about the e20 lost: they can eat them for all I care. But come on AirMalta: if this is not a publicity gimmick, I frankly do not know what it could be!

Anna Cachia

GUDJA