Turbulent time for Air Malta

F delicata

Aug 14th 2009, 10:10

Sa fejn naf jien bil-kontra tahdem is-sistema fil-business ! illum biex jigbdu in-nies Hotels, Restuarants ,Resorts, Criuse Liners ect, jirriklamaw free items u jqactu il-prezz , L-Airmalta bil-kontra, prezzijiet tat-Tickets id-doppju u iktar meta tqabbel ma kumpanijji ohrajn, u kif qalu hafna servizz u catering brodu !

D Satariono

Aug 14th 2009, 09:42

I was on a Ryanair flight recently , it was my first ! to say the truth I was always afraid because of many paroli, ticket was really cheap , regarding catering I bought it , so catering on Airmalta ( that bezzun with perzut) cost about 120 euros ? As the difference between the 2 airlines is the catering ! The ticket of Ryanair was E120 less! I bought a sandwich ( good one) and still with 100 in pocket ! Airmalta wake up!

R Eisenberg

Aug 14th 2009, 05:10

Sorry to say that my experiance regarding Airmalta was a bad one, an expensive ticket at double the price of other Airlines , ok my fault .....and to make things worst , I was informed that my ordered specail diabetic meal could not be found ! Service is poor , Maltese Wine is good !

Tonio Micallef

Aug 13th 2009, 17:25

Ahna il-Maltin dejjem irridu inhalsu iktar, Mobile , TV tal-kulur , Korrozzi , Biljetti ta l-ajru , tista kwazi issemi kollox......u indumu is-snien biex nitghalmu , kolox huwa rip off, naghti parir lil-Airmalta u jekk ma tridx tnaqqas iktar tiehu il-parir ta hafna , tnaqqas l-ispejjes u tibqa tahdem , il-bqija ma ghandiex triq ohra , hadd mu iblah u ha jmur jonfoq flus zejda...u ma inkunux cwiec qaluna hafna affarijiet fuq Ryanyair ...taf x'naf li dejjem kabru !! mela ahna it-tajbin, u mhux bil-fors l-ekonomija ta malta dejjem sejra lura, immaginaw kemm flus hallasna zejda fil-passat fuq affarijiet li semmejt!

Toni Bartoli

Aug 13th 2009, 11:06

To A.Busuttil ...Our Airmalta ??? You work there jaqaw ? tickets are expensive , yes and there is Airlines which do not cater , but fares are very cheap Mr Busuttil !

A Busuttil

Aug 13th 2009, 10:33

It is not fair to label airmalta on the basis of the food, particularly so since the food is not what most bloggers here are describing. I had one particular flight to Gatwick in January and the food containing meatballs in gravy was excellent. Even returning, the food was nothing as being described here. did any of these bloggers have the opportunity to travel with other airlines across europe. for flights with less hours, you get a sandwich and a piece of chocolate, have to ask for a coffee and mind you the price is none cheaper than our airmalta.

M.Bezzina

Aug 13th 2009, 07:37

Thats why AirMalta in the coming winter should lower the prices so that more people uses her services in/out of Malta even in summer prices should be as much as poss competitive.

Sandra Sacco

Aug 12th 2009, 22:21

Airmalta should reduce fares like other airlines did, it's not a matter of food ( as I agree that food is of a very low standard) , the number of passangers will decrease more and more in the near future , People who run such entities should know better , that's why I cant understand why we always take a long time to understand the common sense !!

Marc Spiteri

Aug 12th 2009, 21:44

Ma nafx ghalfejn dawn l-argumenti !!!!!..tahsbu li d-dirigenti ta Airmalta ma jafux !!!!, illum ghandna ma nafx kemm il-linja ta l-ajru biex insiefru u ghadna l-ghazla , l-Airmalta jekk se tibqa sejra hekk , bill-biljetti esagerati, ikkomperati ma linji ohrajn jafu fejn ha jaslu , regward likel ehe naqbel li ghandu jkun bhan nies, li jiddispjaci nghid li mhux ..

Francis Zammit

Aug 12th 2009, 21:34

A third of the seats available on Air Malta's flights stayed empty in the first six months of the year, according to figures released by the Association of European Airlines !!!!!, please can someone explian to me why our National Airline cant reduce the fares and book all the seats, ok dont worry about the food , like someone said....many dont dare to touch it.....if the fares are cheaper everyone can afford to buy a good sandwich ...do like other Airlines and dont be stabborn please !

Josephine Abela

Aug 12th 2009, 21:14

When Ryan air and other airlines were coming , I remember a programme on Tv , were an Air Malta representative argued that they (Ryan air) don’t give any food for free , so yes it make sense , Our national Airline don’t give food for free because fares are expensive , and to make it worst , yes catering is a disaster , I think that the problem is in this country is that everybody forgets very quickly ...

A Abela

Aug 12th 2009, 17:53

Mr Schembri - Then we can find another reason for your flight being cheaper. If someone had booked very early cheaply, and later on he cancels, there is the possiblity that the flight is resold cheaply.

D Schembri

Aug 12th 2009, 16:11

One last thing, re the quality of food, for a 2 hour, 3 hour max flight, I dont think food is an issue for most, but when you pay a (let us call it) not a cheap fare, the least you expect is a decent sandwich.

I am sure most would forgoe the food issue if prices were more competitive.

D Schembri

Aug 12th 2009, 16:08

A Abela,

Dont know about the Zurich flight of course, but the Suttgart was full - not even one seat was empty.... and almost 3x the other price, seem to me too huge to be reasonable.

good point though, would be great to have a representative to reply to these comments.

r ferriggi

Aug 12th 2009, 16:06

the time for ''our'' national airline is up to do something.

we have been fleeced and abused long enough.

what is supposedely a national company to povide us with a good essential service has now found some difficulty..... it seems.

gone is the time when ,,,,, as someone from Airmalta once told be blankly,,,,,,

''we dont give toss we we fill half the plane,,,,,the important is we cash in anyway''

it seems that the time when Airmalta is run like another government dept are over......

A Abela

Aug 12th 2009, 16:02

D Schembri - the difference in price implies that the Malta-Zurich was more full then the Stuttgart flight. Some people seem to be judging Air Malta by the quality of its food.

I am in no defence for Air Malta, and I do hope the comments below are replied by an airline representative

D Schembri

Aug 12th 2009, 15:56

I already wrote this, but repeating it won't do any harm.

Zurich-Malta-Zurich during July - CHF800 (around EUR530)
Stuttgart-Malta-Stuttgart same days - EUR172.

I kept on insisting to fly to Malta beacuse as a Maltese living abroad, the reasons are obvious, so had to go the extra mile (a coupe actually) to fly from and to Stuttgart instead. It was crazy but I thought even crazier to pay more than double for a shorter flight.

Had I been a foreigner looking for a holiday destination, I would definitely have gone elsewhere, bad for the airline, and bad for the economy as a whole.

Even agree to the fact that there exists no last minute tickets - the closer you get to the day (even within 24 hours), the crazier the prices. Would love to hop on a flight on a Friday for the weekend if prices are more sensible.

t sammut

Aug 12th 2009, 15:48

why are the fares so expensive ? service and catering are so cheap ! maybe better a good sandwich....then a tasteless hot meal

Tina muscat

Aug 12th 2009, 15:38

S borg, nahseb li ghandek ragun, jien kont fuq flight u anqas kien hemm ikel bizzejjed, tal-mishijja u kien hemm it -turisti, ridt l-art tiblani, next time ..immur ma airline ohra....dont worry..it's a free country !!

S borg

Aug 12th 2009, 15:26

Airmalta is the most expensive,Airline , food is cheap and disastrous , last time I was on a flight, we had to wait 20 min for catering , then what , a no taste meal , come on...come on if you try to do something do it good !

Charles Micallef

Aug 12th 2009, 15:15

In all fairness to Air Malta, my next door neighbour asked us to help her look for a flight to Manchester for last month, and after going through the prices of airlines who operate that route, it transpired that Air Malta was the cheapest.

By the time you add the so called "extras" KM was some €20 cheaper than Easyjet, I suggest that as well as going through their website. it helps when one phones them direct!

Pierre Micallef Grimaud

Aug 12th 2009, 15:13

Why blame it on worldwide recession when prices for Air Malta flights are still so expensive, when compared to other airlines?

c. camilleri

Aug 12th 2009, 15:11

What about an other big increase in salaries to the employees?

Henk.Schooneveld

Aug 12th 2009, 14:46

We are from Holland(NL) have made bookings in the past with AirMalta from Amsterdam-Malta, but this year its a big NO!No! actually we checked Malta off our list for the next destination due tyo high prices, so we opted out for Corfu & Turkey. Sorry but thats business and unfortunitly AirMalta are not doing themselves any favours and to us that means a BAD CAREER MOVE as people are not returning to your country at least not from the Netherlands, until your prices fall in line with RyanAir and other airlines, its much cheaper for us to fly to London then back on again with RyanAir to Malta then to book direct with your national carrier.So Look-Listen and take Note AirMalta don't be stubburn, do the same as most of our businesses are doing and thats to re-organise cut down on staff and other unnecessities and look upon your customers as Kings as they are more important then playing the tramp card by being stubburn.it just doesn't pay sorry thats our opinion, i don't know what others think, but that doesn't interest me, i am thinking about my pocket.as a sensible Dutchman.

anthea doughty

Aug 12th 2009, 13:32

Air Malta should try reducing their prices then, especially for the last minute bookings. I have already had one holiday to Malta this year and another one is booked for few weeks time. However, I have been on line several times in the last two weeks looking at last minute flights for the following day and have not booked any because of the price they were still asking when it was obvious that they have not sold all the seats on that particular flight , a flight with only a few hours to go.......surely better to reduce the profit margin than to run at even less capacity?

A Abela

Aug 12th 2009, 13:13

Franco - In my wisdom (I work in the industry, but not with Air Malta), I would explain that by the fact that at another date the Lufthansa flight will be more expensive. Airlines use different yield management techniques.

Paul Caruana

Aug 12th 2009, 12:56

I would say it is a good time for AirMalta to decrease the seating capacity by a bit (which is not utilized anyway), and increase leg space for the long suffering Maltese passengers! And, by the way, how does AirMalta justify the fact that business class clients have to make do with the same cramped accomodation as economy?

At this rate, is there any real difference between travelling on a supposidely premium carrier, and the significantly cheaper Ryanair?

Franco Farrugia

Aug 12th 2009, 12:51

@ Mr A Abela - In your wisdom, then, perhaps you would wish to explain to me why a Lufthansa air ticket from Malta to a certain destination is half the price of an Air Malta ticket. Thank you.

Ross Stephen Lock

Aug 12th 2009, 12:28

From traveling yesterday on Air Malta it was a sad sight to see 30 empty seats on board. However as pricing is concerned the seats was a bargain at £160 return to the UK (Cardiff) a lower price that Ryan Air and Easy Jet. Air Malta has served the maltese community for 35 years and at time's, done this at a loss as it is forced to fill its social duties before its commercial ones, unlike Easy Jet & Ryan Air. Air Malta could slash its prices but then have to slash its work force to maintain profitability and then you can all moan about that to. Lets face it how many of you price moaners depend, or know of some one who depends on Air Malta to put bread on your/their table. WELL DONE AIR MALTA FOR 35 FANTASTIC YEARS. We owe it everything and it in turn owes us nothing.

Ian Galea

Aug 12th 2009, 11:57

@ J.Farrugia ... So, are you suggesting that Lufthansa and Alitalia are not safe? They offer the same trip from Malta to Munich and Rome respectively at approximately half Air Malta's fare!!

A Abela

Aug 12th 2009, 11:53

Who mentioned a reduction in maintenance?

J Farrugia

Aug 12th 2009, 11:33

to all concerned: it's better to have empty seats than reducing fares and reducing maintenance. Safety first instead of free flights.

Ray Buhagiar

Aug 12th 2009, 11:20

Not only that, but I have a frequent flyer pass and when I recently wanted to use it to book a flight to UK for September, the FLYPASS department asked to wait till August. This would put me in a position to miss my flight because all seats would have been taken up by August.

So I had to fork out money. What's the use for FlyPASS?

Gerald Sammut

Aug 12th 2009, 11:00

Can Airmalta explain to me why a seat booked through their webpage for Munich WAS going to cost me 240 euros, when through Lufthansa webpage(shared agreement) the same flight and same plane cost me 156 euros.

a abela

Aug 12th 2009, 10:54

Franco - Air Malta's pricing model is different from Ryanair. Ryanair would give out the seats at very cheap prices - at least it would gain money from the food on board, and free luggage.
The different pricing models, preclude Air Malta from doing what you are suggesting.

S Risso

Aug 12th 2009, 10:53

Air Malta--Take Note and quit the high prices!
High prices-low volume. Low prices - high volume.
Simple math people -when are you going to learn. This goes for many other businesses in Malta as well. Not just Air Malta.

Franco Farrugia

Aug 12th 2009, 10:21

I find this very strange. I mean: if Air Malta is going through turbulent times, and a third of the seats stay empty as this report claims, then, why do seat prices go drastically up towards the flight-date? At least, you would be able to fill those seats up.

R. Mallia

Aug 12th 2009, 10:06

If you consider that it takes over €500 for a couple to board a 1 hour flight to Rome, I am not surprised seat sale dropped. AirMalta, try offering cheaper seats and watch the number of your passengers increase again!

a abela

Aug 12th 2009, 09:55

This contrast with ryanair's full flights.

g. scerri

Aug 12th 2009, 09:52

Air Malta seems to prefer empty seats to bringing down its prices. Sound policy that.