A $100 voucher to be used towards passengers' next trip as compensation for recent disruptions.
Whenever it comes to traveling to Ghana direct via North American Airlines, opinions vary concerning flight scheduling, customer service and in-flight service. There are travelers who have given their thumbs up as to the service they are offered and proud to have an airline which travels to Ghana direct and then are those who become unimpressed as a result glitches they experienced. There are also those who think that such is the airline industry; very unpredictable. As many applaud them for operating direct flights services to go to Ghana including this writer, the operators of North American Airlines have also come under heavy criticisms.
Some major glitches have not impressed many passengers. Those who have experienced the glitches have vowed never to board the airline again.
The recent problem occurred aboard flight NAA 122 from Accra to New York on Sunday; March 19th. There was an emergency landing at Cape Verde and passengers had to stay for over 6 hours for the technical issue to be resolved. While safety is very important in this regard as it could have been worse; some passengers were furious because they mentioned that they experienced similar problems not long ago. This long journey was too much and they mentioned that it was the last time they were going to board NAA. The flight crew kept customers informed on developments and they never showed any sign of frustration and attended to the constant query of when the flight would be ready.
How do these problems solved to avoid further mishaps and making passengers have an enjoyable journey? How can NAA, known for investing in the community get better and provide the long lasting direct flight service with no hassle?
In an interview with Vice President of NAA, Mr. Peter Bogovich regarding NAA's position on the recent problem, he said; "No one at North American Airlines takes these issues lightly, especially we in the Marketing department. The facts are that we have been operating in the Ghanaian market for just about 9 months to date and we had only 4 bigger disruptions of our service. Twice we had to use a 757 aircraft which required a stop over in both directions. I am fully cognizant that this is far from the product we promised the Ghanaian market. However, under the circumstance, we had a choice of operating with a 757 equipment or cancelling the flight. We all felt that operating the flight would be a much better choice. To compensate the passengers for the inconvenience we gave every passenger a $100 voucher to be used towards their next trip on North American Airlines".
Mr. Bogovich continued that; "the third problem was a delay from JFK of approximately 7 hours, due to the late arrival of the airplane (previous leg) to JFK. Passengers were called in advance and told to come to the airport late to avoid long wait. I am sure that if you compare our record with any of our competitors you will find that we have operated a superior product. Can we do better? Should we do better?... most definitely. All of us at North American Airlines are committed to offer the best possible service/product to the Ghanaian community. Believe me...no one at North American Airlines will ever take this market for granted. As a proof of our commitment to the Ghanaian market we will be introducing a Business Class service as of April 14. Business Class section will have 12 seats with 56 inch pitch and all the normal Business Class' amenities. Furthermore, as of June 3 we will be introducing second flight to Accra from New York and as of June 4 Baltimore Accra service will be inaugurated. Needless to say....if we were not committed to this market this expansion of service would definitely not take place.
We are continuing our involvement in the Ghanaian community and on March 31, we are meeting the executives of NCOGA at the Ghanaian consulate in New York. I expect that the meeting will be very spirited, but I am also sure will be very beneficial for all present. Believe me I do want to work with the Ghanaian community to ensure that we meet their expectations not only some of the time, but every time they step on one of our airplanes".
Mr. Bogovich also said; North American Airlines has sponsored many programs in the Ghanaian community since its direct flight operations and they include;
* Town Hall meeting at the Ghanaian Consulate * Health Forum at Lehman College * Summer Picnic organized by NCOGA * CEANA Convention in Virginia, Labor Day Picnic in MD * Ashanti Pride Parade in Bronx * Ghana Business Alliance in Hartford, CT. * Portable Water project in Ghana
North American Airlines and the Carter Center has joined forces in the eradication of Guinea worm in Ghana. As Rob Binns, World Air Holdings Chief Marketing Officer said; "Eradication of Guinea worm disease is a worthwhile commitment that will have a permanent impact on the quality of life in Ghana, and we are proud to join with The Carter Center for this humanitarian mission." Carter Center founder and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in an on board video informs passengers that all contributions will be doubled by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Mr. Carter also said; "The Carter Center, in a partnership with North American Airlines, believes good health is a basic human right," said Jimmy Carter. "The impact of having Guinea worm disease probably will never enter your life or the lives of your family. Yet, at this very moment, it is crippling someone else's children. Together we can eradicate this horrible disease within our lifetime."
NAA runs an advertisement on; Kwame Sefa Kayi's hilarious TV show; "It takes Two".
