New Look For Caribbean Airlines

Trinidad-based Caribbean Airlines, which includes Toronto in its network, is getting ready to spruce up much of its fleet.

Valerie Murphy-Rahman, the carrier’s senior manager, reservations and commercial sales, told a Toronto gathering Tuesday that the airlines’ B737-800s will be refurbished next year, with the work including redoing the seating and installing a “more upgraded entertainment system” that will have personal screens.

The B737-800s are used on the Toronto-Port of Spain route, with Caribbean Airlines now having some 20 Toronto-Port of Spain flights a week.

It also links Toronto and Kingston, Jamaica, three times a week.

Service is also available from Toronto to Barbados, Venezuela, Saint Lucia, Grenada and Guyana through Port of Spain, and Murphy-Rahman said her airline, which now serves 19 destinations, is looking at possible new routes.

She also praised the airline for an on-time performance that she said topped 90%.

Nazie Mohammed, Caribbean Airlines’ sales executive, Canada, in turn told the gathering that Caribbean Airlines passengers won’t be charged for the likes of headsets, meals, seat pre-selection and one checked-in bag.

Caribbean Airlines isn’t going to “nickel and dime” its clients, he continued.

Mohammed also reaffirmed his carrier’s ties with the travel agency community, stating that “at the end of the day, travel agents are still No. 1” with the airline.

Meanwhile, Murphy-Rahman told travelpress.com that Caribbean Airlines hopes to make inroads in the leisure travel market in this country.

“We know we have the [Caribbean] diaspora market, so we’re reaching to the leisure market as well,” she said.

Caribbean Airlines, which began operation in 2007, uses Port of Spain as a hub and Kingston, Jamaica, serves as a smaller hub as well, she continued.

Seen here are Dawne Francois, Grenada Tourism Authority; Philip Rose, Jamaica Tourist Board; Murphy-Rahman; Allison Ferguson, Trinidad & Tobago Tourism Development Company; Mohammed; and Mishelle Butters, consul attached to the consulate-general for Guyana.