Air Jamaica plane

January 31was the airline’s last day in that North American city.

The airline returned to the busy airport on December 9 last year, almost three years after cutting the route.

At the time of the resumption of direct service between Kingston and Miami, Caribbean Airlines CEO (Ag) Mr. Robert Corbie had this to say, “The resumption of direct service to Miami by our Air Jamaica brand solidifies our commitment to offering our customers better connectivity to North America, providing more options to and from Florida from Jamaica.”

He continues, “As the only regional carrier to offer non-stop services from Jamaica to three of Florida’s major cities, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and now Miami, we are a fundamental resource in Caribbean aviation. We believe in the added value of our product and continue to provide a reliable, flexible and dependable operation. Our added value package entitles our passengers to frequent flyer miles, two free pieces of checked baggage up to 50 lbs, in-flight entertainment and complimentary meals.”

It is not clear what has forced the hands of the former national carrier so soon after its return. However, in early December its parent company, Caribbean Airlines, aggressively tried to woo passengers with introductory rates as low as US$79 one-way plus taxes.

The only US cities now served by the airline are Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, New York and Philadelphia.

He is quoted in the Jamaica Observer as stating that REDjet hopes to receive approval from the Jamaica government in 2012.

“We had our difficulty before because of the divestment of Air Jamaica,” Burns noted.

“Air Jamaica is no longer around and so we believe those barriers have been taken down and we should be approved, hopefully sometime next year, and we can start operations out of Jamaica. That should bring somewhere in the region of six to seven hundred jobs to Jamaica.”

Air Jamaica was sold to the Trinidad and Tobago-based Caribbean Airlines in May, leaving the Jamaica government with a 16 percent stake.

The CEO said the proposed airline will trade as REDjet, though it will be majority-owned by Jamaicans.

“All our cabin crew, pilots, all our engineers, flight dispatch officers, all our ground handling services, all those services will be provided from Jamaica, by Jamaicans. Our plan will be to build our fleet here, specifically in Jamaica, from five to 10 aircraft. That will be built on a solid business foundation and we will grow as the demand is there for our service,” he added.

The Barbados-based low-cost carrier will begin serving six destinations in late November.

TEMPE, Arizona: US Airways is raising baggage fees by $5 each way, per bag.

The higher fees are the same as those set in recent days by Delta, Continental, and United.

US Airways said on Friday it will charge $25 each way for the first bag, and $35 for a second bag. The increase takes effect for tickets purchased Monday for travel beginning Feb. 1. Travelers who pay in advance online will get a discount of $2 for the first bag fee and $3 for the second.

American Airlines is still charging $20 each way for a first bag, and $30 for the second.

Most of the big carriers added baggage fees in 2008. Southwest Airlines passengers can check two bags for free, and JetBlue passengers can check one for free.

The deadly attempt by 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to blow up Northwest Airline Flight 253 carrying 278 passengers over the Detroit skies with an explosive device sent shock waves to Nigerians in the Diaspora.

The story of Abdulmutallab, a staunch Muslim who was schooled in Britain and other places and the son of a wealthy Nigerian banker and politician, is not the kind of story Nigerians say their nation needs at this critical time.

“This is very reprehensible and I join all concerned Nigerians at home and abroad in condemning it. I think it is an image holocaust that could affect the country’s trade, tourism, foreign investments and economic growth,” said Nigerian-born author C. Paschal Eze whose new book, “For Blacks (And Others) Who Really Care,” discusses smart ways Americans can make their mark on the African continent from afar. “I also think it has the possibility of making life hell for law-abiding Nigerians abroad who may come under intense scrutiny, suspicion and isolation wherever they go.”

Abdulmutallab, who is being tried by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan before U.S. District Judge Paul D. Borman, faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

Bernard Onwuemelie, president of the Nigerian Foundation of Michigan, issued a statement Monday evening condemning the Christmas attack in Detroit.

“The Nigerian Foundation of Michigan condemns this act of terrorism, and disassociates the Nigerian community in Michigan from all acts of terrorism and wanton destruction of life and property,” Onwuemelie said. “We call on the Nigerian government, the United States of America and all well-meaning people of the world to investigate this act in all its ramifications in order to forestall such occurrences in the future.”

Onwuemelie said the group pledges its support “against terrorism and calls on all people to support efforts towards this endeavor.”

The Christmas Day incident has reignited a spirited debate on the war on terror and what policies ought to be adopted for international and domestic airlines.

But at the center of the debate is the question of why Abdulmutallab’s U.S. visa was not revoked after his own father alerted the U.S. embassy in Abuja Nigeria on Nov. 19, five weeks before the attack about his extreme religious views and possible links to terrorist groups.

Abdulmutallab boarded the inbound flight to Detroit from Amsterdam in the Netherlands and was trying to detonate the explosive as the jet approached Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Questions are also being raised about airport security in the Netherlands and why Amsterdam and Nigeria did not detect the explosives on Abdulmutallab.

Tosin Banwo, a Nigerian MBA student at Wayne State University said he received calls from his colleagues following the incident that “Nigerians have done it again.”

“This incident shows the power of how one person can damage the image of a whole country,” Banwo said. “Considering the challenges and problems we have it is going to take a while before we can redeem our image.”

For a young man like Abdulmutallab, who came from a privileged background, Banwo said he doesn’t understand what could be the motivation for the terror suspect’s actions.

Meanwhile an Al-Queda group in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed responsibility for the airliner attack, saying it was in retaliation for a U.S. military offensive against the group in Yemen where Abdulmutallab is said to have lived sometime in 2005.

Profiling is back in the spotlight with some analysts suggesting that individuals with Muslim, ethnic or foreign sounding names should be thoroughly questioned during travels, something that would be met with stiff resistance from the civil liberty community including the American Civil Liberties Union.

“We have to be vigilant and work harder to portray the good image of Nigeria,” Banwo said. “No one should label all of us as terrorists.”

In a nation where northern states like Kano are governed by Sharia Law, many fear religious extremists might be seeking sanctuary in Nigeria.

That is why Eze said the Nigerian government failed to respond appropriately to news of the Detroit incident. He said his nation dropped the ball in tackling this latest public relations disaster on the world stage.

“Silence and delay are never golden in an image crisis,” Eze said. “Imagine what could have happened if the Nigerian government had held a truly international press conference within 24 hours of the dastardly incident, condemning the wicked act in the strongest possible terms, pledging full and active cooperation with U.S. security agencies, and harping that such a wicked act is not reflective of overwhelming majority of Nigerians who are peace loving in their core.”

The relations between Washington and Nigeria, the world’s eleventh largest oil producing nation and fifth largest supplier to the U.S., is unlikely to be severed by the terrorist incident.

In responding to the crisis, President Barack Obama was determined to instill confidence in the public that the nation will utilize all of its power to fight terrorism.

Naming Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia as places the U.S. will tackle terror, as well as anyplace else, Obama never mentioned Nigeria in his speech in which he called for more airport security.

Yet, according to Eze, “Despite its poor image, the Nigerian nation has been a force for good in the world with its active participation in UN and African Union peacekeeping missions and Technical Aid Corps Scheme that has benefited many Third World nations, among others.”

Courtesy of New America Media

Do you need vaccines for your destination? You can hunt down this information online or by contacting a place that handles travel vaccines. A company known as Passport Health specializes in health care for travelers.  They can give just about any kind of vaccine needed for travel to a foreign country.  If you are not sure what kind of vaccine you need they have all that information on hand.  Here is the contact number 714-258-7196 and their web site passporthealthusa.com.

Staying healthy is important, so it is recommended that you get your vaccine as far in advance as possible before the trip, just in case you have an allergic reaction to the vaccine. Find out as much as you can about your destination.  For some destinations, you may need pills that you will have to start taking a few days before you leave.  For example, pills for malaria. This is to get your body acclimated to different maladies that might exists in your destination of choice.

Next stop on the shopping route should be the pharmacy. Check and make sure that your prescription medications have refills. Sudden illness could ruin your trip, so plan ahead and refill your prescriptions.  Do not count on filling prescriptions at your destination. The pharmacy may not carry the medication or it might be called a different name. The pharmacist in your destination might not know the equivalent of your medication.  Always pack your prescription and over-the-counter medications in your carry on luggage. In case you need the medication, you will be able to retrieve on board the plane.  Besides, many airlines these days no longer have medication on board.

While you are seeing about the prescriptions, it is probably a good idea to get an extra pair of reading glasses for the trip. It is not fun if you loose, misplace, or break your glasses and have to squint for the remainder of your trip, because you are no where near a store that sells them.

It is always best to be prepared for the unexpected, so do not overlook including travel insurance. Travel insurance can reimburse you for trip interruption or cancellation, for emergency medical expenses or medical evacuation, or can provide you with assistance in locating a doctor in the place where you are visiting or doing business. It would be wise to buy it from a third party insurance carrier and not from the travel agent or tour company who sold you the airline ticket. That way you are protected if the tour company happens to cease doing business before or during your trip.

Now it’s time to pick out your luggage.  The better the quality the longer it will last. Higher price does not mean the best quality.  Pay attention to the important aspects of the luggage. Heavy duty ballistic nylon material is the most durable of suitcase materials. The zipper should be sturdy and firm, the handle should be attached by a stud and stitching.

Everyone seems to be opting for luggage with wheels.  If this is your preference, look for roller blade type wheels, which will roll a lot smoother than others on the market.  There are a few brands that offer lifetime warranty on their luggage. If you plan to do a lot of traveling, those are the best kind to get. You will pay a little more in the beginning, but will save in the long run.  If something breaks, simply take the luggage to a repair shop that has a warranty agreement with the company, and they will fix it free of charge.

To all the tall people out there, you do not have to stoop down to pull your luggage.  There are some brands with longer pull handles which makes for a more comfortable pull.  If you decide that the cute duffle style, big brand name bag is what you prefer, keep in mind that after you have stuffed it full, the absence of wheels makes for a heavy bag to haul on your shoulders down those long airline corridors. The big airports of the world require a long walk between the aircraft and curbside.

Map for collage from caribbean-map.org.