Diaspora News of Sunday, 24 November 2013

Source: stephen a.quaye.

No seats for holidaymakers in Canada

The dream of many Ghanaians and other foreign nationals who might visit Ghana and celebrate the New Year seems shattered by the various airlines.

Currently, there are hundreds of holiday makers who can not purchase air tickets to travel to Ghana to spend the Christmas or the New Year simply because seats are not available.

This is causing a lot of frustration for many hundreds of travelers who would like to visit various destinations in Africa especially Ghana to enjoy the yuletide there and return to their foreign destinations after.

Two months ago, reduction sales in air fares were announced by various airlines which did not cover the high season that starts from December 15 to December 26 so those who wanted to go and celebrate the New Year kept waiting for discounts that could cover their preferred dates of travel.

When the sales was announced, a round trip ticket from Toronto to Accra sold at 1,200 Canadian dollars, which made other travelers to believe that there could be discount sales later in the month of November as usual but that hope seems dashed.

A visit to one of the travel agents who is well noted for selling air tickets to Ghanaians in Toronto revealed how tens of Ghanaians are frustrated following the unavailability of bookings for their holidays come next month. As the phones kept ringing every minute, one could see how disturbed these holiday makers were trying to book their reservations but the agent could not because there were no seats available.

“…… travels can I help you, oh sorry there are no seats between December 26, 2013 to January 13, 2014 we are sorry. Available seats for booking are from January 13, 2013. Oh sorry that will be too far for me, thank” was the conversation between the agent and clients which showed how frustrated they were.

Usually, Ghanaians and for that matter travelers who want to spend the festive occasions in Ghana book their reservations on Lufthansa Airlines, KLM or Air Canada and have their transit flight either from Amsterdam or Frankfurt to Kotoka International Airport in Accra.

Because these airlines are not coming out with discount sales, others are considering connecting from Toronto to New York before embarking on 13 hour journey from America to Ghana and even that there are no seats available on Delta Airlines worsening travelers’ plight.

With this, a special appeal has been issued to the various airlines to consider coming out with discount sales that will cover the yuletide for holiday makers in Canada and America who wants to travel to Ghana to be able to book their reservations. End.