Monarch flight .Nearly empty

patti123

ssharonuk. I agree with all of what you said. I have not flown Charter for years but remember the staff as being the most miserable lot i have ever seen. Only 1 woman was nice on the Monarch flights.She was larger than the other woman.
They fly into Goa and stay in Goa for a week,till the next weeks flight. Not a bad job.

jcbrum

I was talking to a lot of the Monarch crew staying here at the moment,and they all said they hated the flights to Goa.They reckon the majority of people on these flights are just cheap obnoxious package tourists.No wonder people don't like flying with Monarch with that attitude.

John

patti123

Ha ha those obnoxious package tourists are paying their wages . Who do they think they are ? they just push a trolley around.Trolley dollies,who are not good enough to work on any scheduled flights.
Jet Air from Heathrow, the staff are really nice.Doesnt cost anything to be nice.

ssharonuk

Well said Patti
cant aree with you more

machadinha

It's none of my business but shouldn't you guys be happy those flights aren't as overbooked?

As for some of the other comments, I guess you can consider yourself lucky not to have me as a stewardess.

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ssharonuk

I see you havent been lucky enough to have flown with monarch before

Noni

Hi Patti,

You are quite right in to-day Navhinda Times/Panorama and interesting article.

TOURISM: The Hen that lays the Golden Eggs.
The tourism industry is very worried. There is a drop in arrivals from 10% to 25%. There were rooms availabe for Christmas and there are rooms available for New Year. As one hotelier put it. THE DAY OF CHOCK A BLOCK ARE OVER.

happy New Year.

patti123

Noni I think its nearer the 25% drop in arrivals, if not more ! Friends in goa now say its dead.Lots of Indians there for Christmas, but they are not going into the restaurants. A lot of worried businesses in goa at the moment.

derek cox

Whats all the worry about visa,s for India, I wrote way back with the information that postal visa,s were back in operation as Mardon has said since Nov 4th. we have other freinds that have obtained their visa,s with no problems or delay,s. Also I am sure that Goa is large enough to accomadate the brit,s and the russians comfotably. I expect the the delay for the shack licences was down to the red tape,(I wonder who taught India about paperwork?)We will be in Kerala next week looking forward to making new freinds.

patti123

derek cox. I think its quiet in Goa cause its a knock on effect of the Visa, when it was hard to get a visa. Maybe Jan onwards it will get busier in Goa, as people now are getting visas easy by post.

derek cox

Hi Patti, I was never aware that visa,s were hard to get, but I was really put out to know that for a while the postal applications had stopped, but had started just in time for me to post it, just under a two week turnaround. I also was amused that for a while the advance time for Indian rail bookings was increased to 90 days which would have been very handy, only to discover it had been changed back to 60 days again, what next?

the irish indian

Hi Noni,Patti,All,

In all the years i have been travelling to Goa this year has definately been the quietest. I think the visa issue is only part of the problem as is the property issue.

What i have found quite deflating about Goa especially this year is the amount of hassle and some of it very agressive from shop owners, stall holders, taxi drivers, beach sellers etc (most of which are out of state Indians trying to cash in on the Goan tourist market). Its gone crazy....i witnessed 2 young woman on Anjuna beach in tears because a group of beach sellers insisted that they bought from them.It was their first time in Goa and they told me they would'nt be back.
This year because of less chartered tourists the agressive behaviour has IMO got even worse as the businesses are panicking about their profits.
Walking down Calangute main street is like running a gauntlet that will leave the bravest, stongest tourist in bits afterwards.

Many Goans are also up in arms over this as they witness their state being plundered and raped before their very eyes. Hence all the anti SEZ and Regional Plan movements.

Many tourists come to Goa for the Paradise Beach experience....unfortunately Goa can't offer this anymore and tourists especially the British are moving on to places were they feel more welcome and not just because of the pound in their pocket.

I'm not having a go at Goa or India in general just making an observation and as i'm a person of indian origin i am certainly not bias in anyway.

Regards,
Remy

PS. I think next year will have even less chartered tourists especially from the UK. A lot of Holidays are sold on word of mouth and there are just too many dis-gruntled charter tourists out there who want to give Goa a miss.

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patti123

the irish indian, i have heard there are even more taxis this season.The building work is still going on ,and the roadworks in Calangute is half finished.
A friend of mine that has always been going to Goa has now gone to Thailand and is building his own house there.Another friend wants to go to China or Vietnam instead of Goa.
I think Goa has been on a downward spiral for years now.
I cant see my self there in 2009.I have already booked for 2008. I dont go there to "party" i like the weather and the food, and meeting people. But the hassle you get in Goa is not worth it.

the irish indian

I agree Patti,

We have also went faithfully to Goa usually twice a year....and i said to my other half this week that i am going to look at Thailand or Indonesia next year......I just dont want to go on Holiday to get nothing but hassle and agro anymore. Goa has been changing for the worse over the past few years and i can only hope that it will come full circle and save itself before its too late. One taxi driver told me that if business did'nt pick up soon he would have to park it up and get the fishing boat out again. Maybe this is the start of a wake up call for many.

From the minute you get off the plane until you get back on it....it seems like everyone wants every penny you'v got and they act as if you owe it to them. This is not the Goa i fell in love with.

Regards,
Remy

capt_mahajan

As one who always says that the contribution of foreign tourists to the Goan economy is overstated, I am sorry that things have come to this pass. Not because of the impact on the Goan economy alone, overstated or not- but because a mess has been made of Goa by successive governments.

On the evidence and the history, unfortunately,I have my doubts.