Fraud at Grand Cayman Airport

[maninblack]

Apparently there has been a recent incident of check-in fraud at Grand Cayman airport.

Passengers checking in for a flight from Grand Cayman to London were advised by check-in staff that their ticket only included half the required departure tax and that US$25 was demanded from some of the departing passengers.

Oddly enough the staff were loath to give out receipts.

The purser of the departing flight checked his passengers and found that many of them had also been charged "departure tax" Not a rumour, a fact, I am close friends with one the the taxed passengers.

There may well be some vacancies in ground handling soon.

[Wycombe]

Different airport and island, but same Region -

Upon departing UVF (Hewanorra, St. Lucia) on Sunday night last, we were asked to pay a total of $54EC (about $20US) departure tax.

We knew about this and are used to paying these charges in many other parts of the World, but at least the airports in question were modern, with good facilities and service.

UVF on a Sunday evening (when VS, BA and BW all depart for the UK within an hour and the terminal can't cope) is a joke and detracts from the holiday experience.

No departure screens were working, no announcements were made and it was only because I went to the "gate" and asked that I found out our flight was already boarding - this was after having to queue at check-in for 1 hr (there was not that big a queue, it was just unbelievably slow).

I know it's the Carribean, but....

[rsoman]

maninblack
This may not necessarily be a scam although you are right about the point of issuing a receipt.
I have access to a publication called the IATA AIRPORT and AIRNAVIGATION CHARGES MANUAL and the current edition lists among others that for Grand Cayman a USD 25 should be paid on departure by the passenger and is colleced on the ticket.
My last job involved among other things dealing with travel agents issuing computerised tickets (many tickets are issued by travekl agents directly and not by the airline office) and it is possible, deliberately or more often unintetionally the ticket to be issued without an applicable charge being collected on the ticket.In such a case if the error is detected at the airport, the passenger might be asked to pay for it.The airline may also alternatively bill the travel agent who issued the ticket.

A similar incident happened about an year back in India when conscentious check in staff of a leading Indian domestic airline at a major indian city held up many passengers of one of their flights demanding that they pay the difference in taxes. Incidentally this was a very delayed increase without prior notice and most of the passengers in questions had tickets issued before this new rule was announced. The sum in question was something like 75 Rupees (about a £) and even if the agents were aware of this beforehand the cost of tracing the passengers , recalling the tickets and issuing fresh ones would have been far more. A more sensible thing would have been for the airline to bill the travel agents involved and collect the amount in their next billing cycle rather than holding up irate pax on an early morning flight. But then as happens often common sense becomes a casuality in the face of (over) enthusiasm!

Cheers

[Sheep Guts]

This happens alot got stung myself in Panama, they said I needed to pay $30.00 departure tax even though on the ticket it said all taxes paid. Anything like that happens to you, tell them you want to speak to the Manager. That will test their intestinal fortitude!:D

[AOG-YYZ]

One hour line up for check-in at UVF is a piece of cake compared to SJU. On Sunday 10, November 2002 we waited 2 hours and 10 minutes to check in. Missed our AA flight to Miami and was not able to get out until the last AA flight resulting in a missed connection to a Toronto bound Air Canada flight. Suite case broken, opened and rifled.

I know that Weekends at SJU are to be avoided, due to cruise ship traffic, but this was rediculous.