How will this affect travel? both of tourists and Jamaicans visiting or returning. Is Virgin a reputable airline? What are the other airlines operating out of jolly old England?

What do you mean 'Air Jamaica sale of London Gates'? Are you referring to the recent announcement that Virgin will be flying to Kingston, in addition to Mo Bay? I am extremely grateful that Virgin fly to Jamaica. We travel twice yearly and have been treated with contempt by AJ. They have left us at airports for 8 hours at a time, cancelled flights without prior notice and leaving everyone stranded for 24 hours at a time. The last time I flew with them I was delayed 9 hours, left a t Kingston instead of Mo Bay as they had then exceeded their flying hours and lost all of my luggage. They have never had the decency to apologise or pay compensation. We love Jamaica, spending 6 weeks of there year there, flying for hours from London. The last time it happened we realised that we just can't get there anymore. Then Virgin started to fly to Mo Bay. We are flying with them for the second time, next month. We have also booked to fly again with them for Christmas and New Year. BA fly to Kingston. There are a couple of charter flights from London but, that's about it. If AJ are having problems, they have brought it upon themselves. Everyone I know that has flown with them has been treated equally badly. They have been the biggest obstacle between london and jamaica.

Ken this a sad moment in the life of Jamaican living in England who take pride in their homeland ,there is nothing more beautiful than going to a airport and seeing the LOVE BIRD ,knowing its a representation of Jamaica ,make you feel proud of your country ,and yes its going to affect Jamaican and tourist coming to Jamaica from Europe , Heathrow is the gateway to Europe and selling that sloth to Virgin was a big mistake ,what they should/ve done instead of taking the money they should/ve lease the sloth or buy some shares in Virgin Airway so at lease they would/ve a say in the future of the airline services to Jamaica ,selling to British Airway would/ve been a smarter deal ,British Airway has a larger fleet of plane that travel all over Eupore so it would/ve been cheaper and easier for making connecting flight .I just read where Qantas Airline paid $40 million US dollars for two sloths in 2004 and we only sell for $5.6 US ,it look like rotten deal anyway you look at it ,someone must/ve gotten paid on the side ,anyway if the crime does/nt stop in Jamaica the tourist market going to get a blow and that will only give Virgin the desire to pull out of Jamaica .mismanagement is the downfall of Air Jamaica ,like everything else run it into bankrupty then sell it .

This is not a joke. The last two times we visited Jamaica on Air Jamaica, they served a meal with no salt or pepper. I am talking about those tiny packs that are usually enclosed with the plastic fork and knife and napkin. The first time we figured it was a mistake. Then we realized it was to save money because thousands and thousands of those packages probably add up to more than what people think. But it still felt cheap, like we were being cheated. Meanwhile they offer free champagne. Also some people complained their seats were uncomfortable because the padding was out of the bottom of the seat and they felt like they were sitting on metal bars for many hours. We will continue to support AJ, but it seems clear they are cutting corners in places where the customer is not put first.

Jamrock we must remember that Air Jamaica is a private company owned by Butch Stewart and as such it is his to do with as he and the share holders see fit. We should keep in mind that it is not a National government owned entity. I personally have not build an airline company and therefore am in no position to critize AJ and its owners. Butch Stewart built this into a major player in the world of air travel not only to JA but also to the larger Caribbean and that's a good thing. Additionally, crime is not what will deminish tourism in Jamaica but the rising fuel cost and other factors which have led to an increase in ticket prices keep people from traveling as such as they may want. Let's remember crime is everywhere in the world. Large cities in Europe and America are not exempt from crime so why harp on this in relation to Jamaica.

Mismanagement is the downfall of Jamaica...not just Air Jamaica. Air Jamaica is just a microcosm of the rest of the country...which I love incidentally.

Hooked on TB: I think you forgot that Butch Stewart turned Air Jam back over to the Government of Jamaica, some 5 years ago, after which Air J has plummented to the ground. Many patriotic Jamaicans (like myself) will tell you flat out; "no not Air Jamaica, they are too unreliable". Reality must be faced, many of us have experienced long delays and cancellations which resulted in job endangerment. As for AJ selling the route to Virgin, I can't comment, as I dont know anything about Virgin and its service. Lets pray that if tourism take a further plunged in Jamaica, Virgin will not pull out over night.

Such a darn shame that Air Jamaica is in such a cricis.Whoever thought it would come to this.Maybe it"s greed, maybe it"s I have made all the money I need so let the people find their way to Jamaica, who cares what airlines they use.
Like Miss Understood put it Mismanagement, and I can see it is not only with the Airlines but in many,many other sectors of the Country of Jamaica.
Pretty soon the Tourist Industry that they so much relie on will be dried up and then what?

London lady - you said it. That airline did its best to put everyone off through extraordinary delays and an in flight service that was rude and quite beyond belief.

We visit TB, like you, twice a year and have been so dissappointed with Air Jamaica that we reverted to BA who, very unfortunately, only fly to Kingston - and who wants to go there when the ultimate destination is TB?

Virgin are a first class airline and I don't think anyone needs to have any qualms about their timekeeping and service. They also take in MoBay - hurray!

Didn't know that Air Jamaica was owned by Mr. Stewart, thought he sold it back to the Government. The London gates were sold to Virgin by the Jamaica government not Mr. Stewart, so who owned it?

I agree with everyone who says this was brought about only by their own doing!! as I think no one really observed what was going on.Did they ever listen to the commnents about AJ?If you don't have the ability to work with the public you should not.
This was always my airline of choice and I defended AJ when any bad cooment was made but in the end I had to join the people making the bad comments as some of these people working with AJ did not stop to think that without the public they would not have a job!! I have not flown AJ for nearly 7 years and have no intention to do so in the future.I need to be treated with courtesy and appreciated for my business not to have people speak to you as if they are granting you a great favour to repond to a simple question!!
GO Virgin Go!!! Go Delta Go!! and all the other airlines you seriouly see the passengers as keeping them in the sky!!

When will they wake up and see the National Airline is slipping from them and also tourism?People need to take vacation and be able to relax not to worry whether or not you may return or maybe killed!!!

Are the officials at Air Jamaica reading these comments. I for one gave up on Air Jamaica years ago.They have been around long enough to know that common courtesy doesn't cost anything.I could go into detail about the treatment meted out to me and my family but I won't.I have travelled with both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic and wouldn't hesitate using either to come to Jamaica.