Air Namibia And Hospitality
I RECENTLY had the opportunity to visit your country for a short holiday. I arrived in your country, flying Air Namibia, on 13 February and was pleasantly surprised at the comfort and service I received from this airline. One always hears the bad about people and services but I can and will honestly say that Air Namibia deserves the highest rating.
I found the airport rather small for an international airport and one has to walk quite a distance from the plane to the airport building, which is tiresome as Namibia is such a hot country. I noticed a woman being pushed in a wheelchair up to the plane and was completely shocked to see that this woman had to get up from the wheelchair at the foot of the stairs leading to the plane.
Question: “Is the plane not equipped with a special hoist or ramp, making it easier for this woman to enter the plane”? This woman climbed the steps with huge difficulty.
I was booked into a [name mentioned] bed-and-breakfast and once again top score for this fabulous place with the friendly, beautiful people. The next day a friend of mine took me to the nearest mall. It was extremely hot, but nonetheless I decided to venture out and see if there was anything special other than the usual that I see in South Africa.
As far as I was walking I found that people do not care to even pass a friendly smile or greeting. When I asked somebody working in the mall where the bank was I was looked at up and down as if I came from outer space and then I was given a negative answer.
Inside the bank it was like heaven. Powerful air-conditioning and everybody was falling over their feet wanting to help the customers. Now that was service. I then came to the conclusion that “the mall is so hot that it is affecting the attitudes of the people working and shopping there alike”.
I travelled to Walvis Bay. There it was completely the opposite from Windhoek. People were really very friendly. It was not as hot as it was in Windhoek and there was a cool breeze coming from the ocean.
I spent some time in Narraville and found other than the people’s dogs always out on the streets and messing everywhere, especially on the pavements, that the town is surprisingly very, very clean.
The Namibian entertained me while in Namibia and I think your paper is tops. Keep it up!
Brigitte Pillay
Cape Town