Just got the update that they have changed to Dutch Carribean Airlines. Flight times have changed direct from Miami.

Eric,

Pardon my cynicism but how does a name change make ALM better? (see title of the thread)

Jake

Jake,
I am sorry for the lack of information. I lieu of the change they are claiming that this new venture will result a "new beggining". They are trying to reconsile the bad name of ALM with the new name as well as become a reliable airline. Though the proof is in the pudding, after talking with the head supervisor for quite sometime he seems very sure, that this will result positive for all of us.

Have they painted the airplanes new colors?

Wow, new name, new paint!!! Same last class airline run by the same bunch of down and out loosers, with fresh hype. If anyone thinks this little drip and dab is going to appreciably improve ALM, I have a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in buying, or how about some of the "new" Enron stock.

ALM the company has certainly had it's issues, but I have a great deal of respect for their flight crews. We had one flight in the days when they flew to ATL, where thunderstorms closed on us. The plane was zero-G for a while, and bucking all over the place. As rough as any conditions I'd experienced on an MD-80 series plane.

The pilot was calm and did a great job. I also had always found the flight attendants to be friendly and efficient.

It's really too bad the company as a whole was such a basket case. No amount of paint will cure that.

A major part of ALM's problems were/are the labor laws and rules in the Netherlands Antilles that do not allow any management to have a lean, mean, effective workforce. No new paint will change that nor will all the good will on the part of management personnel. Or the good work of those employees who work hard. Unfortunate. Same rules et al apply to any business there but we the travelling public saw the effects most in ALM. Also why they lost so much money.