Merpati booking mayhem

As a frequent traveler on Merpati Nusantara for seven years, I would like to comment on the recent decision by the Minister of Transportation and Merpati's President to reduce the airline's flights in order to reduce losses. I would suggest that Merpati's losses could be immediately reduced by investing a relatively small amount in Merpati's communication system.

Anyone who flies Merpati regularly knows there is keen competition for bookings anywhere and anytime, indicating a generally high demand for Merpati's services. On the supply side, Merpati makes it extremely difficult to book flights because of their inadequate communication system, thereby reducing the efficient use of their limited resources.

For example, I was on the waiting list for two months for a flight from Maumere, Flores to Kupang. A friend from Flores (not Merpati) told me the only way to get a confirmed booking was to personally visit the Merpati office in Maumere because Merpati's office was not linked to the central computer system.

I waited for another two days, but finally got a flight. I was on the waiting list for six weeks for a return flight from Pangkalanbun, Central Kalimantan to Semarang and could not get a confirmation. I telephoned Pangkalanbun to cancel my visit to Tanjung Puting National Park. The local agent told me there was no computer link and there would be no problem if the ticket was purchased locally in Pangkalanbun. This might be good business for local Merpati agents, but it definitely does not contribute to business or tourism development.

The most surprising case occurred last month when I traveled to Bima, West Nusa Tenggara. I needed to fly from Bima to Labuhanbajo, Flores and return and visited the local Merpati office to book the flights. They could sell me a ticket to Labuhanbajo, but were unable to help me with the return. Being an old hand at Merpati bookings now, I offered to pay the cost of a phone call to Flores if they would call and book it for me directly. But this could not be done. Well, I said, I would just have to go directly to the Merpati office when I arrive there to book the return flight. No, they said, that wouldn't work either. I couldn't even book a flight from the airport where the flight landed. The reason: the flight stops first at Maumere (with no computer link) and they never know until the flight actually lands in Labuhanbajo how many seats they will have to sell. You don't need an MBA to know this is not a recipe for success.

Merpati already has a functioning computerized reservation system and telephones in all of its Merpati offices around Indonesia. I respectfully suggest the Minister of Transportation and the newly installed President of Merpati invest a few thousand dollars in computer modems which would be much more likely to result in increased profits than canceling already scarce seats to remote areas, with the added benefit of boosting needed trade and tourism in these areas.

JACQUELINE L. POMEROY

Jakarta