Highway Robbery
- 02/02/09
Next time you want to fly your family from the United States to Morocco, you may have to sell your car to afford the tickets. The prices for a round trip ticket from anywhere in the USA to Casablanca is a highway robbery. It is outrages and insulting that the price of a roundtrip from New York to Casablanca is 40 percent more than a similar ticket to Istanbul, Turkey (per Expedia search engine using same dates with one stop). While the price of oil moved considerably lower and the US Dollar stayed pretty much stable, the Royal Air Maroc (RAM) tickets from the US to Morocco went higher during the low season? While I do not claim to be an expert on air travel, common sense points to my earlier statement as an oxymoron. So how come RAM keeps insulting the Moroccans living in the USA by artificially keeping the prices of its tickets so high all year long, contrary to the air industry usual cycles? The simple answers are monopoly and ambivalence.
Let's remember, Moroccan tax payers own 95.95% of the RAM and Air France 3%. To add insult to injury the other airline that has relatively comparable flights from the USA to Morocco is no other than Air France. In fact, Air France is no stranger to price fixing. The dramatic changes to the structure of tickets prices of the Casablanca-Paris flights once Open Sky agreement took affect is a clear indication of how RAM keeps the prices high on the USA-Casablanca segments. Actually, when the RAM and Air France had an almost control of the Casa-Paris flights the prices were high and rigid, but once more airlines forced themselves into the lucrative flights from Morocco to France the prices started to go south with more deals for travelers.
Unfortunately for the Moroccans of the USA, they can not drive or swim to the old country. Since flying is the only way, RAM and Air France hold them and their families' hostages to their arbitrary, puzzling and consumer unfriendly pricing dictate.
Since most Moroccan tax payers can not afford a flight to New York, the Moroccan immigrants are the victims of this injustice. It is time for the Moroccan community to stand up and demand to know why the prices are so high and what is the logic behind the rigidity of the pricing grid. MRE (Moroccans residing overseas) are not cash cows that should be taken advantage of by any unscrupulous government agency. The RAM is a government entity and the Moroccan public has the right to know if it serves the interests of all Moroccans. Asking questions can not be confused with asking for a subsidy or preferential pricing, but rather as protecting the interests of all parties involved including a profitable RAM and a respected consumer.
In an ideal world, the Moroccan ministry of Transportation should look into the pricing of the RAM,. This action will never be taken as it is neither the culture nor a priority. However, the consumers always have options, albeit limited in this case. So next time you make a decision to book a flight from any where in the world to Morocco keep this in mind. For the US based travelers, the Federal Air Carrier Access Act protects the American consumer against unfair and deceptive trade practices by foreign air transportation companies.
Author: Hassan Masiky is a native of Kenitra, Morocco. He graduated from the University of the District of Columbia with a degree in political science in 1991. Upon graduation, Hassan joined the Washington DC based non government organization the Parliamentary Human Rights Foundation (PHRF) where he worked as a consultant for USAID democracy projects in Mexico, Haiti, Republic of Georgia and the European Parliament. After leaving PHRF, Hassan dedicated his time advising Amnesty International USA on African and Middle Eastern affairs and representing the organization in press conferences. Mr. Masiky was a host on several television shows discussing human rights and democracy. He is currently working for a Federal Agency in the Washington area. hmasiky@gmail.com
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Comments (30)
Not only outrageous, it is ridiculous
The RAM is in the business of making money not based on their outstanding services and fair prices but on finding people like you and me who are willing to pay their asking price.
When we stop acquiring their boarding pass, there is no doubt in my mind that things will change.
We work so hard for our money and we are entitled to be picky about RAM's service and price. Everyone of us can protest against this company by flying other airlines, period. Take your business elsewhere.Teach them a lesson. There are so many airlines that we can fly to get to Morocco. They are not too convenient, but we have to send a message to RAM that we have other options and higher expectations than their mediocre and sketchy business practices.
I known dozens of Moroccans who have boycotted the company, including myself, and I don't know why you couldn't or shouldn't.
If a European airline can undercut RAM by offering cheaper tickets or more flights from the US either through Europe or direct to Casa , they would have by now. There is an open skies agreement in place so regulation is not a valid complaint.
RAM sets its prices based on supply and demand. If you can find a cheaper and easier way to get there, go do it. Or fly to Istanbul and quit your complaining.
Let’s spread the word to everyone all over the USA and the world not to fly with them use Iberia, British airways or even Deutch
We might save few dollars and fly for longer hours but a least we could make our point.
Spread the Word “don’t Fly RAM this Year\"
As a father of 2 a family of 4 did cost us a fortune to fly from Miami to Casablanca almost all the yearly saving, it is a shame
here we are all here for a raison better life and building future for our country and families yet Royal Air Morocco is getting us broke year after year.
And one more things the know the only time we could go to Morocco is during summer, kids are off from school, guess what?
That is when RAM takes advantage. Try to pay
$6400. For for tickets it is robbery
Thank you for reading and please spread the Word
R.A.M = Rien A Manger
airlinequality.com/.../...
I don't know who you're trying to mislead here. If you factor in the fundamentals of supply and demand, the prices in fact should drop not rise, especially during the high season when almost all the flights to Morocco are full. Maybe if RAM stops offering free seats to lots of 'VIPs' and 'who-knows-who' and starts treating all Moroccans equally, maybe the real figures of supply and demand would make the airfares more fair to the general public. I think RAM makes us pay for those 'freebies' and Mr Benkirane has to be one of them, because he doesn't seem to understand what my follow Moroccans living in the US go through to pay for their 4 to 6 member families. Last summer I had to leave my wife and kids behind because the airfares were ridiculously too high.
RAM is able to keep its prices as high as they are and get away with it for the simple reason that they've established a monopoly, they have no competition whatsoever. When you challenged Mr Masiky, the author of the article, and the Moroccan readers and travelers by writing: "If you can find a cheaper and easier way to get there, go do it." you knew exactly what you were talking about, nobody can beat a well established monopoly for sure. But what you didn't know -Mr ignorant- is that Moroccans don't give up that easily when they set their minds on something, otherwise, we would still be under the French occupation. We'll keep complaining and fighting until things change for the better.
RAM is a public company, owned by Moroccans in theory, and therefore has social responsibilitie s toward Moroccan citizens and especially MRE who support national and locals economies. It is a crime to pay $6K to fly with your family to your homeland to visit loved ones. It is a short sighted pricing policy that would eventually back fire.
Please fellow moroccans, spread the word: DON'T FLY WITH RAM, try IBERIA, KLM, BA LUFTHANSA etc...
God Bless Morocco
Until they decide to attract north-American tourists, RAM will keep gouging you.
R.A.M = Rien Aux Marocains !!!
www.yabiladi.com/.../
Face à la cherté du billet d'avion, les Marocains installés au Sénégal ont trouvé le "modus operandi" pour aller passer leurs vacances dans leur pays : La route transsaharienne Dakar-Tanger.
As for me, the last time I flew with La RAM was in 2000. I made a decision back then to never again until I see some action by the company that favors the US based consumer.
Also, let's not forget that part of the problem is that some of the north African and Sub Saharan countries do not fly to or from the US. Most of those travelers opt for la RAM and then connect in Casablanca. So the demand is high for La RAM which gives the company some leverage over us. But we can't let that discourage us. It just means that we will have to include other groups in our campaign to force La RAM to bring their prices down to affordable levels.
with that amount you can take your kids to a nice Family getaway vacation in the Carebeans or on a Cruse ship.Your kids will rmember u by it. or better yet, save your money for their college! or do you think they are going to stay kids forever. Maybe you want them to have the same Hard life that you and I started with here in the US. Unlike Europe, Colleges are not free here in the US and as you know all too well, there is'nt a social system in America. Plan for your childrens future, instead of a 15 or 20 days of feeling good about yourself and coming back home broke. Your Home is Here, whether you like it or mot. the longer you stay in the U.S the dream of bying a house, going back to Morocco and starting a business is getting further and further. and with your repetitive trips to Morocco, you can kiss your children's dream good bye as well. I know it is hardm trust me I have done the same when my parents were still alive, Now that they have passed away, and I hate to say it my quality of living has uincreased. If you are going to Morocco to see your father and Mother, Allah Yahssan Alawan. but if you are going because your wife said so or you have missed the smell of the sute and corupts cops, I say wake up man..
my fellow Moroccans, sometimes I just don't understand.
RAM can kiss my ass, I rather fly through a European city and spend money on the hotel than give them the satisfaction of high fares.
P.S if Wafin.com had a sack, it would refuse RAM publicity on the site
wa salam
very intersting subject.i have left morocco
in 1978.and i flew ram only once 1980.then i have never ever come so close to them since then .always other airlines ,even if other airlines were dearer,iflew with them.
so things has not changed,for ram.i do not consider them as airline.simple as that.
you live in a free country ,freedom of choice ,freedom of this ,freedom of that.so just shop around and fly with others.mm
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