SEVERAL US-based Guyanese home on holiday and due to return to work today, turned up at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Timehri yesterday for the BW424 flight to New York, only to be told that they could not get on the flight because it was full.

BWIA Area Manager Ms Dawn Murray confirmed late yesterday that the flight was indeed full and that it had been overbooked, which is a norm with airlines the world over in case of cancellations, by no more than 15 persons.

She said the morning flight had been overbooked by eight persons, which brought the total number of passengers that were left behind for the entire day to 23.

Sources, however, say the number of 'left-behind' passengers for the afternoon flight was closer to 50. Murray denied this saying that no airline would overbook a flight by that many people, since it meant having to assume responsibility for finding those persons accommodation and other incidentals which was a costly exercise.

She said what happened yesterday was a rare occurrence known in airline jargon as 'flight stand back'. What this means, she said, is that there were no cancellations, last minute or otherwise, and that everyone who was booked on the flight turned up as scheduled.

Murray said what they will have to do in future, at least until the peak season is over, is to lower the level of overbooking.

Among the 'left behinds' from the BW484 flight were the Ramroop family, who were holidaying at Chesney, on the Corentyne. Family matriarch, Mrs Hamyah Ramroop, who usually babysits her grandchildren so that her daughter-in-law can go to work, said the delay may cause the younger woman to have to stay home with the kids and lose her job in the process as she had already taken ten days leave on her account.

Son, Ravindra, who has been employed at the John F. Kennedy Airport for the past nine years, said it is the first time such a thing has ever happened to him and that he too may lose his job.

He said their return flights were confirmed since in New York, seat numbers and all, and that they had been reassured by the travel agent here that they had nothing to worry about; that all they had to do was get to the airport before 15:00hrs when the flight was scheduled to depart.

Sister, Shamila, who came on a three-week holiday, said they were told that their check-in time was between noon and 15:00hrs. Sources say that passengers are normally advised to check in at least three hours before departure time, which would have meant that they had to be at the airport by 13:00hrs the latest.

Shamila said they arrived there at 14:00hrs, and were told that they were late and couldn't get on the flight. She said that had they been told they had to get there earlier, they would have done so.

Contending that it wasn't fair, Shamila said she has to get to work for 08:30hrs today and that chances are she may be fired. Besides, she is also broke because she gave away whatever little money she had left.

The flight has been rescheduled for today, and they have been advised by BWIA officials to be at the airport by noon.

Hulbert and Saianne Webster and their infant son were also among those scheduled to be on the BW484 to New York who had their flights rescheduled to today.

Hulbert said he was "kinda surprised that we came here at one o'clock and were told that there were no seats available for us," as the first thing he did on arrival here two weeks ago was to confirm their return flight. He said up to Friday when last he checked with the travel agent they used, he was assured that everything was okay.

Saianne, who was supposed to turn out to work this morning, said she hopes the airline lives up to its promise to call her workplace to explain what has happened or else she may have to find another job. "If I don't call them or show up for work I'll be fired; so everything is on Bwee to call my job to let them know the situation I am in,"; the worried young mother said.

What has them worried too, is that family members will be waiting anxiously at the other end to take them home to Connecticut.

The Websters were accommodated at Le Meridien Pegasus for the night and provided with transportation to take them to and from the airport.