More SHAME on LIAT

Fri Aug 16, 2013

Editor: My name is Amos Hanson and I am writing on behalf of my two sisters Francelia and Stephanie Hanson. I feel obligated to do so, as the treatment travellers are experiencing with LIAT is horrendous.{{more}}

My sisters left SVG on July 18 for a wedding in Barbados. The bride (another sister) and her family travelled from Canada and were awaiting their arrival in Barbados.

The flight LI 726, scheduled to leave SVG at 4:20 p.m., was delayed by two hours. Nothing new, as this has become somewhat of the norm. My sisters finally arrived in Barbados and emerged from immigration without luggage. You can imagine the mood they were in. First, the flight was two hours late, and now, no luggage. The explanation was “strong winds at SVG airport made it unsafe to for the plane to carry all the load”. They were told to come back the next day to check for luggage. Keep in mind that we were staying in St Peters, Barbados, which is about an hour from the airport and the luggage contained their wedding attire.

The next day (July 19), my sisters went to the airport to check on their luggage and nothing was there. They begged and pleaded with the baggage department and were told every time that their luggage will be on the next flight. The LIAT agent in Barbados even called SVG and pleaded on my sisters’ behalf, to no avail. Let me add here that the agents in Barbados were very helpful and getting the luggage to Barbados on time was totally dependent on the agents in SVG. They sat at the airport almost the entire day and eventually ended up leaving about 7 p.m., without their luggage. They also had to pay taxi fare to get back to St Peter.

Saturday morning (July 20), the day of the wedding, they checked in with LIAT as soon the office was open. After realizing LIAT did not really care about them receiving their luggage in timely manner, my sisters took off to Speightstown to shop for new wedding outfits. This was about five hours prior to the wedding ceremony. After spending so much time, money and effort shopping for wedding attire that matches the rest of the wedding party, they both ended up wearing whatever they could find that fit. I also should mention that while they waited for their luggage, they washed and wore the one suit of clothing they travelled with, while hanging around the house in male boxers and undershirts.

They finally got news of the arrival of their luggage in Barbados as they were leaving for the wedding ceremony – perfect timing LIAT.

They picked up their luggage on the way home from the wedding. I feel that LIAT should take full responsibility for any expense occurred because of their failure get the luggage to my sisters on time, but they are not prepared for any more run around.

Thanks, LIAT, for making that wedding experience such a memorable one. We look forward to including you in our future travel plans.

More shame on you.

Amos E. Hanson