LIAT is threatening to cut air services to unprofitable destinations where governments are not supporting the airline.
Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonzalves has made this position clear at the end of a meeting of shareholder governments at the Barbados Hilton Hotel.
Dr. Gonzalves says LIAT is at a disadvantage when competing with the Trinidad based Caribbean airlines on the Port of Spain to Barbados and Antigua routes.
Meanwhile the shareholders of LIAT are moving urgently to replace the airline’s fleet of aircraft.
Dr. Gonzalves says the decision has been taken to acquire new planes.
He was speaking after a meeting of the shareholder governments attended by Barbados’ Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and his Antigua and Barbuda counterpart Baldwin Spencer.
Dr. Gonzalves says the shareholders are also seeking to resolve the industrial relations problems which the airline is facing.
I’m tired of folks running their mouth about charges and taxes are the main cause of LIAT’s high ticket prices…..PROVE IT!! Can any one of you provide us “Dumbinicans” and the rest of us “CUSTOMERS” with a full break down of actual figures.
I’m so sick of these people coming on here insinuating that we owe LIAT and that they don’t have to fly into Dominica or any other island. Well guess what, CUSTOMERS in Dominica and the rest of the Caribbean, are flying LIAT less and less and thats one of the main reasons LIAT is in finacial crisis. “CUSTOMER FIRST COMPANY SECOND.”
On point.
LIAT has been draining the resources and using psychology
to continue to obtain money from the Caribbean Islands.
Why should we continue to invest tax payers money
over and over with no change in service.
Punctuality-25%
Dependability-10%
Please make the income statement and the operational expenses fir the
past five years available to the Caribbean people. We need transparency,in an effort
to continue support.
why ya’ll sweating LIAT for when ya’ll buy a ticket they does say if they are any concerns please let us knw. they should do a survey too see where they should improve and so on then maybe thing would get a lil better
I wish that Liat would quit spraying whatever it sprays down the aisle before taking off and then telling the passengers that it is some requirement.
If that is so, why is it that no other airline that I go on does it including American out of DA or WinAir when it was here?
i travel on air canada all every year sometimes 3 or 4 times a year and they do the same thing.its a port health requirement. pay attention when you’re flying nesxt time and stop coming here and make a fool of yourself
Folks don’t get carried away with the notion of reduced airfares..Let me give an example of how Govt charges and taxes can account for more than half a ticket price..Here in the U.K Ryanair offers a £1.00 fare to say for instance France, when you add the taxes and charges you pay even over £200…Lets look at it in the case of Liat… We reduce the ticket prices to compete and next thing you know they reduce themselves out of the market thats exactly what the hawks want. Did anyone found out if Conivisa and Redjet were offered sudsidies to keep them on a unprofitable route.. Some of you need to read the fine print of the contracts…its all good to say we linking Venezuela with Dominica but what when the aircraft loads have nil into Da and 1 on the outbound..What do the airline excs do…???….Someone please get back to me with an answer…..Do you remember how much taxpayers money was subsidising AA to fly into St Lucia??….and some of the other islands….I know some people will not rest until the last Liat plane lands for good..But dream on…LIAT is here to stay wether you like it or not…Its the only airline I know that have been losing money for years and still flying…..God Bless Liat and no evil will fall on it….People don’t be ungrateful to LIAT…….Please I beg you..Support our local airline….and Keep flying High…I warn you….
Let LIAT prove to us, that they are losing money and is still staying in business.
Management 101-business are form to make money.
And LIAT is making money.
If they improve service by dependability and punctuality people will purchase more tickets
and their sales will increase.
People do not mind paying more services, as long as they are satisfy.
But you know that our interest is not LIAT. It is the Venezuelan Airline (CONVISTA)- I do not know its name- that is of interest to us Remember the Minister of Tourism was just singing their praises.
i don’t get us dominicans..we have a governent who has not invested in liat a nd would want no more than to see liat fail… do what needs to be done liat..drop what ever routes you have to drop and tell those complaining to get redjet and caribbean airlines to service those routes.
Dumb-in-cans understand airline business nahhh they think its like the bus service… Just that it flies somehow.
well that makes sense..in dominica there isnt enough going on to fill seats in and out..plus the government of dominica isnt interested along the lines of those things.
they would be quick to maybe if liat could give them a cut of their daily cash…haha..
so i think liat has already looked at those full…what activity dominica has to get flights full in and out at nights…as dominica dont see the need for night flights..
a international airport would be the bigger catch!!
Dominica always complain about free things, pleased buys some shares, and stop putting the pressure on BARBADOS , SVG & ANTIGUA, get into the games so all of you can understand how the game is played, then you can make a demand… fail to do so, then you don’t leaved these three countries with any choice but to cut you off! Go and demand Venezuela airlines flights…
Instead of cutting those routes, LIAT should try a reduced rate on those particular routes. If they keep trying to compete with the other airlines which probably have better services/fleets, then they will continue to be empty and hence not profitable on those routes.
Cut the prices to compete and then offer great service. That’s who you can probably increase passangers on those routes
Firstly, any of you who buy tickets from LIAT would notice that the ticket is not expensive ,the taxes are, i remember once i bought a ticket, LIAT’s price was 135 and i had to pay close to 100 USD in taxes alone to fly to Dominica, if the government only invest in LIAT things would be easier on us Dominicams. rather, they tax LIAT so hard to build the economy, they kill us with the excuse “the economy needs to grow’ when really is we travellers paying for it,, yes we can pay tax, but not so much.. If u notice, a round ticket to the states is around 400 USD from SXM, whereas a round ticket from DCA to SXM is that same 400 USD…. This i cant understand
All I am saying we know what we have we dont know what we go get…AA and other airlines are paid subsidies to fly into some of the Caribbean countries..This is a luxury not afforded to Liat…And before we go about deciding what routes should be served direct I beg you people please do some research…Because the same airlines you all talking about direct routes when hard time bite them they all do the same like Liat either island hop(albiet not as many as Liat) or completely discontinue the routes… Remember People other airlines all try to sink Liat before and they have failed..Liat will always hold its own because its safety record is 2nd to none…And all airlines in the world have complaints of delays, cancellations, lost luggage poor customer service do you want me to continue….Some of you that talking have someone who knows someone that works or have worked for Liat and you or yr freind or family member have benefitted from either being put on a flight without a confirmation or have yr excess baggage sent for free..All am saying hand wash hand..And some of you may agree that when Liat is ontime they are really on time..Things happen and some delays are caused by some of you people who decide that you don’t wanna check in at the time given and want to still get on when everyone else onboard…Don’t you think when the agent reopens the flight and put you on he is creating a chain reaction….Nuff said for Now
Liat should drop all routes. So inefficient in customer relations and baggage delivery, it’s shameful.
WHAT HAPPEN TO YOU? THEY DIDNT ACCEPT OUR BOX OF PROVISIONS AT THE COUNTER FOR FREE? GO AND EDUCATE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU MAKE ME LAUGH.
Let me remind the masses, that LIAT is the safest carrier in the caribbean and they follow Airline business and Airline conventions better than any other in the region. All Airlines have the same rules and iplements them. LIAT needs to educate Dominicans about Airline business. I work at an International Airport where my company handle many Airlines and we have the same delays as LIAT, when you have mechanical problems or weather in the region you cnnot move until these forces of nature cools down ormechaninical problems are fixed. People complain du to lack of knowledge. Most Airlines are fraid of the regions airspace because it is unpredictable. AA said a BIG NO NO and Red Jet will soon see the cost of operatig in the region epecially ith these old planes. I am vouchin for Education of the nations peoples and to show them how Dominicans behave unreasnably in Antigua begging for FOOD while the rest of the regions people laugh at them because of lack of understanding.
So all these years Liat been doin business as a monopoly, they have never complained. Now, for the first time ever in liat’s history, there is proper competition poking it’s head through. The compeition is not even stable, and already they trying to blackmail governments to support Liat. What a load…
Well my mistake, it is not really blackmail but holding their service as ransom
On point!
Break the monopoly, provide a equal playing field .
LIAT if you are serving the customers well,
they will be loyal.
Over the years, when you all had the market for you all selves,
you all should focus on innovation and restructuring,
instead of paying out hefty dividends to shareholders, splurging on
board meetings etc.
Now they trying to bully and blackmail the islands to give them more money or else ?
Go out business we will use boats and other aircrafts. You all full of “S”.
I just came back from a 4 week holiday in my country, and I can tell anyone that that the service I got from LIAT was very, very poor, especially when going through Antigua. All of you who can get alternate carrier please do so..
Thats nice to tell the tourists, since you all want people to visit Dominica. We never hear the white man say any crap about his airlines even though they are bull crap. Blck people need to e wise, thats the only Airline that can stand Dominicans behaviour. Youdon’t realise that all airlines are connected? and the type of people you all potray yourselves to be at any International connection will not attract any other airline to Dominica. I work at an international airport and I listen to the other airlines speak so negatively about Dominicans. Soon we’ll be taking bwa flow to the other islands if we dont cange our behaviour. DOMINICANS BEHAVIOUR STINKS HEN TRAVELLING.
let LIAT GO!!! dey taking advantage of Dominica ENUFF11
who will ly to Dominica if LIAT stops, think about it and stop bein soo negative? n ne want to have more than to flights to Dominica because of the terrain and weather pattern of the island, be thankfull for LIAT you ungrateful passenger.
why don’t they just sell the company to someone who will be able to manage it.
Tell me one Business in Dominica that has a better business model than LIAT. I want o see who will cast the first stone? Cardinal Airlines came and it run out of business, siserou airways came the same problem, tel me,can Dominicans run an airline better than LIAT? NO NO NO
I will base this commentary on service to Dominica in particular.
Dominica is LIAT’s most profitable route – they not dropping us. They reap a higher profit margin on Dominicans than any other island. EVEN then, the management at that airline have no strategic vision. If I was running LIAT this is what I would do.
First thing would be to identify and separate the performing and under-performing routes.
(1) With the under-performing routes, I would reduce service and allocate enough resources to get the job done well.
(2) With high-value performing routes, in particular Dominica where for yearsssss the people have been crying for better air access, I would operate better aircraft, increase service, and provide the paying public with faster direct access to major hubs. LIAT management is so incompetent that they fail to realize their lack of vision in that regard is probably the underlying reason why we hate the airline. Let’s face it people; it matters not what airline takes us to our destination, as long as the service is good and the fares are competitive. LIAT’s management KNOWS full well that travelers to Dominica from Europe and North America primarily pass thru San Juan – you would THINK they would operate direct service out of SJU into Melville Hall, but no. They let American Airlines do that. If you decide to connect to LIAT in SJU, chances are you will see the rest of the Caribbean first before you land in DA, because LIAT have to stop everywhere else first. You would THINK that they would facilitate travel to DA from St Lucia Hewanorra for passengers who may decide to travel from NY on jetBlue but no – you can go to Hewanorra if you want, but LIAT will make you get off that plane, take a taxi to Castries and get on their plane there if is them you want to give the business to. You would THINK they would facilitate travel to DA from Barbados for passengers from Europe and North America by offering direct service but no – you will have to stop in St Lucia first to pick up those passengers from jetBlue who took the taxi ride from Hewanorra, assuming there are seats remaining, otherwise, l’Express des Isles for you.
The point is, this airline HAS within its capacity the ability to service it’s high-value routes well enough to accommodate its customers, but it continues to take that for granted, and when competition come they crying. These people need to sit down, look at these routes, analyze the flow of passengers thru the major hubs and their ultimate destinations, and position their equipment to fully satisfy these passengers. They don’t, and we should not feel sorry for them either when competition comes their way.
Talk to Skerrit and tell him to buy into the company. Then he can sit at the board meetings and DEMAND we get better service. We have to put our money where our mouth is.
I dont know how profitable a route Dominica is, but obviously we are not the be all and end all of LIAT. I bet most travel to St. Lucia involves St. Lucians who want to land closet to Castries. This is no different from us who wanted to land at Canefield.
Everybody is an airline expert nowadays.
For your information, you do not have to be a shareholder to wield influence on any business entity. The volume of business is sufficient to do that, pro or con. The more business you provide the greater your influence – you ought to know that, but I may be giving you too much credit. Since you said disparagingly “everybody is an airline expert nowadays”, evidently referring to my post, I would not be going out on a limb to say you know nothing about commerce and the relationship between the consumer and the entity providing the product and/or service.
I am not going to presume to know what you mean when you say “talk to Skerrit and tell him to buy into the company”. If the PM feels to invest personally into the company, then that is his prerogative. If, however, you meant that in a pejorative sense, by equating Skerrit the individual to the government of Dominica, the entity, then I suggest you engage him personally, because the “government of Dominica” is representative of you as well, unless you’re not a Dominican, in which case – donkey have no right in horse race.
Warma, if this customer/supplier relationship held true in this particular case, we would not be having this discussion. LIAT is a near monopoly and therefore their response to the market will be different than what one would ordinarily expect in a competitive environment.
A far as the comment about Skerrit, I was referring to him as the PM of Dominican, not his personal capacity. I would have expected you to have gleamed that from my comment.
just thought i’d let you know that the barbados to st vincent route is way more profitale to liat.the dominica antigua route is liats 5th most profitable route the last time i checked.. just thought i’d point that out.
Liat needs some real competition. An airline needs to come on board flying to all Caribbean destinations. Liat make people suffer to much and the prices are out of this world. Wicked!!! It’s a shame.
You just now wake up? Wasn’t Caribbean Star around for a few years? Do you know how much money they lost?
Stanford came on the scene to destroy LIAT. What happened to the airline? They sold out to LIAT.
Talk to the regional governments about the high taxes they tack on to the tickets. They keep complaining about LIAT’s fares, but they will never touch the various taxes they impose on airline tickets.
Now the competition is getting tough, LIAT planning to cut unprofitable routes. All the time they running those routes, just because they were the only plane in the skies supported by the Caribbean Governments, that talk was never on their minds, but now the emergence of Caribbean Airlines, Redjet, CONVIASA, BVI Airways and others, they plan to cut. Well I will say this, were they not listening when their faithful and loyal passengers and customers were crying and complaining of poor service, distasteful customer relations, late or delayed flights without excuses, exhorbitant fares just to fly around the Caribbean, excessive loss baggages especially in Antigua; among other complaints.
To add to the melee, they intend to purchase new planes to repalce the old fleet. Good move LIAt but why now, when the price of oil is so high. Are you afraid that the other airlines will outrun you with service and availability? Who is going to pay for these new planes now?
Well I must ask you to consider this sir, Competition is nothing news to LIAT. Remeber the likes of EC Express started by Air Jamaica, Caribbean star from Sanford, even an airline from British Airways that used BAE 146 aircraft, among several others from the 90s to now that came met and left LIAT and Air Caraibs in the region, who incidentally formed a partnership to combat all these ambitious startups. Yet they continue to come. LONG LIVE LIAT!
We may have to swim to DA just now
I won’t be swimming.I already have a pipwi.
They are under pressure… The caribbean community should continue to pressure Liat to better their service to the caribbean and open the air to other prospective carriers…
They should run LIAT as any other business. All people do is criticize them. I want to hear what they will say when LIAT starts dropping unprofitable routes.
NOU FINI BAT