LIAT may sue Caribbean Airlines for unfair competition

Regional airline, LIAT, is reportedly considering taking legal action against Caribbean Airlines over “unfair competition.”

LIAT says it lost 46 million U.S. dollars last year, following up on a 20 million U.S. dollar loss in 2010.

The airline put some of the losses down to competition from Caribbean Airlines because of subsidised fuel.

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33 Comments

  1. Way Out There
    February 8, 2012

    Why is LIAT wanting to sue Caribbean Airlines for being subsidized? Aren’t Vinci, Anu and Bados subsidizing you?

  2. Pastor Wine
    February 7, 2012

    LIAT ka chway mwen! The competition too tight? LIAT want to sue for unfair competition. So if you and I have a restaurant and you have a garden getting your vegetables for free, I can sue you for unfair competition! WAYYY!!

    LIAT, get your service in order then you can survive the competition. Be more reliable. Make your flights more accessible and cheaper. Then you can survive.

  3. February 7, 2012

    well LIAT n skerro dem will get a taste of how local businesses feel about the chinese businesses which are subsidized

  4. LIMINGLUCY
    February 7, 2012

    WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU SUEING FOR? I HOPE LIAT IS READY FOR WHEN THE CONSUMER READY TO SUE THEM FOR HIGH PRICES AND POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AT THE CHECK IN COUNTER!!!!

  5. Patriotic Citizen
    February 7, 2012

    it’s called Competition!!!! :-/ Why don’t they start offering fair prices and service to their market…

  6. true dominican
    February 7, 2012

    LIAT you are so ridiculous. People hear this. Recently I was on my way from a certain Caribbean country, and when I reached in transit,I was told that I had to pay over 400 us because i missed the morning flight, so in essence , to put me on the afternoon flight I would have to pay an additional over 400 us. can u imagine, I am on my way home and have to pay that amount? Soooooooooooo ridiculous. LIAT what u need need to do is Re-Birth. I dont believe u are a caribbean airline. Alas, for our caribbean people.

  7. true dominican
    February 7, 2012

    Nonsense LIAT. Clean up your act.

  8. Caribbean SUN
    February 7, 2012

    when will the caribbean people sue LIAT for unfair pricing???????????????

  9. President
    February 7, 2012

    Oh please Liat..Get over your self. A country has the right to subsidies what ever company they want to. Trinidad subsidize its airline in order to compete. so find some other means to get assistance in this competive world. Caribbean airline is sometimes twice as cheap to fly, so what do you expect people to do? at least an airline is trying to make flying affordable, and not squeezing the life out of humans. And guess what they are reliable to… so liat its either you shape up or ship out. stop acting like a five year old, who lost her candy because her cat ate it. Can you believe it is cheaper to fly from Barbados or trinidad to the United states than it is to fly from Trinidad to Dominica?

    • Anonymous
      February 7, 2012

      They making it affordable so ppl will use them relive me they do not care about us as ppl they helping.. if liat tanks and goes under you honestly think Caribbean airline will keep their p[rice low? HA!

      Liat is a big bully and cry baby thou. All I can do is laugh because this is Caribbean Star and Caribbean Sun all over again!

  10. Cerberus
    February 7, 2012

    We remember only too well the obstacles put in the way of Caribbean Star by Liat. Now that the shoe is on the other foot they are crying foul! Why not form an alliance with Caribbean and benefit from favourable financing- & fuel costs. Liat simply do not have the money at present to finance a much needed renewal of their fleet for instance and what better than type-sharing with Caribbean for a start? Our regional market simply is too small for them to keep ploughing away on their own. Liat I wish you well but be careful that pride does not come before the fall!

  11. Jahyout
    February 7, 2012

    liat is just a waist of time, Caribbean Airlines dont come to most of the small Islands where Liat fly. And it has been said already that the tickets are so DAM high that we the people cant afford to travel to in the Caribbean.Its cheaper to go to New York from SXM than to go DA. If Liat cant make it they should get out of the sky….

  12. rat
    February 7, 2012

    I remember that old phrase – “Man better man.”. Before the government of dominica decide ed to make major investments in LIAT I sure hope they considered the data indicating that LIAT is in desperate need of the Viagra. It seems like Gonzales and Skerrit need to tap Petro Carib which was suppose to make life easier for us – win loose or draw.
    On a serious note LIAT is facing unfair competition and the directors must come up with ways to compete. It is high time consumers get something to work in our favor. Too often corporations are allowed to drill poor people in the name of profit and so that directors and board members can live lavishly while consumers are struggling. I welcome the Caribbean airline.

  13. February 7, 2012

    Caribbean Governments need to subsidise fuel on LIAT Flights, also all islands need to have shares in LIAT Airlines.

    OECS and CARICOM need to make it a rule that Governmental fees and taxes on LIAT tickets should be lessen.

    Caribbean Airlines is heavily subsidised by by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, why can’t Dominica and the others lessen their country taxes for the benifit of one buying a ticket.

    Caribbean Governments find in fit to subsidised empty seats on white elephants rather than support their own for the greater good.

    • eagles125
      February 7, 2012

      Why should Dominica Government lessen its taxes? Dominican like “freeness”. Taxes are the way government get money. I find Dominicans do not pay enough taxes. There should be a property tax. Other countries tax their countries to get money e.g US in NYC People pay federal tax, NY State tax, NYC tax and if you live in NYC and work in an other county you pay the other county tax and this is just on your pay slip. Dominicans want aid from other countries and the money the other country give Dominica comes from taxpayers money.

      • Bill
        February 8, 2012

        Property taxes once started will keep growing and Dominicans swill lose their homes and property because they can’t pay. The greed of the government would have no limits.

      • Mate
        February 8, 2012

        If you don’t know about the taxes in Dominica, I suggest you shut your mouth! There should be a property tax what? There is a property tax! After you buy your land and build your house, you’re still paying taxing to live on it. So you need to chill with more taxes! If your a** not in Dominica, don’t come and talk nonsense there please and thank you!

  14. tiny
    February 7, 2012

    Poeple…please educate me on this matter……is liat a private or a public corporation? I’m guessing it’s private cause they talking about losses……I’m a little confused right now…..because skerrit indicated that he alo want to be a shareholder of liat…the other shareholders are heads of government from 3 other Caribbean islands…so I take it to mean that it is a public enterprise….a public enterprise whose fee and prices are high like a private one….. So I ask this question because if it is a public one …..the cost would be paid for by taxes….so in all fairness there should be no prfit and loss…..they are providing a service to the people…..and if it don’t create revenue for the country..but rather creates a deficit….then maybe they should think of selling it to private investors wher revenues can be created through taxation…… feel free to call me dumb….but like I said …confused….. wait a minute…..but tou pay depature tax and so on ….hmmm

    • tiny
      February 7, 2012

      To clarify…..if it is indeed a public enterprise….and the amount of revenue made do not cover the cost of operation….don’t they use taxes from othe areas uses to cover the cost?

      • Patience
        February 7, 2012

        That is just what I don’t get with these governments, insted they welcome private enterprise to the region they are running them away. aprt from competing with private businesses we are trying to scare them away. Get fuel from Chavez an subsidise too man…
        you all say that he the ‘GODFATHER’ of the region.

  15. The truth
    February 7, 2012

    So does that mean the public can sue Liat for overcharging customers for a more than below acceptable service? For so many years it was take what you get from Liat. Now thy get competition, instead of training staff to give amazing service and regain customer trust, they want to sue. Liat is in serious need of a customer service overhaul. Then they will be back in business. Till then, any airline, whether Caribbean Airlines or not, they will lose customers to the competition. Their service is just too poor for the price they expect people to pay. If they want to charge that price their service need to buck up! This is the 21st century, low budget airlines and lower cost flights had to arrive eventually.

  16. DPM
    February 7, 2012

    LIAT it is going to cost a lot of money to sue Caribbean Airlines. Think about using that money to make the company better (maybe training your employees in customer service)?

  17. Anthony P. Ismael
    February 7, 2012

    The story headline tells you all you need to know about LIAT’s thinking.

  18. February 7, 2012

    now Liat get compitition they trying to blame some one else for their problem,all I can say is if you cannot fight come out in the compitition before it to late for you liat

  19. Flying Tiger
    February 7, 2012

    It is unfair to compete with a company where one of their major cost factors is subsidized by government. However, Ralph Gonsalez should look at other areas to see where they can increase their load factor and improve their efficiency.

    One of the biggest cost components of a ticket to fly intra-regionally is taxes and fees of various types. They should completely eliminate these fees and you will see the impact on LIAT’s bottomline and the economies of the various islands.

    As it is now, most people fly for two reasons (1) money is no object and (2) it is necessary to fly. There used to be a time when a lot of people would take a short trip to a neighbouring island for a long weekend to visit friends and family. That type of flying is becoming a dying breed. To fly between most islands will set you back over $300 US. How many people hve that kind of money to blow on a casual weekend trip? The benefit of low cost flying is that it increases regional tourism. But I guess our loeaders are too short-sighted to see that. They keep adding more fees thinking they will raise more revenue.

    • Domerican
      February 7, 2012

      My thoughts exactly. I agree 100%. It is ridiculous when one has to pay over $300 US dollars to fly from B/dos to DA. Over the Christmas holidays it cost me more to fly from B/dos to DA than from NY to B/dos. How crazy is that.

      • Malatete
        February 7, 2012

        …yeah, and they don’t even offer you a cup of coffee!

  20. Letmetellyou!
    February 7, 2012

    This is pure bull!!! That will never fly!!! They need to get some Dash-8 and send them our way!!!

  21. Concerned citiizen
    February 7, 2012

    ..LIAT behave your ‘ragidi’ self!

  22. jenny
    February 7, 2012

    Liat need to make their tickets less expensive and stop running competition away chupes

  23. Anonymous
    February 7, 2012

    why is your competitor to blame if your supplier is charging you 60-70 dollars per barrel?

    • chibabe
      February 7, 2012

      liat you loose cause u take people leave thier bag down sometimes abandon them in one airport and when better competitors come we go with better services u have not seen nothing yet and besides your immigration status in antigua and all the wait is bull no one wants to suffer just now God will make jet affordable like car so u close . use your head sue who . ok go ahead you have more millions to loose to a hungry lawyer dont u know the meaning of liat …….LIAT Leave island any time . meaning u guys are unpredictable so shut up and sit down and old plane all u got there so cut out antigua and decrease the fare to dominica from sxm antigua and barbados and see if u dont make more millions the hassle is too much vacation should be enjoyed and u have staffs that turns off the people without us your workers dont get no pay trat us well we worked for the money too even harder than them .

      • chibabe
        February 7, 2012

        and what on how much they buy fuel thats not your own u mabe hae 5 plane and they have 100 so they give trini more than u do so if trini decide to give them for free thats not your funeral fee .stop your nonsence and go and fix your mess and stop blaming no one for your nonesence direct flight cut out antigua and take people with thier bags and see if u dont improve use your God forsaking brains . i am coming soon to compete better pull up that old sucks of your if u want money.

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