LIAT promises to do better

Jean Holder
Jean Holder

Facing mounting criticism from many quarters concerning its services across the region, Chairman of LIAT, Jean Holder, is promising that the airline “must and will do better.”

On the weekend the airline signed a US$65-million loan facility with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) aimed at modernizing its fleet.

Speaking at the signing function, Holder said LIAT has made its fair share of mistakes and blamed “external circumstances” for recent disruptions in services.

“The timing of this project and this loan is not a matter of happenstance,” he said. “By 2012 the frequent breakdown of the existing twenty year old LIAT aircraft had made it difficult to fulfill the demands of a schedule which was designed in response to the demands for service requested by Caribbean countries. To ensure safety, each problem had to be fixed before an aircraft could be returned to service.”

He said this “resulted in poor on-time performance and constant dissatisfaction of the customer” and a re-fleeting committee was established in 2012 to explore the pros and cons of different aircrafts, their costs and where would they fly.

“None of the decisions made were easy and if I said that there was always unanimity in conclusions reached I would be lying. Ultimately, after considering several factors the fleet committee recommended that the best decision was to change the entire fleet at a cost of US $100 million and that the process had to begin without delay,” he noted. “This then had to be sold to the shareholder governments including how we aimed to raise this daunting sum of money.”

Holder pointed out apart from this, the airline faced other “monumental challenges” including the training of all pilots and engineers for the new fleet, dealing with the regulatory bodies of the 21 different countries LIAT operates in, while continuing to operate during the busiest period of the year with frequent old aircraft breakdowns.

“It has been hard on the public, for which I apologize, and it has been hard on the LIAT staff,” Holder stated. “On reflection, the public should have been made aware much earlier of what LIAT was attempting to do, the timing of which was largely driven by external circumstances, and that disruptions in the service would be inevitable. At this point I promise you however that LIAT must and will do better.”

He said by mid January 2014, seven of the 12 new aircraft will be in place “providing the public with a better and more comfortable air transportation service across the Caribbean.”

Holder also said LIAT is working with a number of “expert agencies” in terms of customer service “seeking to achieve the desired standards.”

On Monday, businessman and owner of Secret Bay Hotel, Gregor Nassief blasted the airline for its poor service and called for an executive shake up.

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93 Comments

  1. Malatete
    August 14, 2013

    I observe with interest that in many of the comments the name of the Royal Antigua is mentioned as the hotel where LIAT put up passengers, who have missed their connection. Does it mean that this establishment has so many vacancies because it is short of regular bookings? Is there a connection between the airline and the owners of the hotel? Are they depending on LIAT to keep them afloat? Is this collusion or mere coincidence?

    • T.B
      August 14, 2013

      This should be investigated. Too many red flags. Shareholders are too lax.

  2. pen and paper
    August 13, 2013

    I’m happy that LIAT has taken the brave step to improve their aircrafts and overall service. I remember some years ago I travelled from Barbados to Dominica and it was raining in flight. I was so apalled that I was getting wet and this piece of metal of metal above me kept rattling. Thank God LIAT is improving. I can soon start travelling again. They also give the smoothest landing

  3. T.B
    August 13, 2013

    Mr. Chairman, you should focus on investing on customer service training. I am curious to know what kind of training is provided to your employees, or who train your staff? Why your employees at all locations relates so poorly to customers? I would understand one employee, or even one island, but it’s all front desks all over. I traveled to Dominica for a weekend recently, LIAT delayed in Barbados and not one employee, or even the manager could provide a sensible answer. I listened to the manager speak with such uncertainty, if, maybe……. The manager could not even give an alternate to those who feared missing their connecting flight in Antigua and St. Maarten. While he was giving a departure time to the frustrated customers, one of the pilots sitting on the side gave the right time to a customer sitting near him. Is it that they are deliberately trained to be rude and clueless? An Investment in LIAT with its current management is a wasted investment. An entrepreneur with good business strategies and ethics should buy this airline. Apparently, the voices of the customers are of no impact because people have been crying for too long. I promised not to return to Dominica via LIAT. Too bad Eagle has stopped flights to Dominica. I’ll try Seaborne next time around. I must admit LIAT pilots are excellent. They give the best landing.

  4. Manicou
    August 13, 2013

    I always “Leave Island Any Time” to “Land In Any Territory” but will leave your “Luggage in Another Territory”

    • AGOUTI
      August 13, 2013

      we better off tying a rope from one island to the other and pulling the luggage on arrival…

  5. lapocabrit
    August 13, 2013

    :-D Dominicans need to build peepeewit, to give LIAT competition, talk does nothing action does, those good for nothing airline made me miss my flight to the UK bye 2 days, liat and it officers need to be put to a firing squad and maybe others will take notice

  6. 4progress
    August 13, 2013

    MR Jean Holder, you and the CEO are the problem, not the solution.

  7. dfr
    August 13, 2013

    It is progress when LIAT has improved the fleet but the bottom line is that the only way it can become more efficient is to make it more competitive. This will only happen when Dominica’s airstrip is extended. This might entice other airlines to come here . Right now it just too expensive to go to DA. It costs twice as much to fly to from San Juan to DA compared US to San Juan. This is discouraging !!

  8. marion
    August 13, 2013

    did mr holder receive 8 million from dominica?why was the account closed in antigua the day after it arrived from da. please verify mr holder.

  9. August 13, 2013

    LIAT needs competition!!! Only then will they stop with the lame excuses!

  10. mr p
    August 13, 2013

    i wana ask liat when am i gona be compensated for the inconvient the cause to me on my recent trip to dominica

  11. Dominican by birth
    August 13, 2013

    Promises, promises, promises it’s comfort to a fool!

  12. Anonymous
    August 13, 2013

    I haven’t met a person whose flight was affected in the last two months…

    If the flight was on time, then they got no luggage…

  13. li-touri
    August 13, 2013

    Mr.holder………he :lol:
    He… :wink:
    His Salieri plus indirekt kickbacks………..
    Mr.holder like his job. :wink:

  14. Dominican
    August 13, 2013

    I am slightly concerned that Mr Nassieth is expressing such annoyance regarding flight issues with Liat.
    Just to remind you these are a small portion of what us diaspora’s go through I am telling you if I was not a Dominican I would think twice before I travelled to DA.
    For example extra costs, delays, absolute rudeness from transit host eg Antigua, misery such as leaving DA early in the morning only to spend like 5 hours in their airport.
    when I am on holiday in DA I should be spending my money in DA not any where else.
    It is alright for you Diplomats you guys do not encounters such upheavels.
    Trust me DA is missing out a lot of people are frightened of Liat and the hassle it brings or cause when they travel.
    Please Gov of Dominica help us.
    PS I would like to see a Dominican born athlete in the world championship perhaps what I am getting at is a stadium to run.
    I am not knocking DA but I would welcome an airport without misery

  15. EME
    August 12, 2013

    L.I.A.T = “Land In A Territory” but your “Luggage In Another Territory”

    That’s L.I.A.T for you!!! :lol:

  16. John
    August 12, 2013

    I remember back in the 1960’s and 1970’s LIAT was a very good airline and was always on time so what happened? I believe that it would be a good ides for LIAT to start using small 25 passenger jets instead of prop planes so that they can have direct flights to the US mainland from any Caribbean country especially Dominica it would be great to be able to fly from Dominica straight non stop to Miami or Tampa Florida. I believe people would gladly pay the extra cost if they knew they could go straight to the US in about 3&1/2 hours on a jet and not have to stay the night somewhere. Small jets can easily land and take off at Melville Hall airport

  17. Lori
    August 12, 2013

    The excuse of external circumstances is asinine. Do they think Caribbean people are stupid?

    If old planes cannot be on time, it’s their fault. If they were running a proper business model, they would be reinvesting in new planes on a continual basis. Any smart business person keeps their equipment up to date.

    How do “external circumstances” cause their staff to blatantly disregard and even endanger their customers? How did external circumstances make them endanger a little child?

    These people are just politicking.

  18. August 12, 2013

    external circumstances this is what a top level executive is doin putting the blame on someone else haha that is truely small minded thinking. it is never thier fault is that if the customer. they say is us that wrong

  19. My take
    August 12, 2013

    LIAT, the monst unreliable and unpredictable airline.
    I had someone who was confirmed to leave Dominica today on a 10:00 a.m. flight to make a connection with another airline in San Juan to get to the USA.
    Guess what? LIAT’s staff kept giving all sorts of excuses ,(including something about a ‘strike’ in Barbados) and said the flight would arrive around noon. LIAT finally arrived after mid-day and needless to say the connecting flight in San Juan departed before LIAT arrived, so there.
    The passenger was forced to overnight in San Juan, at his own expense, something that was not planned at all.
    LIAT……Leave Island Any Time.

  20. Anonymous
    August 12, 2013

    And what about LIAT employees BUMPING OFF paying passengers to put on their REBATE family, friends and colleagues? This is the main reason that LIAT cannot turn a profit after all these years.
    Just last week they kept an old man with a confirmed booking in back Antigua to put on a pilot in a passanger seat. Why could the little meg pilot go in the jump seat?????? The old man had to overnight in Antigua in that decrepit royal??? antiguan hotel. Ebenweh!!!

  21. John Paul
    August 12, 2013

    Is it true that when LIAT is late or cannot get passengers to their destination that they put them up in Hotels for the night? This seems innocent but think about the Possibility of Kickbacks if I work in LIAT and have to make the decision of which hotel to put You up in.So Imake alot of money everytime that situation occurs and that money is tax free too.I have a great incentive for passengers not to get to their destination.This is being repeated all over the island chain going in both directions!

    • natureislandguy
      August 12, 2013

      The first time I tried to fly to Dominica the plane was unable to land due to low and thick cloud. We returned to Antigua and the other passengers were taken by taxi to a hotel for the night. Myself and my girlfriend were refused accommodation and told very rudely to look after ourselves, we did and I chased them for the cost and after 6 months I managed to get them to pay the hotel bill but not the taxi fares as I had not saved the bill. I now will not use LIAT due to their non-existent customer services policy, Be warned

    • 4progress
      August 13, 2013

      You will find that these incidents mainly happens in Antigua….Why??????

      • T.B
        August 13, 2013

        Hmm, I’m been racking my brains wondering why someone flying from Barbados to Dominica wind up sleeping in Antigua. Did not make any sense to me. Now, your question has gotten me thinking. Management should be investigated.

  22. John Paul
    August 12, 2013

    Mr. Holder long before You were LIAT has been corrupt and as a result every other negative that followed .You should first resign and recommend that corruption be weeded out of LIAT before any more of our Dominican VAT money disappears in that entity.

  23. Jemma
    August 12, 2013

    Mom and grand kids have been at the airport from 6am in d/ca and they are yet to leave.every time she goes to the desk she is told,we will get you out on the next flight mam u and the kids. Three flights came and she is still in the departure lounge.screaming!!!!!liat pls buck up!!!!the kids are restless..they want to goooooo.

  24. jade
    August 12, 2013

    Seabourne all the way. Some people may not have that choice. I got my fair share with LIAT on July 30, 2013. It took me two days to get back to NY. I had a flight scheduled for PR. It was rerouted to Antigua where we spent a night in a hotel. Got there at 11:30pm and we were given ‘dinner’ with no forks to eat. I got to PR next day and had to buy a new ticket to get to NY. AA did not honor my old ticket. LIAT will not see another cent from me.

    • silent
      August 13, 2013

      seabourne must send in another flight to do some of the Liat route. and then we will see who is boss

  25. Anonymous
    August 12, 2013

    Mr Holder, OY!! As you well know, a promise is a comfort to a fool. You do right promise; you done know we are fools!!

  26. Neg Mawon
    August 12, 2013

    ANYTHING but LIAT, I totally agree!! Down with Holder and Liat!! Lame excuse!

    Mr. Branson should bring us a Virgin…

    • John
      August 12, 2013

      Richard Branson should start a small jet service from Dominica and other islands with direct non stop flights to Florida Tampa and Miami one on the east coast of Florida and one on the West. That is what Dominica needs non stop jet service to the US it would also help the tourist business too. Dominica also needs a helicopter shuttle service from Melville Hall to Roseau.

    • Will
      August 13, 2013

      Please, Please! Virgin where are you?

  27. Anonymous
    August 12, 2013

    Apparently, when these top honchos at LIAT were planning their aircraft changeover, they had not heard of the saying WHILE THE GRASS IS GROWING, THE HORSE IS STARVING.

  28. rescue 911
    August 12, 2013

    every mistake liat makes should be the last but its still counting

  29. Jbfox
    August 12, 2013

    The PM needs to seriously look for a way to stop depending on liat.Antiguans see liat as their cash cow so the will do everything they can to keep u in Antigua so liat can pay for hotel,taxi and restaurants.

  30. CHARMER
    August 12, 2013

    Let’s hope the public won’t have to pay back that loan.

    • CD
      August 14, 2013

      Ha ha who do you think is going to pay it back? lol

  31. aa
    August 12, 2013

    After what I experienced on July 22 in Dominica, I looking seriously at entering by sea next time. I am baffled, could not get someone to update me as to what was happening. Moreover i was shocked to see a whole planeload of people get off a flight, go throught security and put in transit

  32. Discombobulated
    August 12, 2013

    The fact that he is blaming external circumstances shows that he is not ready to do better. You cannot blame external circumstances for bad service that has been there from the birth of liat to now. If you want to do better the first step is to hold your hand up and say you have many issues and all of it is your fault. Then you can be proactive and reactive at the same time.

    Liat will never change, the attitude is embedded deep into the company culture. From the very too to bottom. He blamed external circumstances, the pilot blames air control and engineers, and liat staff at the airport blame the company for crap service and say “what you want me to do?” Liat needs an overhaul and a new cultural approach.

    • John
      August 12, 2013

      LIAT used to be a good airline back in the 1960’s and 1970’s.That’s all I flew to Dominica from Puerto Rico and Antigua and never had a problem and they were always on time, what happened?

  33. 4progress
    August 12, 2013

    We need someway of capturing LIAT’s NO-show and lateness and people’s experiences for all to see.

  34. Cza
    August 12, 2013

    Liat need competition . Wonder how red jet would have some for us lol :mrgreen:

  35. diane Bannis
    August 12, 2013

    LIAT CEO and other top management need to go!!!! Employee are rude and uncooperative and they can treat us,(paying customers) as crap because they know that they reflect the attitude of the management. Also the silence of the ministers of governments to this fiasco is deafening.

  36. Morihei Ueshiba
    August 12, 2013

    Skerrit bring back American Eagle or we voting you out!

  37. A Lashley
    August 12, 2013

    They should recruit some Mc Donald managers. They know customer service and they have to produce.

  38. Virgin
    August 12, 2013

    LIAT sure knows how to scare the out of you!

  39. Virgin
    August 12, 2013

    CORRECTION: THANK YOU VIRGIN. Not VIRTIN.

  40. Virgin
    August 12, 2013

    When My nephew was intransit on LIAT to the UK via Virgin, thank God he ovenighted in Dominica, after his LIAT flight was cancelled that Friday night because the next day it took him about 7-8 hours to get to Antigua via St. Marteen, and LIAT said they did not know where the plane was when we inquired about him. Fortunately through the intervention of Virgin, we were told he was on his way and arrived in Antigua soon thereafter. He spent about 5 hours in St. Marteen. THANK YOU VIRTIN!! LOOKING FORWARD TO VIRGIN CARIBBEAN.

  41. August 12, 2013

    Boy I can tell you, only LIAT, Can’t you see that there is a much bigger problem than that.
    ANTIGUA IS THE BLOODY PROBLEM.

    • budman
      August 13, 2013

      how so?

  42. Anonymous
    August 12, 2013

    More empty promises . ill believe when i see the changes.

  43. Anthony Ismael
    August 12, 2013

    Build a .. airport already. Get it done for crying out loud!

  44. Anthony Ismael
    August 12, 2013

    They have Dominica by the BALLS. There will be no service improvement.

  45. Positive
    August 12, 2013

    L – Love
    I – Is
    A – Always
    T – There

    Liat – The Caribbean Airline we Love sooooo Dearly. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

    • Malgraysa
      August 12, 2013

      You must be a masochist for true.

    • Manicou
      August 12, 2013

      I prefer:

      L – Leave
      I – Island
      A – Any
      T – Time

    • next
      August 12, 2013

      hahaha like that sarcasm

      • next
        August 12, 2013

        that was for “positive”

    • John Paul
      August 12, 2013

      How about “Luggage in another Terminal?
      Leave Islands any time?
      Most recently :Left Infant at Terminal!

      It is only getting worse

    • Anonymous
      August 12, 2013

      L-late
      I-i
      A-am
      T-today
      Which by the way is everyday. I went to st.Thomas for four days last summer and stayed in Antigua for almost three days. I arrived in the vi on Wednesday night about 7.30pm and had to leave Thursday at midday. I complained but it fell on deaf ears so now I flying sunshine airline all the way

  46. dr who
    August 12, 2013

    well I don’t want to offend anybody but maybe Liat could hire some tough and skilled CEO from US or Europe who has ability to manage the things and kick a##s when needed, instead of apologizing again and again and continue to provide the s###est service possible…

  47. August 12, 2013

    While Jean Holder is talking his BS, I am one of the many people stuck at Royal Antigua hotel, since last night, after 6 hours delay on Flight 364 out of Dominica to Antigua. I was suppose to be in St. Thomas, U. S. V. I, on Sunday, August 11, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. It is Monday evening. Get with the bloody program!

    • Will
      August 13, 2013

      somebody was talking about tax free kickbacks to hotels in Antigua…… some people are making money from our misery!

  48. August 12, 2013

    I don’t like that smile on that man’s face. That kind of treatment which we are receiving from LIAT is not a smiling matter–as I said already; it is extremely rude, it is impolite, it is everything that belongs to being inhospitable–we are people, not animals; and yet even animals should not be treated that way.

  49. Malatete
    August 12, 2013

    “External circumstances, my foot! Before the arrival of the latest ATR the average age of the LIAT fleet was closer to 25 yrs. rather than the 20 quoted. Liat were aware of potential problems all along and instead of quoting “external” circumstances they should, for once own up and admit that a large part of their problems is due to poor planning.

  50. J F.
    August 12, 2013

    Ha, ha,ha,ha, It takes a Nasiff to get Liat to even make a proposal of trying to do better. The average person has been complaining for years about shoddy service from this company, with no
    response what so ever. Suggest that before anything, you send ALL your staff on a customer care service programme. They sure could do with it.

    • Malgraysa
      August 13, 2013

      Yes, get Virgin to train them. The difference between the two is is like between day and night.

  51. Sug
    August 12, 2013

    yes..blame everybody and everything else

  52. african queen
    August 12, 2013

    well mr chairman am waiting to see this better service to the people.And one big problem the telephone u call NO one answers the phone and when they DO they say hold i will TRANSFER and the calls NEVER goes THROW.YOU call BACK Phone BUSY.

    • Malgraysa
      August 12, 2013

      African Queen, worse than that, believe me. I have experienced this myself. Someone picks up the receiver at Liat and slams it down again, cutting you off. I sometimes wonder if rudeness was invented in Antigua!

  53. better
    August 12, 2013

    If you guys came out with that statement, let’s say a year ago, maybe you guys would not have been in so much trouble with your image

  54. Anonymous
    August 12, 2013

    Liat flight #364 has been in Antigua from yesterday. The passengers are presently still at the Royal Antigua Hotel with no information on when they “might” leave Antigua. That flight was scheduled to leave Dominica at 1:40pm yesterday but did not leave until 8:05pm (Pure Bull) PLEASE KEEP SHARING THIS, IT NEEDS TO GO VIRAL AND LIAT NEEDS A WAKE UP CALL

  55. Jazzy Jeff
    August 12, 2013

    Mark my words “Virgin Caribbean” will soon be here!!!!

    • budman
      August 12, 2013

      probably not as Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, and SVG would deny that airline landing access to its market. this denial would make such a venture unfeasible.

    • Malgraysa
      August 12, 2013

      Can’t wait for that Virgin!

  56. 2 CuTe
    August 12, 2013

    awwwwww for true liat,you promise to do better…lol…#timewilltell

  57. grell
    August 12, 2013

    Mr Hoder you need to go we need youger heads,you guys have no idea about customer service.

  58. RC
    August 12, 2013

    Better? LIAT, in order for you to do better, you must start by doing “good”. You can only get better when its evident that you are doing good. No shortcuts. Your service is laughable at best. You give customer service a bad name in the Eastern Caribbean.
    Leave Island Any Time
    Luggage In Another Territory
    Lazy In Air Transport

    • EME
      August 12, 2013

      “Luggage In Another Territory”….aka LIAT. You’re so right.

  59. 4u2c
    August 12, 2013

    LIAT your statement is nothing new. After leaving my 85yr old dad to sleep on a bench in Antigua a few years ago I do not expect any better.use Nassief loosing money so he screaming but this is nothing new to LIAT. Excuses, excuses is the best LIAT can offer. They do DOMINICA right because they realize that they have this country by it throat and by its BALLS. The present Dominican political leadership is incompetent, sloppy, retarded, greedy, greedy and more greedy.LIAT does not have care and so is the government.

  60. August 12, 2013

    “external circumstances” ? What a joke? LIAT, WAKE UP!

  61. Pedro
    August 12, 2013

    Come again Liat! External Factors or poor strategic planning and lack of customer service and wonton disregard for the customer on your part?

  62. Rocky Hills
    August 12, 2013

    what a joke! who will be held accountable?

    It’s a boy’s club everyone enjoying the bailouts from these caribbean governments who lack the ability to demand a higher quality of service…

    it’s a recurring decimal———that’s Liat for ya!

  63. Alexy
    August 12, 2013

    We need to boycott Liat!!!

    • RC
      August 12, 2013

      How we boycotting LIAT, ah? The only airline available for most, how we boycotting them?

      • Malgraysa
        August 12, 2013

        Take the ferry to Guadeloupe or Martinique, BVI air to St. Maarten or Seabourne to P.R. Anything but LIAT!

      • next
        August 12, 2013

        its easy: you take a BOY with a chain saw and you CUT

    • 2 CuTe
      August 12, 2013

      and what u going an fly on …aint no body got time to wait..

      One does not simply WaiT with no susbstitute :-D

    • Anonymous
      August 12, 2013

      What a joke! I wonder how often or have you ever travelled….

    • 4progress
      August 12, 2013

      Alexy is right, there are other routes and yes it be cost more, but listen to the stories that others stating which means overall it is costing the average customer all more to fly via LIAT. We have got to make sacrifices to bring about change.

      If we campaign to make it happen for the DA Festival, I certain LIAT executive will take notice. They do not believe that customers can organise themselves effectively. They believe like some of you are indicating that you will only of yourself – Oh it is cheaper, Oh I do not have the time, Oh I can not be bother to check for alternatives.

      WE NEEDS FRESH IDEAS TO MOUNT A CAMPAIGN TO MEET LIAT STAND UP AND LISTEN. DO NOT EXPECT THE PM TO HELP IN THIS MATTER

    • EME
      August 12, 2013

      Easier to say than to do

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