Passengers Frustrated as LIAT 20 Delays and Poor Communication Disrupt Regional Travel

Passengers travelling with LIAT 20 on Monday have voiced frustration over lengthy delays, poor communication and a lack of customer service, with several describing the airline’s handling of the situation as “disrespectful.”

The complaints came from travellers departing St Kitts for destinations across the region, including Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia. Speaking on condition of anonymity, passengers said the absence of timely updates left them stranded at the airport for hours without knowing when they would depart.

One passenger travelling to Trinidad and Tobago said they arrived at the airport ahead of their scheduled 9:00 am flight, only to spend most of the day waiting with little or no information from airline representatives.

“I came to the airport in St Kitts on Monday intending to travel to Trinidad and Tobago. My flight was scheduled to leave at 9:00 am. However, by 1:08 pm, I was still at the airport with no updates,” the passenger said.

The traveller explained that repeated attempts to obtain information from the airline proved unsuccessful.

“I called the number listed on LIAT’s website, but the agent told me she didn’t have any information and that I should just be patient. I also made several trips to the airline counter, but no useful information was provided.”

According to the passenger, airline officials advised around 10:00 am, that an update would be provided by approximately 10:40 am, but no further communication followed.

“No one thought it was fair to tell passengers why the flight was delayed or when we could expect to leave. It’s upsetting because we’ve simply been left here without any information.”

Passengers travelling to Saint Lucia expressed similar concerns, saying they were disappointed by both the delay and the airline’s apparent failure to communicate with customers.

“Our flight was supposed to leave at 9:00 am, but nobody came to tell passengers that it had been delayed,” one Saint Lucian traveller said.

“After 9 o’clock, we asked an airport attendant about the flight, and they said they didn’t know anything. I had to call LIAT in Barbados myself before I was told there were operational issues and that the flight would now leave at 11:00 am. That never happened either.”

By early afternoon, passengers remained stranded in St Kitts, facing an already lengthy itinerary.

“It was 1:30 pm and we were still in St Kitts. To make matters worse, our route was St Kitts to Trinidad, then St Vincent, then Antigua, where we were expected to change aircraft before finally travelling to Saint Lucia. On top of that, the airline’s website wasn’t working.”

Another passenger travelling to St Kitts said the prolonged wait was made even more frustrating by the airline’s failure to provide basic assistance to affected customers.

“We have been at the airport for over five hours and the airline has provided no meals or anything to us customers who they have inconvenienced,” the passenger said. “The lack of communication is one thing, but not even offering refreshments or assistance after keeping people waiting for so long is unacceptable.”

One passenger who came for the St Kitts Music Festival says while her experience was a memorable one, her travel delays has tainted the experience.

“Governments across the region are spending millions to promote festivals, attract visitors and showcase the Caribbean experience. Unfortunately, airlines like LIAT are undoing that work in a matter of hours. What should have been a memorable regional experience has resulted in a direct flight from SKN to SLU experiencing an 8 hour delay and diverted to Antigua where passengers overnighted: still no word from LIAT on an alternative flight. The communication is non existent. St. Kitts Music Festival we had a great time but never again, thanks to LIAT.”

Another passenger said the delays had disrupted work commitments and left travellers feeling powerless because of the lack of information.

“I’m totally disgruntled and upset,” the passenger said. “This has affected my work, and at this point I would not recommend anyone travel with LIAT.”

“The worst part is the lack of communication. If information had been shared, people could have made other arrangements. Instead, it feels like you’re just expected to accept whatever happens.”

The passenger added, “My experience has been terrible, and I cannot recommend the airline.”

Several passengers described the airline’s communication throughout the delay as inadequate, saying regular updates, even if there were no immediate solutions, would have helped ease growing frustration.

Unconfirmed reports alleged that the delay partly stemmed from documentation issues related to refuelling in St Kitts.

According to the reports, the airline allegedly failed to provide the required paperwork for refuelling, resulting in the fuel provider declining to release fuel to the aircraft. Saint Lucia Daily Post has not independently verified these claims, and LIAT 20 had not confirmed or commented on the reports up to the time of publication.

Up to the time of publication, LIAT 20 had not publicly addressed the complaints raised by the affected passengers or provided an official explanation for the reported operational delays.

The post Passengers Frustrated as LIAT 20 Delays and Poor Communication Disrupt Regional Travel appeared first on Saint Lucia Daily Post.