Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum

General => General Discussion => Topic started by: 1-868 on July 01, 2013, 11:17:12 AM

Title: LIAT Thread.
Post by: 1-868 on July 01, 2013, 11:17:12 AM
'Hilarious' Airline Complaint Letter Catches Eye of CEO

http://gma.yahoo.com/hilarious-airline-complaint-letter-catches-eye-ceo-142429419--abc-news-travel.html

 Most airline complaint letters are so filled with rage and tales of woe, it's hard to see any humor in the situation.

But that's not the case with a letter written to LIAT, a small airline serving 21 destinations in the Caribbean. The complaint waged in a letter to the airline is so funny that it prompted another airline's CEO to tweet it to his more than 3 million followers.

"How to write a complaint letter -- read this hilarious note from a frustrated airline passenger," tweeted Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group.

He even blogged about it.

Not all letters to airlines are to complain. Check out this letter to Delta's CEO after he gave up his seat for a mom late to pick her daughter up from a special-needs camp.

The LIAT letter appeared in the weekly British Virgin Islands newspaper, the BVI Beacon, earlier this year.

The letter was penned by Londoner Arthur Hicks and titled "An Open Letter to LIAT."

 Dear LIAT,

May I say how considerate it is of you to enable your passengers such an in-depth and thorough tour of the Caribbean.

Most other airlines I have travelled on would simply wish to take me from point A to B in rather a hurry. I was intrigued that we were allowed to stop at not a lowly one or two but a magnificent six airports yesterday. And who wants to fly on the same airplane the entire time? We got to change and refuel every step of the way!

I particularly enjoyed sampling the security scanners at each and every airport. I find it preposterous that people imagine them all to be the same. And as for being patted down by a variety of islanders, well, I feel as if I've been hugged by most of the Caribbean already. I also found it unique that this was all done on "island time," because I do like to have time to absorb the atmosphere of the various departure lounges. As for our arrival, well, who wants to have to take a ferry at the end of all that flying anyway? I'm glad the boat was long gone by the time we arrived into Tortola last night -- and that all those noisy bars and restaurants were closed.

So thank you, LIAT. I now truly understand why you are "The Caribbean Airline."

P.S. Keep the bag. I never liked it anyway.

Branson himself was once the recipient of what some think is the most epic airline complaint letter of all time. In that letter, the author likens his flight on Virgin to a "culinary journey of hell."
Title: LIAT Thread.
Post by: Flex on July 04, 2020, 05:40:54 AM
Caricom chairman: 6 airlines to possibly replace LIAT
T&T Guardian Reports.


Prime Minister of Barbados and former chair of Caricom, Mia Mottley has revealed that six air carriers have expressed interest in taking over LIAT’s travel routes, in wake of the carrier’s current financial challenge.

They are SVG Air, One Caribbean Ltd, Caribbean Airlines, InterCaribbean Airways, Silver Airways and Air Antilles.

The issue of regional air travel was discussed as St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves assumed chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) from outgoing chair, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley during a virtual handing over ceremony yesterday.

Mottley explained that the announcement was made citizens within the region had expressed concerns over the absence of interregional transport as LIAT would now be liquidated.

Noting that it was not an easy decision Mottley added: “LIAT has been for us, a critical part of our history, it has allowed Caribbean people to move but there also is a time when those instruments that served us well in the past may not be the right instruments for us going forward.”

She explained that if the board of directors did not liquidate the insolvent airline they would then be guilty of fraudulent trading.

Mottley said the Caricom stakeholders were however, satisfied that the six airlines could more than fill the immediate gap, given the reduced travel due to the COVID-19 measures implemented to contain the spread of the virus.

She said Caricom hopes to work with the six airlines and other private sector players who also expressed interest in working either on their own or with some of the existing players to fill the gap in airlift.

According to the Barbadian, PM, working together with private sector players needs to be done as governments have to now use their funds to deal with health, water and transportation expenditure as well as salvaging a vulnerable tourism industry.

Mottley added that the Caricom heads of Government have agreed to assist the airline industry in the best ways they can.

Gonzales assured that air transport in lieu of LIAT’s exit would be soon implemented.

“I believe we are going to be able to provide, in a very short time, a sufficiency of regional transport to serve the sub-region––to serve ourselves safely, reliably, sustainably and reasonably priced,” Gonsalves said.

He said the challenge placed upon the Caribbean regarding regional air transportation is one which the region has to solve.

Gonsalves had said LIAT did not have significant assets to satisfy the liabilities it owes.

LIAT’s fleet consists of ten ATR aircraft—five ATR 42-600s and five ATR 72-600s—with LIAT only owning three of its aircraft.

One of the largest liabilities LIAT owes is a $29 million severance payment it contractually owes to its’ employees.

LIAT Ltd, previously known as Leeward Islands Air Transport or LIAT, is headquartered in Antigua.

Title: Re: LIAT Thread.
Post by: Flex on July 14, 2020, 03:27:29 PM
Stakeholders to explore keeping LIAT
By  Kyron Regis (Guardian).


The chairman of Caricom and Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves has revealed that there will be a meeting in the coming days to discuss an alternative to liquidating LIAT 1974 Ltd.

Speaking in an interview on CNC3, Gonsalves said: “Subsequent to the meeting of the major shareholders the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda is exploring what he considers to be another option to liquidation and he has asked for a meeting next week to explore that option with the major shareholders.”

Gonsalves indicated that the major shareholders of LIAT decided on the June 27, to put LIAT into liquidation after having received the recommendation from the airline’s board of directors meeting a few days earlier.

He said that the PM of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne has a different perspective as to how to go forward with the airlines “and is trying to see if he can get the investments to have a LIAT 2020 Ltd.”

According to the Caricom chair, Barbados has indicated that they have no interest in Browne’s proposal.

Gonsalves, however, noted that he would listen respectfully.

Gonsalves then said that he is engaged in putting together, as far as is practicable, an approach to regional air transport, which would see other players involved. He remarked that he has been in conversation with four airlines: Caribbean Airlines, InterCaribbean, One Caribbean and SVG Air.

Although Barbados PM, Mia Mottley outlined that six carriers have expressed interest in taking over LIAT’s routes, Gonsalves indicated that he is focusing on the four airlines owned by people within the English-speaking Caribbean.

There are two others, according to Gonsalves, out of North America and there are two in the French Antilles who are also interested in LIAT’s routes.

As a result, Gonsalves is hoping that we would have a good mix to take people in and out of various territories in the region.

Gonsalves said that any other individual or government can decide what they’re going to do—and he wishes them well. He said: “But clearly the market and the investment requisites would determine how the different airlines play out. “

According to Gonsalves, all the leaders are interested in having a sustainable safe, reliable, affordable air transportation.

Nonetheless, he said that for many years several governments served by LIAT were not interested in putting any money in LIAT, either as market support or equity.

Gonsalves continued: “So that, there maybe a lot of talk, and there maybe all kind of reasons why different governments chose no to put in money in LIAT, either for equity or as market support.”

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines PM highlighted that he would see the response by governments to regional air travel in the new season. He said that he is proceeding with the three privately owned carriers, plus one (CAL) owned by the government of T&T.

PM Gonsalves said that Caricom has enough assets to take the passengers through the region.

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