…to hold further discussions on route expansion
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - FOLLOWING the growing outcry from travellers who utilized InterCaribbean service in recent months, especially those in St. Kitts and Nevis, many of them have described it as falling short of their expectations in some instances because of a number of delays and logistical challenges.
SKNVibes News raised the issue with the Minister of Tourism, Marsha Henderson, who sought to reassure citizens and residents that “we are addressing the concerns raised”.
She disclosed that they did receive complaints about the service, had an engagement with the CEO of the airline over the matter and another meeting is scheduled for the coming weeks.
In one such instance last year, SKNVibes had learnt of a customer who, for no fault of hers, was told that her connecting flight from Barbados to St. Kitts and Nevis had left despite the airline had pilot issues which resulted in a delay.
That flight was from Barbados to Dominica and was delayed because of pilot issues. It would have then return to Barbados via St. Lucia for onward connection to St. Kitts. However, after several hours of waiting, the gate agent informed the passenger that the flight from Barbados to SKN had already departed.
Subsequently, the individual, who resides in the Federation, was told by gate agents that she would not have gotten another InterCaribbean flight out of Roseau until two weeks later.
The individual was further told that she would have to accommodate herself on the island for that time.
To compound the problem, the airline further noted that if she desired to leave she would have been flown to Antigua, where she would have had to wait for the same period of time, but would also have to be self-accommodated.
That situation had followed a number of other bad experiences lamented to this media house by customers who were left out in the cold.
In other instances, customers had complained about the attitude of the agents, especially those in Barbados.
“We wanted to make sure that before we expand routes that the issues that continue raise their heads, that we address those issues,” the Minister recently told reporters.
Since the COVID-induced collapse of LIAT, InterCaribbean and other airlines have stepped up to fill the void of intraregional travel. But because of the limited amount of aircraft across the region, it has created a problem for airlines if one location experiences a delay.
“...a number of people have been reimbursed. InterCaribbean has accommodated them in ways that worked for both InterCaribbean and the passenger,” noted Henderson.
Meanwhile, the Minister confirmed that the discussions with InterCaribbean’s management would also see them partnering with the airline in the coming weeks on other initiatives.
Among those initiatives would be St. Kitts-Nevis’ connection to other destinations and possible increasing flights for major events in the Federation.
