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SVG Air or Liat
#16024
03/02/2012 10:54 AM
03/02/2012 10:54 AM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,654 Kitchener, Ontario Canada
DawnB
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,654
Kitchener, Ontario Canada
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Okay, so I know this is a loaded question for some, but:
Difference in price for SVG Air is about $150 more for two of us round trip from Barbado\s to St. Vincent and back, with better times than Liat (if they fly instead of cancelling!)
I'm tending to think that it might be a better way to go since I have had some luck and no luck with Liat in the past.
I know that Seth from Barefoot recommends them, but just wondered if anyone had any experience with them - good, bad, indifferent.
Thanks so much!
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Re: SVG Air or Liat
[Re: DawnB]
#16025
03/02/2012 11:40 AM
03/02/2012 11:40 AM
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,100 Maryland
Twanger
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,100
Maryland
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We were a bit put off by the SVG Air cost back in 2010 when we chartered with Barefoot out of St. Vincent. The differential you quote does not see bad, however.
Sooooooo, if you've got the clams I'd think it's the way to go.
I'm not a big fan of LIAT. We booked two extra days into our trip to accommodate for expected problems with LIAT. It turned out that they lost one bag on the way down, and we got it 24-hours later, so that extra day was fortuitous. They also lost a bag of our crew who flew in a day later, but thankfully the bag showed up at 10pm that night. Kaishawn (Barefoot's Taxi driver) saved the day by fetching it for us from the airport late at night! It had all of Lisa's clothes, so she was sweating it big-time! Kaishawn is a great guy. Also, it turns out that we enjoyed our extra two days and the more relaxing pace for travel that it afforded. However, all-in-all, booking two extra days for the trip including hotels is probably more expensive than the additional cost of the SVG Air charter flight.
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Re: SVG Air
[Re: DawnB]
#16029
03/02/2012 02:36 PM
03/02/2012 02:36 PM
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,100 Maryland
Twanger
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,100
Maryland
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SVG Air is essentially a private charter. (full disclaimer, I have not used them). svgair.com
If you talk to them in advance about your baggage needs they will accommodate you.
LIAT, on the other hand, is an airline that books seats. If the plane gets too heavy they will bounce your bag(s). When your bags show up will be anybody's guess. Hopefully the next flight. It might be later that day, of maybe the next day.
If they don't have enough people on a flight, they will cancel the flight.
You won't know any of this until it's "too late."
Planning close-connections between planes, or between planes and boats is planning to fail.
So yes, there's a big difference between them.
The safest way to go, with LIAT, is to add 1-day buffers in your travel with them.
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Re: SVG Air
[Re: Twanger]
#16030
03/02/2012 06:14 PM
03/02/2012 06:14 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,654 Kitchener, Ontario Canada
DawnB
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,654
Kitchener, Ontario Canada
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I added a buffer on the way down, but not on the way back... (who cares if I get home on time, I don't! LOL)
But still, I think it's worth the extra bucks, and will be travelling fairly lightly - but we may need to rearrange our luggage in Barbados, since we normally only carry-on, but it usually weighs more than 13lbs!
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Re: SVG Air
[Re: Theakston]
#16033
03/05/2012 09:27 AM
03/05/2012 09:27 AM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 846
Sunset_Sammy
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 846
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A friend of mine missed his connection in Barbados, flying liat from Grenada to St. Lucia in February; they put him up in a hotel and told him to order anything he wanted off the menu for dinner. I just booked a flight from St. Maarten to St. Thomas for Wednesday, direct so hopefully it should be OK. We were going to planning to sail Great Escape up there tonight, but if you've been following my SXM posts you know how that turned out <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />
Drink all day at home, your friends worry about you; do it on vacation and they say "what a good time you're having". Save your friends needless worry, travel more!
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Re: SVG Air
[Re: Sunset_Sammy]
#16034
04/04/2012 10:33 AM
04/04/2012 10:33 AM
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 335 Michigan
sailgaiamar
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 335
Michigan
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LIAT lost our luggage last year flying from SVG to SJU so we vowed never to fly them again. We used SVG air from Barbados to SVG in January. They were very accommodating, never weighed our carry ons, and didn't charge us for overweight and extra bags. I would definitely fly SVG again! When we flew, the fare was comparable to LIAT's fare.
Gail
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