Sherman's Travel

For some Caribbean beach bums looking to jet off to their planned sand-and-sun island destination, today was one real beach bummer. In a show of solidarity for a recently fired captain (who headed the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association), all pilots scheduled to work this morning for Antigua-based LIAT, one of the Caribbean’s leading airlines, called in sick in a planned “sick-out.” The protest affected the lot of the day’s flights (the airline operates more than a hundred daily) with a bevy of cancellations and rescheduled departures. Customers affected by the disruptions are being granted a one-week period to rebook their flights without any charges, or to apply for a full credit for future travel. Passengers with continuing connections on other carriers were advised to contact those airlines directly.

The airline issued this apology: “LIAT sincerely apologizes to affected passengers and the general public for any inconvenience caused as a result of the action by its pilots.” For further information on flights departing on Wednesday, December 7, the company will be providing information on www.liat.com as of 5am, or travelers can phone in on the following numbers: from Antigua (268-480-5582); toll free from the rest of the Caribbean (888-844-5428); or from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (866-549-5428).