A Guyanese family is appealing to LIAT Air for urgent assistance after a trip to Antigua for the Carnival celebrations was marred by repeated flight cancellations and ended with them returning home without their luggage.

The family said their problems with the regional carrier began before they even arrived in Antigua, with their July 11 flight from Guyana cancelled and rescheduled for the following day.

While they eventually made it to Antigua, the return journey proved even more difficult.

Their flight back to Guyana was initially scheduled for Friday, August 7, but passengers received an email informing them that it had been cancelled and moved to August 9.

On August 9, they were again notified that the flight would not operate as planned and had instead been pushed back to Monday, August 10.

The family finally departed Antigua on Monday after several days of uncertainty, with one passenger checking in two pieces of luggage before boarding the flight.

However, when they arrived in Guyana, their bags were nowhere to be found.

The family said they later learned that their luggage had been left behind in Antigua, reportedly because of weight restrictions on the aircraft.

They said the situation was not limited to their belongings, claiming that several other passengers who travelled on the flight also arrived in Guyana without their luggage.

The passengers were reportedly assured that the airline would contact them and that the outstanding bags were expected to arrive by Wednesday or Thursday.

By Thursday, however, the family said they were still waiting, with no luggage and no clear indication of when their belongings would be returned.

The family said their attempts to get answers have also proven difficult, alleging that calls have gone unanswered and that they have received little assistance while trying to determine the whereabouts of their bags.

The situation has added to the frustration of passengers who had already been forced to rearrange their travel plans because of the cancellations.

The August 7 cancellation formed part of wider disruptions to LIAT Air’s regional schedule, with five flights cancelled that day and several travellers affected through the airline’s Antigua hub.

The concerned passenger said they understand that operational challenges can sometimes force airlines to cancel or delay flights, but argued that passengers should still receive timely information and proper customer service.

“Passengers deserve to be kept informed, treated with respect, and given clear information about their flights and belongings,” the passenger said.

The family is now calling on LIAT Air’s management to provide an urgent update on the outstanding luggage and ensure that the bags are transported to Guyana and returned to their owners as soon as possible.

They are also appealing to the relevant authorities to take note of the concerns being raised, particularly since multiple passengers were reportedly affected.

“This is not simply about one passenger or one missing bag,” the passenger said. “It is about the treatment of passengers who have paid for a service and deserve to receive that service with reasonable communication, professionalism, and respect.”

After navigating repeated cancellations just to get home, the family said they are now hoping for a swift resolution and, above all, clear answers about when they will finally be reunited with their belongings.