A number of Guyanese who travelled to Barbados last Wednesday and Thursday on Caribbean Star are still awaiting their luggage, which they learnt was left at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.
Several checks by the affected travellers at the airline’s office at the Grantley Adams International Airport over the past five days provided no answers.
Two passengers who requested that their names not be mentioned told Stabroek News via telephone from Bridgetown yesterday that they were not informed that their bags were not on the flights when they boarded at Timehri.
According to the locals, some people arrived in Barbados only with their hand luggage and were told by airline officials at the airport that the problem was caused by employees at Timehri’s baggage department. Those affected are reportedly from communities across the country including East and West Berbice, who travelled to the island for various reasons including vacation, business and employment.
One man who lives and works on the island told this newspaper that he and several others have been seriously affected by the situation since most of their carpentry and other tools were left behind in their luggage and as a result they have been unable to work since their return.
According to the man who hails from Palmyra on the Corentyne, “we have lost and are still losing a lot of money daily by travelling to and from Grantley Adams checking for our luggage and calling home to find out what is happening.
Yet officials of the airline have not been very helpful and in some cases have been very arrogant towards us when we made enquiries about our luggage.”
Another man related that they were told by an airline official in Georgetown that they should contact the Baggage Department at Timehri to find out about their luggage.
“We have received little or no assistance from the airline since we arrived here last Wednesday,” he lamented. According to the Berbi-cian most people have been forced to purchase clothing and other personal effects since their arrival in Barbados.
The disgruntled passengers said they intend to contact Guyana’s Honorary Consul in Barbados Norman Faria to seek his assistance.
When contacted yesterday an airline official in Georgetown told this newspaper that the passengers were asked to check with the Baggage Department at Timehri since the airline does not have any responsibility for baggage. She also referred Stabroek News to a Mr Nelson at Timehri for further information. However efforts to contact Nelson were unsuccessful. Pressed to explain what had in fact transpired the female employee said the flights last Wednesday and Thursday were overbooked and this could have been the reason the bags were left behind.
Asked when the luggage was expected to be flown to Grantley Adams, the employee said she could not say definitively but it could have been yesterday afternoon on a LIAT aircraft.
The flight was expected to leave Timehri around 2 pm and arrive in Barbados around 4 p.m.
According to the employee, she could not give any guarantees but whatever luggage did not leave may leave this afternoon (Wednesday) on another scheduled LIAT flight at 2 pm. She suggested that the affected passengers should keep checking with officials at Grantley Adams Airport.
