Air Tran Non Stop

[mm1112]

I got a good deal on tickets for our June trip a few months ago. Both ways to and from Chicago non-stop. However, since booking the schedule changed a few times with me having to request a completely different flight. The capacity on the plane seems pretty low right now and I am starting to get worried about another change. Does that plane need to be at another airport for a different flight, which would force Air Tran to make the flight? Or could I be looking at more changes? Thanks.

 

[ancestry]

Honestly who knows with Air Tran?!?! They are notorious for changes and there always isn't a reason that is obvious to the public.

Personally I wouldn't make yourself crazy worrying about it. Deal with it if and when the changes happens.

 

[tj4disney]

You could be looking at more changes. It appears as though some markets are more stable than others...hopefully Chicago is a relatively stable market.

I'm in a smaller market, and after eliminating a return direct flight 8 weeks out, at the 6 week mark they then changed the 1-stop layover to a 2-stop layover. I ended up booking a non-stop into another city 3 hours away and am paying out-of-pocket to drive a rental car home.

It's great advice not to worry about it unless you need to...just wish I could actually heed that advice. But no...hence I've been sweating it out, checking daily for the past few weeks. Now sitting at 11 days out with no further changes, so am thinking this might hold.

Moral of the story...you take your chances with AirTran.

 

[mm1112]

Honestly who knows with Air Tran?!?! They are notorious for changes and there always isn't a reason that is obvious to the public.

Personally I wouldn't make yourself crazy worrying about it. Deal with it if and when the changes happens.

Are they this unreliable? I should have done my homework before booking. While nothing is certain in the airline industry, I would have paid more to fly on a more reputalbe carrier.

 

[ancestry]

Are they this unreliable? I should have done my homework before booking. While nothing is certain in the airline industry, I would have paid more to fly on a more reputalbe carrier.

I have never had a problem on travel day with Air Tran. They are good in the actual flight process.

What they are not reliable in is their scheduled flights far in advance. They change schedules and flights constantly. Some markets are worse than others.

I only book on Air Tran if I am flexible on the flight times. If I am booking a flight because of a specific time then I choose a different airline.

 

[danielle.st]

You really can't tell from seeing the seats showing as available how full the flight is.
We are flying AT tomorrow. Yesterday, at least a third of the seats were showing as available on the seat map. Today, now that people have done the 24 hour check in, there are only 2 regular seats showing as available on the seat map. It looks like many people didn't choose their seats ahead of time, making them look available.

 

[mm1112]

You really can't tell from seeing the seats showing as available how full the flight is.
We are flying AT tomorrow. Yesterday, at least a third of the seats were showing as available on the seat map. Today, now that people have done the 24 hour check in, there are only 2 regular seats showing as available on the seat map. It looks like many people didn't choose their seats ahead of time, making them look available.

That is a good point, I never thought of it. However, my flights are the cheapest for those days which leads me to believe that it is at a pretty low capacity. I wouldn't mind having to change flights if it ulitmately allowed me more time in WDW.

 

[PoohsFan1]

I have never had a problem on travel day with Air Tran. They are good in the actual flight process.

What they are not reliable in is their scheduled flights far in advance. They change schedules and flights constantly. Some markets are worse than others.

I only book on Air Tran if I am flexible on the flight times. If I am booking a flight because of a specific time then I choose a different airline.

That is so true, and I think we learned our lesson this time around. We bought our September tickets about a month ago. Air Tran had a really great deal that we just could not pass up ($79 dollar tickets each way, and we too are flying from Chicago). When we first booked we had both non-stop flights (the first non-stop flight and the last non-stop flight out). Well since then, they have decided to cancel the last non-stop flight out which was at 8:15pm out of MCO so now we have a 1-stop flight at 7:45pm and we don't get back to Chicago until 11pm (kids have school the next day). I was contemplating changing our flight since Air Tran did say they would switch us for free, but we decided that we would bite the bullet and keep the late flight just so we could have a few extra hours more in Disney. The good news is, they haven't changed our early morning flight to Disney so crossing my fingers that no more changes will incur.