Airtran Cancellation Concerns...somebody calm me down!

[soccer mom]

We are flying into MCO from Detroit on November 14. This our first time flying Airtran. 44 of the 61 seats on our non-stop flight (1:08pm) are still empty and the prices have gone ridiculously high. If they don't fill more seats, what are the chances of our flight being cancelled (especially after we get to the airport) and having to take a later flight out? Should I call them and ask, because if this is a possibly I would much rather go out on an earlier flight so our dinner reservations at Cape May and plans for the evening are not ruined.

I am sure that is what happened to us on Northwest a number of years ago. After we got to the airpport they kept delaying our flight and then finally after about three hours they miraculously found room for all of us on a later flight (which I knew was half empty)! It really messed up our plans.

Does this make sense? Am I worrying for nothing? Does Airtran have a history of this kind of thing? Do they fly with a plane 1/2 empty? I tend to overthink things....can someone bring me back to earth?!

 

[Carriemel]

Not sure where you're getting 61 seats. AirTran's jets have a minimum of 117 seats on them.

Airlines usually don't cancel flights because of low bookings. They need those planes to be at the next destination. I've seen AirTran fly with 8 people on the entire plane.

 

[Traveliz]

Honestly I think you are needlessly worrying. If those numbers hold up for them time and again they will take the flight off the route permanently (but with notice) but in the meantime the planes have to get to the next destination to take whoever there is going wherever the plane goes next (and that might be a super busy flight).

I fly Airtran a lot and have never had them cancel a flight due to low numbers - in reality I have never had them cancel a flight.

I just looked at the flight and it shows over half of the seats on the plane all ready reserved...plus that doesn't even account for people who have booked but are not reserving their seats. Where are you looking? The prices I am seeing for Airtran are about what they do two weeks out.

Liz

 

[circhead]

I fly airtran from Westchester county. I have had Airtran cancell flights on me more than once, but always with ample notice(several weeks or months ahead) - they rebooked me themselves on a different flight - when the different flight has not met my needs I have called them and they have moved me to a flight that works for me. Several times though I had booked a non stop flight and was unable to get a nonstop flight on rebooking. I don't know about anyone else but I hate connecting in Atlanta which is where they always send me. Problem is they already had my money so I was captive to their schedule.

If they haven't already given notice that they are cancelling your flight I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Mommy_Jen]

I wouldn't worry. I agree with the previous posts. I think there are probably alot of people booked but didn't reserve a seat so that might be why you are seeing open seats on their website. Plus I do agree that the plane does need to be in Floriday for the next flight it does on.

 

[dudspizza]

Airlines don't cancel flights like yours unless there is a storm somewhere or a mechanical issue.

As stated above, they need the plane at the next destination, so it will fly. You are worrying about nothing.

Also, not all ticketed passengers will show on the seat map as not everyone wants to pay the seat fee...... some will be assigned their seat at check in.

Duds

 

[DebbieB]

Since Detroit is not a hub for AirTran, they will be flying people into Detroit on that plane. So they would have to cancel both the flight coming into Detroit and leaving Detroit. Unlikely. Doesn't AirTran charge for seat assignments? It's possible people have bought tickets but didn't pay for seat assignments, so the seats are showing as unassigned. If the price is high, that is likely the case.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Since Detroit is not a hub for AirTran, they will be flying people into Detroit on that plane. So they would have to cancel both the flight coming into Detroit and leaving Detroit. Unlikely. Doesn't AirTran charge for seat assignments? It's possible people have bought tickets but didn't pay for seat assignments, so the seats are showing as unassigned. If the price is high, that is likely the case.

I think this is the most likely situation. The OP doesn't need to worry.

 

[budbeerlady]

You will be fine, we have taken Airtran from DTW to MCO for a few years now. Some flights are fuller than others but our flight has never been canceled.

The only things we have had are a few tweeks with the time and ONCE our non-stop was changed to a 1 stop with the stop being Midway. No issue, I called and had us changed to the 1st flight of the morning which was a non-stop.

 

[Pembo]

We flew from Kansas City to Cleveland on Continental with 4 people on the plane...two were dh & I. Our suitcase was the only one on the plane!!

Like others have said, that plane is needed elsewhere. Just be happy you'll get to stretch out!

 

[DemoBri1]

The fact that you are seeing seats empty on the plane doesn't necessarily mean those seats have not been purchased. It simply means that the people have not yet assigned themselves to those seats. Some people won't want to pay the extra $$ to assign themselves a seat in advance, so they will wait until check in to do so.

The reason you see the prices going higher is that you are getting closer to your departure date. You should be fine. As one of the other posters stated, they need to get planes to other destinations regardless of whether there are 50 or 150 people on the plane.

Have a great trip!

 

[dioxide45]

AirTran seas maps are not a useful tool to determine how many seats are sold on a flight. As the prior poster indicated that the seats that show as empty are just unassigned seats. It is possible there are 30 people who bought tickets but didn't select a seat and will be assigned one of those "empty" seats at check-in.

 

[aubriee]

My direct flight from DFW to MCO for Dec 4th was canceled a couple of weeks ago. Air Tran then put me on a flight with a four hour layover in Atlanta. Before calling them, I checked their website to find that there were no other direct flights that day, but there was one that left a little before mine and had a shorter layover in Atlanta. It would have got me into MCO around 11:00am instead 3:00pm. I checked and there are quite a few seats showing available on that flight, so I called to ask to be moved to it. The Air Tran rep was very nice and tried, but said that flight was fully booked and even looked like it might be overbooked. Anyway there was not a single empty seat on it (I am flying solo). When I asked why so many empty seats were showing up online then, she told me that it was probably because people were booked on the flight, but had not chosen/paid for their seats, but her system was showing not even a single seat available. I just looked and there are still alot of empty seats showing up for that flight, but the system will not allow you to book a seat on it.

 

[partinchina]

I think this is the most likely situation. The OP doesn't need to worry.
WDWisTheBest is offline

 

[stacy6552]

They will contact you. I had that happen once and the flights I was reassigned to did not work for me. When I called, they were very helpful and found me better flights.

 

[SPBendersky]

As I recall a cancellation also does not hold well with the aviation board. They will only cancel for other mechanical problems or once we did not have enough flight attendants due to a storm in the Northeast and massive delays on incomming flights.