AirTran change....what can I do?

[kjsirish]

My husband and I are taking our 3 kids (2, 7, 10) to Disney 11/26-12/4/10. We booked non-stop flights from Pittsburgh to Orlando. We decided to pay the little extra $$ to have non-stop with 3 kids! I have received numerous e-mails with time changes of a couple minutes...no big deal. Yesterday I receive an e-mail saying that our return flight went from a non-stop (2hr flight) to a 1 stop (4hr flight). I don't want to accept that change! I paid for a non-stop and I still want a non-stop as it is much easier w/kids! I did look on their site and they do have a non-stop that leaves 4 hours earlier, but that really makes us loose a day at the park.

Any suggestions??

 

[Chelley00]

If you call them and tell them about the change, they will most likely refund your money or help you change to a nonstop at a different time. They are usually very good about that.

 

[crashbb]

Your choices are:

1) Take the change;
2) Call and ask to be moved to the non-stop that leaves four hours earlier;
3) Call and ask to be moved to the non-stop the next day;
4) Call and ask for a refund and book with another carrier.

None of these options should involve a change fee. However, option 3 would involve paying for an extra night in Orlando and option 4 would involve finding flights on another airline at a price you are willing to pay.

Check out the options before you call, especially if going with option 4 (make sure that there are flights on another airline at a price you are willing to pay) or option 3 (make sure that there an extra night's hotel is at a rate you are willing to pay).

 

[DebbieB]

My husband and I are taking our 3 kids (2, 7, 10) to Disney 11/26-12/4/10. We booked non-stop flights from Pittsburgh to Orlando. We decided to pay the little extra $$ to have non-stop with 3 kids! I have received numerous e-mails with time changes of a couple minutes...no big deal. Yesterday I receive an e-mail saying that our return flight went from a non-stop (2hr flight) to a 1 stop (4hr flight). I don't want to accept that change! I paid for a non-stop and I still want a non-stop as it is much easier w/kids! I did look on their site and they do have a non-stop that leaves 4 hours earlier, but that really makes us loose a day at the park.

Any suggestions??

I looked at their schedule for 12/4 - there are non-stops at 11:09am and 4:27pm. I would try for the 4:27pm. The one stops (connections) after that don't get in until midnight.

 

[kjsirish]

We are were booked on the 8:55pm flight because we wanted the extra day at Disney, but now if we change to the 4:27 flight, then that cuts out half the day. I guess I need to weigh my options.

 

[DebbieB]

Southwest has a non-stop at 6:20pm, $128 one way. You could cancel AirTran and get your money back. Or do AirTran down, SW back.

I'd be careful with the last flight out with a connection through Atlanta, looks like only 40 minutes.

 

[lisareniff]

Much better then what Jetblue is doing to us. We booked Non-stop flights for President's Week (the only Jetblue non-stops from our airport) and they have canceled the flight. They still haven't officially informed us about it but it's coming. We really don't want to connect through JFK in Feb. plus the connections are really bad. and at this point we really can't buy tickets for the same price on the only other Non-stop. It will cost us at least 1K more.

 

[sam_gordon]

Your choices are:

1) Take the change;
2) Call and ask to be moved to the non-stop that leaves four hours earlier;
3) Call and ask to be moved to the non-stop the next day;
4) Call and ask for a refund and book with another carrier.

None of these options should involve a change fee. However, option 3 would involve paying for an extra night in Orlando and option 4 would involve finding flights on another airline at a price you are willing to pay.

Check out the options before you call, especially if going with option 4 (make sure that there are flights on another airline at a price you are willing to pay) or option 3 (make sure that there an extra night's hotel is at a rate you are willing to pay).

My opinion... book an offsite hotel for the night of 12/4. Take option #3 above (assuming you can do it with no fees). 12/4, spend the full day at the park, then go check into your off site hotel. Sleep in (if you take the 4:30P flight), or get up earlier (relative) and catch the 11a flight.

 

[dudspizza]

My opinion... book an offsite hotel for the night of 12/4. Take option #3 above (assuming you can do it with no fees). 12/4, spend the full day at the park, then go check into your off site hotel. Sleep in (if you take the 4:30P flight), or get up earlier (relative) and catch the 11a flight.

and to save even more money...... book ME back to the airport if not renting a car and then have an airport hotel booked for the night of 12/4. Call that hotel and have them come pick you up with their shuttle and then return you to MCO the next day for your flight.......

If you need to take ME in the evening, find a flight on 12/4 that leaves later in the evening and they will schedule you on ME 3 hours before that time......

Enjoy an extra night in Orlando!

Duds

 

[Hoopfamily]

Is there another Airport close to where you live? I once had a flight booked from Boston to Tampa that was a connector and they changed the flight time and I was able to get hem to switch it to Orlando as a nonstop for no charge.

 

[Buzz's Buddy]

I just wanted to give you my experience with Air Tran.

Air Tran changed my departure flight by 40 minutes and I was able to change to a different flight, at a different airport, the day before my original flight was scheduled. All for no charge. They are very accomodating when they make these changes.

I would agree with some previous posters, take advantage of this opportunity to have your return flight moved back to 12/5.

 

[lacy1101]

Our flight to Orlando has changed - but only by 5 minutes. Can I assume it would take more of a change than that to cancel these flights? The only reason I ask is that Airtran only has one flight from Lexington to Orlando on our departure date and it doesn't arrive until 7:43 p.m. I would love to get an earlier flight (would have to be with a different airline) that would put us arriving at our resort prior to 6:00 p.m. Even though it is a schedule change, I just didn't figure it was significant enough for them to let us cancel. Am I correct?

 

[Inkmahm]

Our flight to Orlando has changed - but only by 5 minutes. Can I assume it would take more of a change than that to cancel these flights? The only reason I ask is that Airtran only has one flight from Lexington to Orlando on our departure date and it doesn't arrive until 7:43 p.m. I would love to get an earlier flight (would have to be with a different airline) that would put us arriving at our resort prior to 6:00 p.m. Even though it is a schedule change, I just didn't figure it was significant enough for them to let us cancel. Am I correct?

You won't know unless you ask. I've made changes to move my flight to a different day for a 4 minute change. I haven't cancelled though for a change that small.

 

[seashoreCM]

Our flight to Orlando has changed - but only by 5 minutes. Can I assume it would take more of a change than that to cancel these flights?

I would leave it alone. I would wait until I run into a more profound change before I raise a fuss.

 

[dudspizza]

Our flight to Orlando has changed - but only by 5 minutes. Can I assume it would take more of a change than that to cancel these flights? The only reason I ask is that Airtran only has one flight from Lexington to Orlando on our departure date and it doesn't arrive until 7:43 p.m. I would love to get an earlier flight (would have to be with a different airline) that would put us arriving at our resort prior to 6:00 p.m. Even though it is a schedule change, I just didn't figure it was significant enough for them to let us cancel. Am I correct?

I would love to move my flight from an afternoon departure to an early morning one. So far, they have moved the flight 3 minutes. I can't bring myself to call since it is such a small change. Our flights are in March, so I am hoping there are more changes....

Duds

 

[aubriee]

Much better then what Jetblue is doing to us. We booked Non-stop flights for President's Week (the only Jetblue non-stops from our airport) and they have canceled the flight. They still haven't officially informed us about it but it's coming. We really don't want to connect through JFK in Feb. plus the connections are really bad. and at this point we really can't buy tickets for the same price on the only other Non-stop. It will cost us at least 1K more.

Better than what Air Tran did for my Dec flights as well. My flight coming home got moved up by three hours, so I'm losing three hours my last day. Not happy about it, but since it is the only nonstop flight there is not alot I can do. Then about two weeks ago, I get another email that my nonstop going down there is canceled. There are no more nonstops that day and due to my job I can't move my dates to the previous day when there is one. Instead of a nonstop 2 hour 22 minute flight I have a 6 1/2 hour one with a four hour layover in Atlanta. I am now losing over eight hours of my WDW time. I could cancel, but since it is so close to my trip, there'd be a huge difference in price if I booked this late with another airline.

 

[LyssaLovesStitch]

Our flight to Orlando has changed - but only by 5 minutes. Can I assume it would take more of a change than that to cancel these flights? The only reason I ask is that Airtran only has one flight from Lexington to Orlando on our departure date and it doesn't arrive until 7:43 p.m. I would love to get an earlier flight (would have to be with a different airline) that would put us arriving at our resort prior to 6:00 p.m. Even though it is a schedule change, I just didn't figure it was significant enough for them to let us cancel. Am I correct?

I live in Lexington, and I was supposed to be on the same flight ( I don't know if it was the same day as you, but anyway), and I got kinda irritated with it, mainly because it was going to cause me to miss meeting up with friends in Epcot on 12/3. I called, asked if they could rectify my issues (willing to take an upgrade for the later flight) and they said no.

I told them at that time I was't accepting the changes, but I wasn't making a decision at the time.

I then found flights on Delta (with the help of a friend and $200 in Delta Vouchers), and was able to pay the same amount of money to fly out MUCH earlier (albiet out of Louisville) and then fly back in Lexington to come home.

I called AirTran for the cancellation, they told me I had accepted the changes. I adamently told them I did not, and that I wanted my money back. They gave in, refunded my money (took like 4 days though), and I booked my delta reservations.

So the moral of my story - that even though the flight times changed by only 20 minutes, they still gave me my money back and I rebooked with someone else.

Good luck!

 

[DemoBri1]

and to save even more money...... book ME back to the airport if not renting a car and then have an airport hotel booked for the night of 12/4. Call that hotel and have them come pick you up with their shuttle and then return you to MCO the next day for your flight.......

If you need to take ME in the evening, find a flight on 12/4 that leaves later in the evening and they will schedule you on ME 3 hours before that time......

Enjoy an extra night in Orlando!

Duds

Regarding the airport hotel, you will be charged a good sum of money. We got shut out of getting into Midway a few years back and had to shell out a nice price for a room. It was nice that the shuttle came and picked us up and then took us back in the morning though. Just stating it won't be as cheap if you maybe go back to a place just outside of the Disney gate.

 

[Tisha_PA]

We had something similar happen to us last March. Our late flight out of MCO was cancelled and we were placed on an early flight out. I called and was able to switch us to a flight out the following day and we stayed overnight at a Days Inn for about $40. Worked out great for us. Airtran is very good about helping you out when they change flights.

 

[DebbieB]

Regarding the airport hotel, you will be charged a good sum of money. We got shut out of getting into Midway a few years back and had to shell out a nice price for a room. It was nice that the shuttle came and picked us up and then took us back in the morning though. Just stating it won't be as cheap if you maybe go back to a place just outside of the Disney gate.

There are plenty of cheap hotels around MCO. Not the top of the like Hilton or Hyatt but you can get something like Hampton, Holiday Inn, Courtyard Marriott for under $100. We got a Sheraton one time for around $70.