Airtran changed our flight times

[scarlet_ibis]

I just have to pout about it.

We had been scheduled to get in around noon on a Saturday. We had planned to hustle through the airport, hop the ME, grab a light lunch at Hurricane Hanna's, then spend a lazy afternoon in the pool before our 5:30 ADRs. Our new flight doesn't arrive in Orlando until after 1pm. I think it will be too late to eat lunch at HH's by the time we get there, so we'll have to grab something to eat on the plane.

And our return flight has moved up by 25 minutes.

Airtran is stealing magic from me!!!! *stomp* *pout*

(It seems they never make these changes and actually make your trip longer! I'm all for asking to be switched to the 7am flight, which is the next earliest direct flight, but there are 10 of us, 4 of whom are age 7 and under, and I just don't think I'd convince them...)

 

[ancestry]

Sorry that you are experiencing this! Air Tran is notorious for their flight time changes. Air Tran will usually all you to change flights without a fee if their flight time changes are not longer convenient for you. You may want to try calling them.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Find another flight you like better and call to have it changed. This has happened to me on every Air Tran flight I have ever booked. I always book on flights with a stop/layover (they are cheaper) and when they change the time I call and have them switch me to the direct one, which was more expensive when I bought the tickets. No fees, no problems.

Just tell them that the new times don't work for you and you want to be on Flights XYZ.

 

[Kelrykengab]

So frustrating. Delta kept changing our flight home until they had us leaving the resort at 8am the day we leave so we had them change it and now we won't be leaving the resort until 3:50pm. Unless of course they change it again.

 

[ICF]

When we flew them back in late '08 they did this. The changed our flight down from a direct flight that left around 11 and landed around 1pm to one that now went thru Atlanta and got us down there around 4pm.

I called and told them that would wont for us (we had ADRs at 5:30 in MK) and they changed us (w/ no fee) to a very early direct flight (which was the best of the other options). We flew out at 7:00 or so, but we were on the ground waiting for the ME bus by 9:30 and at the water park by 11!!

 

[a1tinkfans]

I just have to pout about it.

We had been scheduled to get in around noon on a Saturday. We had planned to hustle through the airport, hop the ME, grab a light lunch at Hurricane Hanna's, then spend a lazy afternoon in the pool before our 5:30 ADRs. Our new flight doesn't arrive in Orlando until after 1pm. I think it will be too late to eat lunch at HH's by the time we get there, so we'll have to grab something to eat on the plane.

And our return flight has moved up by 25 minutes.

Airtran is stealing magic from me!!!! *stomp* *pout*

(It seems they never make these changes and actually make your trip longer! I'm all for asking to be switched to the 7am flight, which is the next earliest direct flight, but there are 10 of us, 4 of whom are age 7 and under, and I just don't think I'd convince them...)

60 minutes later and 25 minutes earlier is actually not bad at all for AIRTRAN....they do this all the time per the dis boards....I would not fly them EVER....hope it works out for you OP but I am not even sure if they won't charge you since the time changes are minimal (in their eyes, not my Disney eyes, LOL)
Good Luck!!

 

[snickerboo]

Did you answer the email? If not, call them. When they changed my flight time to something I didn't like, they changed my flight to something more appropriate with no problem at all.

 

[Hannathy]

I know it is upsetting when your plans are changed but looking at your original plans I really don't think you would have had much of a lazy afternoon at the pool anyway. Things always take longer to do than planned and by the time you would have got from the airport and checked in and changed and then showered changed and allowed transportation time to your ADR the pool time wouldn't have been very long anyway.

I don't know where your dinner was but I would think you would have had to be out of the pool by 3:30-4 and probably wouldn't have got to the pool till 2:15-2:30. So you will still be able to take a dip in the pool just a bit shorter than planned but you aren't really loosing a whole afternoon, so smile and remember you will be in Disney -lucky duck!

 

[brymolmom]

Try for the 7:00am flight - the worst that could happen is they'll say no.

 

[Jana49]

Find another flight you like better and call to have it changed. This has happened to me on every Air Tran flight I have ever booked. I always book on flights with a stop/layover (they are cheaper) and when they change the time I call and have them switch me to the direct one, which was more expensive when I bought the tickets. No fees, no problems.

Just tell them that the new times don't work for you and you want to be on Flights XYZ.

I fly AirTran all the time, since it's so affordable, and yes they do always change my flight schedule! I absolutely LOVE your tip! Thank you for sharing.

 

[RooRach0906]

Last time we went to Disney we took AirTran and yes they changed our home flight (twice) but it ended up being later than the original which meant more time in Disney!!!
The first time it was changed it was earlier and the second time was later, just thought you would like some happy news that happens sometimes. Our flights down are always the earliest DIRECT flight we can get and they have never been changed.

I will tell you tho when we went on Delta for our Honeymoon, they changed our flight from 8 pm back to a 4 pm back flight and that one I was very angry, we tried to get it changed but it was gonna be a pretty penny. So b/c of this a 30-60 minute different to my Airtran flight had never bothered me.

Also to the PP that said a nondirect flight was cheaper... I was curious because from our airport direct is always the cheapest with Airtran. I was wondering why it would be different somewhere else.... just thinking out loud.

 

[PiperPizzaz]

I had this happen once before. I called and was able to get a direct flight without have to pay anything more. They were SO nice.

 

[scarlet_ibis]

Well, the only earlier direct flight is a 7am flight, so I can't get it changed. There's no way I could get the other 9 travelers (including 4 kids) to the airport by 6am.

We looked at all sorts of flight options, from three different airports, before choosing this one. We're even going down the night before and staying over because it's 2 hours from home. But gee... maybe now we could save ourselves the $150 or whatever and just leave Saturday morning. Of course, we'd be the only ones out of the group doing that and everyone's so excited even about that first night...

 

[TennHokies]

I'm pouting right along with you scarlet. Our return flight with JetBlue was just bumped back from 6:40pm to 8:10pm. In JetBlue's view not a significant change, but it means getting my 3 and 5 year old home at 11pm instead of 9:30pm. We've never been bumped like this before so I was pretty ticked off - to the point of - "they can't do that to me!"

I looked into other options but the only other flight leaves at 1pm and I don't want to cut out our plan of spending our last day at MK. Reading this post has acutally made me feel better since I realize this is an unfortunate semi-regular thing that happens to lots of other folks. And they have given me an extra hour and half at Disney so I shouldn't be too unhappy.

 

[scarlet_ibis]

I hear you on the "not a significant change" business. It's not significant to them, but if they bumped our return flight like that, I'd be livid because we live two hours from the airport we are flying in and out of, and my husband has to work the next day (and the kids are back in school). My condolences.

 

[mjkacmom]

I must be really unlikely. I believe the last 5 or so times I've flown, my flights have been changed - I thought that was the norm! Our flight to WDW was switched from 1:30pm to 8:30pm. Instead of picking the kids up at lunch and driving to the airport, we had to wake them!

 

[maxiesmom]

I know it is upsetting when your plans are changed but looking at your original plans I really don't think you would have had much of a lazy afternoon at the pool anyway. Things always take longer to do than planned and by the time you would have got from the airport and checked in and changed and then showered changed and allowed transportation time to your ADR the pool time wouldn't have been very long anyway.

I have to agree with this. You wouldn't have been able to enjoy a lazy afternoon by the pool anyway, you schedule was too tight for that.

Also, I find it best to never make any important plans for either arrival or departure day. Even if your schedule isn't changed ahead of time, your flight could be delayed by any number of things.

And everyone needs to be aware that when you buy an airplane ticket all you are purchasing is transportation on a certain day from point A to point B. The time of the flight is always subject to change, the Conract of Carriage states that. So picking a flight based on leaving or arriving at a specific time is always a gamble. It can very easily change.

 

[bushdianee]

They changed our times too. We were supposed to leave at about 7am and be in Orlando by 1:30. Now we don't leave until after 10 and get to Orlando at 5:30. 4 hour loss! I accepted the time but wonder if I could call and request an earlier flight?

 

[scarlet_ibis]

I'd definitely try to get an earlier flight. I always have dinner ADRs on our arrival date.

(OK, the worst was when my flight was all-out canceled and the earliest flight still on the board would have gotten me there after my own baby shower. We ended up driving -- 8+ hours at 6 mos. pregnant!)

 

[Lewisc]

Some airlines consider a change of less then 4 hours minor. You may be stuck. A few quasi-charter airlines only consider a change to be major if the day of your flight changes.

Sorry but a 1 hour change is minor. A 25 minute change is minor.

AT is very lenient. They would have let you change to the 7a flight. They probably would have given you a refund.

SW rarely changes a scheduled flight. SW doesn't always have the cheapest fare.