Airtran changed our returning flight from 8 PM to 8 AM!

[lizandjason]

So...just got a message from Airtran saying that our returning flight leaves at 8 am instead of 8 pm which means

a)we'll lose our entire last day of vacation and
b) we won't be able to take Magical Express for free back to OIA

Has anyone experienced this kind of schedule change? Our flight isn't until September. Can we expect a flight change at no cost to us?

I'm so mad right now I could scream...

 

[annacali]

Flight changes do happen, but fortunately, AirTran has---at least for me---been one of the most reasonable about it. Just look online at the schedule, find another flight that works better for you, call and tell then that the change doesn't work for you and ask to be changed to the other flight. They will usually do it at no charge as long as there is room on that flight.

Our flights got changed in both directions for our trip last week a couple months in advance...and I was able to rearrange them so we ended up with more time in Orlando even though we lost our direct flights. The flights themselves were were smooth, and on time!

 

[dioxide45]

b) we won't be able to take Magical Express for free back to OIA

Why not?

 

[DebbieB]

Magical Express is 24 hours a day. For an 8am flight, they will pick you up around 5am.

Check the schedule to see if they have a flight(s) that you prefer and call them.

 

[DVCBELLE]

I am guessing you are flying out of Dayton just like I am .... I am waiting to do anything. If I accept their changes now and they push the time again - I want to get on that nonstop - but if it stays in the morning then I will switch to the 2:15 that goes through Atlanta.

Even if you decide to stay on the morning flight - don't accept the changes - until you do - you can switch to any other available flight that day.

 

[Inkmahm]

I am guessing you are flying out of Dayton just like I am .... I am waiting to do anything. If I accept their changes now and they push the time again - I want to get on that nonstop - but if it stays in the morning then I will switch to the 2:15 that goes through Atlanta.

Even if you decide to stay on the morning flight - don't accept the changes - until you do - you can switch to any other available flight that day.

You could also switch to the 8 am flight the next morning if you had an 8 pm flight. Airtran will let you change dates, too, with a change of schedule like that.

 

[DVCBELLE]

Yes they will. I have had them tell me 1-2 days and then one time she offered 7 days in either direction.

We are flying home on Sunday so waiting another day means missing more school and work. So we will fly home on that Sunday. The mid-afternoon is most desireable - I just want to hold out to see if they make it non-stop. It's the end of a 10 day trip so we will be happy to head home. I just am not willing to fly out at 9 am

 

[goofy4tink]

Call Airtran and tell them it's unacceptable to you and that you are willing to fly out on that same flight the next day. Then, get a hotel for that last night at the airport.
As far as DME goes, yes, you can use it for an 8am flight, but what you can't use is RAC..that desk opens at 5am and you wouldn't have enough time to finish checking your bags and getting your boarding passes quickly enough to make that 3 hr window.

I would try for the 8am flight on the day after, with a stay at a hotel/motel close to the airport. You could take DME back to MCO/OIA that night and be close to the airport for an early morning flight.

But...Airtran may make more changes. This is the issue with booking Airtran way in the future. I had no problems with them in March, but they didn't really have time to make any changes...I booked 4 days before my flight!!

 

[lizandjason]

Good news...I called Airtran and the agent was GREAT. She was really suprised at the huge time change.

We switched to an 8:49 am flight back to Dayton (direct) on SUNDAY, the next day. No problem...we don't mind staying an extra night at POP, and we get another day of free dining! Thanks for all of your suggestions and info. And I'm happy that Magical Express runs 24-7...I hadn't known that!

 

[n2mm]

Glad it worked for you. That was a huge change -- losing one day would really upset me. The LAST time I was booked on AT they changed my non-stop to a layover and there were no other non-stops. The agent was very nice, but I had to cancel my flight (6 of us) and they refunded me the entire amount since the change was their change. I rebooked on Jetblue for the same price. So that was also an option too.

 

[dioxide45]

Good news...I called Airtran and the agent was GREAT. She was really suprised at the huge time change.

We switched to an 8:49 am flight back to Dayton (direct) on SUNDAY, the next day. No problem...we don't mind staying an extra night at POP, and we get another day of free dining! Thanks for all of your suggestions and info. And I'm happy that Magical Express runs 24-7...I hadn't known that!

Were you flying back to DAY originally? We fly out of Dayton all the time and I have never ever seen AirTran move their direct evening flight from MCO to an AM flight.

Also, what day are you flying. I wasn't aware that AirTran had any AM direct flights from MCO to DAY. They all seem to be late in the evening, which is perfect for us.

 

[DVCBELLE]

Were you flying back to DAY originally? We fly out of Dayton all the time and I have never ever seen AirTran move their direct evening flight from MCO to an AM flight.

Also, what day are you flying. I wasn't aware that AirTran had any AM direct flights from MCO to DAY. They all seem to be late in the evening, which is perfect for us.

I am not the OP but I was on the same PM non-stop back and they changed the MCO -DAY nonstop to the morning. I was bummed b/c I was shocked by the huge change and that the non stop is in the morning now - I am wondering if they might change it again.

 

[jpatter471]

AirTran did the same thing to me. I couldn't believe they didin't think changing a flight 12 hours wouldn't affect people. I ended up cancelling all seven tickets and am flying Delta out of Cincinnati. It cost about 20 bucks more per ticket and I am still losing a couple of valuable disney hours but it's better than losing almost two whole days.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I couldn't believe they didin't think changing a flight 12 hours wouldn't affect people.

Respectfully, I can't believe you think they didn't think changing a flight twelve hours wouldn't affect people. They KNOW it would affect passengers. Airlines DON'T make changes - especially not this drastic - lightly or on a whim. They don't do it to annoy passengers, or 'just because they can', or whatever. Just look at the quoted poster - AirTran lost seven passengers.

Note to that poster: while Delta has more planes and likely pays more for better take-off 'slots' at most airports, they, too, change flights.

 

[TwiddleDeeTwiddleDum]

Good news...I called Airtran and the agent was GREAT. She was really suprised at the huge time change.

We switched to an 8:49 am flight back to Dayton (direct) on SUNDAY, the next day. No problem...we don't mind staying an extra night at POP, and we get another day of free dining! Thanks for all of your suggestions and info. And I'm happy that Magical Express runs 24-7...I hadn't known that!

Glad you were able to resolve it to your satifaction. After spending the time you do getting a trip organized it would be upsetting to have something like this come up.

We've used AT DAY-MCO most trips to WDW & have never seen them change a flight this much. Now you've got me wondering....

Do you mind saying what month you are traveling?

 

[DVCBELLE]

I am not sure about OP but I will throw in that this switch was made on my Sept. 26 flight

 

[anonymousegirl]

It wasn't AirTran but Jetblue who played around with my schedule last September. They changed their flights and booked me on a flight arriving 17 hours later than originally scheduled! I ended up refunding the tickets since they couldn't book me on anything reasonable the next day (I wasn't about to give up a day at MK, LOL)

 

[dioxide45]

I hope this isn't a sign of new things for AT between MCO and DAY. We fly this route a lot and love the early morning direct from DAY to MCO and then the late evening MCO to DAY.

It appears that they have changed most if not all of their MCO-DAY direct flights to AM flights through November 3rd. We have flights at the end of November and hope they don't change those too.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm glad you got something to work for you...we were on the same times to Dayton, but going out the next day isn't good. We'll probably try to book flights with stops.

 

[lizandjason]

Were you flying back to DAY originally? We fly out of Dayton all the time and I have never ever seen AirTran move their direct evening flight from MCO to an AM flight.

Also, what day are you flying. I wasn't aware that AirTran had any AM direct flights from MCO to DAY. They all seem to be late in the evening, which is perfect for us.

Yep...we always take the good 'ole 703 there and 708 back. Great flight, and I've always been happy with Airtran. I'm not sure why they changed the times so dramatically; this is the only nonstop between Dayton and Orlando each day (there used to be two). Maybe business travelers asked for earlier schedules.