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

[lizandjason]

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.

Love all the Dayton folks on here! If you haven't ever been to the Dayton Racquet Club, come have dinner...ask for Liz...I'm the membership director there. We'll have a DIS meet!

 

[DVCBELLE]

The 703 changed too! It is leaving a couple of hours later now - I wonder why they made such a drastic change!! Those flights always seem full to me!

 

[lizandjason]

The 703 changed too! It is leaving a couple of hours later now - I wonder why they made such a drastic change!! Those flights always seem full to me!

Right...but that one didn't bother me as much because now we won't have to wake up so early!

 

[DVCBELLE]

Right...but that one didn't bother me as much because now we won't have to wake up so early!

we dont like the early flight either! We had already planned a night flight!

 

[dioxide45]

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.

I don't think the DAY-MCO direct flights are big business passenger flights. Not sure why the changes in flights through November 3rd. Certainly hoping they don't make further changes past then.

The last time we flew to Florida (FLL) we actually flew out of Columbus. CMH provided direct flights to FLL and we found out we liked the layout of that airport for AirTran. In DAY, for a small airport, it is a long hike to the AirTran gates. At CMH, they are practically right inside the main doors. We will continue to consider CMH for MCO flights.

 

[simzac]

Airtran seems to see no problem for people when they change flight times. Just another reason I won't fly their airline again.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Airtran seems to see no problem for people when they change flight times.

While it's 100% your right to patronize or not any business for any reason, I genuinely don't understand the sentiment "Airtran seems to see no problem for people when they change flight times" or similar sentiments, above.

Of COURSE they care. Without passengers, they wouldn't be in business

I said it earlier but apparently it got ignored: Airlines don't make schedule changes lightly or on a whim or to intentionally inconvenience passengers.

When AirTran does change flights, they're VERY accommodating; many legacy airlines have the 'too bad, so sad' suck-it-up attitude. AirTran will pretty much bend over backwards to make things as right as possible.

No, I'm not an AirTran lover, employee, or shill. I don't even LIKE AirTran. I fly only JetBlue. I just feel the general attitude here toward AirTran is immature and shortsighted.

 

[dioxide45]

Airtran seems to see no problem for people when they change flight times. Just another reason I won't fly their airline again.

If this were true, they would not make any accomodations to change flights. This is not the case.

 

[simzac]

The last time we traveled on Airtran, they changed our flight time 3 times between when I booked and the actual flight. If they truly cared about their customers, they would post a schedule and stick to it. Having customers fret over whether their flight time will change or not is not good service. Irregardless if they are accomodating to their customers as far as changing them to a different flight, a customer should not be subjected to this. I find it hard to believe that people can defend this practice. Why can't Airtran make a schedule and stick to it? JMO

 

[dioxide45]

Why can't Airtran make a schedule and stick to it? JMO

Why can't any airline? This isn't isolated only to AirTran.

 

[maxiesmom]

The last time we traveled on Airtran, they changed our flight time 3 times between when I booked and the actual flight. If they truly cared about their customers, they would post a schedule and stick to it. Having customers fret over whether their flight time will change or not is not good service. Irregardless if they are accomodating to their customers as far as changing them to a different flight, a customer should not be subjected to this. I find it hard to believe that people can defend this practice. Why can't Airtran make a schedule and stick to it? JMO

Don't fly Delta then either. Just this past April they changed my flight to Disney World 3 times, and cancelled my non-stop flight for the way home.

People defend the practice of changing flights because it is part of what airlines have to do to stay afloat. Joe Public doesn't want to pay a realistic ticket price. They only want cheap airfares. So don't blame the airlines for doing what they have to do in order to keep fares cheap. And part of what they have to do is to fly only full planes. That means cancelling or changing flight times around in order to only fly full planes.

Want cheap airfare, not realistic airfare? This all comes with it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Why can't Airtran make a schedule and stick to it? JMO

Don't fly Delta then either. Just this past April they changed my flight to Disney World 3 times, and cancelled my non-stop flight for the way home.

Don't fly JetBlue either. Look at the post on page two, near the top of the page, where JetBlue changed someone's flight and had them arrive SEVENTEEN HOURS later than their original itinerary! Heck, at least you people know! Every time JetBlue has changed a flight on me, it's been AFTER I get to the airport! Let's see... there was the time the plane I was supposed to be on suddenly wasn't leaving its previous location until after MY scheduled departure... meaning I'd miss my connection. There was the time my flight left late... then had to land in Denver to refuel, getting us to our destination over two hours late (then the rental car line was over two hours long, THEN the rental agency personified the Seinfeld "they know how to take the reservation, they just don't know how to hold the reservation" episode - by running out of cars!). There was the return flight on that trip, where it turned out my flight was 'about a half hour late... the plane finally arrived about two and a half hours late - and had on it the pilot for a flight that had been waiting to depart for almost FOUR hours!

And yet, I drink the Kool-Aid and continue to fly only JetBlue

 

[MAH4546]

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.

This is not Europe. Only six U.S. airports - LaGuardia, JFK, Newark, DC-Reagan, Long Beach and Orange County - have takeoff slots, and they are government or airport-controlled so that smaller carriers can't be left out of the fray.