AirTran changing flight times - constantly!

[scourtneyb]

Hello,
I have checked my Air Tran flights coming up this september and they have changed my flight TWICE already! (I made the res. 3 weeks ago!)

I had originally booked a non-stop flight from MCO to Philly...at 8:10...
Now they have me on a flight from MCO to Atlanta (not my favorite airport!) then Atlanta to Philly! Now I leave at 6:00...have a 45 minute layover in Atlanta and get in at 10:20!
I called and all they offered to do was move me to a 3:00 flight (earlier in the day...I didn't want that!) or change the flight to a day earlier or later!)
They also could not guarantee that the flight I am now on, or if I chose another one...would not be changed!
How can they do this? I paid for a certain NONSTOP flight at a certain TIME! how can they just change me to a different flight and NOT TELL ME! (I have been checking my itinerary since seeing other's posts on this board!)
Sorry, needed to vent!
What have others done when this happens to them?
I made the flight reservations through Disney, if I cancel will I just get a Disney credit or will they credit it to my credit card?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!


FRUSTRATED!

 

[disneyagain]

I don't think this is unique to Airtran. We've flown Airtran, AA, Delta and USAir and all 3 changed flight times, some slightly, some by quite a bit. With Delta I had to keep calling to make sure my seats were all together.

Our flight to MCO from Philly in July changed from a non-stop (around 2 pm) to a flight through Atlanta, leaving at the same time, but arriving in MCO an hour + later. So I just called and requested the earlier non-stop (11:48), they changed our 5 tickets, with no extra charge. The only inconvenience for us is we live 3 hours from the Philly airport, so we'll have to leave at 6:00 am, but we'll be in Disney earlier

The only airline that we've ever flown that didn't change flight times was SW. It's nice that their flights are set, but I don't really care for their boarding process. We're flying SW in August (PHL-MCO), because we got the $49 airfare. Worth the boarding process for that price!

Don't let this stress you out.....Enjoy your vacation!

 

[blanq]

Hello,
I have checked my Air Tran flights coming up this september and they have changed my flight TWICE already! (I made the res. 3 weeks ago!)

I had originally booked a non-stop flight from MCO to Philly...at 8:10...
Now they have me on a flight from MCO to Atlanta (not my favorite airport!) then Atlanta to Philly! Now I leave at 6:00...have a 45 minute layover in Atlanta and get in at 10:20!
I called and all they offered to do was move me to a 3:00 flight (earlier in the day...I didn't want that!) or change the flight to a day earlier or later!)
They also could not guarantee that the flight I am now on, or if I chose another one...would not be changed!
How can they do this? I paid for a certain NONSTOP flight at a certain TIME! how can they just change me to a different flight and NOT TELL ME! (I have been checking my itinerary since seeing other's posts on this board!)
Sorry, needed to vent!
What have others done when this happens to them?
I made the flight reservations through Disney, if I cancel will I just get a Disney credit or will they credit it to my credit card?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!


FRUSTRATED!

We are in the same boat, so I thought maybe we could commiserate together. AirTran notified me today that my nonstop departing flight in Oct has been changed to a connecting flight in ATL, with a tight connection, and my returning flight now stops in Chicago (although we won't deplane). Yeah, this is a pain. I can handle the return. I am concerned about the departing flight, and missing our connection. We have MNSSHP tickets the night of our arrival. I am sorry I can't answer your questions about cancelling; you might want to call Disney travel to inquire about penalties, which there likely may be.

 

[Starr W.]

NWA changed my flights times 3x last year for Thanksgiving(I bought in June). The one bummer was the 3rd change also was a plane change from a 757 to an A319, so luckily I caught that and readjusted our seats.

 

[princesspwrhr]

: AirTran notified me today that my nonstop departing flight in Oct has been changed to a connecting flight in ATL, with a tight connection, .

The majority of AirTran flights go in and out of C concourse in Atlanta but Hartsfeild-Jackson is HUGE with it's own subway. If your connection is less than an hour there is a good chance you will barely make it if your flights are both in C concourse and definately won't make it if you get the odd flight in a different concourse. Call AirTran and alert them of this scheduling problem they have given you and demand that due to their error - not yours- you wantto be switched. I've had to do this a few times with different airlines and AirTran has always been the nicest about it. The computer just doesn't 'see' those things

 

[blanq]

The majority of AirTran flights go in and out of C concourse in Atlanta but Hartsfeild-Jackson is HUGE with it's own subway. If your connection is less than an hour there is a good chance you will barely make it if your flights are both in C concourse and definately won't make it if you get the odd flight in a different concourse. Call AirTran and alert them of this scheduling problem they have given you and demand that due to their error - not yours- you wantto be switched. I've had to do this a few times with different airlines and AirTran has always been the nicest about it. The computer just doesn't 'see' those things

Yup, I am aware of this problem with AirTran and their hub connections. I did call yesterday and they are willing to move me to a nonstop flight departing one day earlier. I'm not really happy that DH and I will have to take an extra day off of work, and our DS an extra day off school, but I am willing to do it to ensure we don't miss MNSSHP. I guess the upside is, one more day at WDW!

 

[CarolA]

If you booked via Disney you need to call Disney. They are in effect your TA. This makes things harder.

As others have said it's not just AirTran and the terms and conditions you agree to when you book just say that AirTran will fly you from point X to Y.

I used to connect in ATL weekly on DL. You do not need an hour to get from any termnial to the next. I routinely do it under 30 minutes. Now that does not include stops at the gift shop, food court etc. (I see people missing planes in ATL all the time carrying a Wendy's bag... it's hard to feel sorry for them!)

 

[cbrfan]

That's why I never make any hard and fast plans for arrival or departure days. Just too much of a chance of something going wrong, whether it's a schedule change, mechanical problem or just bad weather. I don't like to start my vacation stressing over whether I'm going to miss this or that.

 

[Starr W.]

If you booked via Disney you need to call Disney. They are in effect your TA. This makes things harder.

As others have said it's not just AirTran and the terms and conditions you agree to when you book just say that AirTran will fly you from point X to Y.

I used to connect in ATL weekly on DL. You do not need an hour to get from any termnial to the next. I routinely do it under 30 minutes. Now that does not include stops at the gift shop, food court etc. (I see people missing planes in ATL all the time carrying a Wendy's bag... it's hard to feel sorry for them!)

An hour at ATL even if you have to change terminals? No way! Like you I have done it in less than 30 even with a potty break.

Much harder in Chicago at AA in the old days going from the puddle jumpers to the terminal with the big jets. No subway or moving side walks, no problem in less than 30 but you had to move.