AirTran Headaches

[bob_bldr]

We made our AirTran reservations for a Christmas week trip last April because the flight times were great, the prices were good, we reserved our seats (paying the higher ticket prices totalling $90/RT ticket before the $20/RT ticket policy went into effect) and they offered RAC. The flight times have changed several times which we have been able to deal with but we learned yesterday that our reserved seats (front row in row 10) will be taken away if a wheelchair passenger needs our seats. I have no problem with the wheelchair passenger needing the front row, but why did AirTran sell me the seats without any mention of this policy? I am 6'5" and jumped at the chance for the extra room but now the choices are limited and AirTran tells us that the only way for our family of 5 to sit together is in the back of the plane. Does anyone know how frequently these reserved seats are used by wheelchair passengers and has anyone been moved from reserved seats on AirTran?

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Well you will have to just go with it as it's out of your hands.

But i would go right to customer service and demand your premium price returned to you if you get moved.

 

[cbrfan]

I don't know how often people get bumped out of row 10, but I have noticed that AirTran will usually seat wheelchair passengers in Business class if there's a seat available.

 

[bob_bldr]

Well... we called today and moved 3 of our seats from row 10 to row 19. I couldn't take the chance that I would be separated from the 5 and 10 year olds. We're also separated from my wife and oldest son in row 11 but this was the best we could do.

I spoke to a supervisor and she offered a voucher credit for a future flight but it would expire in April 08. We won't be flying again that soon, so it's no good for us.

The supervisor also said that because there was a time change on the return flight, we could cancel our reservation and get a full refund. This was the first time in 6 calls to AirTran that this was explained as an option. Too bad the next cheapest flight at this time would cost an extra $700.

 

[Erin1700]

When we flew AirTran it was okay, but I am sorry for what they are doing to you. You are right, it is not fair! Hope it turns out okay in the end.

 

[mommy2boysaz]

What "$20 RT policy" are you referring to? I made reservations last spring for a trip we're taking in Nov. and I didn't purchase reserved seats because of the large price increase. Is this a new policy?
If so, I wonder if I could pay the new added fee to reserve our seats?

Thanks!

 

[angwill]

Unfortunatly, all the airlines reserve the right to move people. AA did that to us on our flight into Orland in September. We reserved over 6 months ahead of time just so we could get up front since I have anxiety issues the further back on the plane I get. I just feel so darn closed in and it is worse the furthur back I am so I won't even go to the bathroom on a the plane if the only one is in the back of the plane.

I was so happy to get row 11 well about 2 months before they changed our plane and bumped us to row 32 because they needed the extra row for their elite customers and nothing closer ever opened up for us. I talked to a supervisor in customer service and explained my situation to her and she said there was absolutly nothing she could do for us. We weren't even offered any compensation so you were lucky for that much. We were told to ask the gate agent if anything closer might be available for us when we get to the gate well there wasn't unless we all, including my son, wanted to split up in middle seats and still nowhere near the front.

I survived and just put it in my head that at least I had a seat to get to Disney and everything would be better once we got there. I was a nervous wreck the entire flight and just tried to keep my eyes closed and my music playing and I made it sweating the whole time. I really wish I knew how to overcome that problem.

On AA they have all the outside seats showing as handicap seats on the site so they can bump anyone in an isle seat if they choose to. I guess in the end I learned I can survive and beat out the anxiety for Disney. Try to just remember you are going to the happiest place on earth and once it is all over it will be a distant memory.

 

[bob_bldr]

A co-worker flew AirTran last week and had their flight changed at the last minute from non-stop to connecting. They had problems with the connection and they arrived in FL at 2am, 4 hours later than originally planned. That was the last straw for me, so...

We checked the other fares in the area and Southwest dropped their fares from Providence to MCO so we cancelled our AirTran reservation this week and received a full refund. We're paying an extra $200 total for the 5 of us but we'll save 1/2 of that in parking, tolls, etc. and the ride to Providence is much easier than to Boston for us. We also gained better flight times so we don't have to get up at 5:30 am for the flight down and we gained 4 hours on the return flight giving us the opportunity to spend another 1/2 day at WDW!

No more worrying and back to planning. 7 weeks and counting!

 

[NancyIL]

A co-worker flew AirTran last week and had their flight changed at the last minute from non-stop to connecting. They had problems with the connection and they arrived in FL at 2am, 4 hours later than originally planned. That was the last straw for me, so...

We checked the other fares in the area and Southwest dropped their fares from Providence to MCO so we cancelled our AirTran reservation this week and received a full refund. We're paying an extra $200 total for the 5 of us but we'll save 1/2 of that in parking, tolls, etc. and the ride to Providence is much easier than to Boston for us. We also gained better flight times so we don't have to get up at 5:30 am for the flight down and we gained 4 hours on the return flight giving us the opportunity to spend another 1/2 day at WDW!

No more worrying and back to planning. 7 weeks and counting!

I thought your main concern was about your seat assignments. I'm glad you got better flight times on Southwest, but you went from so-so seats on AirTran to NO assigned seats on Southwest!

 

[starwood]

We flew Air Tran several years ago and swore never again. Our return flight was late leaving because of bad weather in Atlanta. We arrived after our connection had left around 8:00 pm Saturday night. We were told the next flight they could get us on to Newark was Tuesday evening -3 days later!. We tried getting flights to LaGuardia, Philly and they had nothing. It took them over 2 hours to find our luggage so we could go to a hotel (they thought the luggage had made the connection but not us). They managed to get us on a flight Sunday morning to Baltimore where we had to rent a car and drive the rest of the way home (an addition $200 in expenses which Air Tran refused to cover).

There were about 80 people on our flight heading to Buffalo. Their luggage made the flight but they didn't. They were stuck in Atlanta with nothing.

 

[klmall]

DH and I were just talking about all of this yesterday. We looked back and realized that with one exception, all of our flights on airlines (United, NW, Delta and American) have had flight time changes in the past 4 years. Most were only irritating but all resulted in multiple calls and often, seat changing.

DH refuses to fly AirTran anyway (unrelated to flight time change issues) and this just confirms our increasing loyalty to Southwest.

It's getting harder and harder to plan a trip!

 

[bob_bldr]

I thought your main concern was about your seat assignments. I'm glad you got better flight times on Southwest, but you went from so-so seats on AirTran to NO assigned seats on Southwest!

I'm less concerned about the seating now that SW's boarding policy has changed. We'll just have to plan and get those "A" boarding passes.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I really wish I knew how to overcome that problem.

Are you within driving distance of Boston? I know somebody who refused to get on a plane for the last eighteen years (he used to take Amtrak cross-country!). Earlier this year, he went to somebody called the "Mad Russian" - a hypnotist/therapist/magician,,, and recently FLEW to Las Vegas (and back )

We flew Air Tran several years ago and swore never again. Our return flight was late leaving because of bad weather in Atlanta.

Aggravating sure; but an airline can't reasonably be blamed for weather (that's the realm of Air Traffic Control, aka government employees). And the rest of the bad experience described resulted from the bad weather delay. Now, naturally, common sense should have indicated to the AirTran employees that your luggage arrived on the same plane that you did; if your connecting flight left before your flight (and you and your luggage) arrived, it'd be impossible for the luggage to get on an already-departed flight, too. And ALL airlines' Contracts of Carriage state clearly that they're not responsible for weather delays - and that includes financially.

 

[starwood]

I don't blame them for the weather but not being able to get us home for 3 days is unacceptable.