Airtran just changed my flight

[Ted in Halifax]

I had a direct flight from Portland Maine to MCO ... now I go through BWI with only a 34 minute stop over. I would have never booked this if I had known. Anyone know what my options are?

 

[vacation_junkie]

I had a direct flight from Portland Maine to MCO ... now I go through BWI with only a 34 minute stop over. I would have never booked this if I had known. Anyone know what my options are?

That is the reason why I will never fly Air Tran again..They always change flights!!!!

 

[Hoopfamily]

First check Airtrans website for other flights that day you may want. Even if they are more expensive it does not matter. Next call Airtran be very very polite. Explain that the new flight does not work for you and ask to be switched to the other flight. I have had them do this for me a few times and always with great success. I have even had them switch me to a direct flight from Boston to Mco , when i had booked layover flights into Tampa. I've found them to be nothing if not reasonable.

 

[ancestry]

Air Tran does this every single year out of Portland. They always have direct stops scheduled early on and then drop the directs. We got hit with this last year. Last year we discovered that they still offered a direct flight on a different day (the day earlier) so we adjust our travel dates by one day and got move to a different direct flight on Air Tran. Last year the direct was originally on Sunday when we booked and then they switched it to be on a Saturday. So instead of going from Sunday to Sunday we switched and went from Saturday to Saturday.

 

[danielle.st]

I assume by direct you mean nonstop? Is there another nonstop flight that day? If so, and if there are available seats, call and they will switch you to it.
If there is not another nonstop that day, you can switch to another flight with a better layover time.

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

The same thing happened to me a few weeks ago on Delta out of Boston.
My non-stop got switched to a 1 stop in Detroit with a 31 minute layover to switch planes.
I've been checking morning, noon and night for a better flight.
Hopefully, something will come up before April 24th.
Good luck all,
Joe

 

[Ted in Halifax]

This was the only non-stop flight ...

I honestly feel like I've been tricked ....

Less learned ... chalk this one up as tuition!

Thanks for the posts ...

 

[dwardlaw]

Airtran today just droped the direct flight from Boston to a layover coming and going. There are no other flights direct flight that day or on the return date. This is at the end of June the beginning of the high season.
Boy what a scam.

Does anyone think that they will add back the direct flight.

I will have small children in tow, not what I wanted to do is drag them to a connecting flight with carage and car seat in tow.

They want me to notify them that I accept the changes. Should I wait and see if I can get on a direct flight or on another airline, don't know what to do!

 

[nifferearly]

I would see if there's another flight on a different airline that you prefer. Then call Airtran and I'm sure they will let you out of your ticket at no charge. I agree with previous posters - I fly Airtran at least 5 times per year and they are always extremely helpful on the phone. They've credited me for price changes and moved me to different flights and have never charged a fee. Good luck!

 

[ancestry]

Does anyone think that they will add back the direct flight.

I will have small children in tow, not what I wanted to do is drag them to a connecting flight with carage and car seat in tow.

Based on my personal experience with them they will not add the direct flight back on that day. They however may have a direct flight on a different day of the week. You can always see if they have that and then adjust your trip if necessary. Air Tran seems to have different day for direct flights during different seasons (i.e. winter, summer, etc.). Unfortunately they often accept reservations using the winter schedule and then switch to the summer messing everything up.

 

[richmo]

I like AirTran, but their constant schedule changing is knocking them down a few notches.

Since you've now got a connection/stopover, I would assume that the schedule has changed for you. You might be able to take the tact that the schedule no longer meets your requirements. There was a time when a schedule change gave you the right to cancel or reschedule the itinerary, but I'm not sure if thats covered in the Contract of Carriage these days. Wouldn't hurt to ask, though.

 

[connie1042]

They just notified us yesterday that they took away our non-stop from Minneapolis to MCO. Now we have to change planes in Atlanta. Does anyone know if when you change planes, how far is the next plane in the terminal. We will have two kids with us, how much time should we allow for trnasfer. There are a couple of flight with 45 min or an 1hour lay over. HElp.
I really feel this whole practice is wrong. If they know the flight is not going to happen, then don"t offer it. I have 3 flights booked for this year and they have been at least 5 changes for one or the other flights. This is just wrong!

 

[Willow1213]

Airtran changed our flights on us today. We are flying home from LA (Disneyland trip) and the new arrival time is just too late for us. They state that they can change the date forward or back one day if it not acceptable. Has anyone had any experience with this?

 

[DeadHead]

Connie1042 if you check the airport map for Atlanta, AirTran has flights out of 2 terminals. There is a subway that runs every 2-3 minutes between the two terminals. With an hour layover you should have no problem getting between the 2. You may get lucky and have to stay in the one terminal for both flights. Wife and I have had both experiences, having to change terminals and staying in AirTrans main terrminal. Good luck.

 

[tj4disney]

While I have enjoyed the flights and personnel on AirTran, and while they have been accomodating on changing flights...I think I may have had it with them.

Fall 2008 they changed our direct flights out of KC multiple times, but ultimately we were able to work it out. Summer of 2009 they kept yanking around our flights out of Minneapolis, to the point where we finally cancelled with them and flew Allegiant instead.

This year I thought it was a good thing when I learned that AirTran was going to start servicing Des Moines, so for May I booked direct flights out on a Saturday and back the next Sunday. Well, lo and behold, they dropped the direct flight on Sunday. Unfortunately, Allegiant's schedule doesn't accomodate our needs this year.

So something is definitely not right with this picture. They put flights on a schedule for a new city, and before they even fly one single flight out of that city, they are dropping flights 2 months out. Ridiculous.

Count me as finished with AirTran.

 

[DVCBELLE]

Here is a tip with Airtran - NEVER EVER EVER accept the schedule change. They won't cancel your flight and you have the ability to change your mind up until the last minute!

This year they changed our return flight by 4 hours (Extra hours in WDW so that was fine) but on the day we were flying home my niece won her American Idol Experience show and if we flew home on our flight - she would not have been in the finale. We called Airtran and since we had never accepted our changes...we were able to change our flight to the next day at no charge.

I think the first time they change your flight can be frustrating but I think everyone pretty much knows that it is a given with Airtran - I use this to my advantage by booing the cheapest flight I can live with and then if they change it - I switch to my preferred flight. I also think it essentially gives me a refundable ticket at non-refundable prices.

 

[KELLY]

They just changed my non-stop also to stop out of Maine. I was trying to avoid a stop because my youngest daughter has problems with her ears on planes. I'm not excepting the changes.

Hoping that I can re-book with southwest and airtran will refund my money. I checked Jet blue and there is a couple of non-stops but do they change there schedule alot also?

Airtan alwasy changes are flights but never a non-stop to a stop beofre. ugh

 

[Maxwell]

Looks like they got rid of all their non stops from Boston as well. I was going to use them in November but not now.

 

[DVCBELLE]

They just changed my non-stop also to stop out of Maine. I was trying to avoid a stop because my youngest daughter has problems with her ears on planes. I'm not excepting the changes.

Hoping that I can re-book with southwest and airtran will refund my money. I checked Jet blue and there is a couple of non-stops but do they change there schedule alot also?

Airtan alwasy changes are flights but never a non-stop to a stop beofre. ugh

They will definitely refund your money!

I hear you on the ear thing! Have you ever tried Earplanes? We started using those for DD and she does much better now!

 

[kelleyrn2000]

my nonstop also got cancelled through Airtran out of Milwaukee (for June). I was able to rebook onto the ONLY nonstop of that day. Now I wonder what are the chances they will cancel that nonstop too? If they do, I will definately be calling Orbitz to request a refund. Then I think we may just drive down instead