Airtran-Well, you all warned me but I didn't listen

[5boyz]

OMG....I think all the OP was trying to say was......"YOU TOLD ME SO". She was just venting. Some of the people on here can be very harsh. I am sure if it happened to you...you would feel the same...even if it is the weather....I feel very sorry for OP. I hope you have a fantastic time on your disney vacation.......

 

[maxiesmom]

OMG....I think all the OP was trying to say was......"YOU TOLD ME SO". She was just venting. Some of the people on here can be very harsh. I am sure if it happened to you...you would feel the same...even if it is the weather....I feel very sorry for OP. I hope you have a fantastic time on your disney vacation.......

She was saying she was warned about Air Tran. Fact is, every single airline out there has weather related delays and cancellations. It is not a sign that Air Tran is a bad airline.


A vent would have run along the lines of "My Air Tran flight was cancelled, and we rebooked on another airline so that we didn't loose a day's vacation. Man that sucked!" That would be totally understandable. Blaming Air Tran for something they have no control over, and then saying you are going to write and complain is not venting. It is blaming the airline for something that is not their fault, and then expecting compensation.

I know a few of us posters come across as harsh. And even though it may not seem so, we do have sympathy for people when they have a bad experience flying. But you need to know what is and what isn't realistic when it comes to air travel. Flying from a small airport, with few flights, accomodating passengers when their flight is cancelled is no easy feat. It doesn't sound like the OP understands that.

 

[Brian Noble]

I am sure if it happened to you...you would feel the same...even if it is the weather

Actually, it's happened to me a few times---including the DC ice storm I wrote about above---and no I didn't feel the same.

I'm happy to blame an airline when they screw up, and AirTran *is* known for changing more than its fair share of airline schedules. But, in this case, I don't think AirTran is at fault. They offered to accommodate the OP at the earliest opportunity, and the OP decided to find alternate transportation. End of story.

 

[DebbieB]

With airlines cutting flights and most flights being close to full, there really is no margin for problems anymore. If there's a weather problem, you can end up stuck. Something to keep in mind when selecting flights. The cheapest flight may not be the best option if there's only 1 flight per day or a couple a week. I prefer to stick with the legacy airlines where there are more options available. For example, if I am flying Delta and there's a cancellation, there are options connecting in several cities. I could connect in CVG, DTW, MSP, ATL, MEM from PIT. They have interline agreements where they could sign my ticket over to another airline to get me there. If AirTran cancels, there are very limited options.

 

[Pinnie]

OP, this happens on EVERY airline! This past Feb., we had our family booked on SWA from DTW to MCO. A massive snowstorm hit the east coast and our flights on Thursday were cancelled and we could not be rebooked on SWA until Sunday. There were no other options available to us because every other airline was booked solid. Needless to say, we had to cancell our entire trip. Did we blame the airline? Heck no! We blamed Mother Nature....she was at fault.

pinnie

 

[CanadianPaco]

Did you have their insurance? Would that make a difference?

 

[NancyIL]

The two times I've flown to Orlando for a cruise, I have flown 2 days in advance. That way if my flight gets cancelled, I could DRIVE to FL in 2 days and not miss the cruise. If your flight is for a visit to WDW and it can't be rescheduled for several days, I would do the same thing - drive. That wouldn't work so well for someone living on the west coast, but I am in IL.

 

[5boyz]

Lots of Pixie Dust to OP! Have a good one!

 

[PSUGuy]

Two questions for Brian N, please. If an AT flight out of smallish Allentown get dropped, I can ask to get switched to Philly? Also, yor link to AT's site shows they have a relationship with USAir, so getting switched to them is a possibility if AT cancels?

Thanks,

Bill From PA

 

[TaraPA]

She was saying she was warned about Air Tran. Fact is, every single airline out there has weather related delays and cancellations. It is not a sign that Air Tran is a bad airline.


A vent would have run along the lines of "My Air Tran flight was cancelled, and we rebooked on another airline so that we didn't loose a day's vacation. Man that sucked!" That would be totally understandable. Blaming Air Tran for something they have no control over, and then saying you are going to write and complain is not venting. It is blaming the airline for something that is not their fault, and then expecting compensation.
I know a few of us posters come across as harsh. And even though it may not seem so, we do have sympathy for people when they have a bad experience flying. But you need to know what is and what isn't realistic when it comes to air travel. Flying from a small airport, with few flights, accomodating passengers when their flight is cancelled is no easy feat. It doesn't sound like the OP understands that.

Well said. I was just coming to post the same thing. It happens on every airline, everywhere, and yes it's happened to us, more than once. VERY frustrating, but I'd never blame the airline for weather-related delays & cencellations. Writing them a letter may help the OP get their venting out on paper, but the airline owes them nothing.

 

[PADISFAM]

Always best to have an issue on the ground than in the air-- blaming Air Tran for weather issues & expecting 'compensation or them to do something' is not realistic. I've flown AirTran several times, sure a few changes here & there, but I've had flights changed with US Air, AA & Continental too.

 

[dancin Disney style]

If it is a weather cancellation, they don't have to (and won't) do anything.

Exactly....I fail to understand how someone can blame the airline for a weather issue.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Airlines business practices have always confused me, long gone are the days where customers are treated with respect and dignity. Airlines treat their customers more like the electric company and other utility companies do, its no wonder they are always going belly up or needing to merge and change their names.

Respectfully, a large part of that is most customers jockeying for the absolute lowest price possible, to the point that even after finally buying the tickets still stalking for lower prices, then complaining when the airline wants to charge the $150 change fee for a nonrefundable fare to give the lower price - then whining and complaining when they have to pay to check luggage, or don't get food, or the seat pitch is smaller (so the airlines can fit more seats/passengers on the plane in an attempt to recoup some of the fare lost from having to sell tickets at below cost...)

I'm sorry but I personally believe that they owe it to people to do everything within their power to assist the displaced traveler.

Highlighted words being the key. No airline can magically wiggle a nose and make a plane appear. With the drop in travel in the past decade, and the current recession, and the above-mentioned mergers, there aren't any spare planes just sitting around anywhere "just in case". Few spare crews, either.

 

[kaytieeldr]

No compensation at all. And the flight we managed to substitue was 3X the price we paid with Airtran. Oh well, I plan on writing a letter to them when we get back, but it is what it is.

OMG....I think all the OP was trying to say was......"YOU TOLD ME SO". She was just venting. Some of the people on here can be very harsh. I am sure if it happened to you...you would feel the same...even if it is the weather....I feel very sorry for OP. I hope you have a fantastic time on your disney vacation.......

I think we all get that... in her FIRST post. When she turned around and clarified the (unquestioned to that point) confusion between AirTran not being able to get them to Orlando until Sunday, and them actually arriving on Saturday; and that "the flight [her party] managed to substitue (sic) was 3X the price..." it became clear they had opted on their own to find an alternative flight to Orlando.
They're not due any compensation, and while nobody will advise her against writing a letter, most of us will let her know now it will be pointless - that she will get no compensation and likely no apology from AirTran for a cancellation they can't control. NO airline WANTS to cancel a flight at the last minute.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If it is a weather cancellation, they don't have to (and won't) do anything.

The closest I've come to an airline "doing anything" for a weather-related flight cancellation was to give us discounted hotel vouchers - I know I asked for the least expensive hotel, and researching it later found I saved about 25% off rack rate.

 

[Dizney73]

We booked with Airtran anyway because they had a better day to fly out then our other option, and guess what? They cancelled our flight at the very last minute. We were supposed to fly out at 5:38 pm today, checked the website early afternoon and no issues, drove hour to airport and found there was no flight. Mind you, this is a small airport so not only was there no Airtran flight, there were no other flights to any where at all. And Airtran gave us the only option of leaving late Sunday afternoon.
So, instead of starting our Disney vacation today, we get there late on Saturday night. This really stinks. I will never, ever give them 1 cent of my money again. Just venting.
At least we weren't going to our brothers' graduation (like the guy in front of us) or a wedding (like the man behind us) or worst of all, supposed to be on a cruise ship tomorrow morning like the family beside us. Airtran screwed us all! Next time I will listen to the Disboards.

My aunt and uncle and their 3 kids flew airtran over Spring Break this yearto and from Philly. They cancelled their flight the day before coming home! Air tran couldn't get them on a flight for 3 days! There are a lot of flight sgoing in and out of Philly... they rented a car and drove home! They also said they would never book airtran again. But I know that happens on most airlines at one time or another... OUr SW flight last year was delayed by 7 hours... The plane was broken down! I was disappointed but VERY happy that SW delayed our flight instead of TRYING to get us there on a broken plane! It is just all out of our control. It really stinks but comes with the territory of traveling! We always allow an extra day or so before cruises and important events.

 

[NancyIL]

I was flying on AirTran from Dallas to Bloomington, IL via Atlanta in August 2005. My flight to Atlanta was delayed leaving Dallas due to a hurricane some of you might remember named "Katrina." I was about ready to give up and try to leave Dallas the next day, when we were allowed to board the plane. I knew I would miss my connection in Atlanta, but there was one more flight after that. When I got to Atlanta, AirTran had already cancelled the later flight to Bloomington, so I called the airline (rather than wait in a long line) to get rebooked on another flight the next day. I didn't wait to see about hotel vouchers, because I knew the airline wasn't paying for the hotel. I called several hotel chains and picked the least expensive (Hampton Inn - still over $100) and stayed there. Weather happens - and not just in the winter.

 

[TaraPA]

Nancy brings up a great point - BE PREPARED. I always always always know what other flights my airline has in case mine should be delayed or cancelled, and I even check other airlines for alternate routes before I go. I jot them down in a little notebook along with the toll-free numbers for the airlines. I also put down the phone numbers of the 3 closest hotels to the airport(s) I'm flying through. Obsessive yes - but well worth it when you're stuck somewhere & don't know your options.

I haven't had to use the hotel numbers yet, but did have to re-route myself once leaving MCO. I had a 4pm flight out with a connection on United. They cancelled the 4pm flight (after we had checked in) and at least 100 people were in line screaming & yelling to get re-booked. I called the airline & they re-routed me - before even 10 of the people in line had a chance to be accomodated. I knew ahead of time that my airline had another flight leaving MCO at 7pm, but connected in a different city than my original flight, but still got me to my home airport a few hours later. Thankfully those flights weren't full & the airline was nice enough to move me to those flights. We found out later (while waiting for the 7pm flight out of MCO) that that 7pm flight was now booked solid because of the earlier cancelled flight, and most people in line did not get on it. It pays to have the phone numbers & to be prepared!

 

[Sandi]

Two questions for Brian N, please. If an AT flight out of smallish Allentown get dropped, I can ask to get switched to Philly? Also, yor link to AT's site shows they have a relationship with USAir, so getting switched to them is a possibility if AT cancels?

Thanks,

Bill From PA

I'm not Brian N, but I believe you can be accommodated at a different airport. I had a similar experience flying United from Lansing to Jackson Hole last summer. For whatever reason they couldn't get a plane from Lansing to Chicago. I asked if I could drive to Grand Rapids or Detroit to enable me to get the Chicago connection that would get me to Wyoming before the next day. They were willing to do that and started the process. Within 5 minutes, they magically had a plane in Lansing. It was weird. On your other question, I'm not sure whether AT and USAir have an agreement.

 

[pickles]

air tran has a reputation which they filled for this poster.
yes, weather problems, mechanical problems ect..cause delays and problems for all airlines. it is how theyhandle it that makes the difference.
Do you think Disney would have treated their client this way?
she didnt get to hear about the change until she actually gets to the airport..dont they have her phone number at least?
obviously planes were flying at atlanta--delayed but flying.
Why didnt hers simply delay their flight a few hours until weather improved?
did they offer her a hotel room while she had to wait until sunday?..after all she paid for a vacation hotel somewhere and would have lost that money and had to do something like food and hotel maybe while she waited for sunday and the flight they gave her.
It isnt about delays, it is about service. I would be mad too.
i agree airlines should learn how to work together..what great custoner service to say "I am sorry your flight with us is canceled/delayed, BUT we were able to solve the problem by getting you on this competitors flight or you could choose one of these options..."