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

[ibcnu]

Grrrr!!! AirTran discontinued "direct" flights to Orlando from Atlantic City. I was reserved on a flight that would take 2 hours. I just got an email that the flight changed, when I looked it is a "connecting" flight with a 2 hour layover in Atlanta!! UGGGHHHH! There are no other direct flights that day nor any other days. Looks like AirTran discontinued direct service to Florida! I even looked at Tampa, Fort Myers, and Miami -- all have stopovers in Atlanta.

 

[Inkmahm]

I'm refering to this:



All the "reasons" you listed are all understandable, but they are also all favorable to TA.

Did you mean to type AT instead of TA? Airtran instead of Travel Agent?

 

[Inkmahm]

Grrrr!!! AirTran discontinued "direct" flights to Orlando from Atlantic City. I was reserved on a flight that would take 2 hours. I just got an email that the flight changed, when I looked it is a "connecting" flight with a 2 hour layover in Atlanta!! UGGGHHHH! There are no other direct flights that day nor any other days. Looks like AirTran discontinued direct service to Florida! I even looked at Tampa, Fort Myers, and Miami -- all have stopovers in Atlanta.

Yet another person who doesn't understand direct vs non-stop...

 

[kaytieeldr]

All the "reasons" you listed are all understandable, but they are also all favorable to TA.

I don't know what "TA" is. It's the common shorthand for Travel Agent, so I don't understand how any of the possible explanations - not reasons - I provided benefit a Travel Agent in any way.

Sorry, excuse me for using laymen's terms. Most people use "non-stop" and "direct" interchangeably.

Which makes 'most people' wrong, and sets them up for disappointment when they insist on a direct flight and find themselves on a direct flight - that stops somewhere between their home airport and their destination airport to let out some passengers and pick up other passengers. They get exactly what they requested. It doesn't matter to the airlines that the passenger uses the terms interchangeably. They're very different as far as the service providers are concerned.

The airlines won't tell you that, but the regulars on the Transportation forum will. THIS is just one of the reasons there's no pixie dust on this forum. We try to provide inexperienced travelers with as much accurate information as possible, so they're fully informed before travel and know what to expect.

 

[NancyIL]

I don't know what "TA" is. It's the common shorthand for Travel Agent, so I don't understand how any of the possible explanations - not reasons - I provided benefit a Travel Agent in any way.

TA can also be Transatlantic. On other boards, TA = Trip Advisor.

 

[ibcnu]

Yet another person who doesn't understand direct vs non-stop...

Are you serious? What's with the attiude?!?!?

What part don't you understand. I know what direct and non-stop means.

I had a "non-stop" flight and now they took away ALL non-stops from Orlando to Atlantic City and made them with stopovers in Atlanta. So ... I purchased a non-stop flight and am now on a stop-over flight. A 2 hour non-stop flight (originally booked) is now a 2 hour flight with a 2 hour layover.

Screw Airtran, I'm going back to Spirit and paying the baggage fees AND a non-stop flight.

 

[ssawka]

Did you mean to type AT instead of TA? Airtran instead of Travel Agent?

Yes, sorry I meant AirTran.

 

[ibcnu]

delete. People in this subforum are not worth it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yes, sorry I meant AirTran.

Thanks for clearing that up - I'm a LOT less confused now!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Are you serious? What's with the attiude?!?!?

What part don't you understand. I know what direct and non-stop means.

I had a "non-stop" flight and now they took away ALL non-stops from Orlando to Atlantic City and made them with stopovers in Atlanta. So ... I purchased a non-stop flight and am now on a stop-over flight. A 2 hour non-stop flight (originally booked) is now a 2 hour flight with a 2 hour layover.

Screw Airtran, I'm going back to Spirit and paying the baggage fees AND a non-stop flight.

Posts 140 and 141 have sections that are almost identical in misidentifying "non-stop", "direct", and "connecting" flights.

Sorry, excuse me for using laymen's terms. Most people use "non-stop" and "direct" interchangeably

Grrrr!!! AirTran discontinued "direct" flights to Orlando from Atlantic City. I was reserved on a flight that would take 2 hours. I just got an email that the flight changed, when I looked it is a "connecting" flight with a 2 hour layover in Atlanta!! UGGGHHHH! There are no other direct flights that day nor any other days. Looks like AirTran discontinued direct service to Florida! I even looked at Tampa, Fort Myers, and Miami -- all have stopovers in Atlanta.

The terms aren't interchangeable, can be confusing to a new traveler reading these threads looking for help/advice, and WOULD get the passenger unexpected routing with the airline.

And it's all made even more confusing to the unsuspecting reader by the difference between stopover, layover, and connection...

 

[Inkmahm]

Are you serious? What's with the attiude?!?!?

What part don't you understand. I know what direct and non-stop means.

I had a "non-stop" flight and now they took away ALL non-stops from Orlando to Atlantic City and made them with stopovers in Atlanta. So ... I purchased a non-stop flight and am now on a stop-over flight. A 2 hour non-stop flight (originally booked) is now a 2 hour flight with a 2 hour layover.

Screw Airtran, I'm going back to Spirit and paying the baggage fees AND a non-stop flight.

If you understood, then why did the post of yours that I quoted talk about "direct" and not "nonstop"?

Grrrr!!! AirTran discontinued "direct" flights to Orlando from Atlantic City. I was reserved on a flight that would take 2 hours. I just got an email that the flight changed, when I looked it is a "connecting" flight with a 2 hour layover in Atlanta!! UGGGHHHH! There are no other direct flights that day nor any other days. Looks like AirTran discontinued direct service to Florida! I even looked at Tampa, Fort Myers, and Miami -- all have stopovers in Atlanta.

Most of the posts immediately before yours just happened to be about the difference between direct and non-stop. You must not have read them.

 

[dudspizza]

<------ regular Transportation Board member who has been watching this all unfold...... it is too bad that some people don't listen to all of the good advice here and instead want to bash those that are here to help..... I have NEVER, EVER met someone on this board who comes here specifically to bash people or be rude, but I have seen a ton a people come here and not like the common sense, straight forward approach many of us take...... we turn out to be the bad guys.....

It really is too bad.......

I guess if we all didn't come here to help, people would have to learn on their own.... some would learn a very hard lesson.... but we are here and they still don't want to listen.....

Thank you to all the regulars out there.... without you, I wouldn't come to this board at all. It is the people who come here and bash the regulars that have basically put me into semi-retirement and have totally pushed away people like Bavaria who can offer a wealth of knowledge......

It really is too bad......

 

[crashbb]

Thank you to all the regulars out there.... without you, I wouldn't come to this board at all. It is the people who come here and bash the regulars that have basically put me into semi-retirement and have totally pushed away people like Bavaria who can offer a wealth of knowledge......

It really is too bad......

I miss Bavaria.

I flew through Munich a few weeks ago and thought of her.

 

[NancyIL]

Since the OP is back from her WDW trip, and we seem to be rehashing the same answers to the same complaints - maybe it's time to close this thread. Diane - what do you think?

 

[safetymom]

I miss Bavaria.

I flew through Munich a few weeks ago and thought of her.

I miss her too!!!!

 

[maxiesmom]

I miss her too!!!!

Ditto!!!

 

[dudspizza]

I bet her ears are burning right now as we talk about her.... I just emailed her to let her know she is missed on the transportation board.....

 

[Inkmahm]

I bet her ears are burning right now as we talk about her.... I just emailed her to let her know she is missed on the transportation board.....

Good! Maybe she'll come back for a visit!

 

[dis-happy]

And tell us what her latest chocolate stash consists of!

 

[keishashadow]

I don't call that a loophole. If you buy something and it doesn't work, being able to return or exchange it is normal good customer service. Now I can understand that miniscule changes should not require that the airline take the time and trouble to rework things.

That said, substituting a connecting flight sequence for a nonstop is not what I consider miniscule. The time spent traveling increases nontrivially, and I consider that if the departure is 30 minutes earlier and also the arrival is 30 minutes later, that is a one hour change, not a 30 minute change.

Perhaps I should ask, what are some good reasons for not letting the customer choose something else or get a refund.

most of the cheaper fares are designated non-refundable & should be to help keep ticket prices reasonably priced.

You reference a 30 minute delay, imo should be the starting point to allow changes to itineraries. Evidently, their business model is profitable allowing people to change flights to pricer ones w/a 5 or 10 minute change (i just don't see how they do it?)

Im not buying the 30 minute initial delay equals 1 hour overall as flight time would still be same length.

one important exception should be having originally booked a NS flight & finding out AT wants u to visit ATLon a connecting one.
jmho, being able to book a cheap connecting flight for $49, then eagerly awaiting a 5-10 minute change & requesting a seat on a $299 NS flight is a loophole that truly does cost the average (the non-in the know how the game works) consumer in the end imo.not to say i haven't done it myself (although i only book connecting flights when nothing else is offered)

I miss Bavaria.

I flew through Munich a few weeks ago and thought of her.

i thought she may've gotten censored, glad to hear she's among us...somewhere