DirectAir information?

[locodemickey]

I will fly this airline for the first time this summer. We got their family fare for $140 per ticket We are also going to go in Dec. using them. Does anyone have any info. on them? Like, I understand each seat has its own TV. What can you watch etc? Do they do beverage service and anything else you could add. TIA

 

[bicker]

Be sure to read the contract for your travel. It includes such great tidbits such as:

RESPONSIBILITY: Direct Air, as the principal, is responsible to the Participant for arranging and providing public charter air transportation (charter flights).

...

MAJOR CHANGES: If Direct Air makes major changes prior to departure, the Participant shall have the right to cancel the reservation on the Charter Flight and receive a full refund. The following are major changes: (1) a change in the origin or destination city of a Charter Flight, unless the change is only the order in which cities the cities are flown; (2) a change in the departure or return date of a Charter Flight experienced by Direct Air of greater than 48 hours; or (3) a Charter Flight price increase of more than 10% occurring ten or more days before departure of the Charter Flight. In no event may Direct Air change the Charter Flight price less than ten days prior to departure of the Charter Flight. If a major change must be made in a Charter Flight, Direct Air will exercise all reasonable commercial diligence to notify the Passenger within seven days after first of such major change, but in any event at least ten days before schedule departure of the Charter Flight. If a major change occurs less then ten days before the scheduled departure of a Charter Flight, Direct Air will notify the Passenger as soon as possible.

http://www.visitdirectair.com/policies_and_procedures/agreement/

So first; they're a charter airline, not a regular airline. There are several differences you should know about there. Also, the 48 hours thing is unusual. Most airlines consider flight schedule changes of a few hours to be a major change. With this airline, they can move your flight two days in either direction and still not be required to give you a refund.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

(3) a Charter Flight price increase of more than 10% occurring ten or more days before departure of the Charter Flight.

Wow, now there's a caveat.

 

[PlutoPony]

Interesting, they clearly spell out that if there isn't room for your carry-on and it must be checked you pay for it as checked luggage. Good for them to up front about that.

Carry-on Luggage

* Each paid passenger is permitted one piece of carry-on luggage plus a personal item (such as a purse, diaper bag, laptop or camera bag) in the passenger cabin at no cost.
* The carry-on item must not exceed 42” overall dimensions (L + W + H = 42”).
* MBD reserves the right to require an item to be stowed in the checked luggage compartment, subject to Standard Baggage Service Fees and Overweight/Over limit Fees if it cannot be safely stowed in the overhead bin or under the seat directly in front of the ticketed passenger.

 

[Lewisc]

Probably a good choice for an extra trip, particularly if you have an AP. I'd be concerned using them for a major family vacation, particularly during peak travel times. The airline could go out of business or drop Orlando. A refund may not provide enough money to purchase a ticket with another airline. The airline may reduce service to MCO, from daily to a couple of days a week. You may have to change your arrival and departure dates.

This is not the kind of airline the government will prop up. It's the kind of airline that will be allowed to go out of business. Unless something has changed they're leasing planes from Virgin. That means improving economics of the industry could be a negative, Direct could lose access to planes and crew.

 

[locodemickey]

Oh, man. You guys are kind of scaring me They just started here in Kalamazoo in November and I haven't heard anything bad yet but now I'm wondering... It's not like it's our first trip to Disney or anything, but I don't want to miss a minute! Also, we are planning on taking them on Dec. 18th this year. Got a great deal of $140 including tax - can't beat that! (unless they don't get you there )

 

[bicker]

A low fare like that is worth a little risk, AFAIC.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

A low fare like that is worth a little risk, AFAIC.

I'd rather risk the $140 at the blackjack table after flying commercially with a confirmed seat... but that's just me

 

[bicker]

Good point. Folks need to understand the risk -- really: understand that they really are indeed taking a risk -- and then evaluate whether or not the risk that they would be taking is worth the low far they're getting.

 

[locodemickey]

It seems like I would hear around here locally if there are problems with this airline. I hope it will be OK, but it sounds like some of you have heard of this going bad.

 

[bicker]

I wouldn't be so pessimistic. There is a difference between things "going bad" and there being risks if things do go bad (as they can with any airline). This discussion isn't about what will happen to you, but rather what the terms and conditions of this airline say they will and will not do. There is no way to know, in advance, whether you'll incur the ramifications of the risks folks are talking about.

 

[Lewisc]

There's probably a dozen similar airlines that have gone out of business in the last few years. Airlines like Direct aren't large enough for the government to keep in business and don't have any assets that would motivate purchase/merger by another airline. In other words they just close up shop, leaving customers to obtain credit card refunds. Don't use a debit card. I'd think twice paying for a flight more then 60-90 days in advance.

It's great for an extra trip but what's your plan B if you're left with a refund. Is it the kind of trip you can cancel? Are you willing to drive? Are you willing to pay the going price from the nearest airport serviced by "real" airlines.

Keep in mind the Direct could stay in business but decide routes to WDW aren't profitable enough and give you a refund.

edited to add--I'd probably take the chance for a trip this summer. I might even take the chance if my December trip was the beginning of December but would be cautious if my trip is during the peak travel dates near Christmas.

 

[casjen]

and had no trouble at all. Our flight to Myrtle beach was right on time and half full. We did fly on an airbus and had tv's in the seats. They offered direct tv but there were no working kids channels. There are also video games and music channels you can pick as well.

On the way home we weren't on an airbus, but a smaller DC10. I am no fan of smaller planes and personally wouldn't fly again on one b/c you feel everything.

We were late departing myrtle beach b/c the airline overbooked a Florida flight by 45 people and since our plane had room, their non stop turned into a connection through Myrtle beach. They had no idea this would happen until they checked in at the airport (you can't check in in advance online). But, they got home on the same day, and close to the same time. So, it was an inconvenience for them and made us 30 minutes late but they did get everyone home and everyone worked together to keep families seated together which you rarely see on bigger airlines where everyone clings to their seat like they own it. We did pay ahead for seat assignments and they did work to honor those as well.

I would 100% fly them again as they were affordable and direct and we had no issues.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

and had no trouble at all. Our flight to Myrtle beach was right on time and half full.

This is the exact reason to be concerned. A half full flight is almost guaranteed to not be profitable for the airline, unless all the fares sold were of a refundable or first class nature with extra baggage fees.

Long term, unfilled seats will drive down results/revenue and in turn profit.

 

[bicker]

On the way home we weren't on an airbus, but a smaller DC10. I am no fan of smaller planes and personally wouldn't fly again on one b/c you feel everything.

I believe you meant DC-9. The DC-10 is a larger aircraft. The only airlines that operate the DC-10 for passenger service from the US are Omni Air and World Air (both charter airlines).

 

[Edd]

I didn't see it mentioned here, but Direct Air has a business relationship with Virgin Air. I talked with some of the crew in Sanford about a month ago, they land at Sanford SFB in Florida, and they were Virgin Air employees. A story in the paper a year ago said Direct Air was leasing the planes from Virgin Air.

 

[Lewisc]

Ed- It was mentioned in this thread. Direct Air leases planes, with crews, from Virgina America and a couple of small charter airlines.

Interesting business model, running an airline with no assets. A poster in this thread gave us an example of how this airline works. On the fly schedule change, changing a N/S flight to a connecting flight, so you can match displaced passengers from an overbooked flight with available seats on another flight. Bicker provided the link, this airline can move flights around a lot without being required to offer a refund.

 

[budbeerlady]

Locodemickey - We are trying them from Kalamazoo. We have heard nasty about Allegiant but not Direct yet... For the money we will risk it. I hate driving to Detroit or Midway, paying to park and them facing the 3 hours drive back home. Kalamazoo is 30 min for us and this isnt our only one in a lifetime vacation that we are taking.

For our cruise I wouldnt risk it and we drove to Midway for Southwest, but a 10 day disney trip I will give them a try.

 

[maxiesmom]

Locodemickey - We are trying them from Kalamazoo. We have heard nasty about Allegiant but not Direct yet... For the money we will risk it. I hate driving to Detroit or Midway, paying to park and them facing the 3 hours drive back home. Kalamazoo is 30 min for us and this isnt our only one in a lifetime vacation that we are taking.

For our cruise I wouldnt risk it and we drove to Midway for Southwest, but a 10 day disney trip I will give them a try.

I'm not sure if it would be any closer for you than Detroit, but have you looked at flights out of Flint? That is where we have flown out of for our last 2 trips to Disney, and are booked out of Flint again for this July. It is only an hour forty minutes from Grand Rapids, plus the most I have paid for a ticket is $190 including taxes and fees.

I just looked at the Direct Air site, and they only hav dates listed thru the end of September. Plus they only fly on Friday and Monday. Maybe that works for you, but unfortunately, it doesn't for me.

 

[locodemickey]

Locodemickey - We are trying them from Kalamazoo. We have heard nasty about Allegiant but not Direct yet... For the money we will risk it. I hate driving to Detroit or Midway, paying to park and them facing the 3 hours drive back home. Kalamazoo is 30 min for us and this isnt our only one in a lifetime vacation that we are taking.

For our cruise I wouldnt risk it and we drove to Midway for Southwest, but a 10 day disney trip I will give them a try.

Thanks for the info! Please let me know what your experience is with them. We will be going mid-July and then again in December (hopefully we'll be able to grab one of the fares with our $140 vouchers!). I'm hopeful that they will work out as it is a 2 hour drive to Detroit and the parking alone is a killer there (it was $16 a day last summer!)