Having Airtran nightmares!

[Shel]

Let me preface this by saying we haven't flown, or had a Disney vacation since 1999! At the end of April I booked the 3 of us non-stop flights using AirTran out of Dayton OH, at 7AM. Typically do the 1st flights get changed often? I'm worried since I've read so many stories about people getting their flights changed!

 

[irishtigger]

He have had our times switched back and forth for 1 of our trips but it was never our departing flight only on returning flight and only by 30 minutes. I hope that makes you feel better

 

[uva185]

Yes, flights do get changed but many people on this site blow the situation out of proportion. If your flight is changed remain calm and call the airline to find out if there are other options that better suit your needs. You should be able to get a flight into MCO close to your original time. Your vacation will not be ruined.

It IS possible they could eliminate the nonstop flight. However connecting is really not that hard (I actually prefer it...more miles ). Again, call the airline to see which alternative connecting flights are available that would best suit your needs.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[kjpotter]

I booked our airtran tickets for June back in Feb. They have changed the departure about three times. However, they have never changed more than thirty minutes away from the original times that we booked.

For example, when I booked, the departure time was 1:58. Three changes later, we are now departing at 1:42. To me that is fine and no biggie.

 

[dancin Disney style]

The only change we have experienced was an additional 20 minutes to our layover.

Last year our flight was changed to depart 12 minutes later than when I purchased the tickets.....I don't actually count that as a change.

 

[cyndiloveswalt]

We have flown airtran several times to MCO and have bought far in advance. We also had some minor time changes but nothing that was a big deal.
I will say I never pay to choose seats, but this last time they could not seat us together and we were there plenty early (luckily this trip was only DH and I). If I were flying with my kids, I'd probably pay to get seats early.

 

[DeadHead]

Have flown AirTran exclusively for the last 5 years out of PHL, multiple times a year. Our flight have changes by less than 10 mins departing PHL maybe twice during that time. If they do change the departure, like a PP said, be calm, call AirTran and see what they can do to move you to a flight more to your liking at no cost to you.

 

[Inkmahm]

The only change we have experienced was an additional 20 minutes to our layover.

Last year our flight was changed to depart 12 minutes later than when I purchased the tickets.....I don't actually count that as a change.

But the good thing is that Airtran DOES consider that a change so if you wanted to, you could have changed flights for free with Airtran.

 

[bear_mom]

But the good thing is that Airtran DOES consider that a change so if you wanted to, you could have changed flights for free with Airtran.

We wanted to change our flight time home from Las Vegas and our flight time only changed by 12 minutes and they wouldn't consider it a change if it was under 15 minutes.

I've never had a problem with AirTran changing flight times significiantly. Flight times have varied, but typically only by 10-15 minutes. One flight home from Disney did change by 45 minutes.

I have had more significant changes with Northwest/Delta.

Emily

 

[Traveliz]

I have found the first flights of the morning to be pretty much as scheduled - well I have had a change of 3-5 minutes but that is just airport scheduling. Moreover I have found the first flight of the morning to often load up and push off early (assuming everyone is onboard).

The plane usually HAS to go because it has to get to Orlando to bring people back. Once they consolidated two flights but I believe that happened at the airport once we were there and the total flight time change was 20 minutes.

I have had great luck with Airtran. We fly out of a regional airport. I will also say we don't typically book flights MONTHs in advance. The prices are not necessarily the best and we often make last minute flight decisions. Additionally my daughter lives in Orlando so I might just decide I want to visit her -- at any rate I think because my flights are books usually no more than 2 months in advance if there were changes they all ready happened.

Liz

 

[richmo]

It all depends how far out your flight is. If your trip is coming up soon (like in the next month or two), they probably won't mess with the times much more, since they should have their gate assignments, etc. If its further out, the chances of a change increase.

 

[Inkmahm]

We wanted to change our flight time home from Las Vegas and our flight time only changed by 12 minutes and they wouldn't consider it a change if it was under 15 minutes.

I've never had a problem with AirTran changing flight times significiantly. Flight times have varied, but typically only by 10-15 minutes. One flight home from Disney did change by 45 minutes.

I have had more significant changes with Northwest/Delta.

Emily

I just did a test. I've had Airtran let me do a flight change when I had a schedule change of only 3 minutes in the past. That was above and beyond good service in my book.

This morning I called to try to make a flight change for a flight that changed by 6 minutes. First I was told that it would be $100 to make a change since the flight had changed by less than 25 minutes. (the flight was only $49 in the first place and the fee should have been $75 in any case!). When I pointed out that I have been able to make such changes for free in the past, the supervisor waived the $75 fee change and said I'd only have to pay the change in fare. Well, the fare is $49 today, same as when I booked originally. But they wanted to add $10 since my Little Debbie promotional voucher doesn't allow changes and they wanted to charge $15 for calling to make the change. I was NOT going to pay $25 to change my flight as it really wasn't that important to change anyway. I would have changed if it was a free change (like it has been for me in the past) but not for the $25 they wanted to charge me.

I tried the hang up and call back approach, too, but the phone call I had made earlier had been entered in their system so the next agent was sticking to the $25 charge.

In other words, Airtran may not always be as accomodating as they are sometimes. I wouldn't consider a 6 minute change to be a significant change in schedule, either. But if I had been allowed to change flights for free, I'd have done so.

 

[dioxide45]

We almost always fly the non-stops flights out of Dayton to MCO. Knock on wood. After over 12 non stops between DAY and MCO, we have never had a significant change in the schedule. Connecting flights in Atlanta are a different story. AirTran has kept pretty much the same daily non-stop out of and in to Dayton for the past several years. The flight to MCO is an early morning flight, and the return is an evening flight. We love this because it gives us more time on vacation.

We are flying out of Columbus for our next flight to Fort Lauderdale and then back from MCO, the flight times are not good, we prefer the flight times through Dayton. I would not be concerned with them changing the Dayton flights by more than a few minutes.