Just returned - National Car and ATA flight experiences.

[sgtdisney]

First the good...

We got a Minivan with National using the Priceless Vacations Code. Everything worked excellent and very very smooth. We picked out an 8 passenger Chevy Venture on the lot, relatively new and very clean. The rental experience was as smooth as can be. We paid 218 a week and then got a 10% discount off of that with no airport concession fee. For 2 weeks and 1 day we paid a grand total of just over 495.00 which I didn't think was too bad.

Now the not so good.

We flew ATA on this trip and I have used them a lot and been a big supporter of them. That said, I am not sure I will use them again and my Wife said she would walk to Florida before she uses them. Flight down was fine, no problems at all. Flight on time, etc. However coming back, well, that was another story. We had a number of issues, from my BIL having a wet seat the whole flight home to our sitting on the tarmac at MDW for close to 1 hour waiting for a gate. That stuff happens, didn't make for a pleasant flight but, not really the airlines fault.

What I do hold the airline accountable for was the wait for luggage. We waited around 2 hours for our bags. Some would come and then wait again for more. Well we waited and waited and got all but one peice of luggage. (Travelled with seven people) Talk to the ATA luggage people, they say wait for the next flight from Orlando which left 1 1/2 hours after our flight but was just arriving. (That tells you how long we waited there) Our luggage wasn't on that flight either. Kept getting the run-a-round with the ATA luggage people. First the suitcase was in Chicago, wait some more. Finally they said it was in Indianapolis. They told us to go home and they would send it. Kept saying they were understaffed, etc. We finally got in the limo after midnight and didn't get home until close to 1:30. We landed at Midway at 9:10 or so we got home over 4 hours after we landed.

I understand about delays in getting a gate, wet seats can happen, bags can get lost. Waiting close to 2 hours to get bags is not acceptable. Understaffed or not, I have never waited that long for bags. Since the limo sat outside for 2 1/2 hours that cost a premium too.

This is my first bad experience with ATA in the years I have used them. Needless to say I am disapointed. I will be contacting their customer service later today.

 

[kinggoofy]

Hi fellow " Chicagolander "

we too are from Chicago...about 6 blocks from MDW. We NEVER have any trouble leaving MDW..and never have any trouble getting our luggage at MCO. We always remark that MDW can learn a few things from MCO.

We have encountered several problems when we come home. One of them is the slow baggage claim at the new MDW. If you can believe it...it was WORSE at the old MDW.

We have been to WDW 9 times and we will be there in 30 days and over Thanksgiving....and we too fly ATA.

One thing we have learned is that we take three suitcases. One each for our clothing and then the other one we put our travel bags in. We find it much easier to carry NOTHING on the plane.

I have called ATA several times. I think they know me by first name at this point.

Here is what I would suggest....call ATA. But call the Indianapolis customer service center.
1-877-617-1139.

Tell them your troubles....be PERSISTENT. They will ( or should ) send you some vouchers. Usually anywhere from $20- $50 off your next travel.

Trust me...I DO . In fact, for our August trip coming up...were going to book our airfare on a Sunday morning in May. I checked the website and 2 RT tickets were $350. When we got back from breakfast , no more than an hour later...the fare jumped $118 to $468.

I was on the phone complaining...and complaining. they sent me $118 travel voucher to make up the difference.

When I got the voucher...the fare was now $332 RT for 2. We called ATA...booked the flight and seeing we live so close to MDW...went there with the voucher and purchased our tickets.
Final cost for August 11th to 22nd....$214.00 for 2...$107 each.

Call that number and tell them what happened. BUT be persistent.

Good luck

KG ( a south side CUBS fan. )

 

[Kae]

I just went to Vas Legas on Delta & they told us to wait for the next flight for our luggage also. Of course it was not on that plane. I do not understand why they just would not just send our luggage the first time it did not come off our flight. They have all these code on the tags but they could not tell us were it was. 2hrs later we left. It did get to our hotel b4 dinner 7 o'clock but we landed at12:30. I thought it was terrible customer service.

Kae

 

[sgtdisney]

Originally posted by kinggoofy
Hi fellow " Chicagolander "
Here is what I would suggest....call ATA. But call the Indianapolis customer service center.
1-877-617-1139.

Tell them your troubles....be PERSISTENT. They will ( or should ) send you some vouchers. Usually anywhere from $20- $50 off your next travel.

Thanks for the tip, kinggoofy. I will call them tomorrow and let them know what happened. I just want them to know how disapointed I was in that it took them so long to deliver the luggage and the only reason we got was that they were understaffed. The gate delay and lost baggage can happen and I am not upset about that, but waiting hours for luggage that isn't lost is wrong.

Incidentally, the lost luggage was delivered around 1PM today, to that peice of the story had a happy ending.

 

[kinggoofy]

SgtDisney

Make sure when you call you mention that your limo ride cost you extra MONEY. By waiting and all your troubles, you ended up with an extra "out-of-pocket" expense.

Good Luck
KG

 

[EdDome]

I live about 2 miles from MDW and use ATA quite a bit. They are pretty good and the prices are normally reasonable but they do not do a very good job dealing with problems. I don't want to start a debate but it's my opinion based on a handful of instances of varying magnitude. Thanks for the tip on calling customer service. I've talked with agents in the airport but never seem to get more than a standard reply.

I'm on ATA going to WDW on 8/8 so wish me luck.

 

[mkymouse4ever]

I second the fact that ATA midway could learn something from orlando ATA! When we land in Orlando, you could literally sprint to the baggage carousel & the luggage would be starting to come out. But @ midway, stop read a paper, bathroom break, dinner, call a few friends, and then slowly (very slowly) attempt to approach the baggage carousel. Which is still listing flights that got in that afternoon. I hopeing for a good experience in 1 WEEK ! (yeah)!

MKY

 

[inkkognito]

I am a big-time frequest user of ATA (twice a month on average), and the Midway luggage situation is so bad that we always take carry-on whenever possible just to avoid it. But I'd be interested in their response because I've alway assumed that the baggage workers are in some kind of Teamster-like Chicago union and that is the reason for the delay. I figured it was out of ATA's control, especially since the luggage at Orlando is almost unfailingly prompt. Please post what they tell you!
Barb

 

[kinggoofy]

SgtDisney

Did you call ATA ? I am VERY interested in hearing what they said.


KG

 

[redbirdgrad]

Any of you every fly SWA out of Midway - I haven't ( one of the few I haven't out of Midway ), but I'm doing so in a couple of weeks - thinking about just having the skycaps grab the luggage, check us in and give us our boarding passes - any experiences??