Midwest to ground all MD80's by the fall [MERGED]

[Inkmahm]

I just checked the flights on my dates (9/7/08- 9/12/08) They cut half of the flights for those days.
There use to be 4 leaving- 1 @ 7:55am, 11:35, 2:55 & 6:35pm
Now there's only 2 - 7:55m & 2:55pm
We booked the 7:55am, I'm so happy it's one of the 2 left!


Hopefully there's no more cuts!!!

Looks like they are in process of making changes and added some new flights that go through Kansas City on the 717's. Also some flights through Indianapolis on NWA are showing up, too. Maybe they are adding the new flights on the 717s and then will cancel the old ones on the MD-80s and reschedule people onto the 717's? I think we're seeing changes being made step by step but still don't know what the final plan will look like. The GOOD news is that flights aren't just dropping, there are others being added, too. Not at great times or non-stop like the old ones, but still, they are flights!

edit: I just spent more time playing with scheduling flights and there isn't much consistency between different days. I really think the schedule is in flux right now as they start to move planes around and ground others. I'm going to keep watching closely!

 

[leeann32]

Looks like they are in process of making changes and added some new flights that go through Kansas City on the 717's. Also some flights through Indianapolis on NWA are showing up, too. Maybe they are adding the new flights on the 717s and then will cancel the old ones on the MD-80s and reschedule people onto the 717's? I think we're seeing changes being made step by step but still don't know what the final plan will look like. The GOOD news is that flights aren't just dropping, there are others being added, too. Not at great times or non-stop like the old ones, but still, they are flights!

edit: I just spent more time playing with scheduling flights and there isn't much consistency between different days. I really think the schedule is in flux right now as they start to move planes around and ground others. I'm going to keep watching closely!

I've been checking the site about 4-5 times daily. I'm obsessed
At least new flights are popping up! T
The 717 are only for the way home on my days and they are booked solid.
I'm patiently waiting to see what the final schedule will look like

 

[OhMari]

I"m on a 11:55 a.m. flight to Orlando. I wouldn't mind the 2:50, just get me on it and tell me now.

 

[crzykid]

I did my daily look to see if our flights still existed for September and my flight there is not even listed. I am on the 6PM flight and 12pm flight coming home. So I called and they lady told me that flight is still there it has not been cancelled it is just sold out. Yeah right I looked on Tuesday and there were only 16 people on the flight according to the seat map and I told her that and she just did not have a good answer for me. I just wish they would tell me so I can change it or better yet book with a different airline.

 

[OhMari]

I did my daily look to see if our flights still existed for September and my flight there is not even listed. I am on the 6PM flight and 12pm flight coming home. So I called and they lady told me that flight is still there it has not been cancelled it is just sold out. Yeah right I looked on Tuesday and there were only 16 people on the flight according to the seat map and I told her that and she just did not have a good answer for me. I just wish they would tell me so I can change it or better yet book with a different airline.

Call again on Monday, if you don't see your flight, it probably means it is cancelled. You should have a confirmation #, look that up on line. You can do it, by joining the Midwest Express site.

 

[Inkmahm]

I did my daily look to see if our flights still existed for September and my flight there is not even listed. I am on the 6PM flight and 12pm flight coming home. So I called and they lady told me that flight is still there it has not been cancelled it is just sold out. Yeah right I looked on Tuesday and there were only 16 people on the flight according to the seat map and I told her that and she just did not have a good answer for me. I just wish they would tell me so I can change it or better yet book with a different airline.

Which one is canceled, the flight out or the flight in? If it is the 6:35 flight out of Milw, they started canceling that one weeks ago.

 

[crzykid]

Which one is canceled, the flight out or the flight in? If it is the 6:35 flight out of Milw, they started canceling that one weeks ago.

The flight to Orlando on September 5th is the one that they are telling me is "sold out" not cancelled.

 

[leeann32]

The flight to Orlando on September 5th is the one that they are telling me is "sold out" not cancelled.

I would call Midwest back on Monday. I believe the 6:35pm & 11:35am flights out of MKE were the 1st one's the cancelled. Probably because those 2 were the least full. I can't believe they didn't notify you of the cancellation Hopefully you can get on the 7:55 am or the 2:55pm flight out.
We all better keep a close eye on our flights, I don't trust Midwest to tell us if things change

 

[McKelly]

I agree with keeping a close eye on our flights. I purchased our December airfare at about ten months out. I went on-line to check my June flights (which times had changed, but nothing too alarming) and for the heck of it, checked my December flight and I received a message to call them. Well, my flight down there had been cancelled, and they never notified me!! If I had not looked on a whim, who knows how long it would have taken them to notify me, or even notify me at all. I have young kids and I need to sit next to them on the plane, that is always one of my major concerns. I have the 7:55am out in December and the 7:00pm flight coming back home, I am hoping that those two flights are going to be safe when the cuts start happening. If not, I want to be on top of it, so I can get my whole family together on the plane, or at least two and two.

 

[snels]

Our January return flights on Midwest have changed. The early flight from to Orlando to Milwaukee is gone. Now we will be landing in Central WI at 10:45 p.m. instead of 2:00 p.m. We will have to book a hotel room for the night.

I think this will be our first and last experience with Midwest.

We did ask about getting a refund, but no luck.

 

[Inkmahm]

The flight to Orlando on September 5th is the one that they are telling me is "sold out" not cancelled.

If it was the 6:35 pm flight out, it was probably a cancellation like all the others of that flight until January, 2009.

 

[Inkmahm]

Our January return flights on Midwest have changed. The early flight from to Orlando to Milwaukee is gone. Now we will be landing in Central WI at 10:45 p.m. instead of 2:00 p.m. We will have to book a hotel room for the night.

I think this will be our first and last experience with Midwest.

We did ask about getting a refund, but no luck.

Really? They changed you more than 8 hours from 2 pm to 10:45 pm and wouldn't give you a refund for the tickets as a choice rather than rescheduling you? That sounds bad for the rest of us hoping to get refunds when flights are gone...

 

[crzykid]

Finally just got notification that the 6:30 flight has been cancelled and we are being put on the 2:55 flight out of MKE on September 5th. I asked for a refund and she said NO because there was not an 8hour difference between our original flight and the flight they put us on.

 

[Inkmahm]

Finally just got notification that the 6:30 flight has been cancelled and we are being put on the 2:55 flight out of MKE on September 5th. I asked for a refund and she said NO because there was not an 8hour difference between our original flight and the flight they put us on.

Uh oh. That's new then. When they canceled my 6:30 flight out and 8 am flight back to Milwaukee I was given the choice a few weeks ago of accepting new flights OR taking a refund. There was not an 8 hour difference for either flight change, yet I was offered my money back if I wanted it. I didn't at the time but I sure do want it now!

 

[leeann32]

Finally just got notification that the 6:30 flight has been cancelled and we are being put on the 2:55 flight out of MKE on September 5th. I asked for a refund and she said NO because there was not an 8hour difference between our original flight and the flight they put us on.

Did you have a choice of which flight to take out of MKE? The 2:55 or the 7:55am?

 

[crzykid]

No I did not have the choice because I asked if I could go on the 7:55 and she said no I had to go on the flight that was closest to my original flight. I really wanted the 7:55 but oh well I just hope I get to Orlando.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

No I did not have the choice because I asked if I could go on the 7:55 and she said no I had to go on the flight that was closest to my original flight. I really wanted the 7:55 but oh well I just hope I get to Orlando.

I wonder if they did that to avoid the 8 hour difference and then bypassing the 8 hour refund timeframe?

 

[Inkmahm]

No I did not have the choice because I asked if I could go on the 7:55 and she said no I had to go on the flight that was closest to my original flight. I really wanted the 7:55 but oh well I just hope I get to Orlando.

See, that's different, too. I was given the choice of the earlier flight going down and even the last flight the night before coming back (rather than the first flight out in the morning.) Sounds like they are changing their policies as they go. Not good.

 

[bicker]

The policy is that they have to get your from City A to City B on that specific date -- not at any specific time, through any specific routing, or on any specific aircraft. The granting of refunds for "significant" changes was not sometimes that was promised and not something to be expected, with profits no where to be found, and bankruptcy of additional carriers looking all-the-more likely everyday. Thingss are going to get worse.

 

[Inkmahm]

The policy is that they have to get your from City A to City B on that specific date -- not at any specific time, through any specific routing, or on any specific aircraft. The granting of refunds for "significant" changes was not sometimes that was promised and not something to be expected, with profits no where to be found, and bankruptcy of additional carriers looking all-the-more likely everyday. Thingss are going to get worse.

Maybe I should have called it their "procedure" instead of "policy" but up until now, Midwest would have offered to book any flight available for you if yours got canceled and would also have offered a full refund if the new flights weren't acceptable to you. That was their "best care in the air" which seems to no longer be there.