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

[bavaria]

ORD UA uses B and C gates. 45 minutes is tight; my best time was 14 minutes from deplaning to getting my next seat but I am FAST and don't have anyone in tow but myself. And I am usually in one of the first rows to exit.

I like 90 minutes when possible at ORD

and some UA codeshares and commuter flights use a gate even further away.

 

[Ilovemylife]

I finally got through and talked to Heidi. She was very nice. But I think it also helped that I was nice, too.

No problems with getting the refund...and she said she was glad to hear we had gotten flights for our vacation.

 

[crashbb]

If you try - go straight to the next gate. If you still have time, you can then use the washroom and/or get a snack.

Do not get your snack etc. in the area of your arrival gate - much better to have to skip the snack/washroom if you run out time than to miss your connecting flight.

I have 57 minutes on an upcoming ORD connection (UA to UA - I don't think either are a commuter codeshare) and I plan on having to hustle.

 

[Ilovemylife]

Dear Midwest Airlines Traveler,

As you've likely heard or read, Midwest Airlines is in the process of restructuring to adapt to extraordinarily high fuel prices. One key part of these efforts is making difficult but necessary changes to our flight schedule.

We're sorry to inform you that Midwest is discontinuing service to some of our markets and reducing frequency in others as of September 8, 2008. Our records show that you currently hold a reservation on a flight to one of these cities on or after the discontinuation date. Please click here and use confirmation code xxxxxx to request a refund for your reservation. For more information on this schedule change, click here. If you would like Midwest to attempt to reaccommodate you, contact us at 866-613-1390 and reference the same confirmation code. We thank you in advance for your patience when calling, as we're helping a significant number of customers with similar requests.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused by this change.

I already called and handled this as soon as I heard the news early yesterday morning. I wonder if the link to request a refund actually works for anyone who hasn't already talked to Midwest?

I got this same email when I was on hold for MW. I was only on hold for less than 5 mins, so I'll take that.

 

[rainbowsandroses]

I got this same email when I was on hold for MW. I was only on hold for less than 5 mins, so I'll take that.

Just got that e-mail and it STILL does not work. Nice! I have been getting busy signals all day at the 866 number.

I decided not to wait and just booked on Delta for $100 cheaper per ticket out of MKE. The times stink (get in very late and leave very early) both going and coming and there is a connection in ATL, but with all the money saved on plane tickets, we can stay another night at WL, so it all kind of works out to be the same. Now we just have to hope that Delta doesn't cut our flights - though honestly, the times couldn't get much worse!

 

[JACKie SPARROW]

I was on hold yesterday for 4 1/2 hours and finally gave up. I had already accepted the fact that I was not going to WDW over T-giving. I tried to call later last night and got a busy signal-kept hitting redial and got through on the 3 try and on hold for less than 1 min. I was told that they had already put me on a different flight that day-smaller plane and different times. I fly out 1 1/2 hours later and leave Orlando 6 hours earlier which means we miss out on several hours in the parks. I am disappointed but considering I paid $990 for 5 people to fly and now 1 ticket is $1100 , I probably should keep my mouth shut. I pray that they don't make any more changes. If you can't get through, keep hitting the redial like crazy. Good luck to everyone who hasn't gotten through

 

[cbjl]

For those of you who arranged refunds yesterday, are your cancelled itineraries still showing up under "active reservations" on your online account?

I'm not going to call about it unless it's still there in a few days, but I'm a little concerned that my refund request wasn't fully processed if the itinerary is still listed as "active." (The flight numbers are blank, though.) I'm guessing that it could be taking a while to get through the updates since there have been so many changes, or they might leave it listed as active until a refund clears. (The refund was requested and approved yesterday.)

Has anyone seen their cancelled itinerary cleared from active reservations when checking online at the Midwest account site?

 

[Inkmahm]

For those of you who arranged refunds yesterday, are your cancelled itineraries still showing up under "active reservations" on your online account?

I'm not going to call about it unless it's still there in a few days, but I'm a little concerned that my refund request wasn't fully processed if the itinerary is still listed as "active." (The flight numbers are blank, though.) I'm guessing that it could be taking a while to get through the updates since there have been so many changes, or they might leave it listed as active until a refund clears. (The refund was requested and approved yesterday.)

Has anyone seen their cancelled itinerary cleared from active reservations when checking online at the Midwest account site?

If you click on it and look, it will tell you at the top of the reservation that it has been refunded.

 

[kstatefamily]

The link does not work for me and have not been able to get through on the phone. Booked on AirTran

 

[Cheryl N. WI]

We had a family commitment out of town yesterday that prevented me from being able to try and contact Midwest about our Dec. flights to Orlando. This morning at work I started trying to cal Midwest right away at 8am only to get repetitive busy signals throughout the day. Finally after work after hitting the redial button many times I got through and we still have seats on the days we originally booked, just time changes!!! I am so relieved!!!

 

[bjscheel]

Shoot, I was happy to see the email and thought I could handle it online since I've only gotten busy signals.

However, I thought my flight was okay- from the reading I'd done, I thought most November flights were still going to Orlando. I guess I'll plan on going for the refund though.

I haven't found anything very good for alternative flights. Allegiant has comparable price, but we'd have to shift our room reservation from a Sat-Sat to a Sun-Sun. Plus it gets in late Sunday night, and there's the drive from Sanford yet. Guess I'd better keep shopping. Not a lot to choose from out of Des Moines.

 

[cbjl]

If you click on it and look, it will tell you at the top of the reservation that it has been refunded.

I didn't see that message up there in yellow - duh!
Thanks for the help, Inkmahm!

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

ORD UA uses B and C gates. 45 minutes is tight; my best time was 14 minutes from deplaning to getting my next seat but I am FAST and don't have anyone in tow but myself. And I am usually in one of the first rows to exit.

I like 90 minutes when possible at ORD

and some UA codeshares and commuter flights use a gate even further away.

WOW! Thanks for the info. My kids are SO SLOW. UA might not be a good fit then.

If you try - go straight to the next gate. If you still have time, you can then use the washroom and/or get a snack.

Do not get your snack etc. in the area of your arrival gate - much better to have to skip the snack/washroom if you run out time than to miss your connecting flight.

I have 57 minutes on an upcoming ORD connection (UA to UA - I don't think either are a commuter codeshare) and I plan on having to hustle.

Thanks!


Anyone with experience changing planes in Atlanta on Delta? Is 45 minutes doable or doom for a family of 4 with two slow-poke kids?

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Too funny! I got the same email from Midwest this afternoon too...AFTER I called and got a refund. WOW is this just a PR mess.

They should have consulted someone with common sense before putting this whole thing in motion.

 

[goofy4tink]

Actually this is wrong...I just got off the phone with midwest and they have never heard of this One Lap Child per row...they said they actually try to keep families with small children together. So I don't know where you got your information from but you might want to stop giving advice especially since it is wrong!

Yes...finally got threw, have been calling since 8am and now 12:48pm. I talked to Joan and she was so awesome!

That is the thing...how do you know that Midwest only has 1 extra air mask? just because one flight does doesn't mean they all do!

Most airlines, at least the ones I have flown on, have all told us there are no more than 4 oxygen masks above. Now, that does not mean that every single airline out there has the same configuration.

Most people here post based on their particular experiences. And I will say that if and when I have a travel, especially air travel, this is where I come to for an answer. But, not every single post is going to be spot on..that's human nature. People may get incorrect info and then post that here. But generally speaking, those posting here, with regularity, are usually pretty close to correct. But, again, no one is going to know every single thing about all airlines. If someone posts an answer, and someone else knows that post to be incorrect, please feel free to post what you believe to be correct info. But, please....do it in a pleasant way. There is never any reason to make someone feel small or stupid. We are all here to help others. Carryon with that mission.

 

[cbjl]

I went to check on my new January flight to see where they put our seats (or if we had any).
I saw that we were split up. OK, no big deal.
Then I saw that they put my 7 year old in an exit row. Rats. I didn't even know they could reserve those before the day of travel.
So, I figured I could call later this week & get them to "officially" swap her seat for mine (I was assigned a seat a couple of rows up), so we didn't have a problem at the gate, since obviously kids can't sit in exit rows.
But, I've been checking on their site today to see if a different seat opened up so I could just take care of it myself.
When I went to check on the flight this evening, they put her in my seat. They still have me listed in the same seat, and she's a little big to fly as a lap child
Maybe they're one step ahead of me & went into my reservation to swap our seats on their own, but I doubt it...
Ugh. Guess I'll be calling tomorrow to figure out how we lost a seat & if we can get a new one assigned or if we'll be forced to take a refund.
Rats. Double rats.

 

[Inkmahm]

Has ANYONE been booked BY Midwest on another airline or have all of us either taken a reassignment on another Midwest flight or a refund to book our own flights elsewhere? I still haven't heard of Midwest booking anyone on another airline. Not a single person.

 

[bjscheel]

I told DH the flights I was looking at. They have really good times and it's nonstop for $100 more than we paid. But it's a 3.5 hour drive to the airport instead of 1 hour and we'd have to stay the night before in a hotel.

When he heard it was still more expensive than what we've paid Midwest, he says Midwest should accomodate us. I just wish I knew! It's possible we still have our November flight but I can't get through.

Anybody know how late they are manning the phones? I can't call at 8:00 am until my day off Wednesday.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I just checked and the Air Tran flights I booked in June as backup to our December Midwest flights are now $23 higher each. Not much of a difference but I'm still glad I booked them when I did.

Those price differences sure do add up! I think we both made a good choice to take a gamble and buy other airline tickets. Who knows how high the prices will go?

 

[trirae]

Has ANYONE been booked BY Midwest on another airline or have all of us either taken a reassignment on another Midwest flight or a refund to book our own flights elsewhere? I still haven't heard of Midwest booking anyone on another airline. Not a single person.

I think we were. Our flight went from nonstop to a single stop, the second leg of which is on NW. Never mind. I misread this. Different issue.

Does anyone know if they are allowing refunds if the flight time/route change was dramatic? I missed the online chat window today, and I don't feel like being on hold ages right now. I'm really on the fence here as the initial price I got was so good, but with 2 small children, we really wanted nonstop, and the new flight takes away 5 hours of park time for us. That seems huge with only a 5 night trip.