Not happy with flight changes

[kelleyrn2000]

After reading a few threads here, I decided to check my flights with Airtran. Both were changed from nonstop flights to ones with flight changes, and now a stop both ways....so not happy! Both have us arriving later at night, meaning my kids would be missing dinner.

What are my options? I booked through Orbitz. I would be willing to do earlier flights if they can do a nonstop. Do I contact Airtran directly?

TIA

 

[Aristocath]

Just call AirTran. They are very good about working with you when they change flight times.

 

[momofsamandeden]

I just called priceline who took care of it but I am sure that Airtran would also for you. You can try Orbitz as that may make the refund easier for you.

 

[kelleyrn2000]

Thanks...I plan to contact Airtran to see what they have. First I need to hear back from Priceline where I rented my car through. If they can't add on another rental day for the same price per day, then I have a problem!

 

[kelleyrn2000]

I talked to Orbitz and they did switch me to a nonstop flight. Unfortunately the only outgoing flight that is nonstop leaves at 7:30 am which should be fun...

Hopefully this doesn't screw up our rental car agreement since we will need to pick the car up an extra 5 hours earlier.

 

[cg1200]

They pull this crap all the time. I don't know why. They did this to me last year. I called Airtran and they refunded my money. I booked a non-stop with jetBlue instead. Changing the flight times is bad enough but adding a stop is just not acceptable. Thankfully jetBlue still had seats available. It was more money but not much. I would be VERY reluctant to fly Airtran again.

Though I will say the other time I used them, they were on time and we had no issues. It was a very nice experience.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oh, well, that's easy. They want to aggravate and alienate customers.



Seriously, it could be for any number of reasons. The further in advance an airline announces its flight schedule, the more likely it is there will be changes made to it. LOTS of factors come into play including, but by NO means limited to: the economy, take-off and landing slots and fees at the various airports, equipment availability, changes in projected passenger load...

And it's by NO means restricted to AirTran. Even JetBlue - which I enjoy so much, I won't go anywhere they don't fly - has had to make flight changes.

 

[keishashadow]

i had 2nd change re summer AT flight into FLL, within a monththis time, no email notice...only discovered it when checking for price drop & the flight was completely missing/cancelled outright.i went from an 2 1/2 hr, 1:30 pm NS flight to a 8+ hour connecting one that leaves @ 6:10 am!glad i caught it, now on the early NSwondering how many more times they're going to tinker with it between now & then though, nutz

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, a big part of the reason the airlines* DON'T tell passengers of a flight change this far out is IN CASE they make additional changes. They notify passengers in the order affected first; for a second quarter change, they're going to tell the early-April passengers before the late April passengers before the May passengers before the June passengers... sometimes events conspire that one's original flight is added BACK to the schedule.

*Yes, airlineS.