Shady Airtran

[Zdog]

I was initially planning on booking through Airtran, and since they don't fly out of our home airport in Syracuse, was going to make the trip an hour down the thruway to Rochester, pay for week at the airport garage, and save about $200. Tonight I went through the online booking process, and kept getting an error message after hitting 'submit'. Called customer service to make sure I wasn't double booking, then went through the process again. Much to my chagrin, the price went up from when I first tried to book, and my second try. I could just swallow hard and book, but when I went through the process again, I was charged an additional 24 dollars for the second leg of the journey, from Atlanta to MCO, to reserve 4 seats. Added to the extra 28 dollars for the increase, I've made the decision to spend the extra cash and fly Jetblue out of Syracuse non-stop. Sure, it may cost extra, but I've got a bad feeling about Airtran after this booking experience. Perhaps I should read this as a sign, I don't know, but am curious to hear if anyone else has had a somewhat shady experience with Airtran.

 

[Stumpy]

The last time I posted an opinion about Airtran I got blasted by posters that loved Airtran, so I will keep my opinions to a minimum, despite being asked about them. However, I will admit that when we booked with them last time the rates did adjust on us from the time the flight was being searched until booking was done, which was about 15 minutes. Now granted, it is likely that we just got caught when they were raising rates, but I wouldn't think they would have done so at 1:30 am on a Sunday morning. Plus, it sounds like your experience was eerily similar to what I encountered, which seems to be more than coincidence.

 

[klynn]

I have had nothing but good experiences with Airtran and the online booking process. Did you clear your cookies before you tried the second time?

 

[Zdog]

Please don't read this as a rage against Airtran. Looks like there are many people who have flown AT with no problem at all. My only recent experiences (past 5 years) have been with Jetblue, which other than some weather issues out of their control, have been very positive in nature. I'm just a little suspicious here with AT, with a lot of these little nickel and dime charges-for luggage, for reserving each seat-then the fare hike as I was in the process of booking. Again, only my experience here, but perhaps the extra money spent is worth it for the convenience and security of flying an airline that I trust, over one that has me

 

[ScubaCat]

] Now granted, it is likely that we just got caught when they were raising rates, but I wouldn't think they would have done so at 1:30 am on a Sunday morning.

Actually, that is about the time that airlines will load new rates. Other factors could be that a certain fare sells out while you were in the middle of the booking process. Each fare class only has a certain number of seats allocated to it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Another possibility is that when you started the booking procedure, there were four seats at $X each. While you were going through the process, someone needing two seats was a step or two ahead of you and got two of those $X-priced seats.

Standard among all airline websites, this would then push ALL your fares up to the next available price level - and still leave two seats at the lower rate. That's just how it works.

But the ADDITIONAL $24 to select seats on your connecting flight sounds like a mistake. Call AirTran again and see if you can get that resolved. There should only be ONE surcharge per passenger/direction to select one's seat.

 

[pilotwife_02]

Another possibility is that when you started the booking procedure, there were four seats at $X each. While you were going through the process, someone needing two seats was a step or two ahead of you and got two of those $X-priced seats.

Standard among all airline websites, this would then push ALL your fares up to the next available price level - and still leave two seats at the lower rate. That's just how it works.

This is what I was going to say too. Airlines don't sell all their seats in coach at one rate. They will sell X amount of seats at one rate, Y amount at another and so on. So what likely happened is someone else snagged them from you while you couldn't get it to work.

Then somewhere down the road if those higher price seats don't sell of the airline feels like they may reduce their fares again. No one really knows the complicated method/calculations that go into determining airfare prices.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Being charged $24 on the connecting flight was not a mistake. Each flight you reserve a seat on, you will be charged a seat fee. So if you have a connecting flight you will be charge for the first flight as well as the connecting flight. So that is why you where charged the $24 fee it was for the seats on the connecting flight.
We love Airtran we drive an hour and 20 minutes to the Akron airport to fly with them.

 

[loveswdw]

I think its pretty much all airlines. SWA did this to me a few weeks back. I was trying to book tix for $78 o/w and while I was completing the booking process the price bumped back up to $116 o/w. Needless to say, I didn't complete the purchase. i did complete a purchase on AT the next day for 4 RT non-stop tix for $605 total (including seat assignments). Was VERY happy with that price!

 

[danielle.st]

Being charged $24 on the connecting flight was not a mistake. Each flight you reserve a seat on, you will be charged a seat fee. So if you have a connecting flight you will be charge for the first flight as well as the connecting flight. So that is why you where charged the $24 fee it was for the seats on the connecting flight.
We love Airtran we drive an hour and 20 minutes to the Akron airport to fly with them.

That's not true. We've booked connecting flights and only been charged once for the seating fee to get from point A to point B, regardless of any plane changes made in between.

 

[Anal Annie]

We use Air Tran pretty regularly now but I book thru kayak.com so I don't pay the fees for the assigned seats. I've not had any problems with the booking process so far. They are actually my airline of choice if I can get the best fare on them because their frequent flyer program is so good (only 4 flights (2 roundtrips) gets you a free upgrade to Business Class if you want to cash in your rewards).

 

[wdwmaw]

We use Air Tran pretty regularly now but I book thru kayak.com so I don't pay the fees for the assigned seats. I've not had any problems with the booking process so far. They are actually my airline of choice if I can get the best fare on them because their frequent flyer program is so good (only 4 flights (2 roundtrips) gets you a free upgrade to Business Class if you want to cash in your rewards).

I think closed the assigned seat fees loop hole a month or so ago. Booking through Kayak will now charge you a seat fee.

 

[Funwith4kids]

Perhaps I should read this as a sign, I don't know, but am curious to hear if anyone else has had a somewhat shady experience with Airtran.

Not defending Airtran...stating they are not the only as you call them "shady" airline as it happened to us with DL in the past and happened to co-worker recently with AA.

 

[Anal Annie]

I think closed the assigned seat fees loop hole a month or so ago. Booking through Kayak will now charge you a seat fee.

Oh poo! Good thing I booked our spring break flights before the change. I haven't been on the Transportation Board in awhile...and see what I missed!?

 

[CleoPahd]

That's not true. We've booked connecting flights and only been charged once for the seating fee to get from point A to point B, regardless of any plane changes made in between.

I have flown Airtran several times and each time when I have had a connecting flight I have had to pay for seats for each leg of the flight, which I find to be a bit of a rip off. I most recently flew with them in late June and this was the case at that time, so to me it sounds like that is where the $24 is coming from.

 

[DVCBELLE]

I have flown Airtran several times and each time when I have had a connecting flight I have had to pay for seats for each leg of the flight, which I find to be a bit of a rip off. I most recently flew with them in late June and this was the case at that time, so to me it sounds like that is where the $24 is coming from.

YOu were incorrectly charged if you had to pay for seats on both legs of a flight. NOW - you would have to pay them once on the way there and once on the way home. But you never have to pay them more than once - regardless of the number of layovers - when going from point A to Point B

I have never had this sort of trouble with Airtran. I find them to be the most consumer friendly airline I have dealt with.

I would have been frustrated to lose my fare like that but it does happen with every airline and isn't a good reason to write Airtran off or call them shady!

 

[dudspizza]

I would have been frustrated to lose my fare like that but it does happen with every airline and isn't a good reason to write Airtran off or call them shady!

Can, and does, happen on every airline. Nothing "shady" about it. Airtran didn't raise their prices as OP was trying to buy, just so they can get more money out of OP. The examples above about some or all of those priced seats were probably purchased with OP was in the process... it happens....

I was trying to get tix to Tampa last month..... I found 4 one way tix for 399 all included..... by the time I went to book, the price had moved up to 530.... I did a quick search and found that it was still the cheapest and had to buy.... I didn't like it, but never ever considered it "shady".

Duds

 

[Zdog]

While shady may be a strong word to use, I'd say it applies here. To offer one price online, and then increase that price based on the number of times I've clicked on the site in the form of a 'cookie', seems shady to me. Again, I'm sure there are many people who've used Airtran and loved the flight, the service, and the price. But my trust level went down, when the price of the flight went up (and then down again, after I deleted my cookies.

 

[dioxide45]

While shady may be a strong word to use, I'd say it applies here. To offer one price online, and then increase that price based on the number of times I've clicked on the site in the form of a 'cookie', seems shady to me. Again, I'm sure there are many people who've used Airtran and loved the flight, the service, and the price. But my trust level went down, when the price of the flight went up (and then down again, after I deleted my cookies.

Your price did increase and AirTran doesn't use cookies to count how many times you searched for a certain fare. They don't increase the fare on only your computer thinking that you must be really interested in those flight dates since you have searched them several times.

Ultimately what others have indicated is true. Someone else came along and bought tickets which caused your purchase to move in to a higher price bracket of seats. AirTran didn't increase the fares while you were on the phone.

 

[kehlyrsmom]

I tried to book tickets for my families Sept vacation this afternoon. I had some coupon codes that I tried and it did take. Now mind you I evidently just paid attention to the book by date and did not look at the fly by date so it is paritially my fault. But I had everything entered in to the point that I had entered my credit card info and pushed the button to complete the sale. It was not until that it went to process my credit card that it came up with an error stating that their payment system was having issues and that I needed to call them. Nothing was mentioned at all about the coupons not being valid for the dates of my travel.

I proceeded to call them was on hold for several minutes before I was able to talk to someone and was told that my dates of travel must be out of the range for my coupons. I was told that I just needed to remove the coupons and resubmit. Well as many of you know once you push the button to buy it does not let you go back and edit you gotta go through the whole process again. There booking system should have never let me get to the point of purchasing if the coupons were not valid. Any other site that I have used on the internet has always come up with an invalid coupon error and stopped you from getting to the poing of entering in cc info and pushing the button to make the purchase.

I asked her to verify that it did not go through and was told that she did not think so but if I wanted to be sure I should just wait 24 hours and try again. But she told me you should be ok to purchase them again and if the other charge goes through give us a call and we can reverse the charges. I can just imanigine what a pain that would be.

I asked if there were any valid coupons for my travel time and she just said I would need to read through the partners page. Not very helpful at all, personally I think if you have someone ready to hand over the money to make the purchase and to be honest it was only 40 dollars but it is the principal of the thing in my mind you would do something to complete the sale. I am going to be upset if I wait my 24 hours and they raise the fare on me. I have never flown Airtran so my experience so far is not voting well in there favor.