Beware of AIRTRAN

[disney4life2008]

I had to post a reply about AirTran (though it is not Disney related). My boyfriend is currently enroute to Chicago from Boston (however, he had a change flight in Atlanta). The plane landed in ATL 10 minutes ahead of scheduale. However, the plane did not taxi to the gate until 40 minutes after landing. Further, ATL airport is so big he had to take a train from one side of the airport to the other to get to the next gate. As a result, he has missed his connecting flight to Chicago which left 10 minutes early from the ATL gate. Now he is being told that he has to wait until 5pm for the next flight from ATL to Chicago. He is now waiting on standby.

Now - we are flying AirTran for our upcoming Disney vacation from the 1st until the 15th of January. I AM WORRIED NOW just like the original poster. Because we have a connecting flight and AirTran seems natorious for changing their scheduales at the last minute as well as leaving 10 minutes or more before the scheduale departure time.

I AM WORRIED!!!!

 

[disney4life2008]

UPDATE: Apparently, AirTran does not do passengers who miss their connecting flights at the fault of the airline right. For standby - they randomly pick people to get on the flight. My boyfriend was the 1st in the standby line and they picked people who just got to the gate to go on.

AIRTRAN IS LOOSING POINTS WITH ME

 

[DznyGrlSD]

The Atlanta airport is a nightmare!!! I had no problems with AirTran on my vacation last week though :shrug:

 

[wdwCC]

We flew Airtran down to WDW for the first and last time in October, and were not impressed with them. We had one carry on between us, and were split up. I complained that I would like to sit next to my husband, but was told sorry. :brick: The worst is where they oversold the return flight by 25 and we got stuck in Atlanta for 5 hours! I don't expect we will be using them again.

 

[tigsmom]

We've never had a problem with AirTran, but we always fly direct and stay away from Atlanta, that has to be the worst airport in terms of delays (worse than JFK). It's a moot point anyway as AirTran pulled out of our local airport in September citing the fuel prise crisis even though the fights were always full with multiple standby waiting.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I also had a terrible AirTran experience (thru ATL). I avoid them (and ATL) like the plague. I live near NYC now so I will only take direct flights--there is nothing that can sour a vacation like flight problems.

 

[disney4life2008]

The sage continues....

Well my boyfriend finally got a seat on Standby for 342pm. He boards the plane and next thing I know I get a call...

ALL FLIGHTS TO CHICAGO HAVE BEEN CANCELLED!!!!! DUE TO A WEATHER.

NOW HE IS STRANDED IN ATLANTA AND I AM STRANDED IN CHICAGO - WE BOTH NEED TO GET TO CHAMPAIGN ILLINOIS BY TONIGHT.

THANK YOU AIRTRAN FOR RUINING OUR DAY!!!!

I URGE YOU.. DO NOT HAVE A CONNECTING FLIGHT ON AIRTRAN TO ATLANTA!!!!!! TAKE MY ADVICE!!! THE PROBLEMS YOU HAVE ALL HEARD ABOUT AIRTRAN.. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN CONFIRMED TODAY.

 

[ToTBellHop]

winter travel is a blast...

 

[disney4life2008]

winter travel is a blast...

it really is. when i was leaving orlando last december, our flight got delayed 8 hours because of snow in chicago. then once we got back to chicago, there was a 3 hour wait for luggage to come because of the delays. i was on southwest though.

 

[disney4life2008]

it still continues...

My boyfriend just called me and said that all flights to chicago have been cancelled for the rest of the night. He has now been re-routed from atlanta to orlando and will have to take a 8am flight into chicago (if weather permits) tomorrow morning.

Airtran has ruined the pre start of our romantic disney vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MKCP 1985]

all of this is Airtran's fault?

 

[tigsmom]

If you travel in winter then you need to realize that flight can and do get canceled due to bad weather, but that goes for hurricane season too.

ANY flight going into & out of Atlanta can and does get screwed up because it's such a busy hub so don't place all of the blame on AirTran...JetBlue has the same problems.

 

[disney4life2008]

all of this is Airtran's fault?

Not completely. AirTran is at fault for the 1st flight from Boston. It seems that the pilot never communicated with Air Traffic Control about the back up at ATL airport. But still, thats not AirTran thats air traffic control. AirTran needs a better way of doing standby.

In the end, its weather that has messed us up now.

 

[tigsmom]

Not completely. AirTran is at fault for the 1st flight from Boston. It seems that the pilot never communicated with Air Traffic Control about the back up at ATL airport. But still, thats not AirTran thats air traffic control. AirTran needs a better way of doing standby.

In the end, its weather that has messed us up now.

We were lucky, the one time we used Atlanta and AirTran the pilot asked them to hold the connecting flight because 15 people needed to make it.
There were some very angry standby people who had to deplane when we arrived.

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

My cousin is stopping in Atlanta on Delta en route from Orlando to Buffalo, and we're supposed to get 3-5" tonight (which is nothing for Buffalo, sadly :lol. Still, she has a short layover, and she had difficulties on the way there...

...I told her to fly direct with Southwest. Oh well. I'm picking her up, and you can bet I'll be checking flight status before I go.

Someone hit the nail on the head....welcome to flying in the winter (fun times!! Still, it's better to get delays on the way home, IMO - wouldn't want to take any time out of WDW!.

 

[disney4life2008]

THE DRAMA CONTINUES...

HE HAS ARRIVED IN ORLANDO (re-route from Atlanta to Orlando to Chicago). BUT...

1) THE AirTran VOUCHER WHICH WAS GIVEN TO HIM IS FOR A DISCOUNTED HOTEL ROOM OF $100. Money that he does not have.

2) HIS LUGGAGE IS LOST!!!! It must be in Atlanta somewhere and they told him that his bag would be on the flight with him. If his luggage is still in ATL it will not arrive in Chicago until 2pm Wednesday. His Orlando flight to Chicago will get here at 10am. Or his luggage is completely lost.

3) HE NO LONGER WANTS TO GO TO DISNEYWORLD. HE IS LIVID AND UPSET AT EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED TODAY!

4) THIS HAS TURNED OUT TO BE THE WORST EXPERIENCE OF OUR LIFE.

 

[tecowdw]

THE DRAMA CONTINUES...

HE HAS ARRIVED IN ORLANDO (re-route from Atlanta to Orlando to Chicago). BUT...

1) THE AirTran VOUCHER WHICH WAS GIVEN TO HIM IS FOR A DISCOUNTED HOTEL ROOM OF $100. Money that he does not have.

2) HIS LUGGAGE IS LOST!!!! It must be in Atlanta somewhere and they told him that his bag would be on the flight with him. If his luggage is still in ATL it will not arrive in Chicago until 2pm Wednesday. His Orlando flight to Chicago will get here at 10am. Or his luggage is completely lost.

3) HE NO LONGER WANTS TO GO TO DISNEYWORLD. HE IS LIVID AND UPSET AT EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED TODAY!

4) THIS HAS TURNED OUT TO BE THE WORST EXPERIENCE OF OUR LIFE.

I'm confused...you are going to DisneyWolrd and he got rerouted to Orlando? Isn't he where he needs to be?

 

[disney4life2008]

I'm confused...you are going to DisneyWolrd and he got rerouted to Orlando? Isn't he where he needs to be?

Naw we are leaving January 1st. But he was coming from Boston today to Illinois so we could spend the holidays together then go to Disney together on New Years Day. He left today to start our holiday celebration today from Boston - but he had a connecting flight to Atlanta and the flight left because his Boston flight was taxied on the runway for 40 minutes and when he got off, the Chicago flight was taking off. He then go on a later flight which got cancelled due to bad weather in chicago. now he got re-routed to Orlando. Your right - he is supposed to be in Orlando but not until the 1st of January during our vacation. He is supposed to be here in Illinois with me for now until the 1st.

 

[tecowdw]

Naw we are leaving January 1st. But he was coming from Boston today to Illinois so we could spend the holidays together then go to Disney together on New Years Day. He left today to start our holiday celebration today from Boston - but he had a connecting flight to Atlanta and the flight left because his Boston flight was taxied on the runway for 40 minutes and when he got off, the Chicago flight was taking off. He then go on a later flight which got cancelled due to bad weather in chicago. now he got re-routed to Orlando. Your right - he is supposed to be in Orlando but not until the 1st of January during our vacation. He is supposed to be here in Illinois with me for now until the 1st.

Ah, I'm up to speed now.
Maybe he should just give up and stay in Orlando until you get there on Janaury 1. I wouldn't pass up any chance to stay in Florida in the winter!!

 

[ToTBellHop]

I remember back in 2003 when we flew AirTran (first and last time), we got stranded in ATL and also got one of those $100 hotel vouchers. Rubbish. It was the airline's mistake and we had to pay $100 for a room. Back in the day, airlines used to take care of their customers. That is no longer the case (and has not been the case for a few years now).