Should I book flight with AirTran ????

[mandas08]

Looking to book flight found price of $180pp thru AirTran for Columbus to Ft. Lauderdale plus $15 per bag. Anyone ever flown with AirTran before especially from CMH? I've read a few reviews saying they change flight times alot..is this true. Never flown with them want some opinions from those who have..Thanks!!

[hdawson]

Why wouldn't you book with AirTran? Ranked #1 in quality service. Very good airline and crews. Aircraft tend to be the youngest fleet flying. Yes, all airlines change schedules. It's called staying in business.

[Aerocruiser]

AirTran is the former ValuJet, but don't let that scare you- today, they've really got their act together and offer a decent product. You won't get much, but who cares about fluff on a 2 hour flight?

 

More than likely, you'll be on one of their 717's, relatively new. Not sure about the schedule changes though, as I live in Columbus (!) and AirTran is relatively new here. 180 CMH-FLL is a great deal, and I would take advantage of it!

[mandas08]

Thanks so much Aero ..you really helped me out. I have never heard of the airline until a few days ago from a friend. I read mixed reviews so I was afraid but now I feel better thanks so much!!

[silentbob007]

I've not had a problem with them. They've always gotten me where I wanted to go and sometimes have some great prices to boot.

[patseacruiser]

I have used Air Tran a number of times from Philly - Fort Lauderdale. Never had a problem at all.

[eddiesgal]

We travel Air Tran a lot and have never had a problem.:)

[Lois R]

Hi, I have flown with them quite a few times and will be using them

again in September:). I have never had any problems and cannot

wait to go....can't July and August just get overwith already?:D;)

[sunlover5]

I did the exact route you are talking about from CHM to FLL. Just did it the first of June..no problems. Yes, they changed the times a few times but just by minutes. My DD and her husband are doing the same flight in Dec. for their cruise. I am waiting for March to open up to book it for our cruise in March. Sure can't beat that price!!!

[stp147]

I've never had an issue with them. Plus satellite radio in every seat.

[NSBFloridaRetiree]

Looking to book flight found price of $180pp thru AirTran for Columbus to Ft. Lauderdale plus $15 per bag. Anyone ever flown with AirTran before especially from CMH? I've read a few reviews saying they change flight times alot..is this true. Never flown with them want some opinions from those who have..Thanks!!

 

I've been on Airtran several times and have never had a problem. I plan to use them again for our cruise next February. I'm waiting for their schedule to be published.

[Chasey]

I fly w/AirTran a lot. They are probably my favorite airline. Just wish they didn't have a checked baggage fee.

[greytgrlz]

I have flown Indy to Orlando and Indy to Vegas twice on Airtran without any problems. I have medical issues and the flight attendants have always been very helpful. My next trip to Vegas is going to be on Southwest only because Airtran now flies to Vegas via Atlanta, no more direct flights :(

[Lookingforfacts]

Airtran, at least some airports, measures and weights all bags. I'm cynical enough to think one of the reasons the size maximum for checked bags is 61" instead of industry standard 62" is for revenue.

 

The charge to check a second bag is $25. The charge for an oversized bag is $39. The charge for an overweight bag is also $39. You pay both if your bag is oversized and overweight.

 

Some passengers need to "suck it up" and pay to check a second bag, for at least some of their group. Cheaper then paying the fee for an overweight or oversized bag.

[IvesGrandmama]

My husband and I were in Buffalo,Ny this morning coming home from Niagara Falls family of 9 people in one family were inthe airport trying to find flights to FLL Airtram had cancelled the flight.All other carriers were booked solid. They wouldn't get out until tomorrow. They had booked their own flight. Cruise ship Liberty. So don't know what happen to them.Southwest was overbooked and no one would take offers

[WeRockChalkKU]

My first flight with AirTran is in November. Yesterday I checked my flight and was shocked to find it had changed without any notice from AirTran. I'm flying Kansas City(MCI) to FLL via Atlanta. My original flight time was 10 am and was changed to 12:40 which meant I now got into ATL AFTER my connecting flight had taken off. AirTran didn't change my connecting flight, so how the HECK did they think I was going to get to FLL? And when the HECK were they going to tell me that they had changed my flight? If I kept the 12:40 flight I would have to change to another flight out of ATL that wouldn't get me into FLL until 8:40 PM..............that's too late. Calls to AirTran weren't helpful. There was no apologies and when asked if they planned to tell me about the changes, they said they thought that I would have been told. Again, no apologies just a very business like/direct approach...pretty much a shut up and this is the way it is attitude from them. So, now I'm booked on a less expensive flight and AirTran refused to refund/credit me the difference. So, I asked if instead they would forego the seat charge or baggage charge and they refused. Where does customer service/caring/helplng the consumer come in? Come on AirTran........now I've got to take a 7:25 AM flight which means I have to leave my house at 4 AM.....not what I wanted to do. I wish I had never booked with AirTran, they leave a lot to desire IMHO.

[NSBFloridaRetiree]

My first flight with AirTran is in November. Yesterday I checked my flight and was shocked to find it had changed without any notice from AirTran. I'm flying Kansas City(MCI) to FLL via Atlanta. My original flight time was 10 am and was changed to 12:40 which meant I now got into ATL AFTER my connecting flight had taken off. AirTran didn't change my connecting flight, so how the HECK did they think I was going to get to FLL? And when the HECK were they going to tell me that they had changed my flight? If I kept the 12:40 flight I would have to change to another flight out of ATL that wouldn't get me into FLL until 8:40 PM..............that's too late. Calls to AirTran weren't helpful. There was no apologies and when asked if they planned to tell me about the changes, they said they thought that I would have been told. Again, no apologies just a very business like/direct approach...pretty much a shut up and this is the way it is attitude from them. So, now I'm booked on a less expensive flight and AirTran refused to refund/credit me the difference. So, I asked if instead they would forego the seat charge or baggage charge and they refused. Where does customer service/caring/helplng the consumer come in? Come on AirTran........now I've got to take a 7:25 AM flight which means I have to leave my house at 4 AM.....not what I wanted to do. I wish I had never booked with AirTran, they leave a lot to desire IMHO.

 

How unfortunate. Keep monitoring the schedule. I am not sure that any of the airlines inform us as well as we expect.

[FlyerTalker]

One thing to always remember about AirTran, jetBlue and Southwest: They do not have any interline agreements, so if there is a cancellation or serious delay, you will be waiting for the next one of THEIR flights that has available seats. You will not be endorsed over to another carrier, you will not receive anything in the way of "ammenities" such as meals or lodging. Basically, they take you when they have a flight with a seat.

 

Read the Contract of Carriage.

 

Now, most times, you will have no problems nor worries. However, you need to be aware of this before you just blindly purchase a ticket. Be informed. Know what you are getting, or not getting.

[WeRockChalkKU]

How unfortunate. Keep monitoring the schedule. I am not sure that any of the airlines inform us as well as we expect.

 

I just remembered that a couple of months ago, Southwest called me (a real person call, not an automated call) to make sure that I knew that there had been a schedule change on my flight in September - I was in my car at the time and so I asked if they could email me which they gladly did. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was a change of 5 or 10 minutes.....that's all and they wanted to make sure it was acceptable. That's a big change from the AirTran attitude I got (plus I spoke to more than one AirTran employee in case the first one I called was just having a bad day). So right now IMHO,, Southwest is impresssive and AirTran leaves a lot to be desired.

[Jade13]

One thing to always remember about AirTran, jetBlue and Southwest: . You will not be endorsed over to another carrier, you will not receive anything in the way of "ammenities" such as meals or lodging..

 

Do you know this to be true on these three airlines and not others? I know about not being endorsed over to another airline but even Air Tran offers free round trips to give up seats when they are overbooked, etc...

[FlyerTalker]

Denied boarding compensation (bumping) is an area that is covered by various Federal laws. Airlines are required to seek volunteers first before any involuntary DB occurs.

 

What we are talking about is when the entire flight is canceled, not when there is an oversale situation and they want volunteers. If your flight is cancelled, due to weather, mechanical or crew issues (or combination), you will have to wait for the next flight on your particular airline that has seats. Your ticket can't be endorsed over.

 

Two different situations.

[MrCruzeaddict]

We live in Grand Rapids, Michigan (GRR) We don't have any discount airlines. Only the big 4. We are flying to Orlando for our Carnival Glory cruise in late Sept. The best that I could find is $345 on Delta. I checked AirTran's site and got a $189.00RT price including a non stop flight down there. This is out of Fllint Mi. which is about 1.5hrs away. I think that the price difference pp is worth the drive, plus I hear that Flint is a nice airport.

 

We booked the fllights around 3 months ago and they have changed our flights 3 times! The last one would have had us coming back at 11.34am. Since Port Canaveral is about 90 min away from the airport, we wouldn't be able to make that flight. We called them and they put us back on our original flight! I have a friend that flys them alot, so we'll see!!

 

 

Joe<---Just countin' down the days! :D

[stgmgr]

I travel quite a bit with Airtran. In January I had 14 of my students on a trip, when we were going to miss our connection they housed all of us, food vouchers, and a compensation flight. Now, I was patient and let them deal with the grouchy people first. Politeness wins you many things when others are being crabby. That's a rule that has worked for years when travelling.

[Jade13]

I travel quite a bit with Airtran. In January I had 14 of my students on a trip, when we were going to miss our connection they housed all of us, food vouchers, and a compensation flight. Now, I was patient and let them deal with the grouchy people first. Politeness wins you many things when others are being crabby. That's a rule that has worked for years when travelling.

 

I thought they would do this. Thanks for confirming.

[jerseygirl79]

They changed my flight time twice in 6 weeks and I still have 3 months until my trip. Originally we were departing at 8:45, then 8:50, now 9:30 arriving in Miami at 12:06. This is the earliest flight they offer.

 

I will avoid them in the future.