Warning!

[dolphincruiser404]

Ok - This may be totally off the subject, but after my horrible Airtran experience this weekend i felt I must share with EVERYONE I know! Luckily I was going to Tampa, and not on a cruise this weekend! I had a horrible experience flying from Raleigh, NC to Tampa, FL. I had to connect in Atlanta. The customer service reps had horrible attitudes, and should really have jobs cleaning toilets! Due to some inaccurate information that we received and some false promises on the part of the Airtran Reps., we ended up stranded in Atlanta. We had to pay for our own hotel(we got a discount, but it didn't get us much), we also ended up arriving home 14 hours after we were supposed to! This was after experiencing the same issues on our original flight! Luckily, there was one more flight that night! Last night we had the pleasure of standing at the gate and watching our flight back away from the jetway and take off....all after we were assured that thee plane was delayed and that even if we did arrive later than schedule, it would be held for us! Needless to say, there were a lot of angry people there last night! Just a word to my wise friends...beware of Airtran, especially in Atlanta!

[Toto2Kansas]

I sure know that feeling. We were bumped off an Air Tran flight last summer, and our compensation was two free flights. YEA RIGHT! I have tried 6 different times to use these so called free flights and they are about useless! So we had to stay in Atlanta with no suitcases over night at a nasty hotel they put us up in, miles from nowhere and now can't even use the compensation. The AirTran rep told us that these tickets could be used on any flight that had available seats..............not! They only allot a couple seats each flight that they can be used on and they are booked the minute they become available by those that have mileage points or free flight coupons.
Definitely lost our business on that Air Line, that's for sure.

Tahitian Princess 10/14/04
RCI-Legend of the Seas 3/27/05 Panama Canal.
One Phantom Booking still open with Princess.

[mattinla]

..well this is actually applicable to any of the discount airlines... great prices, but with many fewer planes than the "big guys", when something goes wrong, you don't have as many options for getting other planes/flights. And since the major airlines don't have interline agreements with the discounters, they can't just put you on another airline.. the way that United, Delta, American, etc. can. I was in Vegas this weekend and knew several people flying in from the east coast, and they all had problems due to huge severe weather systems in the midwest.. that is probably what screwed you up.

Discounters are great for saving you money.. but there are just limitations sometimes.

Sorry you had such a problem!

I always fly United because when things go wrong, there are going to be more options when problems occur.. and even if they're a few dollars more, it's worth it to me.

CRUISES: Queen of Bermuda '89 Tropicale '99, Explorer of the Seas '02, Radiance of the Seas '02, Vision of the Seas '03, Queen Elizabeth 2 '03, Infinity '03, Serenade of the Seas '03, Monarch of the Seas '03, Norwegian Star '03, Queen Mary 2 '04,
Diamond Princess, '04

Detailed ship pix: [url="http://community.webshots.com/user/mattinla"]http://community.webshots.com/user/mattinla[/url]

[dolphincruiser404]

I understand the discount thing, but it seems as though lately Airtran has been offering the same prices that major airlines do. The only reason I flew them was because I am only 2 flights away from a free trip. I paid $220 per person to fly from Raleigh to Tampa, not my idea of a "cut-rate fare!" I understand that things happen because of whether, but there was no excuse for the way that the reps acted, nor the fact that we were guaranteed the flight would wait for us!

I will keep that in mind about United. I am looking for some new airlines to flY!

[TheParrotHeads]

The two major players competing for the larger metropolitan areas are Continental and American Airlines. These two are shrinking their regional service and strategically focusing more on the larger city markets. American is making a strong push to take a strong hold on the East coast, as well as Continental. Delta and Northwest will be heading out the door shortly IMHO. Those two are really struggling in all aspects of business operations, internally and externally. One, if not two companies are going to be axed, it's only a matter of time and economic say so.

Since American revamped its Upper Management (CEO's), they are really making great strides to change their image. The new leadership has helped greatly and the airline is leaps and bounds ahead of where it was only a few years ago. It is most noticeable in their customer service. If your flying the east coast from New York, New York to Sau Paulo, Brazil, American and Continental are competing for the marketshare under their services and through growing alliances. For six consecutive years, Continental has been named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by FORTUNE magazine. Continental ranked No. 62, the only passenger airline on the list. Just a brief synopsis on the MAJOR carriers of the airline industry.

The PH'S (Lauren & Andrew)

<img src=http://www.caribbeansoul.com/images/animation.gif>
<img src=http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&prgb=000080&cdt=2004;6;6;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500> 'Till the AOS

2002 NCL SKY-Western Caribbean
2002 NCL Sun-Exotic W. Caribbean
2004 RCCL Navigator of the Seas-Western Caribbean

[dougp26364]

I hate to tell you this but it happens on every airline, even the big boys. I've had both great and bad experiences on the majors and the discounts. Sometimes it's all in who you get to talk to and how much they know.

It sucks when it all goes wrong. If it goes wrong to many times on one carrier, I tend to avoid them in the future. So far I haven't had the pleasure of flying Airtran. All of their connections are to short and I've seen their flights leave late to many times for my comfort. As mentioned, they're still a relatively small airline and I don't want the hassel of missing a connection with few or no alternatives to get to my destination on the same date.

Of course, this is one more reason I try to plan my cruise vacation so that we get in a day early. I know everyone can't do this but it sure does take a LOT of the stress out of traveling to get to a cruise ship when it can be done.

Future cruises
Explorer OTS - Easter Caribbean 11/04
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=CD20CD&cdt=2004;11;14;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0600[/img]
Monarch OTS - Mexico Baja 1/05
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Brilliance OTS - Mediteranian 10/05
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=CD20CD&cdt=2005;10;15;20;00;00&timezone=GMT-0600[/img]


Past cruises
Vision OTS - Alaska 7/03
Legend OTS - Alaska 7/02

Never regret growing old. Many are denied the privilege

[clingandclatter]

You don't need to tell me twice about AirTran. Two years ago, my credit card info was stolen and someone bought two tickets on two separate days at a cost of $800 each! When I found out about it a week after at a store I was trying to use my credit card at, I called up the customer service number to try & find out if the person(s) had flown yet & if the tickets could be flagged if they hadn't travelled so that they could get caught. No one would help me, they all said there was nothing they could do even though it was MY credit card and there's supposed to be all this airline security these days. These people could've been flying with MY identity and no one seemed to care. That is until I sent a letter to the Better Business Bureau & the whole management line listed on their website. Then I got a $200 voucher to fly on their airline but you can bet I never used that. No way I'm flying an airline that doesn't care that shady business could be going on.

The next day after I found out the card was stolen, I actually got their itinerary in the mail. Buggers used my address & whatnot as well. So I had also sent a copy of my letter to the Port Authority of NY as they were supposedly flying into LaGuardia. A woman from Port Authority called me (not from the AirTran) and thanked me for writing this letter, that they were investigating with the FBI in Chicago AND they thought that this was some type of "inside" job (whatever that means). She said they never would have known about it had I not written. So there you go.

~*~ Disney Wonder 9/02 ~*~ [url="http://community.webshots.com/album/133720649ZDrjtW"]RCCL Splendour of the Seas 4/04[/url] ~*~

[JillyDog]

Hello there! Well, I was also stuck in Atlanta this weekend. Were you there on Monday? We were there so long...we had a chance to chat with many people. Apparently, the problem was not only the fact that it was a holiday weekend and with tornado warnings, but...apparently Atlanta is extremely overwhelmed. This according to a Delta pilot we chatted with. Several of the Delta flights were cancelled also. We were lucky...we had several human errors and were able to get out at 10 pm. But, if you were delayed by the weather only...it seems those passengers had to wait until the next day. There was a thread on the boards regarding flying through Atlanta on the way to cruises. I was planning on looking for it when I got back. Wish I had read it earlier...I bet it gives some insight into the problems there.

[justcruzin85374]

Air travel is sometimes unpredictable, you never know what will happen, it could be weather, equiptment, ground services that cancel or delay flights. Sorry this happend to you, I've never used Ait Tran but have been through Atlanta plenty of times and that alone is a nightmare at times!!!
Thanks for your warning.


***

Soveriegn 92 E. Caribbean
Majesty 95 W. Caribbean
Granduer 97 E. Caribbean
Rhapsody 00 Mexico
Vision 02 Alaska
Radiance 03 Panama Canal
Brilliance 3/29/04



Radiance of the Seas/Panama Canal 10/18/2003
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My bags are always packed!
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2004;3;29;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img] Brilliance 3/29/2004

[Todd320]

Your better off going with the majors, especially if going on a cruise because you have so many more options. Yes, things can go wrong with the majors but it can mean the difference between making or missing your ship. If at all possible go down a day early.

Todd


Norway 7/87
Inspration 01/99
Galaxy 01/00
Ocean Princess 10/00
Ocean Princess 12/00
Enchatment of the Seas 04/01
Dawn Princess 10/01
Dawn Princess 12/01 14 days
Explorer of the Seas 08/02
Spirit 01/03
Adventure of the Seas 02/04
Serenade of the Seas 04/04

[RiverRev]

No one holds flights anymore, not even the bigs. Flights are scheduled by gate arrival times - they leave to fill their arrival gate in the 15 minute of opportunity offered that flight. Holding a flight complicates the gate system in major airports.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Navigator Of The Seas 1/04

[DUBIDUB2]

Definately you get what you pay for.

I always travel Delta from Atlanta. Even with problems, they are quickly fixed. I nearly always have some problem on the cheapos.

It costs a bit more but it's worth every penny to get where you want on time.

I think Delta will file Chapter 11 though before year end so that's not going to make for good news.

The other piece of advice. Always get to the Airport early with a good book. If your first in line, you never get bumped. Ever.

God Bless.



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[iluvcruzin]

Sorry about your experience with Airtran. As others have said this can happen with any airline as far as delays/cancellations. Of course that doesn't excuse rude behavior of the airline employees.

Direct flights reduce the risk of missing connections. Most times they are more expensive but gives you peace of mind. I booked December flights out of a different city mainly because of the direct flight (and reduced fares). With one of the dates being Xmas eve a connection is too risky.

As far as Parrotheads comments on the Contential flights.. I live in city that is a Delta hub. Flying into NYC, Contential is not the prefered airline. Even for the 4 other airports within a 90 mile radius. There isn't a big market here (American flights are very limited). But I imagine since Delta is not one where you live I can understand your view. There are many direct flights in and out of NYC every day on Delta. I would just think if they were to be replaced, neither of those airlines would be the alternative.

Maureen

Princess Sun 2/27/2005
Mariner of the Seas 10/16/2005

[.ewinstien]

CLINGAND CLATTER:

I am very interested in did the Port Authority in New york catch the passengers that were using the tickets purchased with your credit card.

Pleas post the results

THNK YOU



<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by clingandclatter:
You don't need to tell me twice about AirTran. Two years ago, my credit card info was stolen and someone bought two tickets on two separate days at a cost of $800 each! When I found out about it a week after at a store I was trying to use my credit card at, I called up the customer service number to try & find out if the person(s) had flown yet & if the tickets could be flagged if they hadn't travelled so that they could get caught. No one would help me, they all said there was nothing they could do even though it was MY credit card and there's supposed to be all this airline security these days. These people could've been flying with MY identity and no one seemed to care. That is until I sent a letter to the Better Business Bureau & the whole management line listed on their website. Then I got a $200 voucher to fly on their airline but you can bet I never used that. No way I'm flying an airline that doesn't care that shady business could be going on.

The next day after I found out the card was stolen, I actually got their itinerary in the mail. Buggers used my address & whatnot as well. So I had also sent a copy of my letter to the Port Authority of NY as they were supposedly flying into LaGuardia. A woman from Port Authority called me (not from the AirTran) and thanked me for writing this letter, that they were investigating with the FBI in Chicago AND they thought that this was some type of "inside" job (whatever that means). She said they never would have known about it had I not written. So there you go.

~*~ Disney Wonder 9/02 ~*~ [url="http://community.webshots.com/album/133720649ZDrjtW"]http://community.webshots.com/album/133720649ZDrjtW[/url] ~*~<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[bnldavis]

I second what RiverRev said - "no one holds flights anymore". I took a bump on a flight and watched the gate agents board the passengers and the plane was pulling away from the gate 5 minutes early when 3 or 4 connecting passengers came running up only to watch the plane pulling away. "Sorry you weren't here 10 minutes before your flight so we gave your seats away!" Not Air Tran, not Southwest, not Spirit, not ATA....but American - yep, a biggie!

Atlanta is fine to start or end a trip, but connecting is pure agony.

Ben

[faxman]

a few years ago we flew spirt from ewr to fll. this was last plane out and weather turned sour. ALL the planes were late. A spokeman for the airline kept coming out about every 1/2 hour to adivsed us about our plane. after 2 hours he called us all to the desk for our survial kits. it was a 1/2 sandwich, cookies and a soft drink. we where only 5 hours late.

[birdyhunter]

For all you people that suggest going with the big boys is better...That's a lot of bunk. I've been screwed by the major airlines more than the small guys. If I read some of the posts weather was bad in Atlanta over the weekend, that can cause havoc to anybody.

[img]http://home.tiscali.nl/t411310/adv/thadventure-ZDsc20077.jpg[/img]

[B]<MARQUEE>RCL Adventure of the Seas July 4, 2004 </MARQUEE>[/B]

Till we leave :
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Carnival Destiny 7/01
Carnival Pride 7/02

[img]http://i.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/logos/pistons_65.gif[/img] NBA Championship 2004!
Win Pistons 4 Bucks 1 On to round 2
Win Pistons 4 Nets 3 On to round 3
Win Pistons 4 Pacers 2 Eastern Conference Champs! On to the Finals.
Pistons 0 Lakers 0

[hdawson]

I agree with Dubidub. Delta will probably file bankruptcy in the next few months. Some downsizing will probably take place. United may not come out of Chap 11 since the government (hopefully) will refuse to loan them more money.
USAir will either return to Chap 11 or start to liquidate. The only growing, expanding and profitable domestic airlines are Southwest, JetBlue and AirTran. AirTRan is now Boeing's biggest customer with 110 planes on order. They must be doing something right besides being the only line with 100% fresh air in the cabin, allowing 3 checked bags weighing up to
70 lbs, no Sat night stay requirement, one way fares without a higher price. Oh and the youngest fleet in the US.

[pcur]

In all the years we've been cruising (over 30, as you can see from my signature), we have had the BEST service and on-time rate with Delta and Continental. They are my favs.

We will also fly Southwest, because they also have a great record for getting you there on time.

No one can stop these problems: when they hit, they hit. Best to go with an airline that has a good rep; then when the bad stuff happens, you have a better chance of getting it fixed.

Thanks for the tips: AirTran is off my list permanently for ANY travel.

Peggy - RCI since 1973

[TheParrotHeads]

[B]IUVCRUZIN:[/B] Newark is controlled by Continental, they own almost two of the three terminals. One terminal is solely dedicated to their operations. The second is also, but they lease open space to other airlines. LGA and JFK are really not controlled by one specific airline though. Yes, I can see Delta being better for you since your DEPARTURE city is Cincinnati, a Delta Hub. Leaving from New York Delta is restricted to LGA and JFK. They only seem to offer competitive pricing to their other hub cities, with a few exceptions. If you plan on leaving out of the CITY, Newark especially, and are traveling down the coast (florida primarily) you will see that Continental and American offer lower fares and non-stop service. If you search out of NY (departure) to the other five major cities in the country (LAX, ORD/MDW, MIA, SEA, and Nearly all of Texas) you will again see that these two are still offering lower fares and more frequent service. If their pricing is a little bit higher in some circumstances, it is usually because these two are offering non-stop where others are requiring at least one stop.

The PH'S (Lauren & Andrew)

<img src=http://www.caribbeansoul.com/images/animation.gif>
<img src=http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&prgb=000080&cdt=2004;6;6;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500> 'Till the AOS

2002 NCL SKY-Western Caribbean
2002 NCL Sun-Exotic W. Caribbean
2004 RCCL Navigator of the Seas-Western Caribbean

[Cloudmaster]

Isn't Air Tran the reincarnation of the old Value Jet?

Sovereign 2/2000
Voyager 3/2002
Enchantment 3/2003
Serenade 2/2004


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Until Explorer of the Seas 2/27/05

[JustFloatN]

Yup

[clingandclatter]

.ewinstien,

I don't know if they ever did. The woman had said that I could call back if I had any questions, but I never did follow up on it with her. I don't know if they would have necessarily told me anyway since it was an official investigation and whatnot.

I did get reimbursement from my credit card company after some headaches (they're the ones that caught it in the first place, but then wouldn't credit the amount right away, whatever it got fixed). I know the woman said that they would be in touch with the credit card company so maybe they handled it directly with them, who knows.

Sorry I don't have more info!

~*~ Disney Wonder 9/02 ~*~ [url="http://community.webshots.com/album/133720649ZDrjtW"]RCCL Splendour of the Seas 4/04[/url] ~*~

[Lynnees]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hdawson:
I agree with Dubidub. Delta will probably file bankruptcy in the next few months. Some downsizing will probably take place. United may not come out of Chap 11 since the government (hopefully) will refuse to loan them more money.
USAir will either return to Chap 11 or start to liquidate. The only growing, expanding and profitable domestic airlines are Southwest, JetBlue and AirTran. AirTRan is now Boeing's biggest customer with 110 planes on order. They must be doing something right besides being the only line with 100% fresh air in the cabin, allowing 3 checked bags weighing up to
70 lbs, no Sat night stay requirement, one way fares without a higher price. Oh and the youngest fleet in the US.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've been waiting all day from these threads to open again.

I just have to ask you, is this some fear mongering or are you privy to information the rest of us don't know?

It's very difficult to plan a trip at the best of times, but when someone states that most likely this (and you list is extensive) is going to happen it makes it even more difficult.

We have been going through this with Air Canada for what seems like forever.

I was under the impression that US and United (among others) had formed an alliance and we're working through these financial problems and were in the process of moving ahead.

Does this mean that eventually our only way of getting to Europe is to sail (or swim)???????

I realize you are talking about the domestic market, but hey, these are the same lines that fly overseas as well. Does this mean the European airlines are going to take over????? There has to be some alternative doesn't there.

Cunard - various ships over many years
Song of America
Grandeur of the Seas
Dreamward
Infinity
Azur
Sovereign of the Seas
Serenade of the Seas


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[cmason]

Wow, lets not overreact here. I travel frequently for my job, like two weeks a month, so I fly alot. Yes there are travel delays, and a delay in Chicago for example, ripples thru the system, affecting Atlanta, etc. It happens. Happened in the days of train travel too.

It doesn't mean there is some pending doom or one airline is the king of delays, it happens universally, I assure you. It is just part of travelling. Get over it, and relax.

Now, are the airlines going to go belly up? Most likely not. Bankruptcy does not mean they go out of business. It simply protects a business from creditors while they work our payments. Airlines have tremendous capital assets, so they would start pulling from gates, selling off routes, dropping flights, etc long before they went belly up. Maybe some of the big carriers don't have the right business model, espically if you compare to Southwest, but I would expect them to change their model (like no more hub and spoke, simplified aircraft inventory, etc), before they went out of business.

In other words, you will have plenty of warning before a Delta, American, etc fail to a point that your flight is cancelled and your ticket worthless.

So, relax, book your travel and enjoy.


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