Airtran cancels ATL service from MLI

[ShedQueen77]

Watching the 5pm news this evening and I see that AirTran is canceling all service to ATL beginning November 30, 2010 and I'm booked on a MLI-FLL flight in January with a stop in ATL....and like the good corporate people they are, they failed to tell me.... I called once and they said it was absolutely not true, it would be on their website if it was....so I check and it's THERE!!

 

I called back and told them it IS on their website and what are my options. I had to cancel my flights; no other options as they are only doing the Orlando run from MLI now.

 

So, I'm back to square one again....no flights and the prices have gone up CONSIDERABLY since I booked at $280 pp. Grrrrrr......

 

http://pressroom.airtran.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=201565&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1458772&highlight=

[klfrodo]

I don't know the answer to this question but would your trip insurance cover the increased costs of the air travel?

[personnext]

Why on earth did you cancel the tickets?

 

AirTran owed you transportation to Fort Lauderdale, including accommodation on another carrier. That obligation disappeared when you decided to take the refund.

[ShedQueen77]

Very good question, and something I never thought of! I called but the office is closed for the day. I will find out tomorrow! I imagine that flights are going to book up like crazy for Delta at MLI now because they are the only carrier going through ATL now.

[ShedQueen77]

Why on earth did you cancel the tickets?

 

AirTran owed you transportation to Fort Lauderdale, including accommodation on another carrier. That obligation disappeared when you decided to take the refund.

 

I asked about this and I was told that they can not do this because they do not have an alliance with other airlines and since they no longer do the route, I was SOL. :confused:

[hdawson]

I know someone will explain this better, but AirTran doesn't have interline agreements with other airlines. Check your contract of carriage.

[6rugrats]

Why on earth did you cancel the tickets?

 

AirTran owed you transportation to Fort Lauderdale, including accommodation on another carrier. That obligation disappeared when you decided to take the refund.

Not true. All AirTran owed OP was the refund of the original ticket price. They have no interline agreement with any other carrier.

 

OP has many months until this flight; I don't think any carrier would have done anything but refund the ticket, or try to reroute on their airline. They certainly wouldn't pay to place OP on another carrier.

 

I do not believe trip insurance would cover any of this. There isn't a loss, as OP will/has received his money back.

 

OP - why not look at DL? They have flights for your dates for ~$276 pp.

[klfrodo]

.

 

I do not believe trip insurance would cover any of this. There isn't a loss, as OP will/has received his money back.

.

 

Not argueing. Just a symantic debate.

 

Could it not be considered a loss if the OP now has to pay an additional $100 per person per ticket?

 

To me,,, that would be a yes. To a lawyer who wrote the T's & C's of the policy? Probably not.

[ShedQueen77]

Not true. All AirTran owed OP was the refund of the original ticket price. They have no interline agreement with any other carrier.

 

OP has many months until this flight; I don't think any carrier would have done anything but refund the ticket, or try to reroute on their airline. They certainly wouldn't pay to place OP on another carrier.

 

I do not believe trip insurance would cover any of this. There isn't a loss, as OP will/has received his money back.

 

OP - why not look at DL? They have flights for your dates for ~$276 pp.

 

I actually just booked with DL. I've flown with DL before and have never had a complaint so far. I couldn't get the $276 price because those flights leave too early on our return (8am); I even tried pricing one way tickets but at no significant savings.

 

We went ahead and booked out of MIA instead, which when we figure in the cost for SAS to transport 5 of us from FLL to POM it equated to about $200 more than we spent for AirTran. I still came in overall $100 under my initial budget when I started shopping so I guess I should be happy, right? :D

 

I understand that stuff happens and I usually roll with the punches pretty well, but I feel that it was handled terribly; especially with that first phone call and the rep basically said I was full of it..... I'm not likely to venture on AirTran in the future, that's for sure.

[greatam]

Just another reason why booking the LCC's MAY cost you more dollars in the long run. Thank goodness, you are still within your budget.

 

AirTran, Spirit, Midwest, Southwest, etc. etc. can cancel flights and airports at the last minute. They have NO alliances with any other airlines. You are essentially owed a refund and NO MORE. Those are the rules.

 

With the legacies, which some love to hate and MAY cost more than the LCC's if you don't book early, at least have alliances and WILL put you on another airline, even if they are NOT particularly partners through an alliance. We live and learn.

 

My DH's family is all around Clinton, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids. While flying out of MLI offers some advantages, most of them choose to drive to Chicago or Des Moines. FIL is taking the bus from Cedar Rapids to Chicago because combined time, parking and airfare is over $200.00 cheaper than just flying from Cedar Rapids to Anchorage this August 28 when he meets DH for his annual fishing trip.

 

You REALLY need to explore new avenues to get to places you need to go. A road trip to Chicago and a hotel may save you a fortune and may really be fun for your kids.

[greatam]

Not argueing. Just a symantic debate.

 

Could it not be considered a loss if the OP now has to pay an additional $100 per person per ticket?

 

To me,,, that would be a yes. To a lawyer who wrote the T's & C's of the policy? Probably not.

 

Sorry

 

From a non practicing transportation attorney, the only thing you are entitled to is a refund. No loss-the flight is not within the "foreseeable future". Plenty of flights available and WERE available when the OP booked. The OP booked on an airline that has NO alliances with another airline so there is NO WAY to recoup except by refund. No insurance will cover.

[ShedQueen77]

Just another reason why booking the LCC's MAY cost you more dollars in the long run. Thank goodness, you are still within your budget.

 

AirTran, Spirit, Midwest, Southwest, etc. etc. can cancel flights and airports at the last minute. They have NO alliances with any other airlines. You are essentially owed a refund and NO MORE. Those are the rules.

 

With the legacies, which some love to hate and MAY cost more than the LCC's if you don't book early, at least have alliances and WILL put you on another airline, even if they are NOT particularly partners through an alliance. We live and learn.

 

My DH's family is all around Clinton, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids. While flying out of MLI offers some advantages, most of them choose to drive to Chicago or Des Moines. FIL is taking the bus from Cedar Rapids to Chicago because combined time, parking and airfare is over $200.00 cheaper than just flying from Cedar Rapids to Anchorage this August 28 when he meets DH for his annual fishing trip.

 

You REALLY need to explore new avenues to get to places you need to go. A road trip to Chicago and a hotel may save you a fortune and may really be fun for your kids.

 

Thanks for the great advice and perspective. Lesson learned, that is for sure. This is the first time I've booked with a non-legacy carrier....I don't think it will happen again...but I am extremely grateful that it happened months in advance vs. days or weeks.

 

I actually live in Clinton, born and raised! :) I have tried to price air from Cedar Rapids and Des Moines but have never been able to really score any savings. When I've look the prices are way higher than MLI. When I search I always click the "nearby airports" boxes in Kayak.

 

We have debated the drive to Chicago and will likely try that route when the little ones are a bit older. I priced that out earlier in the game and with parking and gas we really weren't saving much, but I always keep the option open.

 

Chicago is about 2-2.5 hours away and at their ages (8 and 6), the natives get pretty darn restless on car trips. Planes are fascinating so at least we're good there when they're trapped! :) My 14 year old can handle it though! lol

[6rugrats]

Not argueing. Just a symantic debate.

 

Could it not be considered a loss if the OP now has to pay an additional $100 per person per ticket?

 

To me,,, that would be a yes. To a lawyer who wrote the T's & C's of the policy? Probably not.

 

No, it's not a loss. OP receives all their money back. No loss = No claim

[twoputt.plusone]

I feel your pain. This is what happened to me on Monday. Four of us are taking a golf vacation next Feb/Mar in Arizona. Our husbands have decided that they'd prefer to drive but due to time constraints us girls will fly. Air Canada had decent prices out of Toronto to Phoenix at CDN $441 rtn pp all taxes in. One connection through Denver on the outbound flight and non-stop on our return. All sounded good. We were all together Monday evening so we decided to go ahead and book our flights before the prices changed. Since each of us was using our own credit card for the flights, I logged on first, found the flights we'd decided on, picked my seats and I was done. $441. My friend immediately logged on and picked the same dates, flight numbers and low and behold, her cost was CDN $662. :eek: Not good but my flight was booked we were stuck. She accepted the price and we thought that was the end of it. I should have known better but on Tues morning, I decided to take another look. Imagine my shock to find the prices were back down to the original $441. :confused: I had my friend email her confirmation to me because now I'm thinking we made a mistake and we weren't on the same flights after all. Panic was setting in. But no.... we're on the same flights alright. That looked like nothing more than a cash grab. I understand the fare-bucket concept but this was something else. I'd call Air Canada myself but since this isn't my flight and it wasn't booked on my credit card, my friend will call herself. I doubt that anything will come of it but at least she'll have conveyed how PO'd we both are.:mad:

[6rugrats]

If you understand the fare bucket concept, then you can understand what happened. Fare availability goes up and down constantly. At least you got the lower price.

 

It's a game, and sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

[twoputt.plusone]

If you understand the fare bucket concept, then you can understand what happened. Fare availability goes up and down constantly. At least you got the lower price.

 

It's a game, and sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

 

I think that's pretty much what I said. It doesn't mean that you have to like it. BTW - I may have gotten the lower fare on my ticket but common decency says that I'll split the difference with her. It could have been me.

[frugaltravel]

Thanks for the great advice and perspective. Lesson learned, that is for sure. This is the first time I've booked with a non-legacy carrier....I don't think it will happen again...but I am extremely grateful that it happened months in advance vs. days or weeks.

 

Some "legacy" airlines are better than others. Delta is not one of them. They generally will not put you on another airline in case of schedule changes, misconnects or no longer flying to/from a city you booked. Either you take another option on their airline (though they are flexible in that regard) or they give you a refund. Been there, done that.

 

So all is not always greener on the other side.

[dustyroad]

i am from the quad cities and we use airtran all the time too go to atlanta to see relatives. business people from this area filled the planes almost everyday on airtran because of the great prices and convenience of going straight too atlanta. we still cant figure out why they pulled out of mli. but this week allegient announced that they are going to start making a run from moline to las vages. the prices are $49 one way right now. i hope they decide to go too mesa az also as i usually go there at least once a year and mli is alot closer for us than peoria il to catch a flight on allegient. actually either way it is a win-win situation for me since they dont charge for parking in peoria and they do in mli. one door closes and another opens up as they say. now i am one of the ones in '' sticker shock '' seeing the prices for my cruise next may. i check daily for flights from mli to seattle and it is awful what they are charging right now. it is hard too know whether too book now or wait. the waiting game is on for me :(.

[Fattony]

Some "legacy" airlines are better than others. Delta is not one of them. They generally will not put you on another airline in case of schedule changes, misconnects or no longer flying to/from a city you booked. Either you take another option on their airline (though they are flexible in that regard) or they give you a refund. Been there, done that.

 

.

 

"Generally"? This has happened to you several times? We often rely on anecdotal evidence when painting broad strokes. We were booked on Delta from BWI to JFK, and then TAM from JFK to GRU, but when the first flight was canceled due to mechanical problems, Delta put is on their own flights to ATL and then onward to GRU. Are they "generally" flexible? I don't know. I'd be careful in assuming one airline or another will be better about switching, though obviously some, especially those without interline agreements (like AirTran) could have more problems in this regard. Southwest is another airline without interline agreements, but while I've heard of this presenting problems in connecting between Southwest and another airline in terms of having bags transferred (not done automatically; passenger has to do it), I've not yet heard of problems like OP experienced.

[kenish]

dustyroad- Although AirTran may have been filling seats they may not have been making a profit on the route. Or, they were making a profit but needed the aircraft for a more profitable route.

 

Allegiant will likely have service to their LAS hub only and it may not be daily. Heads-up with any route with a "thin" flight schedule....if a flight is cancelled the next one with available seats may be days later. Allegiant has also pulled the plug on several cities in the past few years. Unfortunately a problem with secondary markets like MLI.

[dustyroad]

dustyroad- Although AirTran may have been filling seats they may not have been making a profit on the route. Or, they were making a profit but needed the aircraft for a more profitable route.

 

Allegiant will likely have service to their LAS hub only and it may not be daily. Heads-up with any route with a "thin" flight schedule....if a flight is cancelled the next one with available seats may be days later. Allegiant has also pulled the plug on several cities in the past few years. Unfortunately a problem with secondary markets like MLI.

 

kenish, so true. allegiant is soo reasonable for me too go to mesa and also tampa to my sisters. i also have had great flights on airtran for a good price. if airtran would go too more northwest or southern/west states from mli it would be great for us here. we will have too see what happens in the next months.