Complain about a product or service

Air Tran

Coreen of Rochester, NH August 3, 2009

On Aug. 1st, 2009 my mom and I were flying from Seattle WA to Baltimore, MD to catch our connector to Portland, ME. Our flight # FL0243 Gate A13 was scheduled for 10:30 am departure so we got to the Seattle airport @ 7:30 am. Upon arriving @ the airport we discovered our flight had been delayed to 12:30 pm. We had breakfast @ 9 and hung around. We then discovered they had changed our flight to leave @ 1:00 arriving in Baltimore for 8:52 pm with our connector flight FL0493 to leave @ 9:20 to Portland, ME. They told us that if we leave on time we should make our flight because it's in the same concourse but different gate.

We told them we needed a wheelchair because MY MOM IS HANDICAPPED. SHE IS GOING TO BE HAVING BACK SURGERY IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. They also told us they would call ahead and let them know that we are coming so they would wait for us. The plane we were going to take came in and had to unload. There were 2 people on there that had to be taken off in a wheelchair therefore it took about 45 min. for them to unload. At this point we knew we were not going to make our connector to Portland, ME so we asked the supervisor (we think her name might have been Mandy) what they will do. She told us they would put us up in a hotel and we would get on the 11:51 am flight on Sunday the 2nd. She told us everything would be taken care of and not to worry.

We boarded the plane and took off @ 2:00. We arrived in Baltimore and were told to go to terminal B5 because that's where customer service is. We inquired to the Manager on duty (is what he said he was) for a hotel room and we were told that there were no hotel rooms in Baltimore. He told us 2 other planes from Southwest had just canceled and that they took up all the hotel rooms. Again he told us there were no hotel rooms in the city of Baltimore. He didn't attempt to call any. He then told us that Seattle shouldn't have sent us there that they should have put us up there.

We asked when we could get a flight out on Sunday and he said not until 4 pm. I told him several times my mom was handicapped and going to have back surgery and also had had 2 heart attacks and that we could not hang out in the airport until 4 pm the next day and that we had a medical condition and that I would get him Doctor's records to prove it. He said there was nothing he could do.

I asked him for someone higher than him to help us and he told us he was the manager and there wasn't anyone higher than him around. I asked him to get us on another plane with another airline and he said he couldn't do that. He could refund our money and we would have to figure out how we were going to get to Portland, ME. He said they didn't have a contract with other airlines so he couldn't get us on another plane with another airline.

There was a flight that was suppose to leave around 4 or 5 that day to Boston, MA but had been grounded for mechanical reasons and was scheduled to leave @ 12:00 am. The manager told us at first that there was one seat available. That meant one of us could have gotten on and the other stranded until 4:00 the next day. After about 20 or 30 min. they checked the flight and there were some openings because people had given up their seats. They booked us to leave @ 12:00.

We asked him if he could get us a hotel in Boston when we arrive @ 1:30 am on the 2nd. He made a phone call and was told there were no hotel rooms available in the city of Boston and that he could get us there but that was it. At that point we called my boyfriend who had been up since 5:30 am moving his parents all day and asked him to drive one way 1½ hours to come pick us up @ 1:00 am. He then used our gas which was a full tank in a GMC truck and had to pay a total of 9 in tolls from Rochester, NH to Boston, MA. It took us another 1½ hrs. to get home. We got home @ 3 am.

We asked the manager for compensation like free tickets and he said he couldn't do that. He told us the only thing he could do was give us a voucher that was good for 10 towards food and a 25 credit towards another flight. We told him that was ridiculous and he said that's all he could do. We walked away to get something to eat before we boarded the plane to learn that there were no food vendors open. There was a candy store that was closing but she let us get a drink and I had to pay 1.80 for it because she cannot collect food vouchers because she is a family owned store.

We were put in business class and we noticed there were 5 seats empty just in business class. Why were we told there were no seats available in the first place? On Sunday afternoon the 2nd we had to drive in our truck and use our gas another 1½ hrs. one way to take my mom home to Maine and another 1½ hrs. home.

We were told by the flight attendant on the flight from Baltimore to Boston that he thought maybe the airtran people in Seattle were contracted by Frontier. We ate @ 9 am and didn't get anything to eat for lunch and dinner. We were served a snack and drink on both flights. There were 26 adults that were traveling with children that were trying to get to Burlington, VT and the manager couldn't get them on a plane until 9 pm on Aug. 2nd and there were no hotel rooms for them. They ended up hiring a bus driver for 2,500 which cost them all 100 each to travel @ 10 pm to Burlington which takes approximate 10 hours. All of us had not had any dinner at this point.

wendy of conifer, CO July 21, 2009

Story - Nightmare Puppy flight on AirTran I always thought the safest way to get a new puppy home from another state was to fly him/her home under the seat in a carrier so you can feed, water or comfort him/her on the way home. Boy was I wrong!

This past Thursday I flew from Denver to Charlotte to pick up a very special puppy( His Daddy was a Mastiff Westminster winner) and fly him back home to Conifer under the seat with me. I flew Airtran for the first time and followed all their pet polices on their website.

I was in shock and very frightened when they removed me from the flight from Atlanta to Denver. They told me it was because I was causing a disturbance because my puppy was crying on my first leg flight. BUT!, the flight attendants refused to let me comfort him. I was not even allowed to put my finger in his carrier so he knew he wasn't alone. AirTran stranded me at the Atlanta airport at close to midnight with instructions to call my vet, get the puppy sedated and then they would rebook me on another flight the next day. When I asked what I was supposed to do for the night they gave me a voucher for a discount at a hotel and a general reservation phone number. The hotel cost me over 100 for the night. In my frazzled state to leave the plane with my puppy I had left my glasses and small bag of dog food on the plane. There I was visually impaired and unable to read the phone number or dial a number on my cell phone which was running low on batteries at a strange city with barely any money left. I was also without my next day's thyroid medicine. They refused to help me and were extremely rude just like the flight attendants. I am a 49 year old small woman who was struggling to carry the puppy around.

I also made it clear they were requiring me to do the impossible by getting a sedative in Atlanta from a vet in Colorado within 10 hours who would not prescribe a sedative for an 8 week old puppy because of danger to the health of the puppy. The customer service manager didn't care, she just repeated that this is what I had to do.

Luckily I was finally able to hit the right phone contact button for my husband who found a hotel and another flight on Delta the next day.

It was a horrifying experience struggling to carry my puppy around an airport I didn't know to try to find the shuttle to the hotel with no food or water for the puppy. We finally made it and the flight the next day with Delta was wonderful. They were all helpful and friendly.

I have no affiliation with either airline. I don't understand how an airline can get away with putting someone and their puppy in an unsafe and stranded position like this with no help. They also refuse to refund any of my money for the flights. They have listed that I removed the puppy from his carrier which is a blatant lie! I only let his head partially out to give him water and food until they demanded very rudely that I was not even allowed to put my finger in the carrier to calm him from my touch. As difficult as it was I kept calm with them the entire time and never acted inappropriately.

Eileen of Tampa, FL July 7, 2009

I flew six times in June/July-four Continental flights, 1 Air Alaska, and a departing flight on Air Tran. Used the same luggage every time. Also checked in on an Amtrak train and Carnival cruise in that period of time. Returning to Tampa on July 5, 2009 at 6:30 AM, an Air Tran employee began a bizarre measuring of the same bag and informed me at 4:45 am that I would have to pay the 39 fee for having an oversized bag. When I questioned this charge, she became more aggressive - with an exaggerated measurement over and over and loudly proclaiming that she would be fired if she didn't charge me. I finally paid.

She threw my bag onto the luggage carrier and proceeded to measure the luggage of every student I had brought to Texas. She rudely managed each one of us; I finally told my students to move on so that they would not observe her hostility.

After she tallied up the charge and returned my credit card, she adeptly circled the gate for our flight - on the incorrect boarding pass. (We would have missed our flight if I had not checked this.)

Heather of Chandler, AZ June 10, 2009

My finace and I left Phoenix connecting in Atlanta then onto Baltimore on June 4. Everything went fine without delay, returning June 7, 2009, our flight from Baltimore to Atlanta was delayed approximately 10-15 minutes, according to tickets we had a 33 minute layover and also needed to connect to anotehr concourse to get the Phoenix Flight. Upon arrival into Atlanta we learned our connecting flight was already departed and told to go to customer service. They said they put us on the 9:30 AM (this was at approx. 8:45 PM Atlanta time) next day flight.

We were given a pink slip that said it would get a us a discount at a local hotel. I called and we took the cheapest, which was Microtel for 42.99 plus taxes. We took shuttle, so 5 tip there, 3 tip back in AM, 20 for dinner and breakfast, 51.51 for the hotel, and our lost day of work for the two of us, cost a total loss of 350. Missed day of work for the two of us, two unexpected meals, hotel and shuttle tipping. 350 unexpected costs.

Dawn of Hempstead, NY April 28, 2009

On April 11, 2009, my husband and I flew to Atlanta Georgia. Prior to flying, I purchased 2 roundtrip tickets online as well as paid an additional 40.00 to sit in an exit row due to my husband being 6ft.5in. 325lbs.I also paid 30.00 to check 1 bag a piece. Upon arrival to Laguardia Airport we checked our bags with no problems. My husband's suitcase was measured and met all requirements. I checked the small suitcase of a standard luggage set, and my husband checked the larger suitcase of the standard set. On April 18, 2009 we arrived at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport.

Prior to arriving, I purchased exit row seating again 40.00 as well as checked the same 2 pieces of luggage that we carried down on line for 30.00 again. When we went to the check-in counter, the woman behind the counter pulled out her tape measure, and proceeded to measure my husband's bag. She informed my husband that his large standard suitcase surpassed the height limit and informed us that we would have to pay an additional 39.00 to check his suitcase.

In total, I payed 99.00 dollars round trip for baggage which doesn't include the airfare price as well as an additional 80.00 for seats. I understand paying for overweight luggage, but I do not understand having to pay a fee for a standard piece of luggage that is part of a set that is sold around the world. I also noticed that the woman behind the counter measured the bag from the tip of the wheels to the tip top of the handle. This same bag was measured in New York City with no problems until we got to Georgia.

The excessive fees that Airtran charges is ridiculous! Also if this is a practice of Airtran, there should be uniformity. I don't believe that bags have the ability to grow tall or shrink. I will be very appprehensive to fly with Airtan ever again.

Sarah of Atlanta,, GA March 18, 2009

I was a flight attendent with Airtran and I can tell you that based on what I saw as an employee, Airtran is the WORST company that I have EVER worked for! From the way they treat thier employees to the way they treat thier customers. Is is a disgrace. From the moment I walked on company grounds I knew I was in trouble. Unprofessional from the ground up. This is a GHETTO airline. Their nickname is AirTrash. I just resigned a week ago because I just got fed up with thier crap. Do you know that they now pay thier employees with debit cards instead of a paycheck or direct deposit. Oh and get this, the cards come with fines and fees. Yes if you want actually cash, you pay a fee. It is crazy.

They fly thier new flight attendents for over 16 hours sometime. How alert is a flight attendant going to be when she has been working for over 16 hours straight without a break and without a decent meal?? Would you want her in control in the event of an emergency? I once worked a flight for 15 hours and they did not even allow me my LEGAL eight hours of rest. I got five hours of sleep and I was up at 6am the next day working a flight. Stay away from this Airline. Thier fees are low for a reason. They constantly cash in on their employees. One captain told my that they underpay him every month. Every notice how ticked off all of their employees seam. Take a look they next time you are on thier flight. Everyone is hostile from the gate agent, flight attendents, and even captains. They are low fare and low class and they treat thier employees like garbage.

Glenn of Pt. Charlotte, FL March 16, 2009

Bought on-line, round trip ticket from Tampa to St. Louis via Atlanta for travel on 03/11/09. Needed to go to St. Louis, mother-in-law died in Pt.Charlotte, Fl. with services (funeral home , cemetary , florist, caterer, etc.)needing to be arranged in St. Louis, body was to arrive evening of 03/11/09. The ticket showed 40 minute between flights, but what the ticket did not show was that the plane was landing in Atlanta at the far end of the D concourse and departing for St. Louis from the end of the C concourse.

We had checked in on-line, and made the flight from Tampa to Atlanta, so the airline should have known we where therethe flight from Tampa departed late for Tampa because as the pilot explained there where delays in Atlanta. According to Air Tran our flight arrived at the gate at 09:11 A.M. 7 minutes late, being seated in the rear of the plane it took another 8-9 minute to get off the plane. Walking at as fast as we could through airport pedestrian traffic and taking the tram on arrival at the departure gate by my watch 09:31, were informed that the gate was close at 09:30, ten minute prior to departure of 09:40.

The Plane was still at the gate and I tried to explain the the attendant our need to get on ths flight, she refered me to their Customer Service (Now there's 2 mutually exclusive words for Air Tran). Air Tran gratiously offered me a seat on the next flight at 04:30 P.M. My math says that I had 10 minutes to drag my carry on bags thru airport walking traffic from gate to gate, O.J. in his prime would have struggled.

We needed to get to St. Louis to arrange services (funeral home , cemetary , florist, caterer, etc.) arrangement for a friday A.M. funeral service. We where force to buy 2 one way ticket on Delta at a cost of 189 each

Fred of St Augustine, FL February 19, 2009

This is an update to my letter posted (ref) 1/16/09. I continued my quest of the return of my 39.00 which I felt was a ripoff. I contacted the Atlanta BBB, who contacted the company who in turn sent it back to Orlando. I received a return letter giving me a credit of 10.00 as a courtesy, due to the fact they say that the 29.00 was in effect at the time of my booking, but was raised at the time of my travel. I have not seen the credit as yet, and this was in January. We had a guest visit who flew out of Detroit on another well known airline. A passenger was in line in front of her with a suitcase 13 lbs overweight, was allowed to remove some items, still overweight, not charged any fee. Now, I am done with AirTran, who do you think I will fly next time? I have flown with them in the past with never a problem, and they go everywhere AirTran does.

The feeling of being ripped off, with a company that could care less.

Kevin of Pine Hill, NJ February 17, 2009

this company put charges to my account after told them there was no permission to do so. They told me the account was suspended.They put the charges through any way.

they are attempting to ruin my credit. For charges I canceled through both the airlines and through them.

Aisha of Chicago, IL February 13, 2009

I will say this is the first and last time I will ever attempt to fly air tran again. My ordeal all started when I checked in my bag at the sky cap at chicago midway airport en route to atlanta. The guy who checked me in told me my bag was over the 50 lb. Limit, I either had to remove some items or pay the 39. Since I was travelling with my 3 year old son his things were in the bag as well so I mentioned that but was still told it was over the limit.

At this point I was extremely irritated but removed some items into my handbag. He continued to check me in and I paid the 15 dollar baggage fee. I was given my boarding pass and I proceeded to the gate. When we went to the gate the attendant scanned our ticket. We then proceeded to board, after waiting about 15 minutes or so to board the plane the same attendant that scanned our ticket noticed we were never assigned seats and that I had to go back to the ticket counter and get a seat assigned and come back in line again and wait to get on the plane.

At this point all hell broke loose. I asked him if he really wanted me to drag my 3 year old son back to the counter and come stand back in line again? He answers yes So, as angry as I was we went to the counter. The attendant saw that I was mad and aggravated but, being the kind of airline air tran is their customer service is very poor. The first thing she says is maam do not raise your voice at me. I told her what happened instead of her acknowledging their own negligence and incompetence she was totally rude and insensitive to my plight amd worst of all had the nerve to assign my son a totally different seat from me and told me to go.

At this point this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Anyone in their right mind would never do such a thing. We were going back and forth with each other when she threatened to first deny me flying and called the cops on me. There were 5 police officers that came, like I was a criminal or something. I have never been so humiliated and frustrated in my life. On top of that they charged me a 75 cancellation fee in both tickets. NEVER again.

Lost 150 dollars, my baggage is still in atlanta

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Follow us on Twitter.

Back to the top |