AirTran Airways A+ Rewards - The Despicable Behavior of AirTran Today

As a very frequent flier, I thought I had experienced it all. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I tell the story at my blog: http://meteorologicalmusings.blogspot.com/2011/08/despicable-behavior-of-airtran-airways.html

AirTran, and its owner Southwest, should be ashamed of themselves.

Sorry to the OP that the first response is OT...

BUT.. Am I the only one here who will not go and read someones blog after a post like that one?

Surely if one wants to make a comment on FT, one should.. (words fail me) make the comment on FT!

My opinion:

Airtran did wrong by:

pulling the plane from your flight after you had boarded - that adds insult to injury
Not providing alternate accomodations due to a mechanical delay - I've never heard of an airline that doesn't do this, so I'm guessing this agent was misinformed, but either way certainly not a good show for Airtran.
not showing any empathy (of course her exact attitude is subjective)


I don't understand where you claim Airtran was dishonest. Your flight was cancelled for a mechanical reason, whether or not it was the original plane assigned to your flight that had the mechanical problem. While you have every right to be annoyed at Airtran for cancelling your flight and not reaccomodating you, dishonest and deceitful aren't the right words.

My recommendation: Write a letter to airtran, explain the facts of what happen (take out the editorializing), and send them a copy of the receipt from your United ticket. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they fully reimbursed you.

To me, a "mechanical" is when the airplane is unsafe to fly. These occur from time to time and they are understandable -- no one wants to fly an unsafe plane.

That was not the case yesterday. Our plane was perfectly safe to fly -- so much so, they pulled us off the plane so they could use it elsewhere!

When I purchased a ticket (and gave them my money), it created a contract between AirTran (new name, "AirScam") and me that, in return for my money, they would fly me and about 100 other people to Wichita. They intentionally violated that agreement.

In effect, AirScam said, "we don't care about you, we have more important customers elsewhere." The attitude of the 'customer service' woman (wearing a Southwest Airlines lanyard attached to her ID) said, "we don't care, period."

Even if they were to pay the fare difference, it wouldn't be full compensation. No one seems to know where my bag is, the lost time, etc. When I asked the 'customer service' women if they would deliver my bag to my house when they found it, she gave me a flat "no" that I would have to go to the airport. I have other things to do today.

Yes, their behavior was despicable.

Trooper: You are right, of course. I was upset at the time and didn't want to type it twice.

Cut and paste?

OP - despicable or not, the contract you refer to isn't what AirTran has on its website as its contract of carriage. Please post the contract you had.

OP - despicable or not, the contract you refer to isn't what AirTran has on its website as its contract of carriage. Please post the contract you had.

Then, you didn't read page 15 of their C of C. It says,

"AirTran will endeavor to transport the passenger and baggage with reasonable dispatch,"

I paid. They didn't perform by any definition of the word "reasonable."

Then, you didn't read page 15 of their C of C. It says,

"AirTran will endeavor to transport the passenger and baggage with reasonable dispatch,"

I paid. They didn't perform by any definition of the word "reasonable."

They did "endeavor," but it didn't work out. And you don't get to unilaterally define what "reasonable" means. Looks like you're new to the standard contract of carriage.

It was a mechanical problem, just not with your plane. Airlines swap planes all the time to inconvenience the least number of pax possible. You lost out.

Always amusing to see someone flying a low-cost, budget airline demanding network carrier-level service.

Calm down.

BUT.. Am I the only one here who will not go and read someones blog after a post like that one?
Surely if one wants to make a comment on FT, one should.. (words fail me) make the comment on FT!

+1
I also will not read it. If it was that "despicable", post the whole effin thing on FT instead of trying to promote and drive traffic to your blog. :rolleyes:

They did "endeavor," but it didn't work out. And you don't get to unilaterally define what "reasonable" means. Looks like you're new to the standard contract of carriage.

It was a mechanical problem, just not with your plane. Airlines swap planes all the time to inconvenience the least number of pax possible. You lost out.

Always amusing to see someone flying a low-cost, budget airline demanding network carrier-level service.

Calm down.

Did you read what happened? It is not "reasonable" to have a plane full of people, pull away the jetway, then cancel the flight because of a problem in another city, then tell me they can't get me to my destination that day and that I have to pay for my own hotel since I would have to spend the night in ATL.

I'd hate to experience what you think is "unreasonable."

And, before you brag about "network carrier-level service" I had UA and AA both cancel flights the last three weeks.

Did you read what happened? It is not "reasonable" to have a plane full of people, pull away the jetway, then cancel the flight because of a problem in another city, then tell me they can't get me to my destination that day and that I have to pay for my own hotel since I would have to spend the night in ATL.

I'd hate to experience what you think is "unreasonable."

And, before you brag about "network carrier-level service" I had UA and AA both cancel flights the last three weeks.

How terrible for you. I suggest you sue everybody.

How terrible for you. I suggest you sue everybody.

I don't wish to sue anyone. I just want a company to be honest with its customers and live up to its own (very minimal in this case) standards.

Not sure why you wish to make excuses for horrible customer service but different strokes for different folks. I prefer to do business with companies that value my dollars.

Sounds good. You should definitely move your business from AirTran. And then when it happens on UACO, move from them and so on.

While the attitude that the woman gave you, and the fact that you weren't given accommodations in Atlanta is certainly startling, the idea that you're less important to AirTran than other pax is a little over the top. In all likelihood they made a rational business decision to cancel your flight because doing so affected a smaller number of people than whatever other use for it they had. It's a no win situation, but if 100 people are stuck in Atlanta, it's better than if 117 are stuck without a plane to the other destination. It could also be that the resulting cancellations from cancelling your flight had a smaller knock on effect for later flights than cancelling the other one, which when compounded made it even more compelling to take the drastic step that was taken. So you can either think FL has it in for you, or step back and realize that even though you got screwed, it wasn't because big bad southwest was out to get you.

I can certainly understand your being upset at the way you were treated, but in my experience AirTran actually does do the right thing if you keep asking long enough and do so reasonably. Calling and being patient will get you a lot farther than calling up to vent.

(wearing a Southwest Airlines lanyard attached to her ID)
.

Airtran employees do not wear a Southwest Airlines lanyard.....since May 2, they have been wearing a One Luv lanyard that has both Airtran and Southwest logos on them.

It seems a little odd that the customer service agent said since it is due to mechanical they will not pay for the hotel or give a food voucher. That is the ONLY time they DO pay for hotels and give out food vouchers.

Airtran made a business decision. You inconvenience the least amount of people possible....sorry you happened to be on the wrong end of a "good business decision", but any airline would have made the same decision.....so go pay more for whoever you want to fly...but don't think it wont happen then to.

Airtran employees do not wear a Southwest Airlines lanyard.....since May 2, they have been wearing a One Luv lanyard that has both Airtran and Southwest logos on them


What an absurd comment. LUV is the stock symbol of Southwest Airlines so of course it was a SWA lanyard.

And, yes, I have had flights cancelled on me by UA and AA in the last three weeks. Their people were DELIGHTFUL to work with and empathetic to my situation as compared to the nasty (and that is the correct word) woman with AirTran.

It is one thing for the flight to have been cancelled. Her refusal to spring for a hotel, local transport, etc., her refusal to either transfer my bag to UA or deliver it to my home in Wichita ("you'll have to go to the airport to get it") and foul attitude rubbed salt in the wound.

Perhaps this is your idea of good customer service. It certainly isn't mine.

From some of the comments on this incident, I believe you all have been treated so poorly by the airlines for so long that you are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

What an absurd comment. LUV is the stock symbol of Southwest Airlines so of course it was a SWA lanyard.

Once again....it is a "One LUV" lanyard that was handed out to employees on May 2, the day of closing. "One LUV" represents the two airlines coming together......The lanyard has BOTH Airtran and Southwest logos.....so why do you say it is a "Southwest" lanyard? The fact that you even said it was a Southwest lanyard was an abdurd comment in the first place....what does that have to do with your complaint??

Perhaps this is your idea of good customer service. It certainly isn't mine.

I am pretty sure I never said anything defending the "bad" customer service experience you had....I just think it is strange that she said due to it being a mechanical they would not pay for a hotel or give a food voucher, when that is the only time they usually do give hotel and food vouchers.

The reason I mentioned the LUV lanyard is because I was shocked they were not offering hotel, etc., and thought this was a SWA policy. Because SWA does not serve Wichita, I thought it might have to do with the fact FL is now owned by Southwest. I have flown SWA maybe 5 times in total and I thought their policy might be different from other airlines'.

Neither FL nor WN codeshare; meaning if there are IRROPS, you're SOL until they can get you out on one of their own flights. Something to keep in mind when buying into the LCC hype.

That being said, I've had positive experiences with FL's customer service reps. As with any business, it's a huge leap to paint the entire company as rude and insensitive over one bad exchange with a front-line employee.

Hey guys, he's from KANSAS.......maybe he could hire fred phelps as his attorney and picket as well as sue!

Sorry, I'm not a Democrat like Mr. Phelps.

OK, enough riff raff. I read the blog item. OP , you could have saved yourself some grief by just cutting and pasting. Even now, you can redit your original.

I am a big Airtran booster, but the company was flat out wrong in what they did. A mechanical reason is all the more reason why an airline needs to take responsibility for the travelers because it is actually IN THEIR CONTROL over a long period of tiem. Something like the weather is not. They should be paying for your hotel as that is a form of self insurance to take care of travelers in such rare circumstances. Being a low cost carrier doesn't excuse what Airtran did. And I can believe what the OP said about the agent. I have had similar type behavior on 3 or 4 airlines. These kind of agents can really provoke you into looking like a lunatic with their rude indifference.


One thing you should have done was escalate it to a manager.

I agree. How can a mechanical failure on one aircraft be a problem for passenger Mike who is on a different aircraft? If this happened to me I would be complaining as well.

Welcome to Flyertalk, where consumers of the travel industries sometimes share, sometimes vent, and sometimes mix it all up in their heads to the point where they can't tell one from the other. Who cares!:p Just love the experience.:)
Thanks for the post, KansasMike! I'm flying from ATL to ICT next month, and stuff like this is advertising that Southwest/Airtran can't buy!:D
Of course Airtran was wrong. It wasn't a good business decision; it was a "we are really not very good at what we do" business decision. And, I don't blame it on the "Gary Kelly effect"; it's more like the "lameduckedness" of Airtran today.
Some people say you should try another airline.:rolleyes: Isn't that what happened?! Didn't another airline get you there after Airtran did not? Five years ago I switched to Airtran after two bad trips on Delta. I never imagined I could live in Atlanta and not fly on Delta; but I did, and loved it. But now Airtran is history(gone with the wind;)); just going through the motions till Southwest gets its act together.
My problem is that I still have enough A+ points left for 1 round trip business trip. And, I just paid my credit card fee so I may be getting those certificates.:rolleyes: But I have moved on and am just not that interested in flying Airtran anymore. For better or worse, Southwest needs to hurry and get their shop set up in Atlanta.
I'm thinking AA for my trip to Wichita.:)

Five years ago I switched to Airtran after two bad trips on Delta. I never imagined I could live in Atlanta and not fly on Delta; but I did, and loved it. But now Airtran is history(gone with the wind;)); just going through the motions till Southwest gets its act together.

I was a huge fan of AirTran. My company, WeatherData, Inc., was one of the ones that donated significant $$ to a fund to bring them to Wichita. At first, they were terrific, especially in comparison to the generally awful service from DL. They became my airline of choice. I was an Elite member of their FF program for years.

The last year or two, they have slipped considerably from where they were say, 5 years ago. Friday's experience was off-the-charts bad and I didn't even go into what happened with my bag!

I've already told my travel assistant that I wish to avoid FL (and continue to avoid DL, since I have bad experiences whenever I break down and "give them another chance.") going forward. I'll stick with UACO and AA. They are FAR from perfect but I've never had anyone as nasty as the woman from FL Friday.

Deleted

I'm not buying the "mechanical issue" conundrum unless it happens to be the aircraft that I was actually on.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

BB

We were flying ISP to BNA with a stop in BWI and we were late leaving ISP. They told the BNA passengers to get off the plane in BWI although we were supposed to continue on. They sent another plan to BNA from BWI with our flight number before we landed in BWI. They refused to pay for a hotel (it was the last flight of the day) because our flight was "canceled". I think I'm one of the few who hates SW!

I think I'm one of the few who hates SW!. There's no shortage of folks who hate SW, particularly around here.

Sorry, I'm not a Democrat like Mr. Phelps.

I struggle to see the advantage of dragging in gratuitous partisanship, and the relevance of the Democratic (or Republican) Party to anything posted on this thread.

Curiously, at the same time as you implicitly appeal for more consumer protections, including in contract regulation, and greater restrictions on airlines' business decisions (not to cast judgment on your position), you deride Democrats.

A general request: Can Fred Phelps be added to Godwin's Law for purposes of FT, just in case he ever makes a reappearance?

And for the record (and at risk of sending this thread to OMNIland), Mr. Phelps' extremist views are hardly conducive to the Democratic platform. OP lost what little credibility he had with that statement.

Having taken umbrage at the OP's injection of politics into the discussion, I agree with his view of AirTran's "mechanical" claim: I think the suggestion that canceling a flight on a fully functional aircraft because another aircraft has a problem is a logistical business decision, not a mechanical one.

The "mechanics" exemption is intended to cover situations in which the airline, regardless of its best efforts, cannot get a given plane to fly a route because the aircraft is, legally or physically, incapable of making the flight. At the point that any and all downstream effects of the mechanical problem -- say, that flight was delayed, so it got to its destination after the destination airport's gate agents had gone home, so the next flight can't leave -- virtually anything can be blamed on "mechanics" and the airline never has any liability.

Remember, we're not talking about criminal or punitive-damages liability; we're asking whether an airline should be held responsible for a voluntary cancelation, and therefore be expected to provide basic services like meal vouchers, a rebooking, and a hotel. The cancelation of the OP's flight was voluntary -- nothing but a business decision, however reasonable from AirTran's perspective, forced his flight not to proceed.

AirTran can claim their decision was the right one, or logistically crucial, and it may well be correct. But "logistically necessary" means that, without taking a given action, the company would suffer large(r) losses and other customers would be disadvantaged. Those may be bad outcomes, but they are not, legally or physically, unavoidable. AirTran did not truly have to make that decision. That's not to say AirTran is "bad" or even that it acted improperly, only that it shouldn't be exempt from providing the OP the reaccommodation that it otherwise would. Often, businesses must absorb unexpected or unwelcome costs of doing business, and, in this case, compensating KansasMike and his fellow passengers for the airline's decision to cancel his flight is the cost of making that business decision. The OP shouldn't be financially responsible for AirTran's ultimately voluntary choice.

My bottom line: The profit motive is not a valid reason for reneging on one's commitment to a customer, and no low level of service or the reasonableness of a given business decision can change that. AirTran may cancel whatever it wishes to for business reasons, which include logistical ones, but it cannot claim it made every reasonable effort to accommodate the affected passengers or that it is exempt from the obligation to assist them.

Hey guys, he's from KANSAS.......maybe he could hire fred phelps as his attorney and picket as well as sue!

And for the record (and at risk of sending this thread to OMNIland), Mr. Phelps' extremist views are hardly conducive to the Democratic platform. OP lost what little credibility he had with that statement.

I was not the person who brought Phelps into this discussion.

Fred Phelps is a registered democrat and has run for governor of Kansas as a democrat.

You may not like it but it is a fact. How can I lose credibility when stating a fact?

I thought you were talking about Phelps from the old Mission Impossible,

"Good Morning Mr. Phelps..."

Couldn't figure out why...:p

I would file a DOT complaint about this one. The fact that its a mechanical means they should be providing you with hotels/meals/etc.

I was not the person who brought Phelps into this discussion.

Fred Phelps is a registered democrat and has run for governor of Kansas as a democrat.

You may not like it but it is a fact. How can I lose credibility when stating a fact?

Nor did I bring him into this conversation. But you did turn it political when you labeled him a Democrat. WTH does that matter in this context? Regardless, I stand by my statement. Mr. Phelps' extremist views do not align with the Democratic platform. I don't care who he's registered with.

Furthermore, your argumentative stance toward anyone with an opposing view to your own speaks volumes. Thus, I have my doubts that the customer service rep was rude but I'll bet he/she was provoked by your DYKWIA-ness and wasn't particularly motivated to help you.

At this rate, you'll run out of airlines that can meet your infallible standards. Time to start shopping for a private jet.

Airtran made a business decision. You inconvenience the least amount of people possible....sorry you happened to be on the wrong end of a "good business decision", but any airline would have made the same decision.

True, but airport staff are not gong to be able to explain this logic to irate passengers. So they just say "mechanical", which is misleading.

I agree with shifting resources to inconvenience fewer people, and this happens much more frequently on an airline with fewer types of aircraft due to greater swapability.

However, when your aircraft or crew is reallocated this way, IMHO the airline should pay your hotel and meal expenses. I seem to recall reading recently that Southwest's policy matches my opinion of fair treatment. A polite letter to Southwest's Customer Relations might yield a nice-sized travel voucher. Those letters are handled personally, but you can expect it to take 6 to 8 weeks.

A polite letter to Southwest's Customer Relations might yield a nice-sized travel voucher. Those letters are handled personally, but you can expect it to take 6 to 8 weeks.

This was the type of advice I was hoping to get with the OP. Thank you.

This was the type of advice I was hoping to get with the OP. Thank you.

That maybe have something to do with those words "Talkboard Vice President".;)

That maybe have something to do with those words "Talkboard Vice President".;)

Not really. The TalkBoard only makes policy recommendations for FlyerTalk. Forum creation, splitting, and merging are the main activities. We have several dedicated people trying to make FT better, but frankly it's very good the way it is.

KM, please hold off on the letter for a day or two. I just remembered that we have 2 or 3 new official Southwest representatives here on FlyerTalk. Since their arrival a few weeks ago they have been extremely helpful to FTers on all sorts of problems. They remind us of how everything used to be with Southwest, before financial stresses prompted some unpleasant changes. I will check with them on how the transition is being handled by Customer Relations.

I believe that if on a Southwest flight your aircraft had been swapped out from under you forcing an overnight, a Southwest department called Proactive Customer Service would have sent out an apology and a voucher within 48 hours of the flight. That's one part of Southwest that still works as well as ever for the customer.

This was the type of advice I was hoping to get with the OP. Thank you.

And you might have gotton helpful advice without the trashing if you had not escalated this into the ridiculous with words like despicable and your general over top description.

NSX, the letter is ready to go but I'll hold off as suggested.

Thanks very much!

And you might have gotton helpful advice without the trashing if you had not escalated this into the ridiculous with words like despicable and your general over top description.

The OP got it correct. AirTran was despicable to leave these frequent flyers stranded. I recommend he contact the Department of Transportation to file a consumer complaint, as well as informing the travel editor at USA Today and the Ombudsman at Condé Nast Traveler.

Condé Nast says:

"Got a problem? Ombudsman offers a free service of advice and mediation. Because of the volume of letters we receive, we cannot act in all cases. Write to Ombudsman at Condé Nast Traveler (4 Times Square, New York, N.Y. 10036) and include all documentation and all photographs. Please note that we cannot respond to submissions sent via e-mail. Correspondence must be typed and must include an address and a daytime telephone number. All submissions become the property of Condé Nast Traveler and will not be returned. Submissions may be edited and may be published or otherwise used in any medium."

I would also print your blog here at FlyerTalk so it will be easy for all to read comments regarding this matter. This is not the first time AirTran has done this. Let us know what the DOT says about AirTrans response to your complaint.

http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/503949?all=yes

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler

http://travel.usatoday.com/alliance/flights/boardingarea/archives

Well KM I feel your pain. I'm not going to reguritate all of my bad airline experiences because I'd get cramps in my hands from typing them. I've flown about 30 trips per year since 2006 and have flown most domestic airlines at one time or another.

I was never a huge WN fan, but flew them quite a bit because of Rapid Rewards. When they launched RR 2.0 earlier this year, my loyalty went to other airlines. I still use them half the time because they're either cheaper or have more flights in and out of my home airport, ONT, than other carriers.

I flew Delta and left them for no real reason other than I just didn't reap any benefits from being Silver Medallion. UA once left me stranded in SFO after I missed a connecting flight to Tokyo due to "air traffic control." Not only was I stuck for an additional 24 hours, I had to pay for my room, meals etc. I avoided UA for a year, but went back because they have so many code-share flights with US. I flew CO when I could, and really liked them, but now I think they'll become as bad as UA.

See what compensation you can get from Air Tran/SWA. Let your wallet be your guide for future airline reservations.

See you "Up in the Air."


P.S. I NEVER fly AA, but that's a long long story.

The reason I mentioned the LUV lanyard is because I was shocked they were not offering hotel, etc., and thought this was a SWA policy. Because SWA does not serve Wichita, I thought it might have to do with the fact FL is now owned by Southwest. I have flown SWA maybe 5 times in total and I thought their policy might be different from other airlines'.

Again, you are clueless about the two DIFFERENT airline. Both airline has not officially merged yet and still operates as two different carrier.

Until SWA and Airtran are combined as one airline with one operating certificate, then you can complained to SWA.

True, but airport staff are not gong to be able to explain this logic to irate passengers. So they just say "mechanical", which is misleading.

I agree with shifting resources to inconvenience fewer people, and this happens much more frequently on an airline with fewer types of aircraft due to greater swapability.

However, when your aircraft or crew is reallocated this way, IMHO the airline should pay your hotel and meal expenses. I seem to recall reading recently that Southwest's policy matches my opinion of fair treatment. A polite letter to Southwest's Customer Relations might yield a nice-sized travel voucher. Those letters are handled personally, but you can expect it to take 6 to 8 weeks.

Don't you meant a polite letter to Airtran Customer Relations? This has NOTHING to do with Southwest. Southwest doesn't own Airtran yet.....officially

Southwest doesn't own Airtran yet.....officially

I think if you check, you'll find that Southwest does indeed own AirTran.

What hasn't happened yet is the operational merger of the two airlines, when they go under a single operating certificate (SOC). Until happens, they're being operated as two separate airlines.

I think if you check, you'll find that Southwest does indeed own AirTran.

What hasn't happened yet is the operational merger of the two airlines, when they go under a single operating certificate (SOC). Until happens, they're being operated as two separate airlines.

Correct. I have asked about how and when Customer Relations will merge, and I expect to hear back today or tomorrow.

It's not the answer you or I wanted. Southwest would just forward your letter to AirTran at this point. I guess their customer compensation budgets are still separate.

My advice is to send the letter to AirTran. If their response is inadequate, wait until the Customer Relations function is merged, which I imagine will be less than a year from now. Then send a new letter to Southwest asking them to apply Southwest's famed customer service to a situation in which AirTran, which they owned at the time of your flight, dropped the ball.

My advice is to send the letter to AirTran.

Thank you for checking on my behalf.

The letter will go out tomorrow. We'll see what AirTran says.

I said I'd report back.

Received a nice letter this morning from AirTran that further explained the problem and a round-trip ticket. I am very pleased with this and appreciate AirTran looking into the matter and responding.

I said I'd report back.

Received a nice letter this morning from AirTran that further explained the problem and a round-trip ticket. I am very pleased with this and appreciate AirTran looking into the matter and responding.

You are still out your hotel bill. Why wouldn't AirTran reimburse you for that as well?

I said I'd report back.

Received a nice letter this morning from AirTran that further explained the problem and a round-trip ticket. I am very pleased with this and appreciate AirTran looking into the matter and responding.

Damn, you're good! Next time I have a problem I'm going to ask YOU to write my letter. @:-)

I am also very impressed with the speed of AirTran's response. Southwest has never responded to one of my letters that quickly.

I am also very impressed with the speed of AirTran's response. Southwest has never responded to one of my letters that quickly.

AirTran has always been great in responding to complaints. I have gotten email responses in a day or two.

I would file a DOT complaint about this one. The fact that its a mechanical means they should be providing you with hotels/meals/etc.

There is no legal requirement that they do so. The type and extent of compensation you get for canceled or delayed flights is totally up to the airline. A complaint to DOT will probably get you into a database but that's about it.

You are still out your hotel bill. Why wouldn't AirTran reimburse you for that as well?

Because there is no requirement for them to do so. Although it isn't unusual, there is no federal rule.

As a long time FL A+ elite, I will continue to fly them until they take out the business class seats. I don't really expect anything from any airline beyond a good faith effort to get me on the flight I booked and deliver me to my destination (with my luggage) as close to on time as possible. One of things I've come to understand with Airtran is that their method of operation, with the bulk of their flights rotating in and out of ATL, is very vulnerable to the ripple effect of small problems throughout the day. I generally expect flights to operate farther and farther behind schedule as the day progresses and don't make critical arrangements based on scheduled flight departures and arrivals based on that understanding. Although I rarely book connections on FL since I live in Atlanta, it does happen occasionally. I almost never take the first connection listed based on my many years of flying FL and the knowledge that the chances of making a quick connection at ATL get smaller and smaller as the day goes by. That's just the reality of flying on FL. No concourse I've ever been in has more people sprinting from gate to gate than C concourse at ATL between 6 and 10 pm.

Nobody is forced to fly FL. Other airlines operate differently. Maybe it's no excuse but it is not surprising that Airtran employees are not as happy, helpful and supportive as they used to be. I'm not as happy about flying with them as I used to be. It's a shame that Southwest bought them and it will probably end up costing them a lot of loyal business customers, but I expect that in the end WN will fill the planes with people that are OK with the cattle call system in exchange for saving a couple of dollars here and there and those of us who are willing to spend a couple dollars more for a better experience will go elsewhere.

I'm not as happy about flying with them as I used to be. It's a shame that Southwest bought them and it will probably end up costing them a lot of loyal business customers, but I expect that in the end WN will fill the planes with people that are OK with the cattle call system in exchange for saving a couple of dollars here and there and those of us who are willing to spend a couple dollars more for a better experience will go elsewhere.

Where are you going to go, though? I always thought Southwest moving into Atlanta would be good for competition into/through there, but having it happen at the expense of losing AirTran as an airline is very unfortunate.

You are still out your hotel bill. Why wouldn't AirTran reimburse you for that as well?

I didn't have a hotel bill. I got a refund of my AirTran fare and switched to UA and got home that evening.

I didn't have a hotel bill. I got a refund of my AirTran fare and switched to UA and got home that evening.

Don't give up. It is your money. On most major hotel chains, you can easily get a duplicate copy of your bill on line. They are also happy to fax or mail a duplicate to you. After all, unlike AirTran was in your issue, most organizations like to give great customer service.