Our country is rapidly becoming third world in search of cheap service for cheap products. That is not how this country was built. It use to be that your money was worth something in travel.
Our country is rapidly becoming third world in search of cheap service for cheap products. That is not how this country was built. It use to be that your money was worth something in travel.
Sure it is! Our forefathers only went to war to get out of paying the stamp tax :p
Our country is rapidly becoming third world in search of cheap service for cheap products. That is not how this country was built. It use to be that your money was worth something in travel.
From Allegiant's Website:
Bolding Mine
Regarding ONCI Passengers may check in online from 24 hours to 1 hour before their scheduled departure time. Passengers with baggage to check may check-in online and then proceed to the Baggage Check counter when they arrive at the airport. Please note that all baggage must be checked-in at least 1 hour prior to departure.
What time should I arrive at the airport for my flight?
Allegiant recommends arriving at the airport at least two (2) hours prior to scheduled departure. Customers need to be checked in no less than 45 minutes prior to scheduled departure which is when the ticket counter closes.
Maybe I missed something in the article, but were the,"stranded" passengers there two hours prior to departure? It is my guess they were not.
I have regularly flown out of two small stations for both UA and US, (CKB and SWF, respectively), and these airlines both have the same OR similar policy (30 minutes prior, howeve)
In CKB, one doesn't clear security until boarding time, so there is always one or two passengers who miss the flight.
Our country is rapidly becoming third world in search of cheap service for cheap products. That is not how this country was built. It use to be that your money was worth something in travel.
Actually it is how this country was built. The individual has the freedom to select a sevice and what level that service is provided. This is what today allows the masses to fly, at what level of service they choose, and allows markets such as these to have nonstop service to Las Vegas. The alternative is to have government dicate service, only the wealthy can fly (as was prior 1970's), and limited service with no inovation.
Wally Bird
Jan 14, 12, 9:09 am
LeBlanc said the counter closed about an hour and five minutes before the flight was scheduled to leave.
...
Allegiant spokeswoman Jessica Wheeler said it is the airline's policy to close its ticket counters 45 minutes before the departure time. Wheeler said the Lafayette counter closed around 8:58 p.m. Thursday, or about 30 minutes before the flight was set to leaveSomebody's lying, err... mistaken. Should we start a poll as to which of the above statements is accurate ?
BearX220
Jan 14, 12, 9:20 am
Actually it is how this country was built. The individual has the freedom to select a sevice and what level that service is provided. This is what today allows the masses to fly, at what level of service they choose, and allows markets such as these to have nonstop service to Las Vegas. The alternative is to have government dicate service, only the wealthy can fly (as was prior 1970's), and limited service with no inovation.
Yup. In a free market you have a choice, and you get what you pay for. Maybe now these angry passengers will figure out why their Vegas tickets cost $59 while DL, AA, etc. charge much more. Allegant doesn't employ any extra staff.
Often1
Jan 14, 12, 9:22 am
1. You get what you pay for. Allegiant saves a ton of money by moving counter agents out to the ramp to load the luggage and other tasks. Those savings translate into lower fares.
2. Allegiant recomends arrival at the airport 2 hours before scheduled departure. Few people other than kettles do that anymore on purpose, but it's a risk we all take. I know that I can leave my office 60 minutes before scheduled departure on the USS xDCA and be onboard and settled in well before departure. But, it's my risk and the couple of times that circumstances have combined to make me late, I'm delayed an hour until the next flight. I wouldn't do this on a 3x/weekly TPAC.
3. People make choices. I don't like the entire Allegiant concept, but there are apparently enough folks out there who do to keep it flying. This is America and it's just fine with me that others travel differently than I do. It's not for me to criticize their travel (and spending) habits any more than I ought to criticize someone who chooses McDonald's over a 4-star restaurant.
Ocn Vw 1K
Jan 14, 12, 9:55 am
Please follow the discussion as the thread moves to the appropriate airline forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.
sdtumbleweed
Jan 14, 12, 9:57 am
"Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on our part"..... :p
Often1
Jan 14, 12, 12:05 pm
+1 - Or in FT-speak, "Everyone expects a RTW in F fully changeable/refundable for US$49 and for the aircraft to wait for them to be ready at each segment."
N830MH
Jan 14, 12, 10:19 pm
There is no reason to leave behind at ticket counter. Those passengers who haven't received the boarding pass or checked bags. Why they cutoff time requirements? 45 minutes is not a real specific time. Must be reduced the bag cutoff time requirement is least 30 minutes before departed flight. Some airports who does not have 45 minutes before departed flight.
kwildnj
Jan 14, 12, 10:48 pm
There is no reason to leave behind at ticket counter. Those passengers who haven't received the boarding pass or checked bags. Why the bag requirement cutoff time? 45 minutes is not a real specific time. Must be reduced the bag cutoff time requirement is least 30 minutes before departed flight. Some airports who does not have 45 minutes before departed flight.
As usual, I cannnot understand your post, at all, so ezcuse me if my answer does not address it correctly.
I quite clear on Alligeant's website that passengers should arrive twohours prior to departure, and that they must be checked in 45 (bag or no bag) no later than 45
minutes in advance of their flight. (See my earlier post)
Honestly, an airline could require you to arrive 12 hours early, and be checked in 11 hours beforehand, its upto the airline. Its also up to a passenger to read and be aware of policies before puchasing a ticket.
So...why does Alligeant cutoff checkin at 45 minutes?
Because the same agents that check you in also guide the inbound plane into the gate,, clean it, unload/load the baggage, and guide it back from the gate, etc. Alligeant runs with a slender staff at their outstations to save money. It appears they aerve this particular airport with a single flight two or three times a week, and thats it.
Also, without seeing some proof from a passenger (ie cellphone records/photo with timestamp, I must side with the Airline on this one.
formeraa
Jan 19, 12, 10:25 am
The alternative is to have government dicate service, only the wealthy can fly (as was prior 1970's), and limited service with no inovation.
I agree with your statement except for the "no innovation". Actually, pre-deregulation, US carriers were known for their innovations in safety and in-flight service as well as in the computerized reservations systems. AA's SABRE and UA's APOLLO reservations systems were gold standards for the worldwide airline industry.
Obviously, the US airline industry has turned into a mass "bus" system for the masses over the past 30 years.
fairviewroad
Jan 20, 12, 10:43 am
Anyone else find this comment extremely bizarre?
Allegiant spokeswoman Jessica Wheeler said
"We made every effort to contact the flight crew and hold the plane, however, we were unable to do so,"
Um, the airline doesn't even know how to contact its own planes? :confused::D
dunderhead
Jan 20, 12, 5:57 pm
Not only do you get what you pay for with Allegiant, you get the baggage of their executives who help form the corporate culture...Maurice Gallagher of ValuJet (Florida Everglades fame), Kris Bauer of Northwest (responsible for the world's oldest fleet and their DC9s), and Tyri Squires (ex of the Aladdin Hotel, never in the airline business before).
Halo117
Jan 26, 12, 11:39 am
Not only do you get what you pay for with Allegiant, you get the baggage of their executives who help form the corporate culture...Maurice Gallagher of ValuJet (Florida Everglades fame), Kris Bauer of Northwest (responsible for the world's oldest fleet and their DC9s), and Tyri Squires (ex of the Aladdin Hotel, never in the airline business before).
G4 may not be for everybody, but their execs come from companies who have been around awhile...Valujet is Airtran...now WN and NW is now DL. Plus the business model of buying/owning used MD80s has paid off big time for G4. So I can't blame them for making money. Lastly the Aladdin hotel guy brings expertise to the vacation package marketing G4 offers. They don't try to just sell air tickets, they offer hotels and other activities.
Boggles my mind that folks don't read rules and then complain when they are enforced. G4 works well for some folks and others pay more to not experience the LCC model G4 has used.
Not fully defending G4, just providing insight on what they do and where they came from.
fairviewroad
Apr 3, 12, 4:29 pm
Allegiant's early check-in deadline claims a new round of "victims":
I use victims in quotes because by their own admission, these travelers did not read the fine print, instead relying on their common sense that would--in all other cases--be correct to assume that showing up at a small airport like PSC a full hour before departure would be plenty of time. Welcome to Allegiant, folks! :D