Kadija Pum
map-marker Chattanooga, Tennessee

Airtran Airways Flight Review from Chattanooga, Tennessee

stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full
Updated by user Aug 24, 2015

Spoke to a very nice lady tonight with Southwest ... she actually showed some empathy and is now helping to resolve this issue!

Original review Aug 23, 2015
I trusted AirTran again and again they have failed me. My family and I went on a vacation cruise last year and upon returning we found that AirTran had lost all 7 of our bags!!! It took 6 hrs of extreme persistence to get the representative at the AirTran counter to contact someone to help us locate our luggage....which was in Orlando FL and should have been in Atlanta GA with us! So one year later, I convinced my parents that surely things were better now and that wouldn't happen to them.. to my surprise their much anticipated vacation has turned into a nightmare. My mom's luggage is nowhere to be found... just disappeared into thin air!! All we get when we call is that it hasn't been traced yet. How in the world can two people check their bags at the same time, get the same destination tags, and one bag make it and the other disappears.... I mean no trace of it! Something is really wrong and this needs to be addressed. I see comments after comments of the same issue and nothing is being changed. And then Airtran has the audacity to offer me a plane ticket for my trouble???? Why....so you can loose another bag!! This is absolutely appalling. Do you even care what's going on with your company? Of all the airlines I have traveled, Airtran has caused me more heartache than I care to remember. Someone at this company has to care.
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Pros:
  • Great ticket price
Cons:
  • Misplaced or lost luggage
Reason of review:
Problem with delivery
Anonymous
map-marker Rochester, Michigan

Baggage Claim Review

Baggage claim takes FOREVER at Detroit airport. What a *** waste of time.
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Reason of review:
Poor customer service
Ilah Gsn
map-marker Flowery Branch, Georgia

Flight Review

AirTran sucks as usual. Once again a delayed flight in Atlanta with no expectation.
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Featured
Anonymous
map-marker Baltimore, Maryland

Rude, deplorable treatment by AirTran CSA's

On December 17th 2013, my 17-year daughter and I attempted to board our flight to Aruba for a week-long Christmas vacation. I booked these tickets on the phone with an AirTran representative in July and was only informed of needing a valid passport for my 17-year-old. With valid passports and round trip tickets in hand, we approached your baggage drop-off representative. That’s when things started to go went wrong. We were met with a representative who told us that we needed a travel authorization form from my daughter’s father since he was not traveling with us. This seemed to us a nuisance since it was never required of us in the past, however, we quickly complied and went to work getting what we needed. By the way, we checked and the only modest notification we received prior to this was a link within an e-mail sent 1 business day ahead of our flight that sends the viewer to a page that discusses valid passports and other criteria, but also has another confusing link which ultimately brings the user to a site that says a letter is needed (even though details about the form are not included and the actual Aruban site does not state such requirement. Despite this, we immediately got in touch with my daughter’s father (~7am) , had him create the document to their precise specifications, then had him find a notary to have the document signed and notarized, and had it returned in plenty of time for our 8:30am flight. This was no easy feat; we were pleased that with our accomplishment. Despite faxing and emailing this document several times, the document was never good enough for AirTran. I’ve checked multiple sources through the Aruba Travel Bureau and U.S. Customs; there is no such rule stating this "required document" regarding travel with a minor. It's only on AirTran's site. There is a recommendation from U.S. Customs that an authorization be obtained but there is no requirement. However, after all the work obtaining the letter they initially asked for, they then required yet a different form with a different seal. At this point, we had run out of time. So we sobbed. We pleaded. We begged them to let us get on that flight. We assured them we would take full responsibility and would resolve any issues in Aruba directly with the Customs personnel making said “rules.” We suggested to have her father obtain this “bank seal” they now required and have it faxed to Aruba customs and AirTran representatives in Aruba before we landed (since it was “Aruba’s requirement”), yet nothing was good enough. The AirTran representative stood there smirking with attitude galore, and stated that my daughter was not getting on that flight and I would have to go without her (as my daughter stood there hysterical). She told us the Aruban authorities would take my daughter and put her alone in a holding cell and I would not see her again, and that AirTran would be fined $10,000 for the incident. My daughter is a few months from being 18 and traveling with her mother, she is not a toddler for fear of being kidnapped. Where is some common sense here? However, AirTran blamed it all on Aruba officials. AirTran representatives also told us that no other AirTran flights were available until after Christmas (a week later), and we would need to book through another airline. That was untrue as well. Later that day, I searched tickets and found almost all AirTran flights to Aruba had seats available. My sister fly to Aruba on the 19th (2 days later) and stated that there were many empty seats on that flight. Ultimately, I was forced to leave my sobbing daughter alone at BWI and board the plane without her as my other daughter, who I had paid a full-price seat for flying out of Michigan, was meeting us in Aruba and would have been stranded there alone with no money and means to check into a hotel. AirTran officials were told this but they did not care. When I asked the AirTran representative at the gate to check her status as I just left one sobbing daughter and had no idea where the other one was, she was also rude, snapping at me and informing me that she didn’t have time to deal with that as she needed to get the plane boarded. Other customers on that plane witnessed AirTran employees and approached me to offer their sympathies for the horrible treatment we received by AirTran. Thankfully, we were able to re-book my 17-year-old through another airline. Flying with US Air, by the way, was a breeze; they had never even asked for the sealed authorization form we worked so hard to obtain, nor did the Aruban Customs officials ask for this letter once my daughter landed in Aruba (by herself with no parent at all!). We looked into it further, and found that the Aruban Travel Bureau was alarmed at the misrepresentations stated AirTran. This airline truly ruined our vacation, and made us regret choosing Aruba as our Christmas destination.
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4 comments
Guest

There must be a consumer reporting agency that can help us consumers who have been ripped off by Allegiant Air. I have been on hold for over 3 hours on 2 sep occasions and cannot get any help.

They have charged my credit card, will not credit my account as promised with the voucher I have and no one will answer the phone.

AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK IT CAN'T GET ANY WORSE, THEY CANCEL MY RESERVATION

I WILL NEVER EVER FLY WITH THESE IDIOTS AGAIN. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW MESSED UP THEIR PILOTS ARE?

John N Mzy

All you can do is pass the word around and hope people don't fly Air Tran. You might want to file a complaint with the FAA---online at their site---plus write a letter to Air Tran corporate---for whatever good that will do.

Airlines have, in general become arrogant and inept. Not all, but the standards across the industry for hiring have declined to the point where bad employees are now the rule at most airlines.

They know many people have to fly and, like the TSA for example, take advantage of their power to mess with people. This is typical of a fascist state and of an arrogant out of control industry.

Guest

You are a parent of a 17 year old. That means you should be able to figure out that they are doing this to protect your daughter.

Many children get kidnapped by the other parent when there is a divorce.

And for crying out loud, refusing to change the rules JUST FOR YOU. Is not the same as being rude.

Sara L Xph
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-766855

You are an I diot with a capital I. Did you even read the complaint or was it just too difficult for you to comprehend?

Air Tran was clearly making up their own rules and trying to pass them off as some kind of legal requirement. Clearly the mother did everything in her power to comply and in my opinion was treated poorly.

How exactly is what they did "protecting your daughter?" I'm guessing you would have difficulty with that one. :roll :roll

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Anonymous
map-marker Jacksonville, Florida

AirTran Airways - Poor Flight Experience Review

OK I'm extremely pissed I was stuck in Atlanta airport for 4 hrs for an hour flight to Raleigh in Atlanta the plane first had engine trouble than no air the flight attendant was very nasty to the children on the plane to top it off I had need but bites from the plane wtf note I have to fumigate my belongings and have to desk with bed bug bites I will never use this airline again I want a refund wait and didn't mention the airline forgot to tell us the gates change it took a passenger to tell us this airline was very unprofessional
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1 comment
Guest

I recently had a very bad experience flying Air Tran from Atlanta to California. The seats are too close together, the aisle is ridiculously small.

I had a bout with claustrophobia for the first time, nobody even cared! The flight attendant was rude. I will NEVER fly this airline again.

I returned on a Southwest airline, and that flight was just fine. Please improve Air Tran, or shut it down!

Anonymous
map-marker Baltimore, Maryland

Our flight was delayed 3 hrs....

Our flight was delayed for 3 hours and we were told it was due to a maintenance issue...Glad we were told that but then I overheard passengers saying something about $100 per customer..therefore I want to know what are we getting for this delay?..during our flight passengers purchased alcohol & were not to pay now they would come back for the payment...I thought that was odd since I know a credit card is used when purchasing a drink....later I found out the alcohol drinks were free...totally rude not to inform all the passengers about this!...I feel I should be compensated for this inconvenience immediately...2 tickets were purchased for this flight so 2 people were inconvenienced....thank you and I look forward to hearing how this will be resolved.
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gallardowalker w

Involuntary Bumping vs Involuntary Denied Boarding for Overbooking

Booked 2 flights in Oct 2013,  for Airtran nonstop flt 817 depart Dec 22 from bwi @ 9am, arrive in punta cana at 1:52pm for a family holiday vacation. I also purchased 2 seats 23C & 23A! Airtran e-mailed me Dec 19 with our new flight times changes and flight changed to FLT 133 to depart bwi @ 7:55am, arrive Atlanta 9:55am, depart Atlanta @ 4:30pm, arrive PuntA Cana @ 8:57pm!! Guess what - flt did not leave ATL until 5:40pm!! We arrived in Punta Cana hotel almost midnight!! All day of our first day family vacation wasted!    I also received call from Airtran after they e-mailed me, the agent said our flight times changed, but the agent did not say that Airtran was involuntary removing us from our originally purchased nonstop flights. When I asked agent, why they are changing our flights, agent's response was that Airtran oversold the nonstop FLT 817! I was upset and furious, so I ended the call!    I called Airtran Customer Service and I was offered flight out from bwi on later dates! I informed agent that our hotel was prepaid and that later flights was unacceptable! I spoke with supervisor Heather and she offered refund of 2 one way of our fares and seat fees! I asked info about 400% for involuntary removal by Airtran from our original flight - her response was that we were not Involuntary Denied Boarding (IDB) so compensation does not apply to us!!  It is legal business practice by Airtran - overselling seats on flights -  bait and switch - and Airtran's ability  to go around US Dept of Transportation rule for IDB, Airtran involuntary removed us from the original Dec 22 flight that we paid for, and on Dec 19 moved us on different flights!!  Subsequently, we were not involuntary removed by Airtran on Dec 22, so the US Dept of Transportation Rule DID NOT apply to us; Airtran avoided compensation of 400% or maximum compensation of US$1300 per passenger for involuntary removing us from our original nonstop flight from BWI!  What is the legal definition of IDB and Involuntary Removal of paying passengers from flights?  US Dept of Transportation is reviewing my case because I need to know my rights as a consumer!   Airtran must Explain to me  in writing why we were involuntary removed from our originally paid flight besides the issue of Airtran oversold seats on Flt 817, Dec 22, 2013. How does Airtran decide which passengers to remove involuntarily from flights? Why does Airtran oversell seats on flights in the first place? Because it is legal and they have the right?
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Rockwell Rdz
map-marker Cancun, Quintana Roo

Delayed but never given explanation

AirTran Airways - Delayed but never given explanation
My boyfriend and I were coming back from Mexico and the plan was for us to leave Mexico in the afternoon, have a layover in Atlanta and then come home to KC that night. Simple right? Air Tran effed it up pretty badly. We get to the airport in Mexico to find our flight delayed. We asked the ticket agent at our gate if they had any information about the flight and what was going on. "I don't know" was the answer. At first it was only a couple hours delay so we don't worry too much. The delay extends from two hours to four, we ask again the answer is still "I don't know". By now I am starting to become frustrated (Really? They should have told the ticket agents/gate people SOMETHIING by now?) and cranky but with no other option we wait it out. When seven pm comes along (we had been at the airport for a good six hours by this point) no plane and still no answer for what is causing the delay (another answer of "Sorry, we really don't know"). Two hours after this we FINALLY get an answer but that was when the plane arrived at the gate and we were boarding! The problem was a shift change that was shorthanded and some maintenance issues! No one had bothered to tell any of the passengers on that flight or the ticket/gate agents what was going on we were kept out of the loop for at least eight hours not knowing what to do and missing our connecting flight. Then we were stuck on the runway for 20 minutes because they didn't have the damned flight plan! Thankfully we made it home the next morning but I will never fly Air Tran again for this lack of communication. It was inexcusable.
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2 comments
Guest

um, they don't leave the gate without a flight plan. try again. maybe you should drive next time or take your private jet?

Guest

Here's some :cry for your whine and cheese party.

This must have been your first flight.

This stuff happens all the time. Get over it.

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Anonymous
map-marker Overland Park, Kansas

Rude Customer Service Over Booking Flights

More should have been added to the tag line. First off Airtran is owned by Southwest. On the way to my vacation from Milwaukee the check baggage was outside. It was below 20 degrees when I left. Second on all three of the flights they asked passangers to give up their seats. When no one does the last passangers to check in are out of a seat. Right now there are 7 passangers without a seat to Chicago. I am only here in ATL still because Southwest had a gate change, the ended up being late and the flight attendants wouldnt allow me to sit further up (there are no assigned seats) so I can make my next flight which I would have if I was further up. I get off the plane and an airtran csr is waiting on me. She looks at the papers in her hands and says, "You have a flight to Milwaukee. You won't make, here are your new tickets leaving at 7:30 and arriving at 8:38. You wouldn't ugh made it anyway cuz da next flight is all da way in F terminal." Yes, I'm serious she was speaking just like that. The customer service reps are ghetto. They give out vouchers good for a year but clearly the csr doesn't fully understand how to redeem them.she just told a customer I guess you can call and do it that way.
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Wayne Braun
map-marker Venice, Florida

Lost luggage and treated very poorly

AirTran lost my luggage while I was on vacation and did very little to help me. I'm on day 7 of my vacation and I have everything I need in my bags. The reps at AirTran just don't care about people, one rep was even texting while I stood in line for 2 hours after they left me stranded in a state where my connecting flight was. They actually screwed up my connecting flight and changed the gate and the passengers didn't know so the plane took off without everyone. They never answered the phone after 50+ calls and now they are closed on a weekend so I won't get my luggage at all while I'm on vacation. At one point they even lied just to get me off the phone I assume and told me they found both my bags and I would get them in the morning. After I called again that day ( I was calling 4-5 times a day) they told me they only had one bag and that's what the notes on my account say.just lie after lie and no hurry to help me. At one point I was told there was nothing I could do but wait and the people at the baggage office will start answering their phone when they can because they are under staffed and busy doing other things. In other words, shut up, stop calling and we'll call you!
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Anonymous

Charged high rate to change flight departure time.

While on vacation my wife's father passed away and we had to come home earlier than expected. Airtran charged us a hefty premium to change our return flight. I know other airlines wave this fee when the death of an immediate family member requires a change in flight plan. I am very disappointed in this airline for being so dispassionate. It saddens me that they would take advantage of a very sad situation to basically blackmail us. On top of the extra charge our connection flight on the way home was delayed almost 3 hours while we waited for 15 passengers from another flight to arrive.
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Anonymous
map-marker Miami, Florida

IPhone stolen from baggage

I traveled to Mexico and one of my luggage was opened and my iPhone was stolen they left the box empty. I would never travel with this airline again ! When I asked or try to require about where To make a complain the lady from this airline just told me timers was nothing she could so since I didn't notice when it happened . I went home and noticed I guess I should have checked my bag when I first picked it up just to make sure my belongings were there ! This isn't suppose to be an issue .
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1 comment
Guest

why would you have an iphone in your checked bag and not on your person? that was dumb of you.

Anonymous
map-marker Atlanta, Georgia

Airtran broken my Swiss Rolling Luggage bag and refused to Fix it.

I was returning from a flight on Airtran back to Atlanta and went to get my checked bag. When I got it off the carousel the handle on my Swiss rolling luggage Bag was broken. I had to figure out a way to get this bag and the two others I had over to the Airtran office accross from the baggage carousel. Once there I showed the attendant my baggage claim check and my broken bag that I could no longer use the handle to roll the bag. She informed me that Airtran's policy is that they only cover tears or structural damage to bags. In my opinion, this was major structural damage to my bag. She offered me no more assistance and if you have ever been to the Airport in Atlanta and then catch the train, you know how difficult of a time I had. Airtran, shame on you. Handles are part of the bag. You broke it, and refused to fix it. I will not fly with you again, and will post this same complaint on every social media I can find and lets see how many people agree with me. Question: Doesn't the poor pr and customer complaints cost you more in the long run than replacing a $100 bag? - I'm just saying.-
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Loss:
$100
1 comment
Guest

you should buy a less raggedy bag next time

Anonymous
map-marker Buffalo, New York

Airtran lies again

15 hour delay in Buffalo to Orlando flight due to computer problem on the plane. Promised 2 round trip flights each and $200.00 voucher. Called to claim...said they would never have promised either. Lied to shut people up...never again. Delayed for 15 hours and never saw a supervisor. They left the poor girls at the counter out to dry. Very poor leadership quality. Flight was booked through Southwest, they claimed that a $200.00 voucher that was promised would be emailed within 48 hours. Called back 3 days later and they said they had no record of that call (even though a supervisor approved it to me over the phone). This merger between SW and AirTran has been enough for me to pull my employees from flying with them. What a huge merger mistake this was.
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Loss:
$3500
1 comment
Guest

airtran was a lot better before SW bought them. SW ruined a great airline

Tadd Yce
map-marker New York, New York

Stranded in New York City and Missed Cancer Treatment

Recently I had a very upsetting and costly experience due to Airtrans lack of communication and rude LaGuardia airport staff. Let me explain to you what happened. When we arrived to the airport TWO HOURS AHEAD of our originally scheduled departure time we proceeded directly thru security and to our gate. We were the last gate and it was very crowded...no seating left anywhere. We sat as close as we could to the AirTran section so we wouldn't miss any announcements. Then about 15 mins after we got there we noticed that our flight had been delayed according to the airports flight status screens. I checked with our gate and indeed we had been delayed from 830p to 932p And the board behind our gate had been changed to note the delay. So we waited..no big deal. I kept checking on our plane because NO update announcements were being made by the staff and our gate was so crowded we had to sit two gates down. We started getting worried when 9p rolled around and still no boarding announcements or updates. I asked the lady at the gate and she replied...sorry honey your plane has already left. WOW. No announcement...nothing. My first time in NYC and I was stranded at the airport. It was terrifying. I wasn't alone though AirTran had stranded about 5 others along with me. They too heard no announcement and were stunned that no one walked down to make a "last call for boarding" knowing that they were missing passengers that had clearly checked in and had checked baggage. So here we were...in NYC with NO room, no ride and little spending cash because we were on a VERY TIGHT budget and most of the cheaper hotels had sold out already due to other flight cancellations. Not to mention my luggage had left without me and was headed back to Akron, Ohio with BOTH OF OUR DAILY REQUIRED MEDICATIONS. When we asked the AirTran employees at the gate they simply said we would have to catch a later flight the next day. That was very VERY bad news. I am a cancer patient and I had to undergo a chemo session the next day. It's absolutely critical that I stay on track with my treatments to treat the type of cancer I have. I had to MISS MY TREATMENT. Not to mention, my fiance had to miss work and got docked a days pay. On top of all that, we had to get a room in a hotel that we hadn't budgeted on and did not WANT to spend money on ($152.00 to be exact). We had to spend $50 on cab rides to and from the airport. Again, this is all money we WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO SPEND if AirTran would have been better at communicating with their passengers. So in all, our experience with AirTran was very bad. I would think that we should be entitled to some form of compensations for our troubles. Reimbursement for our hotel and cab or credit with Airtran in someway? Please make this situation right. My entire family flys AirTran and my brother is frequent business traveler with his company. I am very VERY good with social media marketing and I will make sure my experience will be shared with all your customers and the world. I would not be complaining if it was indeed my fault for missing the flight. But clearly there was NO communication by the LaGuardia AirTran staff and even less enthusiasm in helping the stranded passengers find their way to the gate on time. There were 5 of us at least. Really? Five missing seats and clearly 5 passengers checked in. I have documentation of everything. Please make us forget we were ever stranded in New York City and make this right.
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Loss:
$300
2 comments
Guest

I was not there but obviously some boarding announcements had to have been made because how did the other 100 or so how many ever passengers get onboard?

Guest

I'm really sorry for this. I think if you can prove you missed a cancer treatment you have a case for a whole lot more then your hotel fees. Seriously a cancer treatment? Get up these people's behinds. This has to do with your life being in danger and they need to pay for that.

Never leave your medications in anything that travels with out you. Always put medications in your carry on. Medications prescribed to you are allowed and it's recommended you don't do this.

That is terrible though, if you can prove the things you are saying I say you start a case.

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Sugar Eas
map-marker Baltimore, Maryland

Lost my luggage

I traveled on June 24, 13, from Ft Laud to Baltimore Maryland,on flight #321 departing at 8:30 am and arriving at 11:05 am. One piece of luggage was missing and took practically more than 30hrs to locate the piece of luggage. I explained the importance of the luggage to the agent who took care my situation who said i should get it by the end of the day, but it didn't happened, the luggage was delivered at 1:30 am on the morning of Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon, i received a call that my luggage was found and the reason it was lost was because i forgot an old tag from a year before and it was sent it to Hartford Airport, but to my understanding that it is always remove (like in my case that i forgot to remove it)by the person at the desk responsible to ck luggage and boarding pass. I was at a Convention of 3 thousand people and i have to replace almost everything, including all my toiletries. On Tuesday afternoon, when the person called me he said i should got the luggage by 10 at night, but it was until 1:30am that i got it.(already Wednesday) At 11:30 pm when i called a woman named Lori, she told me that the driver was in my area and will be there in half hr.but it was at almost 1:00am that the driver called me to get directions, and said he was not in the area at the time the lady told me. He said that he received my luggage almost at midnight. On top of all this, and not even able to sleep correctly for all this time, since my vitamins and minerals that i take were in the luggage, i have to go downstairs from the place were i was staying, to meet the driver for he can't find the place. I am not pleased with this situation and i will like a recompense to the stress i went through this was a real nightmare. I hope in the future have better train people at least to remove an old tag of luggage instead of send it to the wrong place.
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