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AirTran Airways Complaint - Stranded In Georgia - You Won't Believe It - Brutal Customer Service - You Must Read
Brutal Customer Service - You Must Read - Complaint
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA -- May 15, 2008 - We were to fly from Ft. Meyers to Atlanta to connect to Phila. We left Ft. Myers at 5:5PM and were told we would be at the gate before our scheduled 7:40PM arrival time. At 8:00PM we were still circling Atlanta. We had to divert to Columbus, GA as were were running out of fuel. We got to Columbus. No fuel available. We sat in the plane until 10:00PM (2 hours)waiting for a fuel truck. We were fueled by 10:30. We were then told the plane had a mechanical problem and we could not get back to Atlanta. They secured 3 buses from ALABAMA to take us to Atlanta. The buses arrived after midnight. Atlanta is 95 miles away. 40 miles into the bus trip, the bus broke down. We waited on the side of the road in Georgia at 2:00 AM for a replacement bus. The bus showed up at 3:00 AM. We were told an "official" from AIR TRAN would meet us upon our arrival. We got to the airport at 4:00 AM. NO ONE from AIR TRAN was there to meet us. We found the ticket counter. The ticket reps were amazingly rude and inconsiderate. We waited 4 more hours in the airport for a connecting flight to Philadelphia. We were told our luggage from the canceled flight would be sent to the new flight.
We touched down 45 minutes late in Philadelphia(14 hours after the original flight was to arrive). To no one surprise, the luggage did not arrive. AIR TRAN does not have a luggage tracking system, so they could not tell me where my bag was but promised it would arrive today. Today is just about over, still no bags.
AIR TRAN never offered us food, water, or any type of apology for their behavior and incredibly poor decision making. More to follow as this saga continues to unfold.
We touched down 45 minutes late in Philadelphia(14 hours after the original flight was to arrive). To no one surprise, the luggage did not arrive. AIR TRAN does not have a luggage tracking system, so they could not tell me where my bag was but promised it would arrive today. Today is just about over, still no bags.
AIR TRAN never offered us food, water, or any type of apology for their behavior and incredibly poor decision making. More to follow as this saga continues to unfold.
Comments:
Posted by Hugh_Jorgen on 2008-05-16:
I suspect we are going to hear more of these stories about all the airlines. I just read the other day where the airlines are fueling aircraft to the FAA minimum requirement in order to reduce weight and therefore improve fuel burn.
Where you used to be able to circle for an hour or so, now it's down to a portion of that - then you will have to divert to an alternate airport.
I wonder how many more gallons of Jet A in the tanks would have prevented this problem and the expenses they incurred (not to mention 100+ very unhappy customers)?
Where you used to be able to circle for an hour or so, now it's down to a portion of that - then you will have to divert to an alternate airport.
I wonder how many more gallons of Jet A in the tanks would have prevented this problem and the expenses they incurred (not to mention 100+ very unhappy customers)?
Posted by Ben There on 2008-05-16:
I am guessing since you had to divert that weather caused the initial problem?
Posted by wgaguy1984 on 2008-05-16:
Well, the diverson to Columbus, presumably for weather, and inavailability of fuel, since they don't normally operate there, is really beyond their control. Even if the plane hadnt malfunctioned, you probably still would have been stranded in Atlanta overnight, with no hotel room provided by the airline. Granted the mechanical delay, and everything from that point forward with the buses was their fault. You definitely deserve comp though. I can't believe they didn't offer you a meal voucher for ATL, at least you could have gotten breakfast.
I don't know what it is about ATL but I think the employees for every airline there are rude.
I don't know what it is about ATL but I think the employees for every airline there are rude.
Posted by ejack053824 on 2008-05-16:
What type of airplane was this?
Posted by Hugh_Jorgen on 2008-05-17:
Ejack - I believe they use the B717 for that route.
Posted by DebtorBasher on 2008-05-17:
I'd still fight them about this one...paying for a flight, missing the connection, ending up taking a bus...and they still expected you to actaully pay for an airline ticket? Not Basher...no way...no how...and how were they able to promise you that your lugguage would arrive that day, when they couldn't even tell you where they were?????? There'd be heads rolling if I were on that flight/bus/flight.
Posted by superbowl on 2008-05-17:
What a nightmare. I think I would ahve rented a car and took off on my own after the fuel mishap.
Posted by Ben There on 2008-05-17:
This all sounds like a chain of unfortunalte and uncontrollable events. Air Tran can't control the weather, and really had no choice but to divert.
As for the mechanical, it could have been something common and easy to fix (I have been on a delayed flight because an FAA required light bulb was burned out). However, not being in a city that they normally fly to, they did not have any mechanics or parts at their disposal.
As for the buses coming from Alabama, I am sure that was the closest buses they could find considering it was 8pm and they were probably not the only airline looking for buses. I am sure they had to pay for them and the drivers to travel empty from Alabama to Columbus, so if there would have been a closer bus company they would have booked that instead.
As for the bus breaking down... once again, out of thier control.
The rude agents and lost luggage or unfortunate, but predictable. Obviosly your luggage would not be on the flight to Philly, as it was sitting on a broken plane in another state.
I bet you will get a voucher for a free flight, or dollars of the next trip.
As for the mechanical, it could have been something common and easy to fix (I have been on a delayed flight because an FAA required light bulb was burned out). However, not being in a city that they normally fly to, they did not have any mechanics or parts at their disposal.
As for the buses coming from Alabama, I am sure that was the closest buses they could find considering it was 8pm and they were probably not the only airline looking for buses. I am sure they had to pay for them and the drivers to travel empty from Alabama to Columbus, so if there would have been a closer bus company they would have booked that instead.
As for the bus breaking down... once again, out of thier control.
The rude agents and lost luggage or unfortunate, but predictable. Obviosly your luggage would not be on the flight to Philly, as it was sitting on a broken plane in another state.
I bet you will get a voucher for a free flight, or dollars of the next trip.
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