Excellent Alternative to the "Majors"
Written: Feb 11 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great fares, easy internet booking, upgrade options, attainable freq. flyer awards
Cons: Limited destinations, sometimes subpar on-the-ground facilities (explained below)
The Bottom Line: Deep discounts/new planes compliment this "Budget" airline. Limited but expanding destinations with a hub in Atlanta make it a legitimate competitor with the "big guys" along the East Coast.
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| achflkeys's Full Review: Air Tran |
Introduction
First, let me break down how I will do my review of Air Tran Airways. I will give my overall impression of the airline followed by a description of my recent trips with them. Then I'd like to post a general response to some of the negative reviews directed towards the airline. And no, I have no professional connection to the company, so I have nothing to gain by giving a positive review. And unlike some of those who gave their opinions here, I have flown Air Tran more than once before my review. 8 segments to be exact.
Overall Impression
Air Tran is a good, well-run, LOW COST carrier. They are consistently ranked #1 or #2 Best Discount Airline by "Travel Alert Bulletin", a Nationwide Intelligence publication geared towards Business Travelers. In fact, Air Tran, along with Southwest, was one of the few (if any) airlines to report positive earnings last year, which speaks volumes for an airline with much more limited resources and market clout that pales in comparison to the larger, more widely known flagship carriers we have here in the U.S. That shows that someone in the Air Tran brass is doing something right and can run an airline and give the Uniteds and Deltas something to think about when they look at their accounting books.
What You Get
When you book a trip on Air Tran, what you are provided with is a means of transportation from one point to the next. They have a very easy to use website that offers the lowest possible fares on the dates you select. The entire booking process is simple and takes virtually no time. Specify where you want to go and when you want to go and then pick your desired flights and fare. What's nice is that there is no ridiculous penalty for only booking a one-way ticket. You are not required to include a Saturday night stay to get the lowest fare either. If you keep yourself informed and check their website often, you can take advantage of specials that none of the other airlines can come close to touching. More on that in a minute. Upon checking in at the airport, you have the option of upgrading to Business Class for only $25 per segment based on availability. Another feature unheard of anywhere else. And Air Tran rewards frequent travelers with free tickets that are actually attainable, even for those who do not fly 3 times a week. They have been running a special where you get a free round-trip ticket for flying only 3 round-trips from Oct. '01 to Mar. '02. And even without the special, the requirement is only 6 round trips in coach (3 in business class) within the year to get a free ticket. None of that 25,000 miles stuff.
New Aircraft
Air Tran was the first airline to regularly begin using Boeing's new 717 aircraft. Much like the Douglass DC9's in shape, upon further experience, they couldn't be more different. They are state-of-the-art airplanes. Extremely quiet, clean, fast, and relatively roomy sum them up fairly well. They even have a new "fresh-air" system that floods the cabin with continuous fresh breathing air. Not the recirculated, germ-infested, illness-breeding cabin air found in most other aircraft. Take a look in the cockpit the next time you board and you'll see nothing but digital equipment with computer screens and futuristic controls as opposed to dials and analog readouts found in older planes. Now, yes, it is true that Air Tran still operates a fleet of DC9's as well. And, yes, you'll notice the difference if you have to fly on one. They are cramped, sometimes unkempt and much noisier. Air Tran is phasing these planes out and is scheduled to receive new delivery of the B-717's almost monthly.
My Experience (on the ground)
Since Oct. '01, I have flown 3 round-trips on Air Tran. 2 between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh ($34 each way) and 1 between Philadelphia and Tampa ($55 each way with a connection in Atlanta). Now, the service has not been spotless, but it has been noticeably better than just about every other airline I have used. I have never encountered a problem at the ticket counter. The process was always quick and the agents always friendly. Traveling on E-tickets, all I do is give them my last name and my drivers' license and I am handed my boarding pass in a manner of seconds. My last trip to Pittsburgh, I was traveling with my wife and 3 other family members. All five of us walked up to the counter and even though we were booked on different reservations, the agent went out of her way to take care of all of us at once and seat us in the same row. One of the cons I noted up top was the "on-the-ground" facilities. Since Air Tran is a smaller, "budget" airline, they are not given many perks in the airports. Their ticketing counter is usually all the way down the end or pushed away in a corner somewhere. Their gates are usually in a lesser-used section (which actually sometimes can be good) and the flight information displays at the gate are sometimes not updated as regularly as the larger airlines. Most of this is not Air Tran's fault. I did encounter a rude gate agent in Philadelphia at the start of my Tampa trip. I accidentally dropped my I.D. through the crack of the podium at the entrance to the jetway and she had to lift up the computer monitor and reach through a small hole to retrieve it. She huffed and puffed and made a snide remark. I didn't care for her attitude but quickly ignored it and chalked it up to the fact that is WAS 5:30 in the morning. My one experience connecting in Atlanta was uneventful and pleasantly convenient, unlike many a past Delta story.
My Experience (in the air)
As stated before, flying on the B-717 is great. It's quiet and just being in something that is new makes all the difference. The 2 segments I flew inbetween Tampa and Atlanta happened to be on the older DC9. While not miserable, it was not enjoyable either. Luckily, it is a short flight between these 2 cities and the longer flights between Philadelphia and Atlanta happened to be on the newer planes. In-flight service was just fine on all my flights. No, there was no meal. But, who cares. That's why there are all those food places inside the airports nowadays. The pilots were always genuinely friendly, the flight attendants were always helpful and actually quick to make real conversation. The entire crew seemed to laugh a lot and be courteous to the passengers. To me, it was exactly as air travel should be. They were there if you needed them, but they kept their distance when you didn't. One incident did rub me the wrong way a little. On my flight from Atlanta to Philadelphia (on my way back from Tampa), there were 2 new flight attendants working their first flight after finishing "flight attendant school". Now, they were a little slow and were struggling to serve drinks to the entire cabin. We were descending into Philadelphia and they still had at least 5 rows who didn't get their drinks. Not one time during this did the veteran flight attendants come out from the galley and lend a hand. The "rookies" were "hung out to dry" and were left to put up with a handful of passengers who were upset, and had every right to be. Customer service would not have been compromised if the veterans came and helped out. In fact, one of the non-newbies, was left to clean up and put things away before landing while the new flight attendant was finishing her service. The veteran was throwing stuff around and slamming cabinet doors and mumbling under her breath. Very unprofessional. If she just would have sucked it up and lent a hand, everyone would have been satisfied. The older flight attendants came across as very petty. Other than that, I have nothing negative to say about anything while in the air.
Rebuttal to Negative Feedback
I've read plenty of horror stories here on epinions about Air Tran. I've also read even more positive remarks. Guess which ones are better written and are even given ratings as "Very Helpful"? The ones slamming the airline are poorly written and it shows by the "Somewhat Helpful" feedback. Complaints about no food are everywhere. You know what? Eat before you get on the plane. Unless you're flying cross country or overseas, you're not going to get a meal these days. Pack something in your carry-on. Besides, do you really want something served to you that you have no idea how long it's been sitting around? Not to mention the taste.
Rude agents and staff is another complaint I've noticed. Most of these reviews take place after one trip. Fly 3 or more times before you condemn an airline. Fly on different airlines and compare the service. I've been doing that for quite some time now and Air Tran wins hands down every time. I related a few negative experiences on Air Tran, but they are far outweighed by the positive. I think one commentary touched on seats being given away. Check around. This is standard policy. Your seats are up for grabs if you don't check in ahead of time, sometimes 1/2 hour. There are warnings all over the place right now about giving yourself 90 to 120 minutes at the airport before your flight. Don't heed this and no one should have sympathy for you.
The older planes ARE a problem. But, hey, Air Tran recognizes this and is getting rid of them as fast as they can. They can only do it as fast as the new ones are delivered. Look at some of the heaps of metal other airlines are putting up in the air. Northworst, Delta and American still use the old B-727.
One thing nobody mentioned upon complaining about rude service was what was done to insight the rudeness. Not that we as passengers deserve bad service, but a lot people go to the airport these days in foul moods to begin with and have the intention of treating the airline employees like crap in hopes of getting a negative response so they can in turn, write a letter and see what they can get for free.
I noticed complaints about missing flights and connections and delays. I guess that is limited to just one airline. Please! Check the statistics for percentage of ontime departures and arrivals. Going worst to first, let me know how far down the list Air Tran is. Don't like connecting through Atlanta? Oh well. Show me another airline that will take you nonstop from Anytown, USA to Other Town, USA. It doesn't happen. With Philadelphia as my home airport, I'm lucky Air Tran does offer a few nonstops to places without going through Atlanta. They fly at least one (if not 2) nonstops to most of the major Florida cities per day. And the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh route is really convenient.
Cry me a river about delays. They happen across the board folks. All airlines need to inform their passengers better on the cause of delays. This is slowly but surely beginning to happen. And to complain about your flight being 2-3 hours late because of mechanical problems is ridiculous. You know what? You go ahead and get on that plane and take your chances with a malfunctioning hydraulic line just so you can be "on time". I'll be sitting over at the bar in Atlanta Hartsfield catching up on the day's news until the experts are sure the aircraft is sound. And whatever school is teaching that out of line and belligerent behavior towards airline employees should be rewarded with friendly service won't be getting my business anytime soon. Put me next to a screaming, ignorant traveler, and I have a feeling some patience and understanding will get me a little more satisfaction and most likely will be complimented by the same type of behavior in return.
Sum it Up
You want meals? Go to a restaurant. You want a flight every hour? Get your wallet out. You want no delays, no connections, an endless list of destinations and no lines? Charter a G4. You want a well-managed, financially successful, low fare, growing airline from which the "majors" should take a few pointers? Check out Air Tran. And keep an open mind while traveling. The airline has the same goal as you. To get there safe and with as little hassle as possible.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
achflkeys
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Location: Wayne, PA
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
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