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Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air review: bait & switch! 25

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Author of the review
12:00 am EDT
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These guys...

I bought a ticket from them about a month ago, fair was $99 each way... Not bad... Well, now, less then a week before departure, I get an email.. They overbooked the flight and want more cash to guarantee my seat. So, I went ahead and did so... Had no choice, all my travel reservations were already locked in... So, my airfare went from about $220 to over $350...

Avoid them like the plague.

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25 comments
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Kerry Howton
, US
Aug 21, 2015 10:15 am EDT

I think it is pretty easy to tell by the comments of the airline employees that there is a culture of disdain for their customers within this airline. It appears that their business model is to target small markets and hopefully less experienced travelers so they can take advantage of them. They certainly don't appear to be concerned about their reputation as you can see by the way they attack the customers comments. You have to think they are trained to act this way as I find it hard to believe you could randomly compile a collection of a**holes like this. The fish rots from the head down!

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Rae Barney
, US
Jul 27, 2015 2:19 am EDT

My complaint is not with the fees. At least not initially. I am an educated person perfectly capable of reading the precious policies, terms, and conditions. My problem is with the four or five delay notices I received before finding out at 10pm the flight was cancelled completely. I spent- no embellishing- 148 minutes on hold with customer service and they did absolutely diddly squat to help me. My entire vacation was ruined because all other flights on other airlines were sold out- no doubt booked by other Allegiant customers who had also been screwed over. With no way to get there except Allegiant, we cancelled because we were unwilling to risk going through the same thing again the next evening and were even more scared of being stuck in Vegas with the same problem. No recourse whatsoever for the time, wasted preparation, lost hotel costs, work foregone for no reason, nothing. After looking into it further. I suppose it was a blessing in disguise because I found dozens of news articles regarding Allegiant's plane breakdowns and frequent mechanical issues. I guess we could have ended up dead at Allegiant's hands instead of just rear ended, screwed over, and disappointed.

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BSeminole
, US
May 03, 2011 7:49 pm EDT

You guys are complaining about an airline that generally charges less than $2oo for a direct flight. Do you not understand that you get what you pay for? If you want a better cancellation policy, better functioning website or better customer service, pay more for your flight. You're like the people that go into McDonald's to pay $1 for lunch then act surprised and angry when it's incorrect or bad.

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ToughStuff
Los Angeles, US
Apr 12, 2011 4:38 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

they dont make a comission ... you idiot

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KnoUrFactsFirst
Phoenix, US
Sep 01, 2009 5:13 pm EDT

people usually have more of these types of complaints with a lower fee airline bc usually these kind of airlines attract unexperience flyers. Not saying this is always the case but I have worked for a "cheaper airline" and I have worked for a major and most of these complaints happen bc the traveler is unexperience with the whole system and all of the little rules. Yea it is crappy thatthese things happened to you but let me also assure you that if you make these kind of mistakes with a major you would be in the same situation. I think yes it is some bad customer serivce an I am sorry for the trouble that you had to go through but no matter what irline you are working with you have to be careful of all the t and c and chek the schedules.

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wildboy211
melbourne, US
May 27, 2009 8:29 pm EDT

Ive used Allegiant air 5-6 times now, and its always worked out the best for me...one time i was 15 minutes late and they re-opened the doors and still let me in...i think Allegiant air is great...

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Flying Mad
Las Vegas, US
May 27, 2009 8:20 pm EDT

They suck. Tricky ### as you have to constantly check and re-check for the extra fees they add on. I don't trust them and pray I never need to talk to anyone in customer service to help me.

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jrc
reno, US
Mar 25, 2009 11:33 pm EDT

Maury started Allegiant and still operates it for all he can get. CROOK

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jrc
reno, US
Mar 25, 2009 11:32 pm EDT

A. Alot of new functions on the website are really great and new but alot of increasing amounts of callers are very angry about the fact that seats were automatically assigned along with trip flex and the options for not selecting seats or adding the travel protection are not and were not clear and obvious possibilities for them thus making them have to call in and then have us removed and have lead refund. Second part of this would be when credit cards are declined the are told to call us at reservations line instead of the financial institution. They get so angry of being told to make a toll call to our line in order to be told to call the bank.

B The increasing amount of web errors and duplicated bookings due to error messages that passengers experience when they are told the session has expired and page is lost when indeed it has been booked, They rebook and then have to wait on hold to cancel a duplicated booking that takes forever over the phone due to again, having to cancel one of the duplicated or sometimes triplicate booking and get a lead to refund.

please keep in mind that you may be not saving money in the long run. It is a bait and switch airline that misleads its passengers big time by making it very hard to manuver the website without getting anything extra on you which is another reason why they are so profitable.

mainly please please please remember or google the name Maury Gallagher and ValueJet. They are the airline that crashed in the everglades in florida and he owned them and sold them very shortly (about 2 to 3 months prior to the crash) You could be risking alot more than money flying on these (yes paid for ) but very older planes that McDonnell Douglas ( remeber the DC10 dropping out of the sky when they got too old?>>> made back when they were in business. This is a business and they are all in it for the money, not any kind of values. The reason why I can say this is because I worked there for over 2 years and I have seen the greed, behind the scenes maintenance reports and the real reasons why they are not making all the schedules on time and trust me its not always weather. Oh the planes they are getting are the old ones airlines felt were too old to fly btw FLYER BE VERY AWARE

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RBL
, US
Mar 11, 2009 4:55 am EDT

I use Allegiant frequently from Wilmington, NC to Orlando, Fl every couple of months. With flights as low as these, people must realize this is a budget airline. For 70 dollars RT this is as good as it gets. I have never had a bad experience with any employee at this company in the past 2 years. Be sure to DECLINE priority boarding and DECLINE the seating assignment. My flight has never been overbooked nor have I ever had bad service from anyone there. You will not get a free drink or a blanket onboard so bring your own. Remember, BUDGET AIRLINE!

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Ginger
Oshkosh, US
Feb 15, 2009 11:36 am EST

I flew Allegiant to Vegas and got a Deal at 192 total. For all of you who don't know, you can decline the priority boarding on-line. Yes there are about 30 in fees, but skip the baggage and just bring a carry-on. You can't beat a direct flight price like that. On the flight to Vegas they even played the Money game where people could write their seat number on a dollar put it in a bag and then they draw the winning dollar. Some guy walked away with over $150. Better odds on that flight then Vegas! Everyone who works there was friendly and I had no problems. I did hear something about "secret" sales on saturday and sundays so I check them often as my husband has relocated there for a new job. I check the site daily and the rates change often. I wish every airline could have a rate calendar like that. For the record I was very pleased with my travel arrangements. Also, their site clearly states that they are one of the few airlines that does not overbook their flights so I believe the beginning comment is invalid.

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Maranda
Grand Rapids, US
Dec 20, 2008 9:19 am EST

I got a phone call from my mom this morning that really made me upset. She
tried to book a ticket for my brother to come home over the Holidays and
accidentally booked it backwards (she rarely has had to make reservations and
tried to do so on-line because of the ridiculous fees that airports charge for
"convenience" of doing so over the phone.) Not so convenient if you ask me, I
sat on hold for 20 minutes waiting to be helped! At any rate - she made
another reservation on-line the correct way because she sat on hold for 1/2 hour
to try and explain the situation to someone, and thought she'd better just book
the correct one's in case the price goes up - or there aren't any seats left.
When she finally did reach one of your "customer support" agents, they charged
her $100.00 on a $129.00 ticket because she needed to cancel that one that we
won't use! What is the point in that - she made a mistake, not that she was
trying to actually "back out" on a ticket. I shouldn't rec
eive phone calls like this one, I fly all of the time and I have never had such
HORRIBLE service. And not to mention when I called there to get the situation
cleared up (because she allows people to run her - I'm a Manager of a large
medical office and know better) I was told that know one was there I could speak
to - but I can "write a letter to your PO Box". That's very sad - it's the
Holiday season and your people can't rectify a $100.00 charge - and not tell me
REPEATEDLY that the mistake was our fault - sorry you shouldn't have booked it
like that! Are you serious! Like no one there has ever made a mistake - I
guess my mom made a HUGE mistake going through Allegient air - but that won't
happen again unless this situation is taken care of the way that it should be.
You are a large company and giving back $100.00 for an honest mistake is the
proper and only way that it should be done.

After all this - I finally got a phone call from a "supervisor" that said he'd be ok with adding a $50.00 credit to my mom's account that could be used for a future flight with in the next years, but he was already going above and beyond company "policy" (I hate that word -POLICY)! What ever - they are a multi million dollar company that can't correct a $100.00 mistake - they can stick it! POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE --- POOR SERVICE ALL TOGETHER and it's like pulling teeth to get anyone on the line worth talking to -- THEY ARE A JOKE!

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annoyed
,
Oct 16, 2008 8:27 pm EDT

Allegiant has lost my bag for five days now. They have no idea where it is because their tracking system is horrible, there is none. They checked us in using a printout. I was scared to trust them with my life for the flight home. They said that I would get $25.00 dollars a day to buy necessities while in Las Vegas. What am I going to do with that? Still have not seen the money by the way. And I am sure if the bag is not found getting compensated will be hell. Allegiant is new to our area and I will make sure that its known around hear to not fly that airline. Drive the hour to San Jose.

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Tommie Johnson
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Sep 30, 2008 11:29 am EDT

For you Allegaint emplyees, defend your jobs that you do so well, ha ha. Your responses on this site also reflect Alligaints concerns about it's costumers. I spend my money where I get consideration and treated well. I can see by your comments on this wed site that you and Allegaint go together, that why Allegaint is crap, see how Allegaint treats you when you are unemployed, just wait and see.

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Anonymous
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Sep 29, 2008 10:15 pm EDT

Lol...Oh and to all the people who say we will "go down" soon, please spare your breath. Pretty sure we are one of 2 airlines doing well considering we are ONLY a VACATION AIRLINE and do not compete with SOUTHWEST (for all those people who say they are going back to SOUTHWEST) or DELTA, AA, etc...Spare your breath and read up on the stocks and papers. Pretty sure we are constantly opening up flights that service these little towns to get you to a place that is considered to be a world class leisure destination and what not. So the next time your tight wad pochet doesnt have enough money to book a 300 one way flight with any other airline, please come back to us. We would appreciate your business even more. :)

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random
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Sep 27, 2008 5:19 pm EDT

allegiant never over books flights.so stop lying there...also none of you would be complaining if you would have READ the t&c before booking your flight.like when they have you check it before you purchase your ticket and also your complaints about the "extra fees" baggage, seats, trip flex" those are all optional. allegiant is a great airline.

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Anonymous
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Sep 27, 2008 5:06 pm EDT

I work for Allegiant! We NEVER OVERBOOK our flights. Totally disgusted with this lie

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Anonymous
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Sep 24, 2008 8:41 am EDT

Online passengers can begin booking at row 11. As with all airlines they pre reserve a few rows now shown online(not available for booking) On day of the flight there is something called "priority boarding" which is for unacommpanied minors, disabled, passengers with lap children etc. So you want a refund because you werent closer up than row 11? Good luck on that one.

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Tommie Johnson
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Sep 23, 2008 10:05 am EDT

My wife and I booked a flight to vegas this past week, I paid the $52.00 for assigned seating. Seats 11F and 11E to vegas and 11A and 11C on the return trip this was necessary because I have a bad knee. When we boarded the plane the seat arrangment was different than the plane's layout posted on Allegiant website, our seats were located mid cabin not as shown on the website. I called Allegiant airline to seek a refund of the seat selection fee, I have been given the run-arround and tranferred to telephone thats keeps ringing and no one picks up. This is a deceitive practice and should be regulated who do I talk to ?

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Dave Reid
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Dec 19, 2007 8:14 pm EST

I posted my complaints about them on the same site under "Buyer Beware the Super Low Fare"

I fly almost every week and after four weeks, 8 round trips on this airline, I hate them. I don't check bags so this didn't happen to me but every variety of other things has, including being ripped off almost $500 for a schedule change by my wife since she didn't want to drive our kids an hour in a snowstorm to get to the airport.

I sympathize with you - this is a repulsing airline!

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Mary Rantanen
,
Dec 17, 2007 9:51 am EST

. As we approached the Airport Check-in, the gentleman assisting us began ranting and raving that our luggage being too heavy. Since we had no souvenirs in our luggage, we were quit confused. So the gentleman took our bag, weighed it, and told my husband and me that the luggage was 66 pounds overweight. The gentleman then began to tell us that the airline does not pay them a salary and that they work on gratuity only. He then went on to say that if we tipped him, he would let our luggage “slide”. By this time, we were not only angry but highly insulted. Never in my life, have I been threaten like that to tip an Airport Check-in Employee. Especially when I know my luggage was NOT 66 pounds overweight.

The gentleman then took my brother-n-law’s suitcase and basically told him the same thing. The luggage was too heavy and if they tipped, he would let it “slide”. My husband stood his ground and told the man that he would be not receiving a tip. So the gentleman began telling us that we shouldn’t be surprised if our luggage “get’s lost”. My husband was irate. My husband went up to every employee he could find and they all told us to contact you. We even spoke to other people at the airport who told us that the man claimed their luggage was too heavy but once the customers paid him $10, he let the luggage weight “slide."

This was our first time flying with Allegiant Air and probably our last. I have never seen my husband that upset. My husband has worked in the restaurant industry most of his life, so we know how important is to tip. And we do tip generously. But to have a creep like that man threaten us to tip him or his “lose” our luggage is disgusting. I have never been treated like that during any of my travel experiences.

It was sick and disgusting. If that man wants to be a jerk and beg for money, he can do it on a street corner. Not handling my luggage.

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Mr. Stiffarm
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Sep 25, 2007 1:57 pm EDT

Oh i forgot i also had to purchase 2 other tickets that day... thanks ### birds.

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Mr. Stiffarm
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Sep 25, 2007 1:54 pm EDT

Allegiant airlines is a garbage airline that needs to help people and not screw them over. My son broke his leg in 2 places the night prior to my spouse and his flight. I called Allegiant to give them a heads up on the situation and was waiting on the DR to give my son the go ahead to fly and to see if i was able to change my plane tickets just in case. They ASSUMED that i was calling to cancel and did so. I drove 3 hours to the airport to find out that they canceled my flight for me. I filed a complaint over a month ago and they never returned my phone calls. Whomever is the CEO of this company should be proud and able to hold his head up high for all the ignorance and decision making.

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Grover McDaniel
,
Aug 20, 2007 12:37 pm EDT

I called Allegiant Airlines today to cancel our trip scheduled for September 3rd. I was told it would be $50.00 per person, each segment of the flight to CANCEL the tickets. This totals $300.00 for the three of us.

I was then told it would be $50.00 per person, each segment of the flight to reschedule for another departure city.

Since we paid $659.40 for the tickets, this would leave me with a net credit of only $59.40. I told the reservationist to forget about it and we will just keep the seats. I was trying to be nice and free up the seats for other customers/travelers.

Also be aware that Allegiant charges EXTRA for such things as assigned seats - since there were three of us traveling, we wanted to sit together and this costs us an extra $66.00. We were also charged $12.00 to check one piece of luggage.

Rip-off airline. Not worth it at all.

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Jeff
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Aug 01, 2007 1:57 pm EDT

I've been in the business for 15 years and have never heard of this from any airline, including Allegiant. I doubt the truthfulness of this posting!