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I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with Allegiant Air. Hopefully, my mistakes will serve as a warning to others who are lured to use this discount airline to save a few bucks. Remember, “You get what you pay for.” I missed my return flight from Springfield, MO to Orlando, FL because the ticket counter was closed 30 minutes before the flight even departed! Don’t be late for this airline. In spite of a Delta Airline employee calling to let someone know that I was waiting at the Allegiant counter, no one cared enough to come and check me in for the flight. Apparently, all the Allegiant air personnel were out preparing the plane for departure. As I waited impatiently at the empty Allegiant counter hoping someone would come and let me on the flight, I looked around and saw that other airline counters were open and ready for business. Had I not tried to save a few bucks and flown with Continental, American, or Delta I would be home or well on my way by now and not worried about rescheduling appointments with customers next week and contemplating the possibility of financial losses because of this Podunk airline. Once there was absolutely no chance of making my flight, Tom came to the counter to offer assistance. He was able to get me on the next Allegiant air flight which is scheduled FOUR DAYS LATER! He also boasted that he was able to make these changes without charging me any fees. Wow! Thanks Tom. Allegiant air does not have good policies to protect and accommodate passengers. They have no contingency plan for people who arrive late for a flight. I acknowledge that it is not good to check in 30 minutes before a flight, but sometimes it happens. Reputable airlines have the financial wherewithal, plan of action, and employees who can accommodate a passenger when he/she arrives late. Additionally, the maintenance of Allegiant airplanes did little to build a good first impression. The condition of the plane on the flight from Orlando, FL to Springfield, Mo was discouraging. The exterior of the plane seemed to be missing paint. The first aircraft I boarded had a distracting foul almost urine smell to it. Before take off a member of the flight crew mentioned that “pesky lights” were being worked on. Later, it was determined that a computer needed to be replaced. Finally, all the passengers were deboarded and had to wait for another plane. Thankfully, we did not have to wait FOUR DAYS for that other plane. Because of the inconvenience passengers were given a complimentary cup of soda (can not included). So, I guess my hour or so of a delay waiting for a different plane is worth a cup of soda. Thanks Allegiant Air. If all goes well, you may save money flying on this airline. If something goes wrong, you may be in trouble. The initial savings may not be worth the possible stress and eventual loss of time and money that could result from flying with Allegiant Air. On a positive note, there were no chickens or farm animals on the first flight. We will see what happens on the flight back home.
Obviously the "Idiot" comment above comes from one of their employees. It sounds just like them.
You idiots! Notice that all airlines tell you on your confirmation/itinerary that all flights close 3o minutes before departure!?!?! You all sound like a bunch of stuck up losers thinking you have to have everything perfect. Get over yourself!
I too am disgusted. Please, do yourself the favor of reading the whole post, and ask if you'd decide to purchase a fare knowing I've been delayed and disgusted by a variety of circumstances. Occasionally my flights have gone as planned, but more often not.
Initially very pleased this airline opened up a direct flight for my weekly commute, Tampa to Springfield, MO and back, a 2 hr route which makes door to door about 5.5, comparing to 8 - 10 hrs by several variety of other connecting or direct plus rental car routes available to me via US Air, USA 3000 or Southwest, (or any other airline flying TPA to XNA or STL, I bought the cheap tickets. 5 of 8 flights were late by two hours or more. I now compare at 7.5-10 hrs with savings in hand, but schedule and plans blown.
Here is a typical example. I could not make this up.
The week before Thanksgiving, as we awaited our plane, the passengers bound from Tampa to Rockford IL were boarded on ours. No wait, the week before Thanksgiving the arriving plane was three hours late then I flew direct. Sorry it's hard to keep track of the delays.
I'm talking about the weekend after Thanksgiving. Rockford passengers were boarded from the adjacent gate, then directed once on the Tarmac to our aircraft, outside our gate, instead of the ones outside theirs. I double checked to make sure theres was there. Then we boarded. We, too boarded the aircraft outside our gate. We all flew to Rockford. We knew something was up but were only advised once we were on the plane that our flights were combined, and our destination was second. Result, four hours late on arrival, roughly. So much for saving time, it still took over 9 hrs to get home. But I obviously was not the only dissappointed passenger.
Once in Rockford, those waiting in Rockford to go to Tampa were also boarded, and they were carted with us to Springfield. So they were late too, probably by about three hours. Arriving in Springfield, obviously there was a large crowd of disgusted and late passengers there as well, now looking forward to what had originally been a 9:30 arrival back in Tampa, but had to have been more like 1:00 AM. Anyone planning on renting a car that night would probably have needed a cab instead, due to an after midnight arrival at a small destination (Tampa flights are really St Pete) a nice bonus shocker and obviously a hit to the savings on the fare.
I did not mention the stated reason for the passenger transfer / combination routine. Apparently the plane bound for Rockford had trouble with the de-icing equipment. Not good when flying into an ice storm. However, upon further reflection, and doing some easy math, isn't it convenient that there were more than enough seats available on each route in each direction to combine the passengers bound Tampa-Rockford with the ones bound Tampa-Springfield, then combine Rockford-Tampa with Tampa-Springfield, then again Rockford-Tampa with Springfield-Tampa? Imagine all these things being possible. Seems like an awfully unlikely coincidence that all three of these things were possible. Sounds more like a suitable excuse was made, in this case, sorry folks no de-icing equipment is working for our flight into known icing conditions - who wants to fly on that, was made to combine four undersold routes - carpooling, into three, and ripping all of us off of the convenience we thought we had purchased for the two hour direct flight.
After booking over 13 fares this year, I called them to advise my wife and kids who were planning on staying with me in Tampa overnight last weekend decided to abort the hour drive to the Springfield airport through a ice and snow storm. It just was not safe. Since this happened hours before the flight we automatically forfieted those fares via the 24 hour rule. The others were cancelled for a $50 per each fee, and I recieve a travel voucher for the remaining funds, or $88 of an original $578 round trip fare for three. Having booked a waterside hotel and obtained box seats for a hockey game and four tickets to the Bucaneers-Falcons game in sunny warm Florida, the following day, everyone was looking forward to a good time anywhere but there in Popsicle, MO, but it wasn't worth the risk of my wife driving close to 90 minutes through the blowing snow.
When I called to make the cancellation, after waiting about 30 minutes on hold, the agent who arranged my cancellation seemed neither interested that I had flown this route nearly every week since it opened, nor that I had put up with my share of dissappointments on their part, nor that I was understandably upset in losing nearly $500 of what I paid, for nothing. To be honest, I would have to say I sensed some satisfaction in her voice as she interupted me to read the regulations to me right over my protests.
I fly almost every weekend and am platinum with US Airways and have extra trips saved on Southwest. If I were to call either of them with a change, and I have, I know how I would be treated. They would accomodate me if possible, and due to my frequency of travel, they would waive the fee. They would call me sir, and say thank you.
I've read several of the other complaints, and I too, have recieved the free cup of soda. The full can is still $2 should you need a full can after a three hour delay. I've also recieved cake for my troubles.
I've also been on the plane with the flaking paint, and I've probably flown unknowingly on the one with the broken de-icing equipment. Finally, all of them have an intercom so loud that it pierces your ears. Just try to take a nap if you can't stand suffering through what has already happened to you.
Finally, you may be lucky enough, as I almost always am, to be served by two stewards whom I've nicknamed (when I convey these tales to my wife) "The artist formerly known as Prince", and "Flock of Seagulls"! If you know what I mean, and I think you do! Those of you from Key West, S.F., and West LA, you're in for a treat as you'll very much enjoy being served by these striking and flamboyantly personable flight attendants. As for me, whatever. They can push a cart with the best of them, so they may be hired, but gentlemen prefer blondes.
Shaky and unreliable schedules, shoddy looking aircraft, minor "squawks" like dim or stuck overhead lights, unkempt, inexperienced, and inadaquate staff (wait until you get to baggage claim - another 30 minutes of waiting), rude customer service agents to respond to all of this... the list goes on. Everything you hope not to happen to you during your travels happens to you more often than not on this carrier.
Buyer Beware! Big Time! Spend your money on something you can count on, and get value, quality service, and planes you don't mind flying on, not empty promises, delays, and crappy service. And don't call to complain. After waiting thirty minutes on hold, you'll get shafted.
Oh goody... some people who understand my frustration. May I ask? What is the point of purchasing "Trip Flex?" It appears, from the wording in their guidelines, that Trip Flex is a type of insurance. Now, it is in my humble opinion that insurance is purchased for the unexpected events in life. So, if I buy this "Trip Flex" and some unfortunate circumstance occurs, shouldn't I be able to at least use the funds for a future date?
According to a Customer Service Representative (CSR) with Allegiant, I should have notified the airline a day in advance of the unexpected event. Now, maybe it's just me, but if I had expected the unexpected event, wouldn't I have purchased the ticket for a different date? Illnesses, injuries, and deaths are, in my book, unexpected events. Allegiant seems to think otherwise.
So, be comforted my friends. What they lack in customer service, they make up for in stupidity.
Allegiant Air poisoned passengers and crew aboard their flight when they "accidentally" crossed the crossed drinking water lines with the "blue" water toilet lines and made several pots of coffee to serve to passengers with the Blue toilet water. One flight attendant became violently ill and was taken to the emergency room. i don't know what happened to the rest of the poisoned passengers.
There are so many complaints I have about them I will try to sum them up. Their prices are very unpredictable, they charge for everything, and they are inconsistent. One example of inconsistency is that my husband came to visit and decided not to return with a few things that included two pairs of shoes some sweatshirts and a jacket. When they weighed his bag they said it was heavier leaving than coming. I think they were trying to get him to pay for an extra bag.
They are the only airline that is a full size plane and flies directly to where my husband is stationed so we are pretty much stuck. Allegiant is just like the oil companies who raise their fares whenever they want and lower them for a minute just to raise them back up twice as much even quicker. There is no strategy to purchasing tickets with Allegiant, you just have to get lucky... They stink!