AirTran Airways SUCKS

I didn't think it was possible to be frustrated, angry, helpless, livid, disgusted, and upset all at the same time. I figured you could be a couple of those things, but not all of them all at once. I was wrong. Every time I sit down to tell the story I think someone's going to stop me and say that didn't really happen it was just a nightmare you had. Oh no...it happened and I'm still quite annoyed about it all. I feel like Sophia on the Golden Girls...picture this...Atlanta and Charlotte 11:05pm on July 22nd, 2005.......

My brother and his fiancee had their new teacher orientation in Tampa on Friday all day, so they couldn't fly up to North Carolina for my cousin's wedding until Friday evening. Their flight was scheduled to leave Tampa at 8:49pm with a layover in Atlanta for a scheduled arrival in Charlotte at 11:49pm. My parents and I were en route to the airport to pick them up when mom's cell phone rang and my brother said they missed their connection. Here's the full story as I understand it and as it has been told 4 different times to AirTran employees over the phone until about 10:30am on July 23rd:

The plane that Andy and Janet were supposed to board in Tampa was coming from Atlanta. Due to storms, the Atlanta plane could not take off to come get them. It finally arrived. Prior to boarding, an announcement was made in the gate area by the ticketing agent at the gate. He explained that passengers making connections in Atlanta would in fact make their connections. He listed off several cities including Charlotte and the passengers were told that those planes were being held and would be there when they arrived in Atlanta. Andy and Janet boarded the plane. They were on the next to last row on the plane and because of their connection the flight attendant moved their seats up to the 4th row inside coach behind first class. When everyone was on the plane, the man who took their boarding passes (different from the ticketing agent)came onto the plane and made the same announcement about the planes being held in Atlanta for them that the ticketing agent had made in the gate area. No problem, right...WRONG...seriously WRONG.

Andy and Janet arrived in Atlanta, stepped off the plane, and were told at the gate that their connecting flights had left them. Andy and Janet arrive in Atlanta at 10:55pm. The Atlanta to Charlotte flight had a 10:45pm departure time and took off on time without those who were TEN MINUTES LATE despite the fact that they had been told the planes were being held. Turns out that because of the earlier delays the air traffic controllers were preventing planes from holding at the gate and forcing them to take off, even though their Atlanta to Charlotte flight was the last flight out that night and no plane was itching to get into that gate. I'd be willing to bet that the Atlanta to Charlotte flight was still on the runway in line for takeoff when Andy and Janet landed. Is it so hard to say...please return to the gate??? NO...see I just said it. How do you leave someone when you are the last flight out that night??? How cruel can you be???

Andy and Janet were informed that the next flight to Charlotte wasn't until 12:45pm the next afternoon (Saturday). They were not offered hotel vouchers for the night and would have to spend the next 13 hours in the Atlanta airport. They were each given a $7.00 meal voucher and a $25.00 stipend on their next AirTran flight (YEAH RIGHT). If you've never been to the Atlanta airport let me tell you...$7.00 doesn't buy much especially at 2am. Their bags were on the 12:45 flight already and if they wanted them they would have to go to baggage claim, wait 2 hours for someone to go get them. Apparently, when it is weather that prevents a plane from keeping its scheduled departure time it is considered an act of God. In which case, the airline has no reciprocal agreement with other airlines to find their passengers flights on those other airlines. Nor are they required to provide lodging for them. So, it seems to me that AirTran is blaming God and using Him to get out of an obligation they have to their passengers for service. Isn't that taking the Lords name in vane somehow???

We decided to get them a hotel room...well guess what. That baggage claim stuff was a bunch of hooey...they went down to baggage claim and were treated very rudely by Tracy and Jerry (AirTran employees). They were told that they couldn't get their bags until 5:30am when the next shift came on duty. So they were stuck in the airport. We went over all the options...driving to get them, them renting a car, flying up at 12:45pm, flying a different airline, flying back to Tampa. We finally decided to fly them back to Tampa the next morning because even if they were to fly to Charlotte the next day they wouldn't have had any sleep and had been up since about 6:30am on Friday. Who wants to meet their fiance's family when you haven't had any sleep?!?! We got them on a 10:05am flight to Tampa, but they were told to try to get on standby for the earlier 7:55am flight. Andy specifically asked Jerry at baggage if they could get their bags to be checked on the 7:55am flight if they showed up at baggage at 5:30am. Jerry said, yes. Jerry lied. They didn't get their bags until 8:30...just in time to check them in for the 10:05am flight. They got home and went to sleep for the next 18 hours and missed the wedding.

I spoke to 4 different AirTran employees: two reservation employees, one supervisor, and a customer relations employee. Jon (the supervisor) was nice and sympathized, but he couldn't help since he only worked in reservations. Donna (customer relations) was nice and took my entire story down to be sent off to investigate the Atlanta employees for their rudeness as well as to send it to corporate. I got their $25.00 stipend increased to $75.00 each, but I did explain to Donna that with all due respect I didn't expect them to ever be used.

Morals of the story...really I have just one:

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES FLY AIRTRAN AIRWAYS...they're rude liars.