Have you flown Alegiant Air?

[Tapi]

They do tend to be mostly on time or close to it. The downfall is on those rare occasions flights are flat out cancelled.

 

With all due respect, that comment has no factual basis. Allegiant, due to its size, is NOT required to report their on-time performance or their cancellation rate, unlike the larger airlines.

 

Some people may assume that Allegiant has a reliable on-time record because their flight was on time or not canceled, but the reality of it is that nobody really knows. With older planes more prone to maintenance delays, a much more limited number of spare airplanes or extra crews, and a thin route network with no hubs, I seriously doubt that their on-time performance is better or even comparable to larger airlines...

[RWolver672]

The flew out of our local airport so we thought we'd give them a try seeing how Delta and United are priced out of sight right now. We knew that they flew into Sanford and would have to rent a vehicle to drive to Ft Lauderdale. (More costs added on.)

 

They had planes leaving on Thursday and Sunday. Our cruise is scheduled to leave on Sunday so we booked a hotel for Thursday through Sunday. Then they changed it to Wednesdays and Saturdays. Our cruise is 8 days so that meant that we would have to book another day at the hotel before our cruise and one day after. Just before the dates opened up for Feb, they decided to pull out of our airport. Anyone with tickets booked for after September are out of luck.

 

We decided to drive instead! As much as I dislike driving, in the long run it will save us money.

[bigcraig]

I'm in the airline industry and I'll give you my personal opinion. Several of these things have already been mentioned, but I'll summarize. Allegiant is an airline strictly catering to the leisure segment (meaning people going on vacation. Not business people).

 

 

They keep their fare lows by:

• Flying the same type of airplane (MD-80's). Don't expect much. These are refurbished, second-hand, old airplanes (some 30+ years old) with bare bones accomodations (don't let the updated seat covers fool you).
  
• Unbundling fares. As others have mentioned, they will charge for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. If you can think of it, they'll charge you for it.
  
• Flying to out of the way airports. Once again, as others have mentioned, your flight to "Orlando" is actually going to Sanford, FL. Your flight to "Philadelphia" is actually going to Allentown/Bethlehem, PA. Your flight to Vancouver, BC is actually going to Bellingham, WA and so on...
  
• Reduced schedules. Instead of having multiple flights a day out of an airport, they may have ONE flight today. The next one may not be for 3-4 days. Sometimes not for another week.
  
• Not having ANY interline agreements with other airlines. If your one flight is for some reason cancelled, they will NOT accomodate you on another airline. They will accomodate you on the next flight ON Allegiant (meaning that one flight 3-4 days from now). They may just refund your fare and leave you high and dry at a small airport with no other airline but Allegiant.
  

In summary, Allegiant is a good option for the passenger going on vacation that doesn't NEED to be there on a specific day or time, as long as they get there at some point in time (once again, they cater to the "leisure" segment). If you choose to fly on them, HAVE A BACKUP PLAN! Once again, if your flight is cancelled or delayed, your choices may be slim to none, so make sure that you have a plan to get you to port in time for your cruise.

I'm also an airline employee(mechanic 25 years) and know for a fact cheap fares does not pay for anything but minimum maintenance, take your chances as another posted mentioned a blown tire whats next a blown engine or 2?(There is only 2 per A/C......

[boaterette]

My daughter flies allegiant out of Missouri to LAX 6 times a year. Contrary to what some people think LAX is a big airport. The only problem she has ever had is weather delay. She pays less than 200 for a direct flight.

[nwcruiselover]

I have flown Allegiant out of Bellingham, WA quite a few times. Just one major delay returning from Las Vegas but since I didn't need to be home at any certain time that wasn't a big inconvenience. I would never even consider flying Allegiant for a cruise because of all the factors mentioned earlier. They have no backup if a plane is unable to fly and your only option is to go on their rescheduled flight which might be a day or two later.

[Crazy4Koko]

Had a flight cancelled due to weather once...

 

 

next flight was THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND.

 

Because they will try to 'fit' you in on an already full flight.

 

 

Its a chance you take. I'm not saying don't take the chance.. Just have a back up plan so you're not holding tickets for 4 people while you are trying to book last minute tickets on any airline you can to make your cruise... a land based vacation is a lot more flexible... the boat will leave without you!!

[Restless24]

Lots of good info already, but just throwing in my opinion. I fly solo with Allegiant from Orlando/Sanford to Greenville/Spartanburg every now and then since I have a friend that lives in Greenville and I can get a round trip flight under $100. I don't fly with them if I need to check a bag and I wouldn't dream of flying with them if my wife was with me. I like to fly but she hates it so we just pay extra somewhere else to avoid the anxiety and the nickel and diming of not knowing seat assignments and not having any "luxury" amenities.

[loubetti]

I'm also an airline employee(mechanic 25 years) and know for a fact cheap fares does not pay for anything but minimum maintenance, take your chances as another posted mentioned a blown tire whats next a blown engine or 2?(There is only 2 per A/C......

 

In all fairness, sir, and as a 37-year pilot and businessman, that's really not a "given". As you know, well-maintained, older planes can last a long, long time.

 

Granted, older planes usually consume more fuel, but cost much less to purchase / lease to begin with. While Allegiant's "fares" are low, when you add in the extra charges, and the savings for flying to many secondary airports, and the lower acquisition costs of the aircraft, as long as they have good load factors, proper maintenance should not be an issue.

 

I don't think there is an airline out there that has not blown a tire from time to time, and you know as well as I the reliability of turbine engines. Granted, the other comments made about limited schedules and no alliances with other airlines can put a damper on things, but I would like to think that maintenance should not be an issue. Now, as to the blown tire causing another plane to be flown in is somewhat meaningless, as we don't know all the facts. That blown tire might have caused other damage that just couldn't be fixed quickly.

 

As long as the FAA has gotten their act together (we hope!) and there is proper oversight, maintenance should not be an issue.

 

Seriously, we maintain our plane (Cessna 210) very well, but that did not prevent a part on the nose gear to crack during takeoff, causing an incredible shimmy, and $20,000 worth of repairs. I reacted immediately to abort the takeoff, and at least saved the plane from a nose gear collapse!

 

While anything can happen, I would not necessarily equate "low" fares to minimal maintenance.

[SNJCruisers]

My daughter flies allegiant out of Missouri to LAX 6 times a year. Contrary to what some people think LAX is a big airport. The only problem she has ever had is weather delay. She pays less than 200 for a direct flight.

I do not remember reading anywhere where someone mentioned LAX being a small airport. Most of the airports that Allegiant flies out of though is another story. Also, if her flight is from Missouri to LAX without stopping anywhere, that is a non-stop.....a direct flight is when you fly from point A to point C, stopping at point B without changing planes.

 

If people are willing to take the chance and roll the dice with Allegiant and Spirit and other airlines of their ilk, more power to them....but I prefer to fly on a national airline that has more flexibility and does not nickel & dime you to death. All you need to do is wait for one of their sales....specifically Southwest.

[bigcraig]

In all fairness, sir, and as a 37-year pilot and businessman, that's really not a "given". As you know, well-maintained, older planes can last a long, long time.

 

Granted, older planes usually consume more fuel, but cost much less to purchase / lease to begin with. While Allegiant's "fares" are low, when you add in the extra charges, and the savings for flying to many secondary airports, and the lower acquisition costs of the aircraft, as long as they have good load factors, proper maintenance should not be an issue.

 

I don't think there is an airline out there that has not blown a tire from time to time, and you know as well as I the reliability of turbine engines. Granted, the other comments made about limited schedules and no alliances with other airlines can put a damper on things, but I would like to think that maintenance should not be an issue. Now, as to the blown tire causing another plane to be flown in is somewhat meaningless, as we don't know all the facts. That blown tire might have caused other damage that just couldn't be fixed quickly.

 

As long as the FAA has gotten their act together (we hope!) and there is proper oversight, maintenance should not be an issue.

 

Seriously, we maintain our plane (Cessna 210) very well, but that did not prevent a part on the nose gear to crack during takeoff, causing an incredible shimmy, and $20,000 worth of repairs. I reacted immediately to abort the takeoff, and at least saved the plane from a nose gear collapse!

 

While anything can happen, I would not necessarily equate "low" fares to minimal maintenance.

There is a major difference between a well maintained GA Airplane and a commercial airliner, think of metal fatigue with the skin expanding and contracting every time they pressurize.

 

My Dad has an older Bonanza V-tail(I know Dr Ki..er) and is flawless while you should see how many smoking(not cigs) rivets many older airplanes have, won't have my family on it no matter how much the savings.