Possible Air Troubles

[palmtre2]

I had booked my own air for our Easter week cruise - saved about $100 pp over using Carnival and got straight through flights. What makes me nervous is the flight down to FLL from PHL is on US Air and in light of what happened with them this past weekend at PHL, I'm afraid they won't be around in March. I booked thru an online agency and my return is with another airline, if in fact this airline tanks - what are my options???

[PlaneJoy]

Do you have an electronic ticket or paper ticket? I would suspect electronic, given that most tickets are that way. In the event something happens, most airlines will honor the US Airways tickets on a stand-by, space available basis. Which means that popular destinations will most likely be full. Some may only honor the value of the ticket and require you to make up the difference. Most airlines, with some exceptions, will conform to the same policy in the end. In the past electronic tickets would have to be exchanged for paper tickets, but it really depends on who has an ET agreement with US Airways.

 

Good luck! I was wondering myself if this would be the final nail the cofin for them, so to speak.

[palmtre2]

I do have paper tickets and luckily built in 2 days pre-cruise. How do you find out what other airlines will accept their tickets???

[hdawson]

A few weeks ago when Atlantic Southeast Airlines ceased operations without notice, AirTran immediately offered to accept those tickets for a $50 surcharge for space available travel. Good thing you're going down a couple of days early since it could take a couple of days for space on planes happens.

[palmtre2]

Thanks for the heads up with Airtran - our return flight is with them. January 6th will be a major decision day for US Air with a union decision comimg in that day, scuttlebutt has it they will start liquidating assets after then. I hope I know one way or the other early enough, so that I don't have to cut into our South Beach time!!

[klfrodo]

Can't help you very much but I did want to say GOOD JOB on reviewing and researching your potential problems and looking at possible alternatives now rather than at the last moment.

 

Too many travelers wait until the last moment and then blame everyone else for their lack of planning.

 

I'm sure things will work out well for you.

[hdawson]

Palmtre. Remember, shut down is without notice. Everything will appear to be operating quite normally one day; then you wake up and there it is on the news: XYZ airline has ceased operations and the assets have been seized by the creditors. People holding tickets on XYZ should call 1-800-***-**** for further information.

[tjohn159d]

I was on a cruise to the Bahamas when Eastern shutdown. When we got back to the AP all of the flights were already booked up. Luckily we were on a trip that I won from a readio station. They bussed us to Jacksonville from Orlando, put us up in a hotel and then flew us back the next day. I was also reading the other day about the government was trying to pass a law that, should an airline fold, the others would be required to accept the folded airline tickets.

[kjunea]

A part of the new Intel Bill that President Bush signed a week or so ago made it so that if an airline folds, other airlines have to honor those tickets. How they honor them, I don't know for sure....

[jiggs]

A part of the new Intel Bill that President Bush signed a week or so ago made it so that if an airline folds, other airlines have to honor those tickets. How they honor them, I don't know for sure....

 

I agree that they'll be honored, but as other posters have mentioned, a Sunday afternoon flight out of Miami is tough to get a seat on...it may be the following morning before they'll get you out...hopefully USAir will come to some type of agreement with its employees...

[RWolver672]

I heard on the news a few weeks back that almost all of the airlines are flying by the seat of their pants right now. Some of them have filed bankruptcy more than once already. It is always risky flying on the holidays, especially the way the airlines overbook any more.

[hdawson]

RWolver. You're mostly right. All the legacy airlines are in deep doo doo.

However the low cost airlines are doing well and expanding. i.e. Southwest, AirTran and JetBlue. Combined, AirTran and JetBlue have over 200 brand new airplanes on order for their expansions and route growth. These three may be the only profitable domestic airlines.

[steveaaaa]

but as other posters have mentioned, a Sunday afternoon flight out of Miami is tough to get a seat on...it may be the following morning before they'll get you out......

Try the following Sunday morning. Most planes are flying near full capacity now and getting a seat is going to be like hitting the lottery.Many airlines are not going to want to fly people for free.They will sell every ticket first and standby the rest. I know myself,I would call and pay for a ticket to get home before I try and use the "free seat on another airline". The legislation is great for the press but in actuality it is just fluff.

Steve

[palmtre2]

It's my flight down that's booked with US Air - coming home on Saturday is thru AirTran. I'm not too worried since I did build in the extra time pre-cruise, but will I have to deal with both the on-line booking agency AND the possibly defunct airline??? Since I have my paper ticket in hand, will I just have to call the airline???? I was wondering why I got a paper tickets - never had that happen before. I think the agency didn't want to deal with cancelations and maybe this way they won't.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I agree that they'll be honored, but as other posters have mentioned, a Sunday afternoon flight out of Miami is tough to get a seat on...it may be the following morning before they'll get you out...hopefully USAir will come to some type of agreement with its employees...

 

Jiggs,

It seems like the union would rather see the airline fold then take another pay cut. In my opinion that sick out over the holidays pretty much made sure they'll fold. Who is going to book with USAir now? Certainly not me. I'd rather spend the few extra dollars on an airline I knew was going to get me to my destination with my luggage.

 

Bill

[hdawson]

I just received this press release from AirTran. Pretty interesting.

 

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, a

subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc., (NYSE: AAI), announces that over the

five-day holiday period of Wednesday, December 22, 2004, through Sunday,

December 26, 2004, the airline's Crew Members reported for work and delivered

superior customer service. In fact, as a demonstration of AirTran Airways'

commitment to its customers, the airline's completion factor (ratio of actual

flights operated versus scheduled flights) was 100 percent on Christmas Eve

with nine additional flights. The overall five-day completion factor averaged

above ninety-eight percent.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) reported that in

the first ten months of 2004, AirTran Airways had the best baggage handling

ratio among all the reporting airline companies.

 

As a disclaimer, I do own a very little bit of AirTran stock. hehe

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Airtran is great for flights to Florida from Philly. I have flown them numerous times and have always been on time and no luggage lost except for our 1st time which was when they were first starting up.

 

I've looked at them for flights to other parts of the country and with flying from Philly they wouldn't be a good option for us.

 

Bill

[jiggs]

Jiggs,

It seems like the union would rather see the airline fold then take another pay cut. In my opinion that sick out over the holidays pretty much made sure they'll fold. Who is going to book with USAir now? Certainly not me. I'd rather spend the few extra dollars on an airline I knew was going to get me to my destination with my luggage.

 

Bill

 

I agree, I think it would be tough to take another paycut, but at the same time, they'll be out of work in an industry where it's hard to find a job...I wouldn't book a ticket, but there are a lot of people out there that are not in tune with the airline's trouble and may book a seat becasue of a good price...as with many of the airlines, USAir is in trouble and has been even before 9.11, its really too bad considering the impacts that it could have on citites like Pittsuburgh, Philly and Charlotte

[PelicanBill]

Another thing - if your airline folds work on it immediately when you find out and be prepared to be flexible on your travel times and days to be accomodated on another airline.

 

I have flights on Comair coming up January 13 to get to my cruise. Good thing we built in 1 1/2 days of time to get to our cruise from our flight! We can even drive if needed.

[marvholly]

US Air and UA have been in deep financial trouble for well over 3 years now. That is the exact reason for my last 3 cruises I booked with AA and ATA. Paid a bit (<$25 pp) more but at the time these were considered reliable. In fact for 2 of the trips the travel insurance companies would NOT cover UA and US Air.

[GoinCruisin]

Did you book with ATA prior to THEIR financial woes? Most insurance companies stopped covering ATA in October... I would feel much more comfortable with them now that Southwest is saving them... but prior to that, there is no way I would have booked on them... Still the safest airlines for now seem to be AirTran, Southwest and Jet Blue...

[RWolver672]

I just heard on the CBS Evening News that USAir has already taken a 40% pay cut and now they want another 10%. How many of you out there would take a 50% pay cut? Be honest. None of you would. That's like saying today you are worth this amount to do the same job that you are only worth half of that tomorrow. I don't think so. Could any of you survive on half of what you are making?

[GoinCruisin]

I don't agree with the pay cuts, but there are other jobs out there. To do what they did and to have stranded all of those people on the holidays is horrible and they should be ashamed of themselves. If they are not happy, they can move on, but the employees resorted to tactics that ruined the holidays for thousands of people... I hope every one of them experience the same some day, what goes around....

[steveaaaa]

I just heard on the CBS Evening News that USAir has already taken a 40% pay cut and now they want another 10%. How many of you out there would take a 50% pay cut? Be honest. None of you would. That's like saying today you are worth this amount to do the same job that you are only worth half of that tomorrow. I don't think so. Could any of you survive on half of what you are making?

Considering what they make (the pilots) lets be real. $125-$165 per hour.

http://airlinepilotpay.com/usair/usair.htm

 

I could live on 1/2 of that. Thank the union.This is one airline going to the auction block.They are too heavy. We will all benefit when the low cost airlines get their gates and we will have more flights available at the low cost airline level. This sick out,was poor and they will pay the price soon.Just the cost of baggage return will send the airline down and people are afraid to book with them now.

Steve

[hdawson]

RWolver. Not many options. Costs are greater than revenue. What would you do? Delta pilots just took a 32.8% pay cut. Delta is still 20 BILLION in debt. That should keep Delta out of BK court for about 9 months. The majors can't even add a $5 per leg fuel surcharge because the others will not go along. I wonder what airline will take USAir's place at Charlotte. Any ideas?