Member

Joined: 22 Jun 2005
Posts: 4
Location:

My parents just tried out FL for the first time. They were late on both the inbound and outbound flights.
I guess a couple people working at IND in the food area stated that FL is always late in IND. Any one else tried FL from IND lately?

Site Admin

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 949
Location: Carmel, IN

I would be reluctant to take the word of people working in the food "area" (do you mean the food court?) at IND. But I'm guessing that if your parents were delayed both ways this past weekend, it probably had something to do with the weather and congestion at ATL. Lots of delays this past week and weekend because of all this juicy humidity touching off thunderstorms. ATL is one of those airports like ORD or EWR/JFK that back up whenever there is congestion in the air traffic system. Don't let recent days cloud your opinion of FL.

Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

When I flew AirTran on June 30th to Orlando my initial flight was to be via ATL. That flight was really late so they put me on the nonstop to Orlando and it was late as well. The Orlando flight was late due to weather. Not sure what caused the ATL flight to be so late. I know the weather story to be true because he had to fly in and around big storms half way down the trip. It was so wild that we had to fly over the Gulf, over Tampa and then in to MCO for landing. That one I don't blame on AirTran. Nothing you can do about weather like that.

Site Admin

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 949
Location: Carmel, IN

And I think a good proxy for comparison is DL's ATL flights. Just browsing ARR/DEP boards from time to time, it seems that when DL's flights to ATL are delayed, so are FL's. Seems like a big-airport-congestion-plus-weather thing to me.

AirTran Reporter

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Indianapolis

I think we should start a "movement" and get AirTran to start a 2nd hub at IND

Site Admin

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 949
Location: Carmel, IN

I actually like the fact that IND isn't a hub for anyone. I think it keeps the fares lower and keeps the airport less congested. The downside, of course, is fewer nonstops to second- and third-tier cities. But NW's new service has really improved the n/s selection from IND.

I think it would really be in AirTran's interest to merge with Frontier and gain coast to coast coverage. Short of merging, they could start a codeshare arrangement and beef up flights DEN-ATL and DEN-MCO to increase connecting ease.

Member

Joined: 27 Jun 2005
Posts: 333
Location: St. Louis, MO

funny. the six times i've flown AirTran (X-Fares) i have been late as well, every single time. this was back in 1999 and 2000 going from Chicago Midway to Atlanta. both times bad weather in the northeast was making the inbound plane late, making it late to Atlanta. first time it was 20 minutes late. nothing too terrible. then the next four times it was late, but still about an hour or so. nothing -too- terrible.

the last time we were supposed to leave Atlanta at 540p. for whatever the reason i was still ticketed as a confirmed passenger on the flight to Chicago. we wound up being the last flight out to Chicago, everything else cancelled,, departing Atlanta ~ 9ish and arriving Midway ~11ish to a crowded gate area of people...yes...getting ready to go to Atlanta. they were going to leave at 1115p! and these were not the happiest looking campers.

this was back in their DC9 days. on the ride home i remember sitting in the back of the plane and it smelled like a port a potty SO bad.

also, one other thing i found peculiar...each time we were delayed, our plane had gotten stuck in Newark. maybe that's just the way they routed them. who knows.

Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

I think this is where AirTran is in desperate need of a 2nd hub. Too much dependence on ATL which is a bad thing. My experience with their staff though as a good one.

Site Admin

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 949
Location: Carmel, IN

I don't remember if I mentioned it on another thread, but I think a merger between Airtran and Frontier would be perfect. Similar strategies and structures. Frontier flies an all-Airbus fleet, while Airtran has gone the Boeing route, so that's a mismatch. But Airtran has an Eastern hub with service concentrated in the Florida leisure market. Frontier has a Western hub with service concentrated in the intermountain West, California, and is building a presence in the Mexico leisure market as well. Not much route overlap. I think at the very least, a deep code-share would do both airlines some good.