[Michelle Johnson]

Dear Airtran
I flew on your airline this past holiday and was so disappointed by the demonstrated lack of competence and poor customer service.
I deliberately flew a direct flight from Milwaukee to LaGuardia on Dec 22. I had ever reason to believe my luggage would meet me in NYC especially since me having paid $15.00 for my bag implies that handling it will be "Good". My surprise when I luggage doesn't make it because some one forgot one entire luggage cart and did not load it on the plane. I survive this experience and my luggage was retrieved and returned the Sunday evening. Luckily I was visiting family or else not having my luggage would have been worst.
My return flight was worst. First I get to the LaGuardia airport on time and was told that the luggage I brought to NY from Milwaukee was now oversized and I would have to pay an additional $39.00! I was floored by this. I felt hijacked! How can the same luggage that was transported with out comment on the outgoing flight not be ok now. What incompetence! I had no choice (since I was not home but to pay this fee). I was threatened by the attendant with a charge for the outgoing oversight as if this was my fault!
The flight is delayed. I arrive in Milwaukee and then my bags take 60 minutes to get off loaded because again Airtran only had 2 handlers! We were not informed of the delay!Why if we all paid at least $15 were there not enough people to handle the luggage!
Needless to say, I think you people need to get your act together. In a time when airlines are folding, I would think that it would be important for you to have competent people working and provide exemplary service.
I will no longer fly your airline.
I myself feel that it was not worth the few dollars I saved when I purchased the ticket. Everywhere I turned I was nickle and dimed to death and offended at all turns with incompetence and poor customer service!
I will be sending a copy of this letter to the better business bureau and the FCC. I should be compensated for the $39.00 dollars I paid and for my baggage handling fees since my baggage was certainly not handled well!
Dr. Michelle Johnson

[airhead]

The airline will probably tell you that the $15.00 charge does not guarantee the handling of the bag. They will also probably tell you that they are not responsible for the first agent that neglected to charge you the over size bag on the first leg. Probably due to lack of training on the agent's part. I know how frustrating that is. Be aware of the policy that they will hide behind: They are not responsible for overweight,and / or over sized bags.

I wish you luck in reporting said incidents. File a report to the DOT too.

I am wondering what the $39.00 was for.

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by Michelle Johnson

Dear Airtran
I flew on your airline this past holiday and was so disappointed by the demonstrated lack of competence and poor customer service.
I deliberately flew a direct flight from Milwaukee to LaGuardia on Dec 22. I had ever reason to believe my luggage would meet me in NYC especially since me having paid $15.00 for my bag implies that handling it will be "Good". My surprise when I luggage doesn't make it because some one forgot one entire luggage cart and did not load it on the plane. I survive this experience and my luggage was retrieved and returned the Sunday evening. Luckily I was visiting family or else not having my luggage would have been worst.
My return flight was worst. First I get to the LaGuardia airport on time and was told that the luggage I brought to NY from Milwaukee was now oversized and I would have to pay an additional $39.00! I was floored by this. I felt hijacked! How can the same luggage that was transported with out comment on the outgoing flight not be ok now. What incompetence! I had no choice (since I was not home but to pay this fee). I was threatened by the attendant with a charge for the outgoing oversight as if this was my fault!
The flight is delayed. I arrive in Milwaukee and then my bags take 60 minutes to get off loaded because again Airtran only had 2 handlers! We were not informed of the delay!Why if we all paid at least $15 were there not enough people to handle the luggage!
Needless to say, I think you people need to get your act together. In a time when airlines are folding, I would think that it would be important for you to have competent people working and provide exemplary service.
I will no longer fly your airline.
I myself feel that it was not worth the few dollars I saved when I purchased the ticket. Everywhere I turned I was nickle and dimed to death and offended at all turns with incompetence and poor customer service!
I will be sending a copy of this letter to the better business bureau and the FCC. I should be compensated for the $39.00 dollars I paid and for my baggage handling fees since my baggage was certainly not handled well!
Dr. Michelle Johnson

I hope you did some proof-reading of this letter before you sent it to AirTran (by the way you posted this in the American Airlines forum) because the BBB is a joke and the FCC only regulates the radio frequencies that airlines use to communicate.

As airhead said, file a DOT complaint but not in addition to, instead of.

Furthermore, was the issue when you checked in for your return flight with the overall dimensions of the bag or the weight? My thought was if you received a few gifts over your holiday travel (a 5 lb. poundcake perhaps ) your bag may have indeed weighed more for your return trip.

[jimworcs]

The most shocking part of this posting is that a Dr could have such poor grammar!! This is a familiar story and part of a downward spiral of poor service. AirTran will do nothing, and I doubt the DOT will either.

[countrynewsman]

Baggage seems to be the most common complaint of airline service, but I don't think an extra $15 for a bag was charged by airlines to hire more baggage handlers. As to the FCC...they won't help. They're too busy making sure I don't say one of the seven no-no words on radio. Try the DOT website. They probably won't help you, but it will just add another statistic against Air Tran.

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by PHXFlyer

Furthermore, was the issue when you checked in for your return flight with the overall dimensions of the bag or the weight? My thought was if you received a few gifts over your holiday travel (a 5 lb. poundcake perhaps ) your bag may have indeed weighed more for your return trip.

Just realized I meant to say "fruitcake" but with the 5 minute rule for editing on this forum...

Joke ruined. Moving on...

[countrynewsman]

NO...joke not ruined. I can just picture a 5 lb. poundcake!

[Leatherboy2006]

OK now I want poundcake with lemon icing like my grandma use to make