Allegiant MD-82 (N416NV) at Bellingham with a blue tail.
I recently had the opportunity to fly from Bellingham, WA to Las Vegas, NV on Allegiant Air (note: this was not a free ticket and I paid full fare). It was time for a little vacation, but vacation doesn’t mean I can’t review my flight.
On the blog, I have covered Allegiant quite a bit. I have looked at the possibility of them starting flights from Paine Field, talked about their Boeing 757’s and have explored their recent growth. However, I have never actually flown Allegiant and felt it was about time.
Although I haven’t flown them, I have had a small, odd crush on the airline. They have a very unique business model of flying older MD-80’s out of smaller airports and are geared towards the leisure traveler trying to get somewhere warm. They fly places that other low cost carriers don’t fly offering non-stop service to airports not usually served. They also seem to under cut the competition in fare price.
When booking my ticket I was looking at flights out of Seattle (SEA) and Bellingham (BLI – which is located about 1.5hours north of Seattle). Flying Allegiant out of BLI was $50.00 cheaper than anyone else — even after the fees I ended up paying. Add that parking at BLI is only $9/day vs $28/day at SEA and the 1.5hr drive north sounds like a good idea compared to the 30min drive south for me to SEA (ok, so when I have to drive it from 1am-2:30am when I got back, it didn’t seem so great at the time).
There is no hiding that Allegiant love their fees. If you are just flying with a carry-on. don’t care about where you sit and you don’t eat anything you can get to your destination for dirt cheap. Allegiant has become quite skilled at trying to sell you things during every step of the travel process from going onto their website to getting off the airplane.
Allegiant's new seats have the seat pocket located on the top of the seat.
This is not to say I blame them for this, I have always said I do not mind fees. If I am traveling light why should I have to pay for people who are not? When booking my ticket these were some of the “upgrades” I was offered. Some of these fees you do not see on every airline (note that the priority boarding fee is the same for each flight, but the other seat fees will differ depending on flight length):
* Priority boarding: $9.99 – allows you to get on the plane first making sure you have overhead room.
* Premium seat selection: $9.99 – you get an assigned seat near the front or at the exit rows.
* Standard seat assignment: $6.99 – gives you an assigned seat towards the back of the aircraft.
* Online checked bag fee: $39.98 – might be more than the industry average, but you want to pay it online, since it will cost you $70.00 per bag at the airport.
You can fly without having to pay any of these fees, but many will end up paying. Allegiant recently went to a new boarding process. First the people that pay the $9.99 for the priority boarding get to board. Then those who need a little extra time (not kids or family) that they need extra time getting seated get to board. Next, passengers with seat assignments get to find their seats. Then those who do not have seat assignments, but have kids that are under 7. Then it goes to open seating and people get to pick what is left as far as seats and overhead bin space. On the flight to LAS, there weren’t many who went with open seating, but it seemed most of the plane was open seating on the way home.
Normally I wouldn’t pay for an assigned seat, but on this trip I was flying with my girlfriend Amy and I wanted to make sure we sat together. I didn’t get the premium seats and even after the $32.00 seating fees (for both of us there and back) our tickets were still $50.00 cheaper than the competition. Since Allegiant flies MD-80 aircraft, paying more to sit up front can be more useful since you are farther away from the jets in the rear of the plane.
Got a nice view of Mount Rainier heading south towards Vegas.
One annoying aspect of Allegiant’s fees is most are opt-out fees. It automatically signs you up for the $9.99 priority boarding and seat assignment charges and asks if you are really sure you want to opt-out. After I thought I opted out for everything and I was on the payment screen and I had “additional charges” adding up to around $60.00 that I didn’t know what they were. It took me a while to realize Allegiant already added two tickets for a hotel shuttle and for travel insurance. I could see people not realizing what is going on and paying for them, even if they didn’t want or need them. Even though it was a bit more work to get the tickets (it was almost game like and I think I won) I still ended up with super cheap tickets.
Although their aircraft are a bit older, the ones I flew on (N416NV & N419NV) were quite clean. The new Allegiant seats are a bit unique with not having a standard seat pocket. Instead of the seat pocket being down by the knees, it is up above the tray table and is much smaller. This allows them to put the seats closer together and cut down on turnaround time since there really isn’t room to put trash.
The new seats are also “pre-reclined,” which is fancy airline-speak for they do not recline. For me, this is a non-issue. I rarely recline my seat out of respect for the people behind me. Non-recling seats allow more seats to be put in, cuts down on maintenance costs, which allows more revenue and keeps your ticket cost cheaper. For some reason, so many people do not see this connection. There are many other airlines out there that might provide a bit more room, less fees and a reclining seat, but it will cost you more to fly them.
Once you are on board the plane, you have more fees to consider paying as well. Unlike most other airlines, there is no free food or drinks. Not even that small glass of Diet Coke or a miniature bag of peanuts. A 12oz soda will cost you $2 and snacks range from $2-$6. Of course you also have the choice of beer for $5 or mixed drinks for $7. Considering I paid $3 for a soda and $5 for a bagel with cream cheese at the airport before boarding, I should have waited.
Boarding on the tarmac at Bellingham allows one to get views like this, which you can't get on a jetway.
The flight attendants also sell tickets to events and shuttle tickets while on board (at least on my Vegas flight). My biggest regrets of my flight was not getting an Allegiant MD-80 model – which they also sell. They won’t advertise them, so you have to ask for it. I totally forgot on the flight to LAS and was sleeping the entire way back to BLI.
One reason I slept the entire flight back was it was so late. The plane was scheduled to leave LAS at 8:05pm, but we didn’t take off until about 10:30pm. De-icing and flight plan issues caused the delay. Add to that sitting in the plane for about 1.5hrs of that delay with a loud kid in front of us and a group of college kids behind us, it was not fun. At least they did allow us to use our electronic devices and the restroom during the wait. Although it was annoying, what can you do? There are delays in any form of transportation. How many times am I sitting in Seattle traffic and it takes me an hour to go just ten miles (a lot btw)? As always people seem to get angry at the airline for delays; like someone is sitting in a room somewhere making a plane late for fun. The pilots, flight attendants, ground crews, airport personnel, operations managers and everyone else waiting on the last flight of the day do not want the delay anymore than you. These sorts of things happen in a complex business like this and I always find it is best to roll with the punches (although Amy can attest I was getting grumpy at the time).
Allegiant has a smart model that works and they will continue to grow their route map. They own their planes, fly to smaller airports, concentrate on leisure travelers, provide complete travel options and have fees. It obviously is working for them since they have been able to grow rapidly over the past few years and I have a feeling it will continue to work for them. How have your experiences with Allegiant been?
During my time in Vegas, I was also able to take a visit of Allegiant’s head quarters and will be sharing that with you soon. Stay tuned.
Very interesting report. Before I read this, I would never have considered flying Allegiant ever, but the fact that even with the fees you can end up saving some money sounds good to me. I may look into them for my next trip 🙂
I agree, great article! I have flown with Allegiant for the past three years and unfortunately have seen a constant erosion of not only flight schedules, delays for plane breakdowns and customer service. This week I had to change a flight and their website wasn’t working due to problems (which is more the norm this year than not)and it directed me to call in. 7 days later and 8&1/2 hours on the phone with wait times up to 2 hours before I had to hang up and try another day, I got my flight changed and rescheduled and they charged me $30.00 for their problems”because I had to use the phone”. Another 3 hours later on the phone trying to contact a customer service manager after the phone operators claimed they couldn’t change it as the system did it automatically and only a customer service manager could change it, then a third operator said she had spoken with a manger and then later admitted she hadn’t and said they had the right to charge even if their system wasn’t working. After reading the comments about how the planes aren’t maintained, wow! It’s definitely time to change. Too bad, they were much better once, but are really going down hill fast.
Great write-up, David! I flew allegiant last July for the
first time. I too have a curiosity about lesser known airlines and
visiting different airports. I drove two hours from KC, MO to
Springfield for my Allegiant experience. My brother and I flew SGF
to AZA and back on MD87s and have to say it was a pretty good
experience. Sorry to hear you didn’t get a model.. I got
two!
I wonder if they will be selling B757 models on their new aircraft 🙂
David
Nice report!! I have flown on Allegiant 8 times since 2006 and have enjoyed everyone, all my flights were flown between Orlando-Sanford and Allentown,PA. I had one delayed flight in ABE due to the cargo door being broken and had to sit up there for 6 hours until a plane from SFB was one the way with the part. The best thing was when about ten people showed up wheeling in Domino’s Pizza on dollies, (had to be one pie for every person, and it was a full flight)we also got a discount for another flight
I know a lot of us Canadians in BC use Allegiant flying out of Bellingham. Although they have a lot of additional costs, they’re still much cheaper for us to fly with. I find that the trips to Phoenix that Allegiant offers are pretty popular.
What I was shocked to see in your review is the fact that they don’t provide a free snack and drink. I believe that providing this service is a must, especially for trips that are over 90 minutes.
Great article.
I think moat think it is a must because that is the way it has always been. If I do not want the snacks why should I have to pay for them in my ticket?
That being said it did surprise me. That does go pretty far.
David
I know what you mean, but people don’t like change….. Really don’t like change. I just think that it puts Allegiant at a disadvantage (or maybe it doesn’t… It seems to be working), in people’s minds when they have to choose between two airlines. A customer may expect that because they don’t provide these “extras,” it means that the service will be poor.
I’m just curious. If you had a choice between Allegiant and another similar airline, would you choose Allegiant? Is the service good enough that you’d go back to them over and over again?
PS: How was the overall service of Allegiant? What would you rate it between 1 and 10?
I really don’t like MD-80 series planes… they seem weirdly noisy (all of the mechanical noises are off-putting to me) I thought I was going to fall through the floor the last time I was on an MD-80 series. I don’t remember which airline it was, it was years ago. (I believe that airline no longer flies them.) Too scary for me, and I’m not a particularly nervous flier, either. I hold my breath for take-off and landing, the most common times for issues to occur. I figure once we’re airborne, well…..
The MD-80 is an older and louder aircraft. I try to sit as far forward as possible. The noise is worth the 2-3 seat layout for me.
David
I live in Las Vegas and have flown Allegiant many times. They take a lot of flack in the local media because of their fees. So many people are not bright enough to add up the total cost (airfare and fees) to see what actual cost of their trip is. They are most likely cheaper that any other carrier on the routes they fly. Some have also made comments in the local newspapers that they are not as safe as other carriers because their aircraft are older. I have been an airline mechanic (not for Allegiant) for 24 years. Their planes are just as safe as any other carriers. They are maintained per FAA regulations. Being an airline nut I really enjoy your website.
As I always say, people have choice in most cases. If you do not like the fees by one airline dly another.
David
Jim, having been an allegiant employee, i have to disagree with you. they are not just as safe, sure they are supposed to be maintained per regs, however when you have management cutting corners, and pushing maint. to cut corners and pencil whip write-ups. It changes. I spent 3 years there, in the beginning they were great (back when it was the two-87’s and the dc-9-21) but once gallagher and his valujet chronies came in the came changed. i am at a different carrier now and we get alot of mechanics who left allegiant because they refused to release airplanes they felt wer enot completely airworthy.
Oh I am sure Rob is being too kind. I have only risked taking Allegiant 3 times, and every single time there was a problem with the plane that caused delay or cancellation. With only two flights per week between a large market like Columbus and St. Pete – Mondays and Fridays – that seriously screws things up for anyone foolish enough to fly this airline just to save a few bucks. I can’t even believe I allowed myself to try them 3 times. The customer service people are rude and impossible to deal with – not to mention impossible to reach. And the people at the airport gate…..uh, no. Ghastly. Just ghastly. The planes are disgusting, filthy, and not kept up to the most basic standards.
Nice review and worth reading. I am not a big fan of that “Opt-Out” billing stuff and yes, I do believe that they ary trying to t ake advantage of the ill-informed, leisuire Pax. Paying for a coke is annoying; I prefer pain water, but refuse to drink holding tank water. What is a guy to, as TAS won’t allow much? And everyone suggests drinking lots of water when flying. Nuts.
a for the boarding and seating fees, how do they reach t o someone that pays $10 for priority boarding, not for an assigned seat? Do they give you a list of available seats, or do you just block the aisle until eveyone else is seated? Goofy in my view.
I do enjoy your blog; great fun and a wealth of information. Some roofreading and/ or grammar checking might improve your image – a LOT .
Craig,
Replying to your DEC 23, 2010 post.
You’ve got a lot of guts commenting that the reviewer could use some grammar/proof reading to improve his site. In your simple paragraph, you had grammatical errors and typos in five places. The reviewer proof check HIS writing?!?!?!?
Boy, oh boy!
Oh man… that is an old one :). I will admit that I have learned a lot about writing and grammar in the five years I published that — having an editor helps too. We all have to start somewhere right? I can tell you that even “Craig,” who has continued to comment quite often, has gotten better at his grammar too :)!
David | AirlineReporter
I enjoyed reading your review and would like to add a few things. Living in Tri-Cities, WA, Allegiant provides us with non-stop service to LAS that we wouldn’t otherwise have (as well as LAX and Phoenix/Mesa). I have only flown the PSC-LAS route. And, a lot of us here have a love/hate sentiment towards them. It’s very nice not having to drive to SEA, PDX or GEG to fly or flying out of PSC on Horizon. Having said that, there are some other pitfalls that weren’t mentioned and maybe you didn’t encounter. We only fly with just a carry on. Allegiant has gotten really strict about this, obviously to generate more fee income. Your bag now must be inspected at the counter or gate and have a tyvek band attached, signifying that it’s been checked. Without one, you won’t get past the gate with that carry on. Also, people should know that if you do not use the reserved seat option, you will not be able to check in online before your flight. This means waiting in a very long line at the counter, at least at PSC. The counter closes some time before boarding begins, so if you’re late, you won’t be able to check in.
The PSC-LAS route only flies a couple days each week, which vary throughout the year. I understand that at BLI, they have daily flights. Most often, it’s only Thursday and Sunday. So, for some, this can cause some inconvenience. And, their Thursday-Sunday trips are a lot more expensive than the midweek option. Allegiant’s pricing changes often, sometimes more than once during a day. I’m sure that they watch demand closely. If you see a good fare (which from here is anything priced at $54.99 each way and under) you should take it. They do not offer any reward/loyalty program. Although, I have heard that they intend to launch one in the future.
We fly to Vegas with Allegiant about every six weeks and have always had a great experience. Their flight attendants are consistently friendly and the flights are nice and smooth. You can’t beat an hour and forty five minutes from Tri-Cities to Vegas. I wouldn’t discourage anyone from flying with them. But, I do see a lot of disgruntled people at the airport who seem to be first-timers.
My wife and I have gone from flying once a month or more to flying 2 or 3 times a year, mostly on CC miles.
So, when we do have to pay for tickets, we just go with a major.
Your review convinced me that messing with all the nonsense just isn’t worth it to save a few bucks.
That is why it is very good to have choices out there. For some, it is worth anything to save a few pennies (like driving across down to save a cent per gallon on gas) and others they like their trusted brands.
David
I am flying Allegiant on Feb. 21 and Feb. 28 of 2011 with my friend. How can we opt out of the radiation scan at Fort Wayne, IN airport and Sanford SFB airport near Orlando, Fl?
Every summer while on break from school my sister and I always fly to Las Vegas, being we live in a small place we would normally have to be drive an hour out of our way to Sacramento. Luckily we found Allegiant which flies right out of Stockton, Ca nonstop to Vegas (we fly as unaccompanied minors). Since 2006 we have flown on Allegiant 7 times unaccompanied and are treated very well. As children we automatically get priority boarding and are always put in the very front of the plane with no extra charge. Our flights with them have been very comfortable with only one time being delayed for 5 hours but most of the time they arrive early. If you live in a small place and are looking for a great vacation consider flying Allegiant Air
Every summer while on break from school my sister and I always fly to Las Vegas, being we live in a small place we would normally have to be drive an hour out of our way to Sacramento. Luckily we found Allegiant which flies right out of Stockton, Ca nonstop to Vegas (we fly as unaccompanied minors). Since 2006 we have flown on Allegiant 7 times unaccompanied and are treated very well. As children we automatically get priority boarding and are always put in the very front of the plane with no extra charge. Our flights with them have been very comfortable with only one time being delayed for 5 hours but most of the time they arrive early. If you live in a small place and are looking for a great vacation consider flying Allegiant Air.
Interesting report however I will NEVER fly Allegiant again and recommend that no one EVER fly Allegiant. My experience has been horrible from booking to flying. Rude customer service agents. Long delays. Dirty airplanes. Unsafe airplanes that are not maintained regularly. This airline is the worst airline I have ever flown on. First of all you have to hold on the phone for up to 30 minutes to ever talk to a customer service agent and they do not have a toll free number. Second, they continue to change their policies and print them in really fine print, if you can find them on their website. I booked a flight and had to cancel it due to a death. I had purchased TripFlex so I received a partial credit. I was told many times by several agents that the next trip had to be BOOKED by the expiration date. I booked one flight a few months later but when I went to book the second trip and use the rest of my credit I was suddenly told that the trip had to be COMPLETED by the expiration date. So they canceled my credit and kept my money. The “trailers” where you wait for your flights are very dirty and their airplanes are not maintained regularly, thus the reason for constant delays because their planes break down all of the time. Be forewarned to NEVER fly Allegiant. The little bit of extra money you pay for another airline will be well worth it to you because you will be flying on safe airplanes, you will not incur 12 hour or more in delays and you will not have to deal with Allegiant’s incompetent customer service agents.
Update to my review. Allegiant has honored what their customer service reps stated and therefore I feel that Allegiant is a very honorable airline. I will fly them again in 3 weeks and recommend them to all of my friends. Thanks Allegiant!
Don’t fly Allegiant from Phoenix-Mesa to Peoria IL on a Monday. I have had people on the 3:15 monday flight 3 weeks in a row and it never left before 7:30 PM. The only thing worse is the return flight from Peoria to Phoenix-Mesa. It is suppose to leave at 8:50. The last two weeks it left at 1 am and 2 am. Tonights flight is actually tomorrow morning and leaving at 1 am. Three weeks in a row is a bit ridiculous. The worst part is they know it is delayed and will not post it on the web until it is an hour late in leaving.
@Debbie, you certainly had a quick change of heart with all the negative review you had. Your previous review said their planes are unsafe, are they suddenly safe now?
I was wondering the exact same thing?
@Debbie – have you looked at Allegiant’s safety record – no major accidents. You can expect delays from any airline regarding its fleet. Seems to me your only issue is with the money that you felt you were owed.
@debbie, I agree with your first comment. It I had a horrible experience along with many customers who has their seat forfeited in line waiting at the boarding counter. This company is unethical and takes advantage of the 2 hour policy. The probable reasons for their supposedly success is due to their ridiculous fees and their unethical practices. If allegiant was a honest company they would offer refunds or at least a form off accommodation for their poor services. They’re successful because they buy cheap crapy airplanes with cost. they hire only four people and they don’t refund. yeah balance sheet is fine..for now.
it also might be an isolated problem at specific ports such as in phoenix. Hopefully they make up for it.
Thanks for the review. I was a bit hesitant to use them but hope to be able to book a flight soon now that I’m a bit assured.
thanks!
Great information, David! I have flown Allegiant twice before from Bellingham, and will do so again in about a week! We live in BC, and the drive to Bellingham is about an hour from Vancouver. Even with exchange rates, parking fees (its about 22.00 a day at Vancouver, as opposed to 9.00 at Bellingham), we STILL save 50 to 60% on costs! I find the seats a little uncomfortable, but hey, its a short flight to Vegas!! I find the staff at Allegiant very helpful and friendly, both on the phone, and in person. Will recommend Allegiant to friends and family for any flights under 4 hours!!
I would rather be stuck on an island than to be rescued by Allegiant! The WORST airline experienced. I’d rather spend more money elsewhere for quality service. If you have all the time to wait for delayed flights and can care less about staff providing the least decent customer service, then you’ve found the PERFECT airline! You pay for what you get.
Ditto for us too! Just typing this at the Bellingham Airport as our flight was delayed 4 hours and you couldn’t contact Allegiance to even change flights and their staff basically can’t do anything and they sure let you know this.
There was a flight in between, but thier service is so antiquated, you couldn’t even pay them to make the change to the other flight – not even online which we were willing to do. Terrible Service!
Great review. They absolutely have a lot of opt out fees, but once you learn to navigate the booking process, you don’t get caught easily. I love that you point out that even with all the extras it is MUCH cheaper to fly with them. For us we save literally $100s driving 3 hours to catch an Allegiant flight than 2 hours for anything else. Thank you also for pointing out that you are able to fly so cheaply because of all the little things they cut that don’t matter anyway (buy a soda before you board!).
I fly Allegiant about once or twice a year, and although I hate the open seating process I opt for it every time so that I can fly incredibly cheap.
I just want to add that I’ve flown on a number of airlines and have experienced delays on all of them (only once on Allegiant due to weather). Delays can certainly be due to mechanical issues (I’d rather they delayed to fix the problem than fly anyway just to keep the flight on time), but they can also be due to many other reasons – in my experience it is often the airport, not the airline.
Also, for those who claim that they do not regularly maintain their planes, how could you possibly know that? If they were that unsafe they wouldn’t be allowed to stay in business (unless you have no faith in the FAA) and we would be hearing about crashes. Making unsubstantiated assumptions is just silly – don’t pay attention to reviewers who claim to know such things.
Hey Terra,
Thanks for writing. I opt out of everything, except the assigned seats, if I am flying with someone. Since they fly the MD-80, there are so few middle seats.
They are older aircraft, but that doesn’t mean they are unsafe by any means. Much rather fly and older aircraft that is well maintained than a new one that is not.
The airline is not for everyone. But if you know that it is an ultra low cost carrier going into it, and you arrive at your destination, then they are a great airline for you.
David
Great fares, fairly decent airline, definitley recommended. Get open seating, it’s really no different from confirmed seating.
A great write-up!
Unfortunately, there is a customer service side – I should say lack of customer side – to Allegiant that also seems to be part of their business model and should not be overlooked. In brief, Allegiant cancels flights on a regular basis and it seems to be corporate policy to ignore customer complaints and requests for compensation regarding these incidents. Allegiant does not even seem to have the ability to send an email alert ahead of time when they know.
Prospective flyers should also know that Allegiant’s fleet is old and noisy.
If you have a choice, it’s almost certainly worth paying more to take another carrier.
Hello Hugh,
You bring up a good point. Allegiant is what I call an ultra low cost carrier and what normally goes along with that is not the highest level of customer service. But it is like you get what you pay for. For some, they don’t care if they are yelled at and shuved into a cardboard box, they want the cheapest fare possible. Others want a cheap fare and still have a higher level of service and maybe Allegiant or Spirit are not the best fits.
David
I recently on traveled on Alligiant Airlines to Las Vegas purchasing the full fare with priority boarding and assigned seats. Upon boarding the Air Plane it seems that open boarding was called and our seats were given away! What airlines does that I paid for my seat I should get my seat! I want my money back! What if I were traveling with my childern! Another thing is the website and how it add charges without you knowing it suspisious and I’ll never use it again. Those low fares are just a bait for all Alligiants additional charge! To top it off our plane had mechanical problems and our departure was a 1 hour and 45 minites late. When asking how long it would take to get our airplane I was given a wierd look and told when the plane was inspected by the crew. I had to ask how long that would take. No announcements were made to inform the passengers what was going on. Learn some customer service and give your customers what they pay for!!!!
When asking the check in desk about my problem they never said sir or thank you. Your company needs to do some customer service training. Take a trip on Disney Cruise Lines and experience some real customer service.
I don’t think I will ever fly allegiant again. Their additional fees are pretty outrageous and we were just booted off the plane so they could make do some maintenance. Get it together. Now we’ll be an hour late. Guess you get what you pay for. Flown from Eugene to Vegas probably ten times and never had an airline be so rude. I think I would rather drive the fifteen hours.
David, or anyone– I have a question: Generally, when booking Allegient, is it best to wait for closer to the flight than further out?
I’m looking to book a seat out of Bellingham in March, and the flight is low ($70-90); but the return would be from Mesa in April, and the flights are $160-200. Do you think because April is 4 mos from now that’s why the price difference? Or…? Thoughts?
Knowing what airline prices will do is almost like playing the stock market. However, most times fares will go up the closer you get to your date of travel. Must be some reason that prices are higher coming back at that time, not exactly sure why. That much for one-way on Allegiant is pretty pricey.
David
The price is higher because of taxes & airport fees! You are taxed at the rate of the airport from which you are departing and consequently pay whatever local fees have been governed.
Thank you for the great information on Allegiant. I live in south central BC and am considering a 3 or 4 hour winter drive over a mountain pass to Bellingham to fly Allegiant to Phoenix for a week….Hmmm are the $$$ savings worth this….I think it might be. The Canadian direct flight is $531. the Allegiant $243.(but increasing daily). I must make up my mind soon. If I travel Allegiant I will post my review. Thanks again for the information.
So very irritated. Just tried to book a flight online for Allegiant Air. I Was very excited. Great price round trip. Went all through the pages to buy, and clicked continue. Then I got a message saying ERROR: flights no longer available. and gave me a number to call. Called the number, and stayed on hold for 15 minutes. Was told that is just the way it is, and prices were now 200 dollars higher for the exact same flights. And, no there is NOT a manager I can speak with or anyone else to help. Tried to get the agent’s name and she hung up on me. VERY UNHAPPY. Would NOT advise flying Allegiant Air. I will tell everyone I know. Anyone else had issues? Let me know.
I am flying Allegiant for the first time this weekend from Orlando/Sanford to Salisbury, MD… I did a lot of shopping around as the only thing to fly from MCO to SBY previously was US Airways.. And I would end up going to Charlotte or Philadephia first ad the onto SBY. I looked at pricing for 2 tickets to fly to Salisbury.. I do fly Southwest into BWI sometimes and it was over double the price an they would have to rent a car and and drive almost 3 hours.. US Airways was almost three times the cost.. I was suprised at all their fees, but I could hardly beat the pricing.. Im hoping that it’s a positive experience.. But I see a lot of negative reviews… Thank you for letting me know about the price of drinks/snacks on board because I wouldnt of know and then would of been upset.. Especially traveling with a child!
Kelly, how were the flights between SBY and Sanford? I’m doing that same trip this week for Spring Break. I’ve been using USAir in out out of SBY for years and am excited about another option.
Kelly- can you please give an update on your trip. I’m heading to Orlando this weekend.
Folks, if you need to be somewhere at a certain time, this isn’t an option worth exploring. I had a 2:00 flight which should have arrived at 3:00 for a 7:30 dinner. Was prepared to go to dinner straight from the airport. At 9:00, everyone was still waiting to leave. I went home. I missed my own engagement dinner. Another guy missed his buddy’s wedding. Pay the extra money & go with something reliable. I am still trying to get my money back. They keep saying they issued the refund. Its not even pending. Business ethics clearly not up to par. Save yourself the headache / heartache. Not sure who chose this name for this company, but they need to rethink it!!
I’d also like to know how the flight between SBY and SFB are. I’ve seen some negative reviews about flights being cancelled and that would be very bad since I have to be in FL on a Saturday for a wedding. But I also would prefer not to have to drive up to Philly. And as a first time flyer, I am very nervous about maneuvering around the airport.
I will be flying later this month from Grand Forks, ND to Las Vegas. We actually live 2.5 hours north in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
I can’t begin to tell you how many Canadians out of Winnipeg are crossing the boarder to use Allegiant out of Grand Forks. There was an actual article in the Winnipeg Free Pres that the new airport in Winnipeg has seen a significant drop in travellers. Not only are Allegiant flights cheap but their entire vacation packages are an amazing bargain. I know that I sound like an Allegiant marketing rep but believe me I am not.
Our family of 4 including all the extra Allegiant fees saved well over $1,800 on our vacation package compared to other discount sites like Expedia, Hotels.com, etc. The only thing I was able to get cheaper was the car rental when I went directly with a PROMO code. My only concern is that I am not an excellent flyer and hearing about the MD-80 aircraft has me a little concerned. Hopefully we will not experience any problems and the plane doesn’t sound too much like a tank!
One hint – if you are booking online check the costs at different departure and arrival dates as it can make a signicant cost difference.
I recently flew Allegiat air from South Bend, ID to Clearwater, FL. The airplane that I flew on was dirty, the seats were worn out, the flooring in the isle way had cracks in it, there were rivits holding the interior together. In the rear of the plane the there were screws with fender washers holding the interior side panels in place. If the interiior of this plane was maintained this way, I would hate to look at the flight systems.
On the return flight after waiting in line for an hour, as the flight time got close they tool all the South Bend bound passengers and put them in another line, of course we were now in the rear of the line, without assigned seats we got the last boarding numbers.
I would never fly Allegiant again.
A classic example of a company that puts profits *far* above service. And yes, I realize that there re those who’d parrot “Buyer beware” or that “You get what you pay for.” But even my low-cost fare wasn’t worth a steaming bowl of dog %@#*!!!!
I might expect such a level of crappy customer service from Sudan Airways but Allegiant?
Stay away. Stay very, very far away unless you happen to be a glutton for punishment.
Hideous airline. Hideous business model.
I’ll NEVER fly with them again – even though they were once the most convenient carrier for my personal A to Z destination.
They can’t go bankrupt fast enough.
Allegiant would be convenient for me since the airport they are at is 15 minutes away and access is easy, unlike driving and navigating Sky Harbor in Phoenix. I have not flown with them yet as I just haven’t gone anywhere, but my ex is moving to Montana in the next couple of years and Allegiant is the only one who has a nonstop flight and now accepts unaccompanied minors on their flights. Yep, already pricing this impact. The unaccompanied minor and nonstop flight aspect is more important than the fees. It’s waaaay too expensive for me to fly myself and kid half way to meet up with his dad who would have to do the same coming from Montana. I do like that Allegiant flies cheap to smaller cities, which is making me think about traveling this summer, to somewhere cooler, It’s going to be 108 degrees today and we’re still in May. :\ In my opinion, I don’t really care about seating assignments anyways, it’s not like you’re at home on your sofa or recliner getting comfortable, it’s just a ride and I am not a prude. My only exception to traveling comfortable would be if I was traveling across the ocean and the flight was really long. I’ve been deployed to Iraq twice and can tell you, long trips on a cramped bird is not easy; ouch to the legs, back, neck and your patience.
Worst airline in America – BAR NONE – and we’ve flown them all. Contract ticket/gate agents (same people) handle paying customers with “GET BACK,” “SHUT UP,” “MOVE AWAY” in the unprofessional, disorganized boarding event which also results in passengers who pay for reserved seats losing them after checking boarding time with (clueless) gate agent. Plus, the charge for every bag even in overhead bin, charge for any small personal item (wallet-size purse) – sub sandwich got on OK… 😉 Never again – we’d rather pay twice the price and drive to another airport than be subjected to this customer dis-service. Gives a whole new meaning to cattle=class. Only positive: $5 beer/wine which will surely change.
This is one of the worst airline I have ever flied on in my life. For three weeks in a row my flight was delayed for 6 hours for unavailability of crew. I made the mistake of my life of being three consecutive tickets. In addition, I pay for a seat for a carry on for my nerve. They have no self check in and their digital boarding pass doesn’t work. No enough support at the gate so usually the line in 1 hour to get your boarding pass. But don’t stress on getting early as they are ALWAYS LATE. This the last time of my life. Jet blue, southwest, frontier are WAY better.
I was very happy to change my friends plan to fly on it. Thank god these poor crew of 6 would never fly on it again. I d never stop unrecommending this flying rapture.
It is interesting that you had such a good experience while numerous others had such bad ones. This is my experience this week. Before you read further understand this happened at a small airport (Eugene, OR to Los Angeles) that is not busy, and does not have huge lines of people. There is no reason for the following other than the employees hiding away from the ticket counter in a deliberate act and intention to steal travelers money. I arrived at airport 1 hr early along with approx 15 other people, no one at counter,no one at airport could locate an employee of the airlines. All of us were unable to board. All of us missed the flight.Employees came to the counter after the flight left and said we closed the counter 1.5 hours before the flight. The airline said sorry you were not there 2 hours early, no flight changes, no refunds. All 15 were screaming and angry at the airport. I am handicapped with brain cancer and I booked it as handicaped on my ticket.I am still stranded at airport. I have to be back in Los Angeles to continue my chemo treatments but with my medical cost I am on a limited income. Again no one to help. Online on their company website under their check-in policy it says “Recommends arriving 2 hrs early”.I will pursue a lawsuit against this airline and airport that allows this kind of theft of my money, and does not provide access or service for the handicapped. In my home in CA law prohibits any company to keep your money and not provide a service or product in exchange. They have to at a minimum offer you an alternate product or alternate service. When I get back I will also contact the Attorney Generals office. WARNING AVOID THIS AIRLINE they want your money without providing a service.
Every airline will have positive and negative experiences. When I pay $1000.00 for a first class ticket (which I can’t afford to), I have a certain expectation of service versus a $75 ticket.
It does sound like someone dropped the ball with Allegiant in your situation and that is too bad. Problem is, if they have a policy of two hours, and you purchased the ticket, it means you are agreeing with the policy. It might be a bad policy, but probably not much to do about it.
David
If you are flying allegiant air into the orlando area for WALT DISNEY WORLD….DONT!!!! Disney’s Magical Express does NOT operate out of the Sanford/Orlando airport and after your travel time in the air, you will have to drive for an hour to reach the Walt DIsney World Resort. Any savings that you think you saved you will spend in transportation arrangements. It is NOT worth the aggarvation!!!!!
Has anyone travelled from Niagara Falls NY to Orlando. How was your experience??? Love to hear from you. Planning a trip in October 2012.
R
My wife has flown Allegiant out of Niagara Falls to Punta Gorda, FLA a couple of times. The experience was decent for the price; I mean what do you want for these rates? Someone to wipe your lips after you eat! Listen yes there are a lot of extra costs and no free drinks, big deal — can”t you fly two or three hours without paying for a Coke? Come on you buy drinks when you ride in your car that far. Believe me the regular airlines have all the same delays too, if not more sometimes. The good thing about Alligent is the fly out and into the smaller (much smaller!) airports where there isn”t 3,000 people waiting to go though security. It seems to be a value, let”s face it flying today is nothing but riding a bus with wings.
After reading the review here and on Allegiant’s own Facebook page I am very worried about our flight. It will be myself, my husband, and our three children flying from Grand Rapids, MI to Orlando, FL. I wish I would have read all this BEFORE I purchased our tickets. I’m praying all goes well and that we avoid the delays and problems that others have had. My stomach is so upset after reading all this. It has taken us 7 years to save up for this trip to take our kids and I really want it to be a good experience.
Remember Becky, that most people who take the time to write something online have had a bad experience. Those who are able to fly normally, with no issues, aren’t going to take the time. The chances are that your trip will go perfectly.
The nice part about ultra-low cost airlines, like Allegiant, is it allows people with families to be able to afford to fly. Just be aware of all the additional fees (bags, carry-ons, etc) so you do not get surprised when you arrive at the airport.
David
I am thinking of flying Allegiant Air from Appleton, WI to Mesa AZ in Feb. My worry is the weather. If it is foggy or snowy and the plane can’t land or take off what is the alternate airport for Allegiant to land and what about the stranded passengers in Appleton? With only 2 flights per week will my vacation be ruined by the weather?
Thanks for the review and updates to your original post David. We are flying Allegiant from Allentown to Orlando in March 2013. I booked a very cheaply priced flight (1,400 round trip for two adults and two kids, including the extra fee for checked baggage and for assigned seats). After this, I read some horrific yelp reviews which had me a bit worried.
I hope we are part of the lucky ones who have an uneventful round trip.
I could care less about reclining seats on a 2 hour flight, and I am like you and never recline anyway due to being considerate. I am the one who usually ends up with the persons seat in front of me on my lap because its broken, or they are just rude.
Now that airlines charge for baggage and seat assignments, a regular flight with US Air or even with Frontier would have cost us over $2,500.00.
Keeping my fingers crossed for an easy trip. Thanks again David.
I hope it works out for you JP! Things can go wrong with any airline (even bus/train). It is more about how one reacts to it. I fly quite a bit and have experience quite a bit of things going wrong. I find keeping a smile (as long as you can) really helps. But I don’t fly with kids, so I would imagine that adds much more stress :).
Have a great trip.
David
nickel and dime me to death…Hello met jet
Interesting article. Try Allegiant’s flight to Honolulu………..absolute nightmare! Never, never again. Over 6 hours crammed into a seat that doesn’t recline, costly dry, tasteless food, etc. – no thanks. Live and learn.
ML I can just picture your flight to Hawaii, I just got back from Vegas and I have a place in Hawaii and I thought to myself I would never make it to Hawaii to far to go without moving my seat. Going to Vegas or short trips is OK anything more than a couple of hrs forget it. the start of my holidays is the travel, and it better be good or someone will hear about it.
On my return from Vegas I had loud words with a young could not care less counter clerk at the bording area regarding my carry on bag that she wanted my wife and I to pay for again ( I purchased on line) Then she started blaming some others in her organization for making mistakes, certainly no apology to me. This was the first time with Allegiant, I will give them the benefit of doubt this time, and try them one more time. If not satisfied I will be back to Alaska.
I’m going to be flying from Stockton to Vegas on a regular basis and from reading all these reviews I think the Allegiant MD-80 is just what I’m looking for, after I learn how to play their game. And I always did like those engines pushing at my back rather than like that boring 737 workhorse. I like sitting just ahead of the wing and when I look back out the window I don’t see a big ugly motor. And since they have learned just about everything there is to learn about that wonderful classic airplane, I wouldn’t expect any surprise problems with it.
Good article, unfortunately the after flight service doesn’t stand up to the actual experience. Ni paid the rather high bagge fees and on my return flight they severely damaged my new luggage. I contacted their head office only to be informed that although they apologize for the damage they caused, the damage to my luggage does not meet the requirement for them to repair or replace. But hey we appreciate soaking you on additional fees. I guess the only way to travel with them is pay for carry on that you can look after yourself.
We booked a round trip flight from Santa Maria to Honolulu at Christmas. I’ll keep this short. BEWARE! This was he worst possible travel experience. 10 hour delays, rude customer service, no communication, freezing cold inside, no air vents, no blankets, no reclining seats, have to pay for everything including water.
I WILL NEVER FLY ALLEGIANT AGAIN, EVEN IF THE FLIGHTS WERE FREE.
Hey I few with my family in Aug 2012 on Allegent from Huntington Wv to Myrtle Beach SC although it was a short fi
Flight all was good crew was friendly and helpful I would not hesitate to recommend Allegent to anyone acually booking trip to Orlando as I’m writing this. Some people will piss and moan no matter what they get just jump on and enjoy and think 2 hr travel vs 14 hrs driving the experience is what you make of it
I thought I had done all my invetsigating of fees and whatnot, but what I hadnt invetsigatd was there abismal on time rate. Only 64% from Oakland to arizona and return flight was only 57% on time. I dont mind al the fees which I checked out prior, but the fact that I had an important event and I missed it made for a terrible experience. They replied to my issue 8 months later with a 25 dollar off voucher on a future flight….do you really think I would EVER fly with them again if I needed to get somewhere in a timely fashion?? This was not a weather issue…First plane malfunction and then rescue plane malfunction. 12 hours delay and missed my event. DO NOT FLY WITH ALLEGIANT!!!!
Ok, I will never fly with this airline ever! I was ordering tickets online and opted out of everything possible. It wouldn’t let me continue because of a (what it was telling me)was an error in my information(found out later from my bank they were trying to charge my account three times the amount I was given $2000+!)I called to see what was wrong(I waited on hold for an hour and also online support kept me waiting for over 20 min) the guy was so rude and insisted that no one EVER has problems in ordering. I called back later with the information my bank said to me(another 25 min wait) same guy gets on, rude as ever, and swears that this can not be true and that it is my fault. Worst everythng as far as I am concerned. I will not be flying with someone, that if something goes wrong with the plane, is the passengers fault lol!
This is the worst airline ever! They will eventually fail, as they are not customer friendly, and are always late.
Pamela,
One might think, but they are actually one of the most successful airlines in the world and profitable. Why? They offer rock-bottom prices and although a person might not have the best experience, when they are looking to re-book, they take the chance because those prices are so low.
David
Looser
Man Joe,
I am too loose or are you calling me a loser?
David, AirlineReporter
What a horrid airline. $430 for tickets from Plattsburgh to Tampa (hardly a discount rate). But that is only the start. You pay for everything. You want to pick your seat? $20+ per seat fee. I opted out and none of our family sat together. Thisty? wanna a sip of water $2, Wanna watch a movie? listen to some music? Nope nothing like that here. Want to recline your seat? Even a little? Nope, none recline, and they are the most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in on a plane. Check a bag $60 rt if you do it in advance 70$ if you don’t. Bring on a carry on 36$ RT, And warning. The biggest scam is that they are extremely strict about carry on size. If it does not completely fit? 35$ each way. Do you get $ credit for the $36 you already paid as a carry on.. not a chance. Our plane was full but I have never seen the overhead compartments so empty. Apparently we were not the only victims of this sham. you pay $106 rt for upgrading carry on to checked. And weight limit… they got you there too, normally 50lb limit but it is 40lb limit with them. Go over.. another $50 each way. My feeling is that is was not a very good ticket price to begin with then to constantly be nickeled and dimed??? I only hope they go bankrupt (again)
I truly loved visiting your site. Thanks
It’s a get what you paid for scenario with this airline. Now I can see that not all is bad with the Airline, and understand the apologists for the company. When traveling all airlines have their bad experiences. Flight Delays. Bad Customer Service. Unwanted fees. But here’s the thing with Allegieant. They have a higher percentage of Delayed flights. A horrid 35% of their flights are delayed. A third of flights being delayed is unacceptable, especially when the top carriers manage less than 10% of their flights delayed. Their negative reviews on customer service far outweigh the positive. I actually haven’t read any positive reviews in that aspect. Maybe some MEH reviews, but none that claimed they exceeded expectations. And the fees are no secret. We find fees on all airlines…but a fee for a carry on? A fee to sit next to your family? A fee for a simple drink? These are low cost options for the airlines that they turn into high cost fees for passengers. honestly, this airline might work fine for those who can risk delays, who are traveling light, and who might be traveling alone. But if you don’t meet all three of that criteria I’m finding it might not be worth the headache.
In the last little while this Airline has gonne downhill.
They have no customer service skills and make you feel like you are doing something wrong. My experience is below.
Also in the same terminal this happened to the ppl waiting at the gate opposite us as well.
Before leaving hotel checked online status of flight “On Time”…
3PMChecked in for flight (boarding pass indicates boarding at 440pm), checked in Bag, went through security and proceeded to Gate D3 in LAS, no mention of any delays at the gate Flight is scheduled to leave at 540pm. ONTIME.
5pm rolls around still No Allegiant Rep at the gate… whats scarier is there is No plane at our gate just our luggage sitting on the tarmac.
520 a rep finally shows up and says that the plane is delayed but will be here at 630.
So we wait.
630 comes around and no plane or updates at 715 there is an announcement saying that the Plane we are supposed to be travelling on which is in Fresno hasnt even boarded yet and they are serving those passengers beverages while they are waiting & that they know nothing else.
745PM they start setting up a table with cups, ice, water and pop cans saying that management will be up in 10 min with answers and will be able to answer questions.
8PM they changed reps who told us there is a mechanical issue with the plane so they dont know when it will arrive, when asked by passengers why they dont have another plane to take us we get told that the crew that is in Fresno lives in Bellingham so its more “convienient” for them to be our crew so they can go home (which was pretty annoying to hear)
at 9pm they distributed food vouchers ($8.00 meal per person, lets be honest you cant get much for 8 dollars at the airport terminal. Most fast food places were starting to close at 9)
BTW no manager yet…a lady in a orange shirt kept coming to tell the reps something but kept leaving as soon as ppl started to approach her. She looked angry and cross. I dont think they realise that we would just like to hear the truth. not that they dont know anything when they actually do. Its frusterating. As well as when you ask a question and they ignore it or you all together, very poor customer service.
930PM the rep says they are doing an engine run( i dont know what that means…testing the engine?) then she says they have boarded the plane and take off and THAT WE WOULD BE GOING HOME WITHIN 1.5HRS.
around 10pm the orange shirt lady came up and was asking the rep why she told us that and they rep said you told me the plane pushed so i relayed the message.
1030pm the Allegiant Air flight from Fresno lands at our gate and we get an announcement stating that our flight is cancelled due to the crew being in the air for the max amount of hours. and that our flight is rescheduled until the following day at NOON.
Pretty frusterating. they had time to print up personalised hotel + food vouchers for 150 ppl, but didnt know that we would not be flyiing until the plane landed? I think that they have the poorest customer service I have ever experienced. In the mean time the only number that you can find online either doesnt work or tells you they are experiencing high volume calls 24 hours a day.
They next day they acted like nothing happened. but did distribute $8.00 more dollars in food vouchers for breakfast and a letter for our employers.
They didnt once apologise like normal ppl would, they had the worst attitude and were in turn being rude to us, which fuels the fire and gets ppl ANGRIER.
REGARDLESS lesson learned i will pay the 200-300 difference and fly with a BETTER more professional Airline.
I could go on for days about our experience. JUST WANT EVERYONE TO BE AWARE….DONT FLY ALLEGIANT.
I purchased a flight for a family member and the day before he was supposed to board he hurt himself severely and was unable to make the flight. I called and then wrote to Allegiant upon request by their telephone representative and was told by the airline that the could not reimburse me at all or change the name of the passenger so that we could get use out of the money that was lost. We have purchased many, many travels with them as well as recommending all of our family and friends who have purchased many, many tickets with them and we have flights booked in the near future with them and they still refused to help us with this one issue. Poor decision making, no personability and word of mouth will surely work against this company. I will be canceling our future flights with them, losing what we will gain in cancel fees and using another means of transportation from now on. Word of mouth will certainly not work in their favor from our home any longer as well as our family and friends. Sadly, when you become greedy and stop caring about your customers and begin blaming it on “policy”, you begin your decline as a reputable company and begin your descent to failure and eventual bankruptcy.
While the author of the article may be correct that that have been profitable in the past, their recently initiated Hawaii routes will be their downfall. I expect they will be discontiued as word of their constant and excessive delays, maintenance issues, and complete lack of customer service will eliminate any repeat customers to Hawaii. Even the Hawaiians were complaining on the news while we were there of how Allegiant is giving the tourist industry in Hawaii a bad rep with their poor service. Allegiant’s model make work for short commuter routes but in my opinion people traveling 7 hours to a vacation will not tolerate such incompetence at any price. Time will tell for Allegiant – I’m not buying any stock.
Took out flex insurance, but could not talk to customer service (Message said too busy) to change my flight. Said needed 24-48 hours to return your call. Mother was in hospital wanted to go a day earlier, couldnt get through. When I did go, 7:35pm suppose to go, delay to 9:30 pm, delayed to 11:05pm, delayed to 11:40 pm,actual time out about 1 am! Grumpy stewardess! I have flown with them for years and this is the worst it has ever been!
3/31 from Stockton C A to Honolulu, flight 1053. The departure time was supposed to be 9:30 am. We got a phone call saying it will be delayed until 5:30pm. So we arrived at airport before 4 pm. Now it is 8pm, we are still in airport WAITING!!!
No explanation, no apology, no food or drink. Worst experience ever.
Totally disagree with David. Are you getting paid ($0.10/word) to talk for allegiant? In business, you’d want to minimize expenses while maintaining a competitive service for customers’ benefits. You do not give s#@tty service and justify it by claiming that I charge you “less” therefore this is called the “s#@tty class” a class lower than the economy class. The worst and disorganized run airlines I’ve ever experienced and they’re rude too. They’re rude because they’re incompetent. You ask them a question, they don’t know the answer to it. So instead of admitting their poorly trained and lack of knowledge they’d masquerade their incompetency by being rude. Try calling customer service to see if you can get through. I am willing to bet with you that allegiants will eventually go bankcrupt.
Allegiant does offer lower fares to most cities and most of their employees are pleasant enough and their equipment is adequate. I agree that they try to add as many fees as possible but that is avoidable. I have flown with them 7 times and only once was treated rudely by ticket counter attendants.
However, beware of using their flight insurance and pity you if you have to make any changes. I purchased their flight insurance, which eliminated their flight change fees, but I had to make flight schedule changes twice several weeks before flight date. I made the changes within a two hour period and actually finally changed to a week later. They charged me for the difference in fares for both flights which I DID NOT TAKE! It was a total fee of $370. My final flight was actually about $3 less than the initial flight. When I finally reached someone by phone to complain, they rudely refused to refund the unfair charges. I had my credit card company remove the charges but after weeks of their negotiation with Allegiant they reinstated the charges. I wrote to Allegiant to complain but never received a reply. Maybe you get what you pay for in terms of lower service for a lower price but cheating customers is not a nice way to increase your company profits! I have filed a complaint with the FAA but as usual don’t expect any action from our typical incompetent government employees.
Just checking my credit card statement after a 2 week trip to Hawaii. With whom did I fly?
Allegiant Air. Will I ever again. Not on my life. The $50 charge for excess baggage, that
I spent 20 minutes resolving by repacking and having the luggage weighed again and approved
as under 40 lbs, is simply the last straw. The first straw was them NEVER answering their phone
prior to my flight, during the two weeks I was traveling or this past week. NEVER. The second straw
was having my flight canceled after I had left for the airport, despite being sent a message the previous
evening to pre-board check in. The service was completely non-existent. I did not expect food, we took our
own. But the utter lack of service, unfriendliness and disorganization upon check in both in Bellingham and especially in Honolulu and the inability to reach anyone before, during and after the trip just makes it not worth the hassle. I’ll be flying a domestic Canadian airline in future. If I wanna be treated like cattle I’ll do it at home where
at least I don’t need to worry about being in another country and am free to challenge the poor service
at point of access.
The only thing that went right with Allegiant was the wonderful Laura at the Bellingham airport who
called to say my daughter’s camera had been found on the airplane and we could pick it up. I consider the $50
rip off for baggage to be the finder’s fee for the DSLR. As for the 300 in travel vouchers promised when they
cancelled our flight, I’m not holding my breath and don’t have the interest or energy to pursue this company to cough up. Allegiant Air, a complete and utter rip off. Don’t waste your money.
Worst customer service I’ve ever experienced…period. Allegiant flight was delayed out of Youngstown. We live 1.5 hours away so waited to show up until 1.5 hours before the delayed takeoff time. When we got to the airport, there was no one working at the counter. They had closed up and gone home. So, no one could print us a boarding pass, even though we’d already checked in online. So TSA wouldn’t let us through. And no one was there to help. We went home. When we called, two managers denied our request for a refund. Done. NEVER FLY ALLEGIANT!
Customer service with Allegiant Air is non-existent!
It is impossible to call the customer service number and speak to someone. You receive a recorded message that they are experiencing a high call volume and are not taking calls. I then tried emailing just about every email I could find. I received an email reply that I should call customer service (the same one not taking calls) and that “Customer Care Specialists do not make outbound phone calls.” — so if you leave a message, do not expect a return call.
My credit card information was stolen and used for a purchase with Allegiant Air. When I was trying to reach a representative, the charge was only “authorized” on my account. If I had actually been able to speak to someone, the charge could possibly have been shut down before processing and being sent through my account. The account has been shut down and the bank has initiated an investigation that will involve Allegiant Air.
A little customer service could have gone a long way in preventing the company being involved in an investigation for a fraudulent transaction and allowing a person committing theft to travel with their airline.
It’s been a fun challenge for me to Beat Allegiant at their own game. I have flown Allegiant from Oakland on more than a dozen roundtrip occasions to visit family in Bellingham. I beat the Allegiant system of nickel and diming by travelling with only a hand made by me tote bag with the largest allowable dimensions to fit under the seat, which is still free. I now avoid the overhead because they charge for it. I keep some clothes and toiletries at my destination, thanks to the kindness of my friends and family. When I have flown with a companion, there was no problem finding seats together, without paying for the priviledge; even when being practically the last people to board. I will not pay for priority boarding. Don’t rent a car thru the Allegiant website; they tack on at least $5 per day. Rather, go directly to the rental car website for a better deal. The same for hotels; don’t use the Allegiant combination booking because it’s not really a better deal. I bring food, an apple, cookies, and sandwich, from home and have never been quesioned at Security. Always use a debit card to pay rather than credit card. I check prices often because they change more than The Dow, or gas prices. I have flown Oakland to Bellingham for $51RT; another trip was $88RT; $150, and lately for about $180RT. Allegiant is not profiting from my business.
IMPROVE ON THE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER!!!!! You can NEVER get through! I can not believe every single time I call its a HIGH CALL VOLUME!!! Please Allegiantair CEO’s get a clue. We are paying guest on your airline, we abide by the Air Laws of the Airlines, and put out good hard earned money
to even fly with you. Don’t forget it’s the passages who help in providing you with a JOB! No Passengers on ALLEGIANTAIR, NO ALLEGIANTAIR, NO JOB at ALLEGIANTAIR!!! Please Please start to do better. We always fly out of Stockton, CA because it is our home, it’s makes it easy to get a flight. We’re trying to support our airport and your airline. We fly every 4 months at least, and every time it’s the same on the phone Bull Crap. So now we go to the Stockton airport and get our tickets. It’s a ways out, but at least we found a way around your VERY POOR customer service number. Please at least improve on areas the need improving. You know what they are, you’ve heard the consumers outrage, now “DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!”
Recently flew return from Phoenix to Hawaii. CHecked a lot of airlines and chose Hawaiin rather than Alegiant. Return far $404 per person taxes and fees in. Alegian was about $60 less but there fees would bring it past Hawaiin. What a nice experiance. Free drinks inlcuding Mai Tais. Food service with wine and a real fork!!!! Had an overweight bag on the rturn trip but the attendee checked with us and found out there was a medical device inside and waived the fee. All in all a very good experiance. When we left Hawaii the Allegiant plane was still sitting on the tarmac 4 hours afer scheduled departure. A off duty pilot was looking for a ride home and mentioned he never took Allegiant as it was always late! Planes are too old!!! Have heard many horror sotries back home of flying with them. Go Hawaiin
Paid for seating $14 extra per ticket My wife my granddaughter and myself
After a three hour delay going from Fort Lauderdale to Greenville South Carolina
someone was sitting in my seat. Flight attendant respectfully did ask passenger to
take another seat. On return trip one hour delay We were rushed on the plane.
Our seats were taken. When I confronted the flight attendant she said there’s no –
assigned seats being honored. Took a seat toward the back And I was asked to move
by the flight attendant Because she said if I have a kid on board even though I wasn’t
able to sit with my granddaughter that I could not set at a exit seat. So here’s the 411 –
we pay for three seats…. paid for checking two bags… Paid a next or $14 per seat to be able to sit together so that I can have my wife with our granddaughter. When the seatbelt signs went off I went to check on my wife and granddaughter to find my granddaughter who is two years old sitting on my wife’s lap without a seat… How’s that for customer service….
I flew from Tampa to Cedar Rapids and could not believe how rude and unfriendly the majority of workers were when we were checking in. There were only 2 people working at the counter to check people in and over 100 people in line. Once we were through the line and in security one of the employees was barking orders to hurry up to a lady that was in a wheelchair in front of me. They were telling her to hurry because she was slowing things down. She was an elderly lady. I have flown with every airline and have never experienced such rude and unfriendly behavior ever as I have with the trip on Allegiant Air. Forget how cheap they are – I will pay more to be treated with respect and kindness.
My husband and I have flown three times so far from Great Falls, guess what no surprise all three times late the last time being six hours to Vegas spoiled half a day at our resort. They ruined a man’s t motorized wheel chair by tipping it and spilling battery acid, anyone hear of baking soda not these morons and it took them two and a half hours to get Haz Mat, hello they do work at the airports folks. As a budget airline they are doomed to fail no question, sooner or later the axe will fall, next charges for the bathroom and maybe a charge to speak to a customer rep if you can get a hold of one, hey if you book by phone there is a charge. All our friends and neighbours will be told about this, but hey they should be using bi-planes by then, Disgusting
Reading these reviews I do feel bad for peoples bad experiences, but I want to say that we have flown the Bellingham to Las Vegas route about 7 times in the last 4 years….every time we have had just fine service. A few trips we have sat across from the attendants and have had wonderful, friendly conversations with them. The one time our bag got left behind in LV they returned it to us with minimal issues and gave us a nice size travel voucher. Out of the 14 flights we have only been delayed once due to a washroom repair issue but hey, s*#t happens. lol.
To avoid the extra fees we have just gotten smart about packing: sharing one large bag and each having a personal item for under the seat, it’s only a 2.5 hour flight so we don’t care if we sit beside each other but usually can once we have boarded. I don’t need a movie or luxery service….just get me from A to B and back.
I realize they are not perfect but I do appreciate the low fare option they provide. And when I look around the Bellingham Airport parking lot, it is obvious by the hundreds of BC plates, many people do.
We are booked again in August! Can’t wait!
AVOID AVOID AVOID!! The worst airline ever. Be careful booking with this airline as you will be charged excessive fees.
WORST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ticket counter was unmanned >1h before flight and I was unable to print my boarding pass. I had checked in online. I couldn’t get through security and missed my flight just because I couldn’t find anyone to help me “reprint” my boarding pass. Customer service investigated my complaint and then 3 months later told me they declined my request for a refund.
WORST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will tell you that I will NEVER fly Allegiant Airlines and would never recommend them! I made reservations to attend a funeral and then the date changed as well as my doctor scheduled me for a medical procedure. I called Allegiant the day after and 2 days after and was on hold for 30 min each time and didn’t get through! I then called the 3rd day and was hold for 1 hour! They have NO medical exceptions and you can’t talk to a manager. I even tried to chat on their site twice and it didn’t work. They make is virtually impossible to deal with customers! I HATE THEM and am going to make sure they go out of business! They charge for everything, bags, change fees, booking fee to reserve a seat, cancellation fee. I was only able to get a credit (less the cancellation fee of $40, now I have a $500 credit with them) and they are limited on where they fly. DON’T FLY THEM! At the end of the day, you will probably be paying the same amount with another airline but you’ll get customer service! I wouldn’t even recommend working for this company as they are a BIG scam! PLEASE FORWARD THIS ONTO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!
Using Allegiant for the first time tomorrow. After reading all of this I am expecting the worst! I will update when I return……
I will never fly with allegiant air again. We booked a flight from Provo UT to Oakland and back. A simple 1.5 you’re flight. NOT SO! Both flights we have a FOUR HOUR delays. the only compensation given was a complementary drink (which is two buck otherwise). Really, their planes are to old and need to be replaced. The seat do not recline in the plane and carry on bags are $25. You can take your chances but I never will again.
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I wish I could give less than a single star to Allegiant Airlines. I would avoid at all costs.
Flew their Medford to Los Angeles flight – one of the worst flying experiences I have had. The flight was scheduled to depart at ~2pm but was delayed several hours for ‘mechanical reasons.’ The delays then began to trickle in, every couple of hours, throughout the day until it was 11pm at night. There was never enough time between delays for you to actually leave the airport or quit and buy a flight on another airline – folks were just trapped.
Finally, when they had us all lined up at the gate, the gate crew comes on the intercom and tells us the ‘flight attendants are fatigued – the flight is cancelled’ Apparently it was the same flight crew that had left at 5am that morning. How Allegiant couldnt know that this crew was unable to continue flying (and just cancel the flight hours earlier) is beyond me. Not sure if it was incompetence or blatant disregard for their passengers.
So they tell us all we are rescheduled for 10am the following day (but that we need to ‘be there a minimum of 2hrs in advance to check-in to avoid delays’). When we arrive the next morning at 8am – not one there to check us in. No one arrives until 8:30am. Then we cant board the plane b/c the flight crew (pilots/attendants) doesnt show up until 10:30 (?!?!?!?). Presumably, no one told them they had a 10am flight to make…..
Then we sit at the gate for another 1hr b/c there is something wrong with the plane (flotation devices not present under some seats?) – but there is no flight mechanic in Medford so the pilot is resolving the issue remotely with someone in Las Vegas.
Insane.
To add insult to injury, when I finally ‘spoke’ with customer service (you have to chat – there is no phone number that I could find on their website – I was offered $100 voucher. Of course the desk staff at the airport had told all of us, ‘Dont worry, you will get round-trip vouchers for this. You dont have to do anything – they will just contact you and send it out’
The customer chat person I spoke with refused to connect me to a supervisor (‘you have to write a letter to our dept; it will usually take 6-8 weeks for a response’) or to provide me her customer service ID so I could reference her specifically in any complaint I might file (‘we dont have those’)
Hands down the most frustrating experience flying in a long, long time. I hope they fail and go out of business – they deserve it with service like this.
Flight 527 on June 30,2013 was scheduled for 2:20pm departure. I took my daughter to the airport 62 miles way. We traveled from Sacramento, CA to Stockton, CA.They delayed the flight till 7:30pm. We waited at the airport till that time. In the meantime, they boarded another flight (528) going to Vegas but kept flight 527 on waiting status. After 528 boarded, they announced that flight 527 was delayed yet another hour. After approximately 45 minutes, they announced that they are cancelling the flight. Everybody went into a panic. They offered no solutions. I had to scramble and get my daughter home. I called Southwest and got her on a flight Monday morning at Sacramento International. I wrote Allegiant Air and complained about the flight. 6 weeks later, they email me a standard form letter stating: “In regards to your request, Allegiant Travel respectfully declines your request for compensation. Allegiant Travel has the right to change or cancel flights without compensation per section 85 of our Contract of Carriage which states:
B. Carrier shall not be liable for any failure or delay in operating any flight due to causes beyond Carrier”s control, including but not limited to, acts of God, governmental actions, fire, weather, mechanical difficulties…” Is this the way airlines are suppose to treat customers. I will NEVER fly that airline again and I URGE you not to also. If you choose too……..BEWARE!!!!!!!
May 7, 2010. My friend and I were going to Las Vegas for a 3 day weekend. When we got to the Allegiant Air check in desk at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport, nobody was there. Apparently, after we purchased our tickets, a new policy went into effect and the check in desk would close 45 minutes prior to take off. Somebody typed a memo, but it was posted at waist level when one is standing at the desk. Brilliant!
After several minutes we asked workers from the other desk and they informed us of the policy. My friend had a carry on, so she went up to the gate and I asked her to let them know I was waiting. In the meantime, the Allegiant manager, Sondra, came to the desk to tell me to go away, because of the new policy. I told her nobody informed us and she refused to help me. In the time she gloated and was rude to me, she could have checked me in and I pointed this out. She told me that wasn”t going to happen. She did not have a name tag and I asked her name. She told me: ” I will tell you later”. I told her that in this day and age, it wasn”t wise to have a check in desk unattended before boarding as anybody could go behind the desk and do as they please with luggage.
She told me to leave, because she would not help me and I would not be flying out that day and she wouldn”t help me get on another flight.
As I sat, waiting for my ride, a security officer said he had overheard and told me to try going through security with my suitcase and then it would be up to the stewardess to stow my luggage.
I went through security TWICE and gave up expensive Dolce and Gabbana perfume to go with my friend. She was so happy to see me and the stewardess just asked that I wait until everybody else boarded to see about my suitcase. However, Sondra spotted me and asked how I got up there. I told her a nice security officer saw everything and suggested I go through. She was very upset and said: ”Oh no you don”t!” She called security and told them I made threats down at the front desk. I told him what I had said and he replied: ”Can”t get your story straight”. Really? And he knows the real story?
He wouldn”t let me stop to call for a ride and told me to keep walking as he escorted me out, everybody looking at me like a terrorist. By the way, a lot of people know me in Sioux Falls and this was embarrassing!
My ride came and suggested I talk to the airport manager. When I went to his office, Sondra, the security guard and Jill, the manager”s secretary were talking about me. When I asked for the manager, Jill replied in a sing songy voice: ”He is busy ALL DAY LONG”. I got her name.
I went downstairs and some other workers who don”t respect Sondra, gave me her name. My friend texted me to tell me Sondra bragged to the passengers that it was such a power trip and a rush for her to kick me out and hugged somebody”s teenage boy she was so happy with herself.
I left. I tried to call the manager several times after, but Jill wouldn”t put me through.
I bought another ticket for the next day.
I put on a business suit, wore my hair up and wore my glasses to look business like and so I wouldn”t be recognized by Sondra.
Right before boarding she went on the intercom and said: ”Sit down and shut up because I am only going to say this once.” I heard comments from other passengers, who felt she was out of line.
The staff on the plane heard me tell somebody of my experience and apologized for the way I was treated. I looked out the window. Fuel was pouring all over the tarmac out of the plane!!!! I pointed this out and our flight was delayed to pour a powder on the fuel. Apparently somebody was over filling the plane, wasting fuel. Wow!!! Can it get any better?!
For a couple months, Jill would not put me through to the Airport manager.
I have picked up friends from Allegiant Air flights, usually 1 -1.5 hours late.
I now prefer to take two legs to get to Las Vegas and it works out to be the same time, because Allegiant is usually late. Also , after fees and taxes, it”s not a bargain and I refuse to pay to support Miss Sondra!
HORRIBLE business practices. Horrible customer service!
I had to cancel a trip due to a death in the family. When I booked my flight, I had specifically checked the airlines cancellation policies, as I had never flown with this airline before. I noted that if I had to cancel by a certain time prior to my flight, I would receive a voucher. Thinking that was fine, I booked. When I had to cancel the trip, the website would not let me cancel it – although I did receive a voucher for $30 credit for my luggage that WON’T EVEN BE GOING! (Isn’t that nice) The customer service agent was extremely rude, and told me I can’t cancel because the cost to cancel was greater than the price of the trip!!! Honestly, do you think that two weeks from now they won’t resell my seat???
This company practices FRAUDULENT cancellation policies. Their website and cancellation explanation is so chopped up that it is IMPOSSIBLE to figure out where the cancellation fee comes in. In between them telling you how easy it is to cancel, they have so much other information that you miss the fine print stuck inbetweeen two different subjects!!
Do NOT do business with this unreputable company!
I recently returned from a trip down to Florida originating from Niagara Falls, NY over the holidays. I had chosen Allegiant as my airline of choice based on word of mouth recommendation from a family member (whom I was visiting in Naples, Florida). I am very disappointed to say that I regret having ever chosen to fly with Allegiant. Our (my girlfriend and I) flight was scheduled to depart from Niagara Falls IAG airport at 11:57 am on December 23, 2013. We arrived early only to find out (without prior notification) that our flight had been delayed by an hour. We purchased food at the airport cafe while we waited. Around 12:30 pm we were told that the plane was being rerouted to Ohio due to poor visibility and that our flight would be further delayed. Whereas our plane did not arrive and start unloading until 3:30 pm, we had to wait a further 2 hours before boarding at 5:30 pm due to outstanding paperwork on the plane. This is after a notification email at 3:07 pm said that we would be departing at 3:15 pm. We did not receive timely or detailed updates during this 5.5 hour delay and any questions directed towards the representative were fielded evasively. In addition, for the full duration of this ridiculous delay, Allegiant offered only limited cups of pop and water to the passengers at 10:30 am and had run out by 11:00 am. Furthermore, security closed down at 12:40 pm and remained closed until 5:00 pm so that passengers could not enter/exit. Not knowing when our flight was going to depart, passengers including ourselves were forced to purchase food and beverages multiple times from the airport cafe and vending machines. When we finally did take off at 6:15 pm (over 6 hours later than our scheduled departure), we were offered complimentary snacks and beverages on the flight. However, these were not served until 7:30 pm and our only options were Skittles or Chex Mix and a cup of juice or pop. We were also reminded at the end of our flight that this complimentary snack service was a bonus to compensate for our delay and would not be provided in the future. As a recap: between our check-in at 10:30 am and our arrival in Florida at 9:15 pm (a duration of almost 11 hours), we were given 2 cups of pop/juice/water, and a small cup of Skittles/Chex Mix. This delay cost us over 10% of our 5 day vacation in Florida, and I also would have worked instead of taking the day off had I known that I would be sitting in the airport for the entire workday.
Being an optimist, I had hoped that our return trip would be redeeming for Allegiant; however, I was once again disappointed. Our return flight from Punta Gorda (PGD) to Niagara Falls (IAG) on Sat. Dec. 28 was scheduled for 3:30 pm. We had repeatedly checked online for delays before making the 1 hour drive from Naples to Punta Gorda and arrived at the airport at 1:30 pm only to be notified by the check-in counter that our flight had been cancelled. When asked for the reason of the cancellation, the clerk said that there was a crew shortage. This was very short notice, especially since Allegiant asks that passengers arrive 2 hours ahead of their scheduled departure time AND claims to give 24 hours notice for any flight cancellations. We were also told that our flight would be rescheduled but it could be anytime the next day, so we had to be on standby at all times. In addition, I was scheduled to work a 12 hour shift the next day (which I couldn’t), so I had now missed out on 2 days of work and 2 days of pay. Although Allegiant texts passengers rescheduled flight times, they only text U.S. numbers, and as Canadians we, and many other passengers, were unable to use this service. With this in mind, we had to spend our last day in Florida repeatedly checking our flight status online and waiting for our rescheduled flight. Unfortunately, the flight status was not updated until after midnight and we did not receive any notification until 12:55 am. This is again very short notice. Our flight had been rescheduled to 1:44 pm on Sun. Dec. 29, so once again, we repurchased food for the flight and drove another hour from Naples to Punta Gorda. Prior to boarding (at 1:25 pm), we were told by the representative that since the chartered plane had a different seating plan than the regular Allegiant planes, passengers can seat themselves anywhere regardless of whether they paid extra and preordered seats or not. This was very disappointing as we had paid extra to preorder seats and this seemed like an awful waste of money now. In addition, upon going to the restroom on the plane I was shocked to find that there was no running water in the washroom and we could not wash our hands. Once again, we were offered no compensation for the inconvenience of having our flight cancelled beyond a small bag of pretzels and a bottle of water. These were only the major problems, I did not have the energy to write everything…
wow the worst customer service i have ever experienced. i paid for tripflex (mistake) because i have used all measures to contact an agent to change my flight, to no avail. i even called the airport, but the employees are hired an hour before and after a scheduled flight, and are paid from the airport not allegiant. crazy huh?
if ya dont believe my try contacting an agent before you book a flight! that should answer any concerns
I flew them from Punta Gorda to Long Island. The flight itself was comfortable and efficient and departed with 30 minutes of scheduled departure. The airline is a bit disorganized on the ground though. There was no one at the ticket counter around Noon for a 2:20 departure. We had to wait around 20 minutes before someone arrived and we could get our boarding pass. We marched out to board our aircraft but the pilot came out and we were told we had to switch aircraft because of a tire problem. Luckily there was another plane there (The Blue Man Group) and we boarded. The on board flight had comfortable leather seats and although they don’t recline I found them to be more than adequate for the short 2.5 hour flight to NY. Yes, there is a nominal charge for food and drink but for people who don’t check luggage the fare was outstanding, beating Southwest by 50-60 dollars. I will use them again and hope they had service to Myrtle Beach or Las Vegas.
Traveled Allegiant Air for Bloomington, IL to Sanford, FL and likely wont ever use them again. Paid for carry-on, carefully measured bags, but made the mistake of stopping at the ticket counter where they said my bag didnt’ EASILY fit into the measurement device. Paid $50 extra for checked bag. Others who did not stop at ticket counter had MUCH larger bags and were allowed to carry-on. No complimentary beverages – REALLY? Return trip-although we paid for assigned seats, our boarding pass did not have them, spent couple hours night before to get them re-assigned only to be told upon boarding that we had to find our own seats – no apology – just, “you will be reimbursed”. We got differing information from every employee we spoke with regarding: extra baggage fees, seating assignments, how to indicate a lap child, etc. Tried to use the Allegiant iPhone app, which crashed and would not open. Signed up for text message regarding flights – never got a single one. Boarded almost an hour pre-flight and then sat in the plane without moving for over an hour – no explanation for the delay – was there one? I’ve sent my concerns and the request for the promised refund – now told we will hear back in 6-8 weeks… REALLY?
With the level of incompetence demonstrated – I’m concerned about the safety of flying with Allegiant. If they can’t manage passenger processing any better than this, how do they manage the safety of their flights?
I would like to know if you were issued the vouchers or if they cheated you on that.
Wow these notes r depressing just want to fly from Indy to fl without any hassles but….sounds like its gunna have a lot of them this is sad senior citizen no need for stresses…any solutions?? My family and I wanted to fly this way?? Seemed less expensive any ideas?? Besides negative ones???
I wont ever use them again is horrible, begin with the reservation online, try to contact customer services to resolve a problem they had in the website and wait 3 hours of my time.
Finally the inform me that they do not accept Debit Card from Business just personal in order to pay for a Business trip, I will report this terrible services to BBB.
also to the Channel 13 maybe they improve the services. PLEASE DON’T FLY ALLEGIANT AIR .
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We have flown Allegiant round trip from Knoxville to Orlando-Sanford. It’s a little over 1 hour flight, and all of the major carriers don’t fly direct to Orlando from Knoxville. No issues with booking (but did everything online and didn’t have to call them). We had no problems with assigned seating, which is great because we had our two young daughters with us. The agents told us to look at seat numbers carefully because we were in assigned seating and not to hop into another seat. We had a 30 minute delay taking off in Knoxville because of checking the flight manifest. Not sure what happened there, but it was straightened out. The return flight was on time. I liked flying into the smaller Sanford airport. Was much easier getting in and out that MCO.
Dreadful airline went to Vegas 1.5 hours late!Came back next day 3 hours late!Boards at airport said ontime right until 10 minutes before departure when they posted it would be 2.5 hour late.Another half hour waiting on plane before take off.I will never fly with them again and advise all my friends likewise.Also across the board at airport 70 percent of flights late!No bad weather just pure incompetence!
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Never,ever would or will I use Allegiant. My family arrived 20 minutes before the flight, were denied boarding. Have to fly to another airport tomorrow and had to pay $75 each to change flight. Sorry but I’m paying because your understaffed?? Score one for customer service here!
They are the worst airline ever! I’ve done a lot of traveling on over 20 countries and have never dealt with a problem with any airline. My nephew could only find a flight on allegiant air to catch a cruise for his honeymoon. The plane delayed for over 7 hours and caused them to miss their cruise. When they talked to allegiant they were told the plane broke down but they would not refund them because it was delayed not canceled. Horrible company. Took over an hour to even get through to customer service. I suggest pay the extra for a flight that will treat the customer right!
I am scheduled to fly Allegiant in September from Austin, Tx to Las Vegas, has anybody had any experience with Allegiant from the Austin area or Texas. I have read some of the reviews and don’t know what to think, any info offered will be helpful
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I do not like to write poor reviews but in this case I feel people need to know to stay away from this airline; first always late for us three hours late and the staff were very rude and acted like it was the passengers fault. The flight crew were bottom of the barrel if you know what I mean, poor attitude, poor service and never get off that microphone, seems they like the sound of their own voice, terrible… someone needs to tell them that a cell phone on airplane mode does not send out an signal; they harassed this poor guy and all he wanted to do was listen to music and they told him to take his ear buds out even though his phone was off. The service and attitude was very poor and for the money I saved it was not worth it, I will pay a little more and get treated properly and get better service, and by the way the seats are very uncomfortable and do not recline; DO NOT FLY THIS AIRLINE.
Allegiant may not be a bad deal for the money is you DON’T have a problem –if you do, you’re screwed——I tried to redeem a valid voucher for $110 —–didn’t work—-I mailed immediately and was told (a couple of days later) to call –after a 45 min. wait, I was given a good ration of lies and crap from their black widow dominatrix and hung up on. Mercifully,phone line was busy pretty much the rest of the day——-How can you run a business like this????
I write reviews for nearly every thing that I purchase online, which is a lot. I find reviews helpful when looking to purchase things online so, I do the same in hopes of helping another. With that being said, I’m giving Allegiant zero stars because, my experience with them has been absolutely horrible. I purchased 2 tickets to travel from Grand Rapids, MI to Honolulu, HI. After purchasing the tickets, my sister, who is stationed at Hickam Air Force Base told me that she was unable to receive leave so, during the duration that I was to be there so, I called the following day to cancel the tickets. I called Allegiant and explained the situation with the representative that I spoke to and was told that the tickets were cancelled and refunded, but that it would take approx. 5-7 business days for the refund to reflect onto my account. 12 business days later the refund still hadn’t reflected onto my account so, I called Allegiant again and again, explained the situation with the representative. However, I was told that the tickets weren’t cancelled and refunded, that there was no record of the prior conversation and if I wanted a refund, I’d have to submit a credit card dispute so, I filed a credit card dispute. For 8 months, I went back and forth with Allegiant “Customer Service,” or lack there of in regards to the credit card dispute and I still haven’t received the refund that I was told that I was to receive. I provided all information that they requested, including a document from my cell phone provider listing both of the call dates, times and duration and they STILL insisted that a refund couldn’t be given. As of that’s not absurd enough, their Terms and Conditions state that a refund can be given within 24 hours of purchase.They’re the kindest people before they have your money, but once they have your money, they’re the most unhelpful people. I’ve contacted their Reservations and Customer Relations and I’ve spoken with representatives, supervisors and managers, and all are that way. Allegiant is A COMPLETE FRAUD! I urge you to spend a little more on a major travel company who at least abides by their terms and conditions. For my future travels, I will and I defiantly won’t be using Allegiant.
My Letter to Alegiant Airlines:
—————————————–
Hello,
First I would like to say I am not normally a person to send in non-complimentary emails or phone calls. I am a very logical person and am very easy to appease under most circumstances. I am a veteran and have definitely been in some difficult situations so normal delays and inconveniences that come with air travel do not bother me. Get me to where I am going and that’s all I ask.
This email is to inform you that you did not get me to where I was going in this instance. It was for a flight from Austin to Las Vegas and then back from Las Vegas to Austin. You’ll notice that I was not on the return flight from Vegas to Austin.
On the morning of March 24th I arrived at the airport at 6:10 in the morning. My plane did not leave until 7:30 that morning and never have I had to arrive at the airport earlier than an hour and a half so I Figured I had ample time to check in, get through security and then get on the plane. I was incorrect in this instance. Let me explain some things that I noticed:
1. Every other airline has kiosks and allows people with carry-on luggage to check in and get on their way. I am one of those people. I had 1 small bag. Your airline has no kiosks and forces each and every single passenger to wait in line to get their ticket. Please see my next point about lines.
2. Every other airline had barely a line to wait in for people to check in with luggage. Your airline had a line OUT THE DOOR. It was for lack of better terminology the biggest cluster f*** I’ve ever seen. You had a lady yelling out different cities to get them to the head of the line so they wouldn’t miss their flights. I happened to come in at 6:15 and supposedly she had been calling for “Austin” but I suppose I arrived a minute or two late to hear these calls, so I waited in line like you’re supposed to.
3. You have all your flights leaving at the same time in the morning – Why? How about you stagger your flights until you can get your check-in situation fixed? It seems to me you’re taking on too much and can’t handle the amount of traffic you’re getting through your airline. This brings me to my next point.
4. I get to the front of the line after waiting an hour in it, only to find out that I missed the 45 minute pre-check in window and I would not be allowed to board my plane now. It was very clear at this point that your staff was over worked and very disorganized. No one was smiling, no one could help, and no one was cordial. I was directed to a rude woman at the far left to see if she could help me. I asked about how I was supposed to get home and she said the next available flight was THURSDAY. Lets think about that – I’m in Las Vegas Nevada, I live in Austin, TX and I’m told that there are no return flights until 3 days later? Ok, so you only fly Thursday – Sunday and there’s nothing the rude woman can do for me – AT ALL.
5. I then have to go over to Southwest Airlines and pay $542.00 for a one way ticket back home. FIVE HUNDRED AND FOURTY TWO DOLLARS. I’m not sure if that’s a lot of money to whoever is reading this, but it’s damn sure a lot of money to me. A few years ago and I wouldn’t have been able to afford it if you know what I mean.
So I’m writing you to let you know about mine and many, many, many other people’s experiences at your airline that day. I am writing to let you know that not only did I not get to use the entire amount of my ticket with your airline, I had to pay out an additional $542.00 for a new ticket due to the coordination of your airline schedule, lack of equipment to serve it’s customers and it’s staff – Who to be honest was doing the best they could under the circumstances.
Please take into consideration this email and give me a call back. Is there anything you can do to help me? Is there anything you can do to appease this situation? Sure… I could have arrived at the airport 3 hours or more earlier, but who knew your airline would be slam packed at 6am. I’ve been traveling for over 25 years and never have I seen anything like this that early in the morning anywhere.
Think about it. Talk it over. Can you try and make this right?
Sincerely,
Agitated customer.
This is a scam of a service. You may as well expect to fly the plane. There is no phone number at which you will obtain a human. I waited and waited and never obtained a human. The newest con in customer service is to obtain your credit card number/reservation and then never answer the phone. Their website tells you to call a number. The announced wait time, after you listen to the spiel, is at least 30 minutes. I do not think there really is anyone who ever answers. Allegiant provides the epitome of new age customer service…i.e. none.
I have flown from Duluth MN to Las Vegas since 2007 on Allegiant. A couple late starts but nothing major, all in all I’ve always has good experiences with them. Yes, you do have to wait sometimes up to an hour to talk to their customer service, but if you time it right you can get through fairly quickly. Just takes a little patience. I always purchased the Trip Flex and was able to change my flight dates with absolutely no problem.
We booked a cruise and decided to go with Allegiant to fly from Asheville to Orlando because of price. We have also flown with US Air and Delta in the past and have had no problems. About two months before the flight, they delayed it via email by several hours which would have put us with a few hours turn around before we got on the cruise. I was on the phone for an hour to speak with someone about an earlier flight but had to change airports and days and rearranged my schedule! Once we got to the airport, the flight was delayed half an hour. On the flight back, it was also delayed a half hour. Sometimes it is nice to plan ahead but it was not worth the savings to put up with the the hassle with this airline. I will never fly Allegiant again!
DO NOT FLY. I am writing to warn customers to not fly this airline – How do you lose a car seat!. The customer service is horrific and the money you think you will save is not as extreme once you get to the bottom line. Plus this airline lost my car child’s car seat on a direct flight. Due to delays in the flight, there were no personnel at the airport in PIT to assist with claim of a lost car seat (thankfully we brought our spare or we would still be at airport). As a result, I had to respond by text and email with Allegiant personnel when they arrived at PIT the next day. Allegiant air has structured their policy in such a way that a resolution does not occur as issues stay in a loop of customer service personnel who cannot solve customer complaints – (1. Customer service staff calls are not returned 2. website does not allow to submit documentation related to claim. 3. When mail the they receive outside of policy limits). It has now been three months and my claim has been denied for invalid reasons and I try to resend information to case, but there is no escalation or recourse to respond. There is a reason why airport personnel hate this airline!
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My 90-year old mother was rushed to the hospital early morning today, two days before Christmas, so I called Allegiant Air this morning to cancel/postpone my parents’ trip tomorrow evening. After nearly a 45-minute hold time, I was just informed that my mother and father will receive NO credit for their round trip tickets at all, not a dime for future travel after she (hopefully) recovers. That’s the Allegiant Air.
i have flown allegiant out of plattsburgh to florida many times , never had any issues , i purchase tripflex and had to switch my flights many times with no issues and ive even had to call customer service many times was never put on hold and the service representative was always very friendly and helpful! as for all the add ons you cant complain about them if you add it on! and the people complaining about a 2 dollar soda are probably the ones who go to starbucks everday and purchase a 5 dollar latte! hello! i live 5 mins from the airport , its a 3 hr flight to florida. it beats driving almost 3 hrs to albany paying to park my car in the lot then having a layover! i will fly Allegiant any day!
Allegiant–my favorite airline! Friendly staff, easy, in-the-sky pleasant travel time. Cannot beat the prices. Love ’em!
Thanks Lee for sharing. As you can see in the comments, many do not share your opinion. I do love them for what they are able to do — provide transportation to airports that would be not serviced — for super cheap!
David | AirlineReporter
We are flying for the first time ever,and have booked a flight on alleigent.we’re leaving from Greensboro NC (pti) to St. Pete/Clearwater fla. (Pie) was wondering if anyone has taken this flight and any advise for us first time fliers.
Hey Frank,
I am actually visiting Tampa now and drove by PIE yesterday. The best thing you can do is be prepared. Make sure you print your boarding passes at home and if you are going to check bags, pre-pay. If you want to know your seat or sit with someone else, might make sense to pay for to have assigned seats. There will be food on board, but it won’t be cheap. If you do not want to pay, then bring some food along. If you plan ahead and know the fees, Allegiant can be a very cost effective method to get where you are going! Have a good flight!
David | AirlineReporter
Flu from Fargo nd to Las Vegas was three hours late leaving Fargo for a light strip that came up, since it was on a Sunday there was no mechanic around to fix this. When the mechanic got their it took him less then five minutes to fix. Probably duck tape it. Then on the return flight we were delayed another three hours cause the plaine would not pressurize, they brought in another plane in which they towed over, maybe it came from there maintenance, you see later. They did a ground check as well a preflight check and got us back to Fargo only to find out that this plane also has a mechical problem. The next day I find out over the news that the plane is still being fix and the people have been waiting over 24 hrs already. The 50 bucks you save is not worth the hassle you’ll have to put up with. I’ll never for allegiant again and I hope you won’t either.
Thanks Mr. Brown,we have already pre paid for everything. We’re looking forward to our trip next week. Thanks for a reply and hope your having a good time and be safe.
Frank m.
Hey Cowboy! You state that the aircraft of the Allegiant Travel company are “a bit older?”
Best do your homework Mr. Brown! And, do a little research on exactly where these aircraft are coming from and what the facilities who do the standardization for Allegiant, once they arrive in America, are finding!
Also, how about a little truth in advertising, since that is what this article pretty much boils down to, about Allegiant’s problems with aborted take-offs, diversions, emergency landing due to aircraft mechanical problems and unimaginable volume of passenger complaints both with the Department of Transportation and pretty much any social media or travel site you go to?
Pretty dismal air carrier I’d say.
Are you on drugs? This is not advertising. He is an airplane reviewer that flies and reviews passenger jets around the world. Has nothing to do with the airline company.
ALLEGIANT AIR IS THE WORST AIRLINE OF THE WORST!!!! IF YOU CAN AVOID IT NEVER EVER FLY THIS AIRLINE!!! THEY HAVE THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE, THE DUMBEST RULES YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR CARRY ON BAGS AND REFRESHMENTS AND THEY NON ACCOMMODATING TO CUSTOMERS. I REPEAT DO NOT FLY ALLEGIANT AIR!!! NEVER!!!!
Allegiant Airways is a complete RipOff.
They not only booked my flight for the wrong date, they wanted to charge me when I went to correct this. It was THEIR agent who booked me!
All in all, I’m out $529USD because of this.
WORST AIRLINE EVERY! Cancelled my flight. Lost a day of vacation. Where’s that compensation? Credit to fly with these jokers again? No way. How about the paid for cabin at my destination? Where’s my compensation. They hung up on me when I explained what they had actually cost me.
NEVER FLY THIS AIRLINE. I think the positive comments are all by paid endorsements. Don’t be fooled folks
Allegiant jets fly over my house on the daily, mainly in the late morning. The MD-80’s will roar low and slow in their landing pattern (im 12 miles from the airport), and Mondays and Fridays the Airbus lumbers by. If I had a better camera and a schedule I could snap them more clearly. Their oldest MD80 I caught was a 1985 model, most of the rest are 1987 to 1989 models.
This airline is HORRIBLE. They steal from their customers, and don’t waste your time on trip flex, there is so much fine print it never works! I have never had a flight that has been on time, not sure why I would give them one last try. Being new to this state(less then a month here), I booked a flight out of Kalispell, it gave me great falls as the optional drop down, I thought this was the airport in Kalispell as I had flown in here before on Allegiant, it WASNT it was another airport 3.5 miles away and there was no way we could make it in time. This was my sons 14th birthday present to visit his father. I am a single mom and I called to tell the airline the problem before it was even due to take off and they said there was nothing they could do for me, wouldn’t help me change to another day, wouldn’t help me change to a city that was closer, NOTHING. When ai told the they lost a customer they simply said “ok” this came from a manager named Doug(i believe). I had two crying children to take back home on valentines day not able to see their father. What horrible customer service, i still have a perfectly good return flight from AZ in 4 days that wont give me any credit for either. HORRIBLE AIRLINE, they stoled from me and my children. Its disgusting!
I flew Allegiant Air from Des Moines to Mesa Gateway on Flight 153 and the flight crew were so fun and friendly. One of the best flights I’ve had in a long time. THANK YOU!
No doubt it will be the great experience when you first time with Allegiant airlines. But if you want to make your experience much better then try the JetBlue airlines at least once
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Influenza from Fargo nd to Las Vegas was three hours late leaving Fargo for a light strip that surfaced, since it was on a Sunday there was no specialist around to fix this. At the point when the specialist got their it took him less then five minutes to fix. Most likely duck tape it. At that point on the arrival flight we were postponed an additional three hours cause the plaine would not pressurize, they acquired another plane in which they towed over, possibly it originated from that point support, you see later. They did a ground check too a preflight check and got us back to Fargo just to discover that this plane likewise has a mechical issue. The following day I discover over the news that the plane is as yet being fix and the individuals have been holding up more than 24 hrs as of now. The 50 bucks you spare does not merit the problem you’ll need to endure. I’ll never for allegiant again and I trust you won’t either.
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Allegiant has a smart model that works and they will continue to grow their route map. They own their planes, fly to smaller airports, concentrate on leisure travelers, provide complete travel options and have fees. It obviously is working for them since they have been able to grow rapidly over the past few years and I have a feeling it will continue to work for them. How have your experiences with Allegiant been?
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