Other airlines raising fees, eliminating service - ATA lowering fees!!!

[sgtdisney]

I knew it would happen sooner or later. While the other major airlines are raising the fees they charge to change discounted airline tickets, making tickets useless if you 'miss' a flight and charging a fortune for baggage over the limits, ATA is doing just the opposite. ATA is is lowering it's ticket change fee, making it easier to fly standby on the day of your flight and in general lowering restrictions and making EASIER to fly instead of more complicated. These major airlines like American and United better get their acts together if they want to stay in business while SWA and ATA are giving them a run for their money.. Read about it here..

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin...www/bw/amtr/amtr-footer.shtml&bgcolor=#FFFFFF

ATA Lowers Administrative Change Fees and Introduces Simplified Fee Structure; Will Not Charge for Stand-by Travel
INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 30, 2002--In conjunction with its 30th anniversary celebration, ATA (American Trans Air, Inc. Nasdaq: ATAH) today announced it is taking immediate action to simplify its current fee structure and lower administrative fees associated with travel. This simplification is designed to eliminate confusion and provide flexibility to customers, making travel with ATA the easiest, most convenient choice available.
In addition, ATA is allowing travelers to stand by for other flights to their destination during the same day of their confirmed departure at no additional charge! In some cases, other airlines are charging full administrative fees for stand-by service.
"ATA recognizes that the needs of today's business and leisure traveler have changed," said Bill McKnight, ATA's Executive Vice President of Marketing and Customer Service. "Customers want more flexible stand-by policies, less fewer restrictions and reasonable excess baggage fees. Not only are we offering our customers unrestricted low fares and great value, but also some of the lowest administrative fees in the industry."
ATA is lowering its administrative fees, the rate it charges to make a change to a customer's ticket, from $80 to $50 (travel from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Hawaii was previously $100). In addition, ATA's excess baggage fee, the fee charged to a customer for additional checked baggage beyond the allowed number, will change to a $50 flat fee versus the sliding scale that was previously used. This fee will eliminate up to $30 in fees per bag on ATA. Other carriers currently charge up to $100 for each of these services.
The carrier will also continue its policy of allowing customers to utilize their unused tickets for 12 months from the date of purchase, with payment of an administrative fee. Other carriers have recently created policies that cause an unused ticket for a departed flight to hold no value.
Remember, ATA never has an advance purchase requirement on any fare. To see examples of competitors' restrictions on lowest fares, see Attachment A. For examples of ATA and competitors' fees, see Attachment B.
ATA separately announced it has lowered its maximum, one-way domestic fares to $299.
Now celebrating its 30th year of operation, ATA is the nation's 10th largest passenger carrier based on revenue passenger miles. ATA operates significant scheduled service from Chicago-Midway and Indianapolis to over 40 business and vacation destinations. To learn more about the company, visit the website at www.ata.com.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I believe that we will be seeing radical changes in the Airline industry, starting with the "smaller" airlines. As the big boys end up going through reorganization, they are going to have to face facts that the American public is not stupid and will not blindly hand over big money. I really think that not one of the major airlines, excluding Southwest, even has a business plan. They are all running scared now, trying to add fees to boost their bottom line, rather than cutting real costs that will lower their cost per mile and thus bring down the cost of tickets.

 

[sgtdisney]

I think you are completely right Miss Jasmine.. The big airlines (excluding SWA) seem to have attitudes lately that they have to sell their tickets at discounted fares since businesses aren't sending as many people on trips anymore and paying the big bucks. There are going to be a lot of changes.. Like I said, as soon as I heard the biggies were going to start penalizing the people on low cost tickets, I knew someone would come forward and cut their fees. It was only a matter of time.

 

[atigeg]

I'm really glad to see this, since we use ATA a lot. We've always had good luck with them (no lost baggage, flights reasonably on time), and I love their comfy new stretch 757's (although the idea of taking off/landing on a "stretch" airplane at Midway, home of infamously short runways, always causes my knuckles to go a bit white!). The info. on this thread makes me even happier, since we have eight trips into MCO to get tickets for in 2003.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[sgtdisney]

Hey Barb, check out ATA's web site. They are having a giveaway now in conjunction with their 30th anniversary. I think if you buy 3 roundtrip tickets they give you a companion ticket or if you buy 6 roundtrip tickets they give you a free roundtrip ticket. I don't know what the specifics are or the rules but you may want to check it out if you are flying a lot on ATA soon...

Here is a link to the info...

http://www.ata.com/whats_hot/anniversary/index.html