Allegiant Scair article

Well, at least they do seem to stay airborne:

http://www.tampabay.com/projects/2016/investigations/allegiant-air/mechanical-breakdowns/

 

I've always wanted to stand out on a wing

 

The article makes me glad that Allegiant isn't an option out of Buffalo.
I always wonder about safety and maintenance records as I board an aircraft, but then I force those doubts out of my head.

I guess the "you get what you pay for" line applies to airlines also.

 

Thanks for the link Ken, interesting article.

We flew Allegiant one time on a whim from IND to LAS. We were able to get Allegiant's version of first class (the "Giant Seats") round trip including all fees for less than the price of a one-way first class ticket on Delta. Our plans were a bit last minute and given the significant price disparity we thought we'd try it. After booking I read some of the horror stories of delayed flights. We didn't experience mechanical issues however the planes we flew on were extremely dated. They were dirty and grimy, and the lavatories were not the cleanest. I remember one of my seats had a broken tray, and the carpeting that was covering the wall (yes, it was carpet) was peeling off. I don't recall feeling at risk, however the flight home was delayed by almost an hour. When we finally got boarded for that flight the flight attendant stated that the mechanics had ended up duct-taping some things together so we were ok to go. After reading this article I wonder what critical systems were selected for that expert fix. (brings new meaning to the concept that duct-tape fixes EVERYTHING - apparently even jet aircraft).

 

Thank {diety} that they don't serve LAS from our market anymore!

 

Doesn't Allegiant fly out of nearby Niagara Falls, NY?

 

Not sure what a "scair" is, but I don't fly Allegiant.

 

Yes, but I believe it is just on a charter basis to Florida.

 

Lol @your title. But my goodness that's unsettling. Or maybe I just watch too much "Air Disasters" on tv...

 

Luckily I've never had any issues with Allegiant, and their presence in the Wichita market is a godsend. We have very limited non-stop options, and Allegiant gives us Vegas and Orlando.

 

A while back I was on a SWA flight next to a gentleman whose company sells used/reconditioned airplane parts to all the major airlines. We talked about maintenance programs and level of safety.
His exact words: "Allegiant is an accident waiting to happen."
I don't care how cheap their flights are, you won't ever catch me boarding an Allegiant plane....

 

We're all gamblers to some extent here. And of course there are no guarantees in life. We trust our pharmacists not to OD us. We of course trust our cars and our road-raging brethren. We trust that CalTech is correct and no meteor is going to vaporize us next month. In every business someone has the "worst" record. Is that bad enough to sway consumers? It all depends. Is Malaysian Air off limits now but Allegiant is cool until they auger into the Mojave three times? (And I fervently hope that never happens.)

Our position: Not a lot of us truly have only one option. There might be one cheapest option or one most time-convenient option, but only one? That's few of us. We also rank comfort and safety as a convenience.

Terri's flown Allegiant two or three times now. She said she was done after the last experience -- about the time some of this chatter on safety and maintenance was already being aired, but mostly because of delays every time, disgusting planes, weird flights and policies. I'm not a fatalist. But life indeed is too short to sweat every dollar or minute when there are other, better means.

I'd like to think the company itself and the feds would keep this stuff on the ground if a threshold had been passed. If Allegiant works for folks, that's all that matters.

 

I have always said I would take Greyhound before I would even think about Allegiant. I am so glad I have other options. Walking might even be better.

 

Unfortunately, when flying from Bellingham Wa to Vegas, Allegiant is the only available flight for most of the year, with Alaska opting out over slower months, and then during prime season only flying limited schedules. I have never experienced anything happen in-flight, but have had a couple of times prior to flight that makes one's head shake. Once, we loaded the plane, then sat for a longer while than normal, until the pilot came on, saying there was an alarm in the cockpit, so he was going to have a mechanic take a look...guys came on and you could see them climbing under the 'dashboard' for a while, then basically had a scrum, and left the plane. Pilot came back on, said they couldnt' find anything wrong, so he had been instructed to taxi to the runway, rev the motors a few times without moving, then if everything was ok, to go ahead and take off! He did all that, and we took off...pretty low-tech solution!?

I did read a business themed article some time ago (wish I could find it now) talking about how Allegiant was the darling of the airline industry, with the highest per-passenger profit in the entire industry, etc etc. They went on to explain why - oldest planes in the industry, lowest paid in-air and ground staff, most hidden fees when booking, etc, etc. The author even went so far as to explain how they charge credit card service fee if you pay by credit card, and an online service fee if you book on their website. However, he tried to call in to book by phone, and pay by some other method, and it was impossible. I guess it's the airline industry's version of 'resort-fees'. Impossible to escape!

...after saying all that, flying Allegiant to Vegas next week!!

 

I have flown Allegiant twice and it was alright. Seats were comfy and no problems. Obviously most of their planes are older and are not for the hard to please crowd. The third time we went we flew Frontier and in comparison it was like flying on Air Force One!

 

That makes me feel good. We are flying Frontier for the first time in Jan. We usually fly Southwest. This time my son and his fiance are going with us. I had to find affordable for them to go with us. I got 4 round trip tickets for less than $500 for all of us round trip.

 

I've never had an issue with them, and I've flown them quite a few times. Out of Austin, they used to have the MD-80's. Old, and looked like a strong head wind would do them in. But, for the past couple of years they have the "newer" 747-200's. They seem more updated at least. Out of Austin, there's only them, and SW for direct flights to Vegas. I can pick my seat and have a carry on for less than half price of a SW ticket. They only have 1 flight time, so that kinda stinks. I didn't like the return trip at 7am, but leaving at 1pm CST got me in at 2pm Vegas time. That was still most of the day. But, now they've changed both. I fly out of Austin at 9:30pm, and land at 10:30pm. So, most of the day's over. But, the flight back is at 3pm, so I don't have to stay up the entire night before if I don't want to.
But, for the price, I can live with it.

 

I fly Spirit, so I have no worries as I'm floating on the wings of angels.

Until you hear one flight attendant say to another, "That is so disturbing. Did you hear that? I've never heard a plane make that sound before!"

RICHARD

 

Seriously, that's probably that grinding-groaning sound that Spirit planes and some American planes make before they take off.

 

I was in the "big front seats" and heard them discussing that mid-flight. Maybe the groaning came from the passengers.