ATA shutdown: No interlining past 5/3; BUT travel vouchers "as a gesture of goodwill"
Apr 10, 2008, 1:40 pm
#1
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ATA shutdown: No interlining past 5/3; BUT travel vouchers "as a gesture of goodwill"
Just got this e-mail from Southwest. Still haven't been contacted by phone. Had reservations for Hawaii in late July.
As you know, ATA Airlines announced the discontinuation of all scheduled passenger service on April 3, 2008. We know that you have upcoming travel plans that included an ATA Airlines' flight segment, and again, we want to apologize for any disruption as a result of ATA Airlines' news.
You should have received an earlier e-mail from Southwest Airlines regarding our immediate effort to explore alternatives to take care of your travel needs. After carefully examining our options for the more than 20,000 Customers who were scheduled to travel to Hawaii on ATA Airlines' service after May 3, due to the extreme reduction in seat capacity, we determined that the only choice we have is to issue a refund to your original form(s) of payment for your previously purchased ticket.
The overall industry reduction in flights between the Mainland and Hawaii has restricted our ability to reschedule all of our Customers on other carriers. Therefore, for Customers who purchased tickets from Southwest Airlines and were scheduled to commence travel on ATA Airlines and Southwest Airlines codeshare service or ATA Airlines only service to Hawaii between May 4 and August 22, 2008, Southwest Airlines is processing your refund as a priority and returning your funds to the original form(s) of payment. As a gesture of goodwill, in the next 30 days under separate cover, we are also sending you a Southwest travel voucher via e-mail for your inconvenience. (Travel agents will receive a phone call from a Southwest Airlines Representative to acquire Customer information for the delivery of the Southwest Airlines travel voucher.)
For Customers who were scheduled to travel using a Rapid Rewards Award, your Award Coupons will be deposited into the Member.s account, and all applicable taxes and fees will be refunded to their original form of payment. As well, in the next 30 days under separate cover, a Southwest Airlines travel voucher will be e-mailed to the e mail address in the reservation or to the cardholder who paid for the U.S. government taxes and fees.
Customer Service is extremely important to us at Southwest Airlines, and taking care of you is one of our top priorities. ATA Airlines' discontinuation of service was beyond our control, and we are now doing what we can to make the best of a difficult situation. We are disappointed and saddened by the inconvenience this causes you, our valued Customer. If you have immediate questions regarding this information or if you want to book another flight on Southwest Airlines, please call 1-800-I-FLY-SWA.
You should have received an earlier e-mail from Southwest Airlines regarding our immediate effort to explore alternatives to take care of your travel needs. After carefully examining our options for the more than 20,000 Customers who were scheduled to travel to Hawaii on ATA Airlines' service after May 3, due to the extreme reduction in seat capacity, we determined that the only choice we have is to issue a refund to your original form(s) of payment for your previously purchased ticket.
The overall industry reduction in flights between the Mainland and Hawaii has restricted our ability to reschedule all of our Customers on other carriers. Therefore, for Customers who purchased tickets from Southwest Airlines and were scheduled to commence travel on ATA Airlines and Southwest Airlines codeshare service or ATA Airlines only service to Hawaii between May 4 and August 22, 2008, Southwest Airlines is processing your refund as a priority and returning your funds to the original form(s) of payment. As a gesture of goodwill, in the next 30 days under separate cover, we are also sending you a Southwest travel voucher via e-mail for your inconvenience. (Travel agents will receive a phone call from a Southwest Airlines Representative to acquire Customer information for the delivery of the Southwest Airlines travel voucher.)
For Customers who were scheduled to travel using a Rapid Rewards Award, your Award Coupons will be deposited into the Member.s account, and all applicable taxes and fees will be refunded to their original form of payment. As well, in the next 30 days under separate cover, a Southwest Airlines travel voucher will be e-mailed to the e mail address in the reservation or to the cardholder who paid for the U.S. government taxes and fees.
Customer Service is extremely important to us at Southwest Airlines, and taking care of you is one of our top priorities. ATA Airlines' discontinuation of service was beyond our control, and we are now doing what we can to make the best of a difficult situation. We are disappointed and saddened by the inconvenience this causes you, our valued Customer. If you have immediate questions regarding this information or if you want to book another flight on Southwest Airlines, please call 1-800-I-FLY-SWA.
Apr 10, 2008, 1:48 pm
#2
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I have to say I'm disappointed that Southwest didn't fully protect everyone who bought ATA tickets at southwest.com. It's silly to stop halfway when you're making PR points by being generous. Just my opinion.
Apr 10, 2008, 1:56 pm
#3
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i don't understand why not in the 48 states continue to rebook?
ETA: Not to call them out, and I doubt this has anything to do with it, but they sure picked a good time to announce it, during the MD-80 fiasco!
Apr 10, 2008, 2:01 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 26
The said they'd re-accomodate... that's what irks me!
I called their customer service, received their emails, and even their blog at:
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2008/04...waii/#comments
...said they'd re-accommodate; today they say we're SOL!
That's what makes me mad. They are backing out of what they've been telling me. They assured us they'd take care of us, and now they're doing nothing. I called them a few times... they said "just wait... we'll take care of you" for nearly two weeks now.
For a family of 5, I had 1.5 free tickets, everything else was paid for through Southwest. The difference in tickets bought today amounts to a few thousand dollars.
Is there a class action suit concerning the unkept email/blog/verbal promises? I normally never join these things when in the class, but this time I am mad.
And, I canceled my RR credit card.
No Hawaii rewards, no reason to fly Southwest anymore!
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2008/04...waii/#comments
...said they'd re-accommodate; today they say we're SOL!
That's what makes me mad. They are backing out of what they've been telling me. They assured us they'd take care of us, and now they're doing nothing. I called them a few times... they said "just wait... we'll take care of you" for nearly two weeks now.
For a family of 5, I had 1.5 free tickets, everything else was paid for through Southwest. The difference in tickets bought today amounts to a few thousand dollars.
Is there a class action suit concerning the unkept email/blog/verbal promises? I normally never join these things when in the class, but this time I am mad.
And, I canceled my RR credit card.
No Hawaii rewards, no reason to fly Southwest anymore!
Apr 10, 2008, 2:07 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 26
They won't even work with us... just SOL.
Southwest announced today in order to hide behind the AA cancellations hoping they wouldn't make any news.
The reaccomodation plan was a great way to sweep their "skin inspection" fiasco under the rug.
Apr 10, 2008, 2:09 pm
#7
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What about people who have non-reundable hotel rooms or even a cruise departing from Hawaii? Not everyone has the funds to just buy a brand new set of plane tickets, especially after putting down cash for other things related to their vacation, such as lodging, etc.
Apr 10, 2008, 2:10 pm
#8
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It seems that Southwest violated their own basic business standards by knowingly selling codeshare tickets on a financially shaky carrier. For so many years, they had a simple business model: WN only, no codeshares, no interlining, etc. Southwest chose to sell tickets on ATA, knowing its precarious financial condition. Southwest is responsible for reaccomodating every passenger who purchased a ticket through them to Hawaii. PERIOD!
Apr 10, 2008, 2:16 pm
#9
In Memoriam - Company Representative - Southwest Airlines
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Bill Owen just added this update to our blog:
Update as of April 10, 2008:
Today, Southwest began contacting Customers who purchased Southwest tickets operated by ATA Airlines and were scheduled to commence travel after from May 3rd to process full refunds of their tickets. While we have successfully reaccommodated the majority of our Customers traveling between now and May 3, we have also realized that the only realistic option as we go forward into peak travel season is to give full refunds on existing purchased tickets. As we examined reaccomodation options beyond May 3, it became readily apparent that, given the significant reduction in capacity between the Mainland and Hawaii after the discontinuation of both ATA and Aloha Airlines, there were simply too few seats left available to offer all of our Customers suitable rebooking options.
Why was May 3 picked as the date? Well, the simple answer is that it gave Southwest 30 days to handle Customers that were most immediately impacted–to contact them, to reaccomodate them, and to get them on their way. Looking past that date, though, it was pretty clear after a week of study that the options past May 3 were not greater–they were fewer.
I can honestly say that everyone at Southwest is heartsick at this outcome, just as we are enormously disappointed at the sudden demise of ATA. However, we *do* think it is better to refund existing, paid Southwest tickets on ATA flights, rather than to keep you waiting on options that would most probably be inferior to the great service that we had planned to provide for you.
To answer a harder question…..did we look at other options? Of course. Read the blog post above for a detailed explanation of why Southwest can’t just start immediate service to Hawaii. Further, when the numbers of people booked on each, individual day were studied, there just weren’t enough people on each single day to funnel them through a logical “collection” point, given their existing reservations, and arrange charter service even in the short term. And to make that option even more difficult, the list of available charter options has been significantly reduced by the current industry crisis. So, that just wasn’t an option. Nor was it an acceptable option to keep you on pins and needles…..thus this decision.
Again, those Customers who purchased Southwest tickets operated by ATA Airlines and were scheduled to begin their trips between May 4 and August 22,2008, will receive a full refund delivered to your original form of payment and a Southwest LUV voucher as a gesture of goodwill for this inconvenience….but I thought it was important to update the blog with the “breaking” news. We had hoped to build on our relationship with ATA, but they decided they couldn’t continue in the current business climate. We have done what we hope is best for everyone.
All of us here at the Southwest Airlines are very saddened by this. We hope you will understand that ATA’s discontinuation of scheduled service was just flat beyond our control…and that we are doing what we can to provide the best Service to our wonderful Customers.
Bill
Update as of April 10, 2008:
Today, Southwest began contacting Customers who purchased Southwest tickets operated by ATA Airlines and were scheduled to commence travel after from May 3rd to process full refunds of their tickets. While we have successfully reaccommodated the majority of our Customers traveling between now and May 3, we have also realized that the only realistic option as we go forward into peak travel season is to give full refunds on existing purchased tickets. As we examined reaccomodation options beyond May 3, it became readily apparent that, given the significant reduction in capacity between the Mainland and Hawaii after the discontinuation of both ATA and Aloha Airlines, there were simply too few seats left available to offer all of our Customers suitable rebooking options.
Why was May 3 picked as the date? Well, the simple answer is that it gave Southwest 30 days to handle Customers that were most immediately impacted–to contact them, to reaccomodate them, and to get them on their way. Looking past that date, though, it was pretty clear after a week of study that the options past May 3 were not greater–they were fewer.
I can honestly say that everyone at Southwest is heartsick at this outcome, just as we are enormously disappointed at the sudden demise of ATA. However, we *do* think it is better to refund existing, paid Southwest tickets on ATA flights, rather than to keep you waiting on options that would most probably be inferior to the great service that we had planned to provide for you.
To answer a harder question…..did we look at other options? Of course. Read the blog post above for a detailed explanation of why Southwest can’t just start immediate service to Hawaii. Further, when the numbers of people booked on each, individual day were studied, there just weren’t enough people on each single day to funnel them through a logical “collection” point, given their existing reservations, and arrange charter service even in the short term. And to make that option even more difficult, the list of available charter options has been significantly reduced by the current industry crisis. So, that just wasn’t an option. Nor was it an acceptable option to keep you on pins and needles…..thus this decision.
Again, those Customers who purchased Southwest tickets operated by ATA Airlines and were scheduled to begin their trips between May 4 and August 22,2008, will receive a full refund delivered to your original form of payment and a Southwest LUV voucher as a gesture of goodwill for this inconvenience….but I thought it was important to update the blog with the “breaking” news. We had hoped to build on our relationship with ATA, but they decided they couldn’t continue in the current business climate. We have done what we hope is best for everyone.
All of us here at the Southwest Airlines are very saddened by this. We hope you will understand that ATA’s discontinuation of scheduled service was just flat beyond our control…and that we are doing what we can to provide the best Service to our wonderful Customers.
Bill
Apr 10, 2008, 2:17 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Southwest acts like it was blindsided by this but it couldn't have been
Southwest chose to sell tickets on ATA, knowing its precarious financial condition.
Apr 10, 2008, 2:20 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 26
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2008/04...waii/#comments
...to reaccomodate us.
Last edited by blackburried; Apr 10, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Apr 10, 2008, 3:41 pm
#12
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Bill Owen just added this update to our blog:
However, we *do* think it is better to refund existing, paid Southwest tickets on ATA flights, rather than to keep you waiting on options that would most probably be inferior to the great service that we had planned to provide for you.
However, we *do* think it is better to refund existing, paid Southwest tickets on ATA flights, rather than to keep you waiting on options that would most probably be inferior to the great service that we had planned to provide for you.
Does anyone know what amount of compensation WN is providing, and whether it's a flat amount or variable?
Apr 10, 2008, 3:58 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 26
Southwest began contacting Customers who purchased Southwest tickets operated by ATA Airlines and were scheduled to commence travel after from May 3rd to process full refunds of their tickets. While we have successfully reaccommodated the majority of our Customers traveling between now and May 3, we have also realized that the only realistic option as we go forward into peak travel season is to give full refunds on existing purchased tickets.
Now you want to tell us that it's in everybody's best interest if you just leave us to fend for ourselves.
Last edited by blackburried; Apr 10, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Apr 10, 2008, 4:06 pm
#15
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What about the customers -- surely most of them -- who would trade the "great service" ATA was supposed to provide for a ticket on another airline that would get them to Hawaii without causing them to reach far deeper into their wallets and purses?
At the very least, couldn't WN be honest about its decision: sorry, we tried to undo the damage, but it was too expensive for us to remedy the mess that was caused when we sold you a ticket on a partner that couldn't live up to its end of the bargain so excuse us as we renege on our end of the bargain?