Airline Review: Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air began operations in 1997 under the name WestJet Express. This caused uproar on many fronts, including legal battles with an airport operator I Rapid City, Dakota, and with the also newly formed WestJet Airlines of Canada. After this battle, they choose to adopt the name, Allegiant Air. The airline initially began offering scheduled service, as well as offering charter operations. The airline initially only operated out of its headquarters, in Los Vegas, Nevada.
After the airline boom of the late 1990's, Allegiant offered services throughout the western portion of the United States. However, these services also showed little to no success. This caused the airline to file for bankruptcy protection in late 2000. After this, the airline acquired a new CEO, who had previously saved other low cost airlines from bankruptcy. After this bankruptcy and the September 11th terrorist attacks, the airline was able to rapidly grow.
Today, the airline operates on a hub and spoke system, with many, if not all flights, originating or with a destination of one of Allegiant Air's hubs. With its main hub in Las Vegas, Nevada, and other hubs in Orlando Sanford, Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Mesa, Nevada. While the airline does offer some large airports across the country, many of them are smaller cities, such as Mesa, Arizona, serving the Phoenix area. From these hubs, the airline is able to serve nearly 60 destinations across the United States and aboard. The airline flies a fleet of 29 aircraft; however, many of these aircraft are older, with the average fleet age being over 17 years old. All of the aircraft are of the McDonnell/Douglas manufacturing, and of the MD-80 series. Some are MD-81's, some MD-82's, some MD-83's, and others are MD-87's. All of them, except the MD-87, hold 150 passengers in a single class economy layout as used by Allegiant. The MD-87 holds 130 passengers in all economy, and they are primarily used throughout Florida only. So, next time you are looking for a low cost flight that avoids the congestion of large airports, look at Allegiant.
Published by Joel Cox
I'm very interested in military and aviation history View profile
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7 Comments
Post a CommentBooked a flight from the "sale" they were running. Round trip LGB to LAS, $10 each way. For my wife and I, that should have been $40. After all the fees, it was $176.78!
Air conditioning didn't work. Weather at time was 85% humidity. Before door was closed and plane pushed back, everyone was sweating up a storm. Flight crew announced it wouldn't be working. The entire flight was about 90 degrees. After sweating out a gallon, they had the nerve to charge $2.00 for water (should have been free because of aircraft defect!).
My wife ended up getting sick from the heat!
Never again!
My wife and I just got back from California, Flying Allegiant Air to NWA. They Damaged a brand new, never use luggage.. Trying to talk to a counter person is impossible!!! Because they not only work the counter they load and unload they plane, I won't be surprised if they landed the plane as well... Tried to contact Allegaint by phone is a joke! Our plane was delayed by 4hrs and they offered the people behind us to free luggage.. WTH.. Still can't get anyone to fix my luggage.. THEIR A RIP OFF!!!!
This airline will kill you with baggage fees. And they will charge twice and then deny. I can prove I paid for my son's baggage online and then the gate agent had no record of it when he checked in and forced him to pay again. When I caught what had happened I called the only number available and the agent stated that he would not have to pay on his return flight as there was a credit on his itinerary.....what do you think happened.....the gate agent on the return flight stated that his bags had not been paid for of course!.....He paid again! So now Allegiant owes me/my son $70....I sent an email as that's the only recourse the consumer has and of course got NO response.....So the consumer has no recourse but to wait for them to reply....CANNOT speak to a manager.....My advise to you is DO NOT spend your money here! They are a SHADY company,....this coming from someone who travels extensively for work and flies ALL airlines....Never have I been treated like this......
I give my experience with allegiant air a "0"!!!!! This was my 1st flight with this airline and my last. I fly 2-3 times a year and have for the last 8 years without problems. That is until I chose to try allegiant. They were slow in taking my ticket to the gate (because i was flying in and out the same day) and nearly caused me to miss my flight. When I picked up my luggage from the luggage claim I found that my daughters brand new bag was shredded. It was obvious it was done with a razor and more so it was obvious it was not an accident. When I filed a claim I was told that they were not responsible for damage done to the outside of luggage. You can only imagine my frustration that they were not willing to cover the only part of the bag they touch. They had me go thru he_l and back to file the claim and were constantly cutting me off while I was talking. There was no compassion or concern for my property. I flew with allegiant to save some money but will all the hidden charges and th
I am sorry you were not satisfied, but I have flown with them and I am very sataisfied. At the momemt I have heard that they will not be flying from Huntsville anymore. I wish that was not the case. No I am very dissapointed
I booked 3 round trip tickets (over $1000) for my parents to travel between 12/2007 and 2/2208. They called us 2 months later saying they will no longer to business with the airport. They gave us 2 options - 1) drive 2 and 1/2 hrs to the nearest airport where they are doing business or 2) get a refund. It is late Novemeber and booking the same 3 round trip tickets to travel between the time frame with different airlines would cost us over $1400. Allegiant airline said that it was not their problem and did not care. They will not compensate us the difference nor offer any partner flights to lessen the cost (they don't have partners). They say that if we do not decide on which option then the will not do anything for us and take our money. We would forfeit the tickets and money. The manager refused to give me the corporate phone number so I can file a formal complaint and said that they all go to him anyway. What bad business practice.
DO NOT FLY FROM ALLEGIANT, unless you are leaving the next day! I had to cancel my reservation fro Huntsville to Vegas the first of Nov. I am being told now that there is no more flights to Vegas. I called and they would not return my money, I would have to sell my tickets or fly to a destination that I care nothing about. Please people be careful if you book with them I really think they are a scam. Look at how many places they hav estopped flight and the money they have collected for these flights!!!