ATA airlines

Does anyone have experience with flying with ATA? Southwest uses them for their Hawaii flights. I saw that they had some bankruptcy issues last year and was a little nervous about buying tickets through them. We are going to Maui at the end of May and their tickets are 100$+ cheaper than Hawaiian and Aloha Air. I don't know how bankruptcy works so maybe I'm just being paranoid. I'm super freaky superstitious when it comes to flying. I know that it doesn't matter but I HATE flying, especially across the ocean. It just gives me the spookies flying on an unknown airline. You know when you fly to England you go British air, to China you use China airlines. I know I sound like a freak but flying makes me super anxious. Thanks for any input, I need to buy our tickets soon as the prices keep going up.

[DCJenn]

ATA is a budget carrier. They fly out of National in DC and my cousin uses them. She wasn't impressed with the cleanliness but the flights are on-time and everything works.

Jenn

[SuzySunshine]

DH flew them a couple of times during residency interviews. They are a no-frill budget airline but they always got him to his next interview on time.

[Vishenka69]

There's a rule (it covers only US airlines though) that if any of the airlines went bankrupt, the other ones have to accomodate everyone with a ticket. Also, almost all American airlines are in bankruptcy, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I've flown ATA several times and everything was fine. I'd fly them again anytime.

[madeintaiwan]

Thanks guys!! I know I'm just a weird paranoid superstitious freak.

There's a rule ....

But it isn't law, and all of them don't do it. Not to scare you from taking the flight, taiwan.
My MIL flew someone cheaply from Seattle to Kansas City a few years ago. During her stay there, the airline filed bankruptcy (Cht 7) and stopped operations. She was stuck with us for another three days until she could be placed on another airline to get home.

Sure, they all seem to be filing or in some type of reorganization through bankruptcy though...at least until they can get some more govt money.

[madeintaiwan]

There's a rule ....

But it isn't law, and all of them don't do it. Not to scare you from taking the flight, taiwan.
My MIL flew someone cheaply from Seattle to Kansas City a few years ago. During her stay there, the airline filed bankruptcy (Cht 7) and stopped operations. She was stuck with us for another three days until she could be placed on another airline to get home.

Sure, they all seem to be filing or in some type of reorganization through bankruptcy though...at least until they can get some more govt money.

Thanks. We booked our tickets through Hawaiian Airlines. It was about $100 more, I know I am silly but I feel better about it. I am sure ATA would have been fine but Hawaiian Air sounds like the service will be nicer.

[GrayMatterWife]

There's a rule ....

But it isn't law, and all of them don't do it. Not to scare you from taking the flight, taiwan.
My MIL flew someone cheaply from Seattle to Kansas City a few years ago. During her stay there, the airline filed bankruptcy (Cht 7) and stopped operations. She was stuck with us for another three days until she could be placed on another airline to get home.

Sure, they all seem to be filing or in some type of reorganization through bankruptcy though...at least until they can get some more govt money.

100% correct--no airline is under an obligation to "accept" tickets for a bankrupt ariline. But keep this in mind--you would need to have another airline accept the bankrupt airline's ticket in only one of two situations: (1) if the airline immediately files for ch 7 bankruptcy relief (which is a "liquidation" bankruptcy--that is, the company immediately shuts down all operations and prepares to liquidate its assets to satisfy the claims of its creditors); or (2) if the company was in ch 11 (a reorganization bankruptcy--where the company continues operations during the course of the bankruptcy, trying to reorganize under the Bankruptcy Code and emerge from bankruptcy as a viable entity) but then have to convert to a ch 7 (that is, they tried ch 11 but just can't get it done--usually they can't get a plan of reorganization confirmed or they can't get exit financing). In short, as long as an airline is in ch 11 (not ch 7), you'll probably be able to use your ticket because the airline will either continue to fly to that destination or will be able to work with another airline to honor your ticket--you may in inconvenienced or your flight rescheduled, but you probably won't lose money. It's when an airline is operationally shutdown in a ch 7 that other airlines stop "honoring" the tickets and you may end up out of luck (and out of money). Of course, you'll have a claim to file in the ch 7 case--which will be worth pennies on the dollar, probably.

Anyhow, my guess is that the previous poster's friend who got shafted and stuck in KC was flying Vanguard. If I remember correctly, they filed for ch 11 relief then converted to a ch 7 (and were based out of KC).

Good luck!

..Vanguard..

Yeah, yeah that is it...I couldn't think of it, thanks!
I thought of another reason that we got to spend that quality time with my MIL. She had an e-ticket, so it caused that much more trouble.