This was the first time I had used Allegiant air and we drove to a town 2 hours away from our house to use them. We flew from Toledo to St. Petersburg on Wednesday and was coming back on Saturday. It was three of us and we paid $183.00 per ticket roundtrip. The day we were scheduled to come back as we were packing up to leave my mother suffered some sort of attack and could not breathe. We had to call 911 to the hotel and she was rushed to the hospital. After finding out that she was going to be okay, I begin to call Allegiant Air to try to figure out how to get home. The first call after being on hold for 9 mins after they said there was a 3 min wait. The guy would not hear me out just kept repeating since it was less than 24 hours nothing they could. At that point I was just trying to find out the next flight out, which was not until next Wednesday. I asked him about Sanford Orlando which was 2 hours away and he said there was one out on Monday.
When I discovered I had no easy way to get back home through another airline because Allegiant is the only airline in Toledo, I called back and was on hold for 17 mins even though it said there was a 7 min wait. I started the conversation by saying maybe I need a supervisor because I had a real emergency and I begin to explain how my mother was in the hospital and we needed to figure out how to get her home. The guy hung up on me.
I had to call a third time and was on hold for 20 mins for a supposedly 9 min wait. I told the young lady what happened and while she at least was sympathetic. Told me that since it was less than 24 hours I only had the option to purchase new tickets on the Orlando flight which were going for $189 per person for one way. Then when I got home I could appeal and show the doctor's note and they may decide to give me a credit on a future flight.
Really! Like having your normally healthy mother being rushed to the hospital is not stressful enough but to suddenly have to stress over how you are going to get home. Then have the airline who had the other flight not be willing to at least transfer the credit towards what you spent on the new flight. Every other airline even though they have a non-refundable clause will do that.
My experience with Allegiant air was just horribly dissapointing and not worth any supposed savings. Allegiant needs to learn how to take care of its customers through more than just a cheaper airline price in the beginning.
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