Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Allegro Airlines Experiences

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)

- Air Travel (https://www.fodors.com/community/air-travel/)

- - Allegro Airlines Experiences (https://www.fodors.com/community/air-travel/allegro-airlines-experiences-195186/)

Allegro Airlines Experiences

I recently booked an Apple Vacations package to a Jamaican all-inclusive resort. The travel agent told me we'd be flying on Ryan Intl. However, when I received the travel itinerary, I found out he had misinformed me. We're actually flying on Allegro Airlines. I've heard horrible things about this airline, and now I'm scared to go. Anyone have any experience with this airline? Good or bad?

So Libby, how did your trip turn out? I too am booked on Allegro Airlines and have some trepidation due to the mixed reviews I have read.

Libby, Please don't blame the travel agent. When you purchased the trip the flights were probably booked with the airline quoted to you...however, these are difficult times and MANY VENDORS

Libby, Please don't blame the travel agent. When you purchased the trip the flights were probably booked with the airline quoted to you...however, these are difficult times and MANY VENDORS ARE CHANGING UP CARRIER'S ON US.....As for Allegro, you purchased a charter package with a charter carrier, it is probably no better or worse than any other......cheap is cheap...no matter what name you call it by....next time perhaps you will consider a vacation package with a scheduled air carrier that you do trust...a little more expensive, but what cost will you pay for peace of mind????

I have flown Allegro several times and had no problems. Any airline can have delays due to mechanicals, no crew and etc. The Apple Fair Trade Contract states they can change Airline, Date (not to exceed 48 hrs), times and it is not considered a major change. I have had 5 hour delays on United and they gave me Nothing. A client with a 5 hr delay on Allegro got a $50 Voucher for a future trip.

I just returned from Peurto Vallart on Allegro and it was a nightmare. About 180 passengers boarded flight 122 in Peurto Vallarta for the expected 3 and 1/2 hour flight scheduled to get in at 10:45 PM in Oakland. Backing from the gate one of the tires blew up. Then began a long ordeal resulting in arriving the next day at 4:00 PM (6:00 PM PV time). I would like to know how to get some compensation for this mess. Any thoughts?

We took an Allegro flight down to PV last year. The plane, a beat up old DC 9 was dirty and the seats particularly cramped compared with a US airline. I found out on the flight that it was owned by Mexicans. They actually had a plane run out of fuel over the Gulf of Mexico. The plane crash landed but miraculously no one was killed. A will never use the travel agent that booked this trip. She said that the airline was clean and safe. A safe airline that has a plane run out of gas? The other thing is that agents are still receiving hefty commissions on charters which are part of packages. Beware.

Barbara, travel agents don't book charters because they are receiving "hefty" commissions! They usually book charters because travelers are not willing to pay the higher price to fly a scheduled carrier! Here's a few tips on charters; 1. yes, they probably will be your lowest price. 2. no, you will not have any choice of flight times or days. 3. yes, they can change flight times or carriers on you right up until departure. 4. yes, they have, by far, the greatest number of and the longest delays! If you aren't willing to accept this, decide how much more you are willing to pay for a more reliable scheduled carrier. If you aren't willing to pay more, then accept that you paid the price you wanted to pay. These facts are just in general; there are good and bad charter carriers out there. Allegro isn't one of the better ones!

I'm not that bright, but I know that I don't get something for nothing. I asked my travel agent if Allegro was clean and safe, I was taking my husband and grand daughter with me. My agent was either misinformed or more interested in her own economic welfare than mine. My agent, Joyce and Penny are typical. They don't know or they dont' care. An airline that allows a plane to run out of fuel over the Gulf of Mexico is totally incompetent. These agents should have known this and my agent should have told me and the posters here should have told us.

How, pray tell, would a travel agent know if an airplane is safe? How can someone else know about another's company? I'm always amazed when someone asks me this question. I answer with "if I land safely, then it's a safe plane". A plane is as safe as it's crew and mechanics. Also, don't expect compensation from Allegro airlines when you already completed your vacation. Irritation for being late doesn't warrant them compensating you, this is life.

Which do you believe? Joyce and Penny who say they have the best interests of the traveler always in mind and that they will go to bat for the traveler and know lots of good information which they will share with you? Or do you believe Oliver who says he just sells and admits he knows no more than the consumer, maybe less. Ultimately, why didn't Joyce and Penny tell us that this dumb airline had a plane crash land because it ran out of gas over the ocean.

Here he goes again. Vic vs the TAs. Vic, you are so knowledgeable about all thing 'travel' would you consider putting together a Mexico vacation for me and my 3 kids? I just don't have the time! And I'm sure you can find the best deals cause there won't be any commission payments. Post an email and I'll send you dates. Thanks!

I am a travel agent. I do it part time for friends and relations. I charge a fee and rebate all my commissions. It works for us. I'm fairly compensated and my customers, I guess, think their getting value. I'm a bit hard on other agents because they tend to combine the worst elements of stupidity and self interest. Many believe things that only the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland could believe.

Vic, how do I put this delicately? You're a moron. I've seen many of your posts and so far dear boy you do not impress. I did not say or imply that I knew less than the consumer. What I said was I do not know 100% if a plane is safe and nor do you. I can tell my client what their on-time performance is but that is about as far as I can go with a clear conscience. I will not lie to a valued client of mine and say whatever just to get them to sign on the dotted line. In fact, I've had a few clients over the years change their mind on booking with me because I gave information that wasn't sugar coated. They'd rather book with an agent that lied to them or didn't tell them the entire truth. It wasn't my fault they didn't want to hear the truth on what they were purchasing. You are no travel counselor Vic, you're a guy who simply sells travel.

YOU ARE a TRAVEL AGENT?!! You are constantly warning people against using people like you? How big is your fee? Must be a doozy if you give back all the commission! I take my request back. I'll see if I can find someone who doesn't treat selling travel like a hobby. I like the sound of Cousin Oliver!

Cousin has a problem. If my client asked about Allegro I would tell them that as far as I know they are the only "airline" that ever ran out of gas over the ocean. Now that takes some skill. That's all I know about them, but it's a very salient point. Also, I don't like Mexican airlines, I didn't like Mexicana or AeroMexico. They seem to do maintanence by exception. That is, when something goes wrong.

Author: Vic ([email protected]) Date: 04/09/2002, 05:55 pm Message: You're right I used the wrong term. I don't sell CDW in the sense that that I never receommend it. If the subject ever comes up and it almost never does since the people I work with are, by and large, sophisticated travlers, we go over their personal insurance and credit cards and virtually all my clients are covered in some way. I also recommend against travel insurance and I have not sold much. My fee is $200 per hour. This was Vic's response to my question on another post. He states he charges $200.00 an hour and he works out of his garage. That must be one helluva garage!

People, especially people who can afford high end vacations are smart. They won't come to me for a Carnival cruise. My fee is more than the commission I rebate, and I really don't offer any extra service to justify may fee. There are two groups that come to me. People who cruise on high end cruise lines. A Crystal cruise can easily cost $10,000 for a couple. The commission about $1,300 and I spend a couple of hours arranging the thing. I save them enough to buy some nice shore excursions and bottles of wine at dinner. They go to other agents to get brouchers and find out from them exactly what cabines are available to minimizing the time I send working on their trips. These people know what they want, they don't want me to hold their hand. Everybody wins. I will shop the mega net agencies for my customers and if they're cheaper than even my net price to them, then I book with the megas. The other group of customers are the people who want customized vacations to Europe, Japan and China. I travel there often and I can discuss novel ideas with people who have been to Europe so often that they want something different. It's a major hassle to book many small hotels overseas. I'll call and use Email to get reservations. I've been to Tuscany and pocked around the hotels and villas and I can give intelligent advise. Many of these places are non commissionable. How many agents that work on commissions will book these hotels. I spend time putting together vacations including intricate train travel. I make all the train and seat reservatons. How many agents can afford to do that for the minimal commissions that train companies pay. I don't do this on a full time basis, I couldn't pay my mortgage. It's fun to interact with relatives and friends and help them have a good experience. My compensation scheme has it's disadvantages. A couple that I booked on a Crystal cruise, booked another cruise while on the ship. Crystal pays me a commission, but I rebated the commission to the couple. They were happy. The thing that bothers me most about agents that post on Fodors is that they are telling the public that they are too dumb to book on the web. That's crazy. For most travel, especially plane tickets, the cheapest and most convenient place to buy is on the net. There will always be agents for those with kiss my toe money and tastes. You don't expect Bill Gates to mow his lawn do you? But for most people, the web is the place to buy.

Yea Vic you seem to know it all.Tell me, do you know how to use spell check?

One other nice thing about charging by the hour is that I don't get any lookie loos. People will only pay me if they know they're going somewhere. Frankly, I think some go to other agents for info and book with me to get the rebate.