Airtran problem and their "resolution"
 

About 2 weeks ago, I was flying Airtran from Tampa to Milwaukee, switching planes in Atlanta. When I got to Atlanta, I was told that their "computer system had completely shut down" and was given a discount voucher to stay in the Sheraton for $79 and given a flight out the next day. No meal vouchers, nothing else at all. I got home 12 h ours later than I should have, missed a day's work etc. When I wrote to Airtran asking for reimbursement of my expenses etc. I received an email for a $25 discount for a future flight. That was it. That doesn't begin to cover my costs here. Any ideas on how best to proceed? I've never been treated this badly by an airline when the fault was theirs.

That is pretty unusual. We have usually been put up for free, and given a meal voucher. I'd write the CEO.

Thanks Gretchen,
That's what I was thinking.

I'm stunned by their giving a "discount voucher" for a reduced price at a hotel instead of a free room. I've never heard of such a thing.

But airlines never cease to amaze me. I still remember in London when British Air put all 300 plus passengers onto a plane that they knew couldn't fly (I overheard the mechanic saying so) and then served us all dinner on the plane at the gate before canceling the flight. Many missed an opportunity to get another flight quicker as we sat there for nearly and hour and a half eating that meal. Why? Clearly because they had the food that would go to waste, but otherwise they would have had to provide 300 plus meal vouchers for the long delayed flight. Just amazing the dishonesty some airlines will use.

I would press the issue. We fly Airtran frequently and have always been able to get quite a lot from them, even when it wasn't their fault.