# Know anything about Allegiant Air?



## DebBrown (Jan 3, 2010)

From what I can tell this is the only airline with direct service from Missoula, MT to Las Vegas. It's obviously a great convenience to use Allegiant but I'm a bit wary since they only schedule two flights per week. What happens when there are mechanical issues, etc.?

Anyone had any experience with Allegiant? How reliable are they?

Deb


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## Jimster (Jan 3, 2010)

*allegant*

They are like all the other LCC's.  They have cheap prices but then nickel and dime you to death.  If you want an aisle seat, the price goes up etc.  They have only a few planes so if they have real problems I am sure they have difficulty coping.  OTOH many people like Allegiant.  They are fairly reliable.  The only thing is they sometimes are not on time because if they get back-logged they have to make it up.  I flew them once and that's it.  I have had relatives fly with them as well.  They also always don't fly to the same airport as other airlines-ie they fly to Orlando Sanford (about 20 miles away from Orlando) or their Chicago flights actually leave from Rockford.  You get what you pay for.  One other thing, I found that the price was not so good after I factored in the fact that I did not get EQM's or RDM's from my trip.  Since it is your only option maybe this not important but often other options exist and the extra miles outweigh the few dollars saved.  Also I am a 1K with UAL and the perks I get there keep me coming back to UAL.


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## mtgolfer (Jan 3, 2010)

I have flown on Allegiant out of Missoula, Great Falls and Bozeman.  I like using them because the planes are a bit larger and more leg room than other small planes currently used when flying out of Montana.  They key to using them is to check the rates and try to go when the rates are the best and carry on your luggage.  The luggage storage is also larger than what you have on the other planes.  They also automatically assign you a seat that is listed as priority seating and you need to take that off there (uncheck it) and just choose the cheapest seat.  I have never had a problem with cancellations and they are usually pretty close to on-time here in Montana.

Bob


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## Jimster (Jan 3, 2010)

*just noticed*

I was reading some travel stuff and just noticed this:

Official check-in and boarding pass. Most airlines require that you formally check in—which means getting a boarding pass—for a departing flight at least 30 minutes before departure for domestic flights; some require 45 minutes at congested airports. Major exceptions are Allegiant which says 120 minutes, Hawaiian and USA 3000, which say 45 minutes for all flights, and JetBlue, which says 20 minutes for some flights. Of course, a check-in limit doesn't matter if you use the online advance check-in and boarding pass system that many big lines employ.


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## Karen G (Jan 3, 2010)

I have flown Allegiant from Las Vegas to Colorado Springs and back, and I had a good experience. You do have to watch all the add-ons they automatically add to your ticket price.  I was glad I found the shuttle service they added to my ticket in Las Vegas so that I could delete it.

On the flight they are selling lots of stuff, too, from food & drinks to show tickets to souvenir blankets. But, the flights went well and were on time with no problems.

My daughter has flown Allegiant from Bellingham, WA, to Las Vegas, and had no problems either.


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## DebBrown (Jan 3, 2010)

Jimster said:


> I was reading some travel stuff and just noticed this:
> 
> Official check-in and boarding pass. Most airlines require that you formally check in—which means getting a boarding pass—for a departing flight at least 30 minutes before departure for domestic flights; some require 45 minutes at congested airports. Major exceptions are Allegiant which says 120 minutes, Hawaiian and USA 3000, which say 45 minutes for all flights, and JetBlue, which says 20 minutes for some flights. Of course, a check-in limit doesn't matter if you use the online advance check-in and boarding pass system that many big lines employ.



I checked their website and found this in the faq:



> Allegiant recommends arriving at the airport at least two (2) hours prior to scheduled departure. Customers need to be checked in no less than 45 minutes prior to scheduled departure which is when the Ticket Counter closes.



I'm still a bit leary but trying to come to terms with it.  I'm sure an hour flight from Missoula beats two connecting 2+ hour flights on UA!

Thanks for all the input.

Deb


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## DaveNV (Jan 3, 2010)

Deb, I flew Allegiant a few years ago to Las Vegas from Bellingham, Washington.  The flight was smooth, on time, and the aircraft was very comfortable.  Two leather seats on a side.  Easy in and out of the airport.

The reason they have fewer flights, and go from alternate airports, is due to the costs involved.  If they have fewer flights, the aircraft is usually more filled.  That's better for business.  And the regional airport departure fills a niche market, and saves the higher fees operating from a major airport would require.  They use Las Vegas as their hub, so they can run their planes through a better maintenance facility than they might have available in a local airport somewhere else.

Just watch the hidden fees, and plan your dates carefully.  Flying a day sooner or later may give a cheaper fare.

Dave


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## uf_gator_87 (Jan 4, 2010)

Customer service was nonexistent out of Monterey.  I mean, nobody was at the desk from 2 hours before the flight to 20 minutes before the flight.  Twice, so I don't think it was a coincidence.  The plane was "departing on time" when we found someone to ask 5 minutes after it was scheduled to depart and before a plane was on the tarmac.  Great rates, but they try to nickel- and- dime you for everything.  I'd fly with them again, as the rates are sometimes half that of other carriers.


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## dougp26364 (Jan 4, 2010)

Allegiant is fine so long as you understand they're a cheap airline and they offer no frills. You want something extra, you pay for it. You pay to check your bags. If you carry-on is larger than the allowed limits you'll pay a larger fee than it was to just check a bag. There are no free peanuts. You pay for any snack or drink, including water, that you might want. You pay to select your seat and, if you want priorty boarding, you pay a fee for that. 

The advantages for us are that they fly MD-80's where the others fly CRJ's and they're a direct flight when all the others offer connecting service. For the most part they're fine but, all things being equal I'll still take my FF miles on another airline when I can.


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## julienjay (Jan 4, 2010)

I flew them from Los Angeles to Arkansas and it was okay. The only thing I would warn you about is that if a plane is delayed, like mine was, it can be a long wait. We were delayed 3 hours on departure. But the return flight was on time. They make you pay for water, seat preference ... everything. But the planes were newer than I'd expected.


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## DebBrown (Jan 7, 2010)

OK... we want to give them a shot.  Now I have a question about pricing.  My understanding is that have periodic sales and we just missed the 1/1 sale.

When I look at the schedule, the day we want to fly is more expensive than other days.  I'm assuming this is because the lower priced seats are already sold.  If that is the case, would I benefit from waiting for a sale or am I taking a chance of more seats being sold and maybe missing out all together?

The day we want to fly MSO-LAS is the day after graduation so it might be popular.

Deb


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## DaveNV (Jan 7, 2010)

DebBrown said:


> OK... we want to give them a shot.  Now I have a question about pricing.  My understanding is that have periodic sales and we just missed the 1/1 sale.



Be careful of those "sales."  The 1/1 sale you think you missed was a combination air/hotel package in Las Vegas.  If one person paid full freight for a flight and hotel package, a companion went along "free."  But the rates were so inflated, it wasn't a sale at all.




DebBrown said:


> When I look at the schedule, the day we want to fly is more expensive than other days.  I'm assuming this is because the lower priced seats are already sold.  If that is the case, would I benefit from waiting for a sale or am I taking a chance of more seats being sold and maybe missing out all together?
> 
> The day we want to fly MSO-LAS is the day after graduation so it might be popular.
> 
> Deb



I think the day of the week is the deciding factor on price.  Cheaper seats are on less-busy days.  Allegiant doesn't have a First Class or Business section.  Like Southwest, all seats on any flight are equal.  So I believe the rate is based on how full they expect the flight to be.

Dave


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## DebBrown (Jan 7, 2010)

Thanks, Dave.  I think I will just get our plans in order and buy the tickets.  Sometimes I find myself spending hours to save a few $ and its not THAT important.  My times is worth something too!

Deb


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## DaveNV (Jan 7, 2010)

DebBrown said:


> Thanks, Dave.  I think I will just get our plans in order and buy the tickets.  Sometimes I find myself spending hours to save a few $ and its not THAT important.  My times is worth something too!
> 
> Deb



Yep.  I often have the same trouble.  There was a time when I'd drive to a store in another city to buy a product that was selling for a few dollars less than at my local store.  I figured gas was cheap (back then) so I didn't worry about it.  In the years since, as I've started to factor in my own time/labor on things, I'm a lot less willing to run around like that to save a buck or two.  And of course, as gas prices have climbed, it's kind of a no-brainer.   

The thing with Allegiant is to strike the best compromise on ticket prices and fees weighed against the convenience of flying from your local airport.  After the flight, think about the experience, and whether it was worth it to you.  

In my case, if flying to Las Vegas, I'll use Allegiant.  They fly direct from an airport about 25 miles from my house, easy in and out, and with ample parking right outside the terminal.  The only other airport choice for me is to drive all the way through traffic to the other side of Seattle, and deal with the extra hassles and costs there.  The convenience factor has to count for something.

Dave


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## DebBrown (Jan 7, 2010)

BMWguynw said:


> The convenience factor has to count for something.
> 
> Dave



Most definitely!  It's a one hour flight MSO-LAS.  Our other alternative is about 5-6 hours MSO-DEN-LAS.

Thanks again!
Deb


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