How bad is Allegiant?

brianhos

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Just noticed they’re flying direct btw DSM and Newark now (would be good for me).

Never used them before, but they are suspiciously cheap.

Avoid? Or go for it?

They nickel and dime the **** out of you. But if it's direct, it's direct. I would sit on the worst direct flight over first class with layovers.
 

JP4CY

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Agree. Don't plan on working on your laptop. But it's a direct flight for a couple of hours. It's not that bad.
Yep, just have to be prepared for that.
As boring as it sounds, historically flights are great for me to sort work email into folders.
 

madguy30

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It looks like Frontier Light.

I was on a personal boycott for Frontier but their flights are less than half of other airlines and United is going the way of paying to choose seats so might have to get sucked back in.
 

3TrueFans

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You also don't have to worry about the person in front of you reclining because the seats only go back an eighth of an inch.
 

mynameisjonas

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I usually try to avoid them if I can, but if I do end up booking through them, I always pay for the seat with legroom.
 

NorthCyd

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I flew Allegiant to Florida last March and on the return trip the ISU track team was on my flight. It was a heck of a thing watching them check a pole vault and all the other track equipment. I had the middle seat and my daughter was on one side with an open seat to the other. Of course a shot putter sat next to me. Real nice guy though. Represented ISU well.
 

cycloneworld

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They are fine if you make it there and back. But the first time they strand you somewhere or make you miss a vacation, will likely be the last time you fly with them. They almost always have one flight per day and sometimes only 1-3 flights per week so they cancel, you are own your own trying to get home.

When it works, it’s great because it’s cheap. But get stuck and you’ll likely end up spending big bucks on a same day flight to get you back home.

Used to have the second oldest fleet in the world behind Iranian Air but have significantly upgraded their fleets. But not their staff or flight schedules.
 
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RoseClone

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I fly it anytime I can but I just want to get there and I've never had a problem. I don't care about snacks or my tray.

Currently out of Des Moines (various schedules throughout the year)
-Austin
-Sanford /Orlando
-Destin
-Fort Lauderdale/Miami
-Houston
-Anaheim
-Vegas
-LAX
-Nashville
-Newark
-Orange Co CA
-Phoenix/Mesa
-Portland
-Punta Gorda
-San Diego
-Sarasota
-Tampa
-I've flown to Palm Springs but don't see it listed. I think it was a January so maybe not in the summer.
 
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carvers4math

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One of my kids frequently takes Allegiant. Only time he had a problem with it was the mess last Christmas, booked for Newark to DM. Unlike his multiple other flight problems at Christmas, they told him four days in advance.

Took it for years between Sanford and Des Moines without issues. He just prefers direct flights, no connection issues with weather.
 
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CyrenAlert

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They nickel and dime the **** out of you. But if it's direct, it's direct. I would sit on the worst direct flight over first class with layovers.

100% agree. Their **** tiness can be overlooked when shortening my travel by not having to make a connection somewhere.
 
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Trigger

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The Nashville flight from DSM is a great way for a cheap 3 day weekend - flies out Thursday and come back on Sunday. We had no issues. Have also taken the DSM-San Diego with no problems.

Everything seemed brand new.
 

dawgpound

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The Nashville flight from DSM is a great way for a cheap 3 day weekend - flies out Thursday and come back on Sunday. We had no issues. Have also taken the DSM-San Diego with no problems.

Everything seemed brand new.
I am taking the Nashville route this Thursday, be my first time on Allegiant so crossing my fingers!
 

mywayorcyway

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I've flown them many many times. Had to spend the night in the Wichita airport once, other than that they've been fine.

If you're paying attention and don't let them nickel and dime to death you can definitely save money. The biggest issue is no reciprocation. If your flight gets canceled or delayed, that's it. You can't just hop over to Delta without buying a brand new ticket.

If you're going to fly allegiant, do it early in the day. An allegiant flight that leaves at 9:30 p.m. is definitely a roll of the dice.
 
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BillBrasky4Cy

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I haven't had any issues with Allegiant and you won't either if you just have the "it is what it is" mindset. IMO i budget airline direct flight is worth it compared to risking delays and missed connections on one of the main airlines. My only knock is that their Orlando flights all go through Sandford and there is nothing in that airport.