Is allegiant a safe airline to travel with?

[chozen]

I have heard mixed reviews.

[hillview]

never heard of it?

[Indianamom2]

I believe my in-laws have flown on in several times recently with no complaints. They go from Indiana to Florida.

[inmypjs]

We've flown Allegiant several times. I haven't heard of any safety concerns. I will say their customer service has been pretty awful at times. We've had pretty lengthy delays as well. Their draw is that they offer direct flights to/from cities that otherwise don't have them. For that reason I probably would fly them again, because direct flights are so much better with kids.

[georgiegirl]

We fly allegiant a few times a year. They are the only airline to offer direct flights from where I live to LAX and Orlando. They are cheap and nickel and dime you to death, but I've never had any safety concerns. I have a love/have relationship with them. Love the cheap, direct flights, but they can often be delayed and they have few options and even charge for water and carry-ons. But with two kids and one on the way, a cheap, direct flight with no amenities is way better than paying more and having a layover.

[MSWR0319]

We flew them to Disney because they were cheap, a direct flight, 45 min from our house, and flew out of a small airport which was easy to manuever. Otherwise we would have had to drive 2 hrs and drag 2 car seats plus luggage through a major airport because DH refuses to check bags. I'm not your best traveler when it comes to airplanes and I felt perfectly safe.

[flashy09]

They fly old planes and have old plane problems - google Allegiant engine failure and a lot comes up. I also had a plane just "go dead" on the runway, which I have no idea why and no idea if that could happen in the air. Lights out, engine off, air off, etc.

But, they have had no fatal crashes. They are safe. Always delayed when I fly them, but if you can handle that sort of thing you will be fine.

[TwinFoxes]

They're all safe. Seriously. It's been four years since a commercial airline death. The last major airline death was in November 2001. Flying is amazingly safe. I'm a nervous flyer. But I know intellectually it is safe. This article might ease your fears. It doesn't sugar coat things, but the ottom line is, flying is safe. :hug:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/business/2012-was-the-safest-year-for-airlines-globally-since-1945.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[kbud]

The only "unsafe" thing about flying Allegiant (or any airline) will be your drive to/from the airport:wink2: I was a flight attendant for 9 years and DH trains pilots for a major airline. They are safe. All the airlines must adhere to the same FAA regulations regarding safety.

[Gracemom]

My mom flies Allegiant all the time. The only problem she has had is bad delays. If there is a mechanical problem, they don't have backup airplanes, so there will be long delays or cancellations. Once they kept her waiting until 2 in the morning (supposed to be an 8 pm flight) until they finally cancelled and told everyone to come back in the morning. It was not a good start to her vacation.

[lalasmama]

No personal experience, but it's who my 4 aunts all fly on, and they've never had a problem with it. They like the cheap prices, and that it goes from small airport to small airport--no dealing with Portland or Phoenix!

[katydid1971]

We use Allegiant a lot. They fly directly to places we want to go and they are cheap as chips. They try to nickel and dime you so here's my advice. Don't pay for pre-boarding or assigned seats, even if you are flying with your kids. The day of flights they check to see if there are any families flying and place them together. Last time we flew with them they had DH and DS in one row and DD and me in another. It was no problem. I pay to check 1 bag both ways and I can get a weeks worth of stuff in one large duffel using packing cubes (stay under 40 lbs thought). DH, DS, and DD all brought on back packs, the kids had toys and books for the flight and DH had his computer and a few other things he wanted to keep with him. You have to pay to use over head carry on space but you can put an item on the floor in front of you for free. Since the kids don't need the leg room we always put it under their feet. As far as safety I agree with pp, you are in more danger driving to and from the airport. Feel free to PM if you have any questions about traveling with Allegiant.