ATA Airlines Cease Operations

[travellady817]

Hello Fellow Travelling Moms!

I don't usually send new posts but I thought this information might be useful for anyone that has tickets on this airline.  Below are some helpful hints on what you can do to obtain a refund and also some links to get more info if you need it.

Melody
The Travel Lady

ATA Shut Down Suddenly Today

4/3/2008 - ATA Airlines ceased all current and future flight operations in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 3. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late yesterday in Indianapolis. If you have clients booked to fly on ATA, you should try to re-book them on another carrier, as their flights will not go as planned. Also, they should contact their credit card issuer to request a "chargeback" on the ticket fees they've paid ATA. If they purchased travel insurance that will cover the flight, they should file a claim immediately. (Customers who've paid by cash or other means will not get immediate refunds and must file a claim with the bankruptcy court.) If you purchased tickets from Southwest Airlines for codeshare flights operated by ATA, you should contact Southwest at 800.308.5037. Here's the best source of information from ATA so far: ATA's Customer FAQs. Also, you can check the details posted at ATA's home page. This story in the Indianapolis Star contains more background information on the reasons for the sudden shutdown. USA Today says ATA lost a key charter contract with FedEx a year earlier than expected, and that revenue hit forced ATA to close its doors. As we learn more, we'll update you in future issues of the "OSSN E-Agent."