Trouble at Allegiant?

A report today in the Tampa Bay Times says that Allegiant Air (www.allegiantair.com) has cancelled six flights recently that were scheduled to leave from the airport at St. Petersburg-Clearwater, and has had two emergency landings at that same airport this month.

According to the newspaper, the budget airline has been experiencing a lot of difficulty during this summer season of heavy travel. It has one of the oldest fleets in the U.S., with an average age of 22 years, and it has been the subject of complaints by both pilots and mechanics.

I hope the airline gets its act together, since it offers some of the lowest air fares around, sometimes less than $50 for a one-way flight. It often costs more than that to get a cab to the airport. There were no problems with the one Allegiant Air flight I took several years ago, from St. Petersburg-Clearwater to Plattsburgh, NY. However, someone else I know flew from Plattsburgh to St. Petersburg, and reported that because of mechanical problems the plane had to fly a lot lower than its usual cruising speed.

I don't want to discourage anyone from travelling with Allegiant--the FAA wouldn't let them keep flying if there were serious problems-- but it is good to be aware that there could be some hassles this summer.