After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 2, 2008, ATA Airlines, Inc. discontinued all operations and
cancelled all current and future flights on April 3, 2008. Following the loss of a key contract for our military charter
business, it became impossible for ATA to continue operations. Unfortunately, we were not in a position to provide our
customers or others with advance notice. We apologize for the inconvenience and regret the impact on passengers, employees,
suppliers, and other parties.
| 1. |
What should I do if I only used the first part of my ATA ticket and now need to complete my trip? |
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Unfortunately, ATA has discontinued all operations and cancelled all current and future flights. If you have purchased a flight on ATA that was to take place on or after April 3, 2008, you may attempt to make arrangements on other airlines. A list of other airlines serving ATA’s destinations is available here. However, other U.S. scheduled airlines are not obligated to honor ATA tickets. |
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| 2. |
Will other airlines honor unused ATA tickets? |
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Other U.S. scheduled airlines are not obligated to honor ATA tickets. At the time of its shutdown, ATA reached out to other airlines serving its routes and asked them to assist ATA travelers. In response, Delta, Northwest, Southwest and US Airways put plans in place to assist ATA customers, but they did so only on a limited basis for travelers with immediate travel needs. Customers should contact these airlines directly to see what plans, if any, they are still offering to ATA travelers. A list of these and other airlines serving ATA’s destinations is available here. |
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| 3. |
Can I ask my credit card company to refund my ticket since my ATA flight has been cancelled? |
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Customers who have an unused ATA ticket that was paid for by credit card should file a claim with their
credit card company. Call your credit card company to find out what information they require. If you write to your
credit card issuer, be sure to state your account number and enclose a photocopy of the ticket, itinerary or receipt
if possible, and indicate the price of the ticket and the date it was purchased. If the ticket was partially used,
identify the used and unused segments of your trip. State that ATA is in bankruptcy and has discontinued all operations,
that you will not receive the services that you charged to your account and that you are requesting a credit pursuant
to the Fair Credit Billing Act. |
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| 4. |
Will ATA refund me for unused tickets I purchased using cash or a check? |
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ATA is unable to provide refunds to customers who purchased tickets directly from ATA with cash or a
check. You may be able to obtain a full or partial refund by submitting a claim to the Bankruptcy Court as part of
ATA’s Chapter 11 proceedings. However, such a filing does not guarantee a refund. If a refund is made, it may not be
for the full amount of the claim, and the refund process may take a long time. We regret this inconvenience.
Information about submitting a claim is available at
http://www.bmcgroup.com/ataairlines or by calling
(888) 909-0100. |
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| 5. |
Can I receive a refund from ATA if I was able to complete my travel on another airline using my ATA ticket, but it cost me additional money to do so? |
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We regret this inconvenience. Customers should submit any claims for refunds to the Bankruptcy Court.
Information about submitting a claim is available at http://www.bmcgroup.com/ataairlines or by calling (888) 909-0100. |
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| 6. |
I did not take a planned trip so have a partially / completely unused ATA ticket that has not expired. How can I get a refund for this ticket? |
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If the ticket was paid for by credit card, customers should file a claim with their credit card
company. Call your credit card company to find out what information they require. If the ticket was paid for using
cash or a check, you may be able to obtain a full or partial refund by submitting a claim to the Bankruptcy Court as
part of ATA’s Chapter 11 proceedings. However, such a filing does not guarantee a refund. If a refund is made, it
may not be for the full amount of the claim, and the refund process may take a long time. We regret this
inconvenience. Information about submitting a claim is available at
http://www.bmcgroup.com/ataairlines or by calling
(888) 909-0100. |
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| 7. |
What if I purchased tickets through Southwest Airlines for flights operated by ATA? |
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Customers who purchased tickets from Southwest Airlines for flights operated by ATA should contact
Southwest at (800) 308-5037 for more information. |
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| 8. |
I was scheduled to travel to an ATA destination via a connection on another airline. Is the flight on the other airline still valid? |
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If flight segments on other airlines, including Southwest Airlines, were booked on ATA’s ticket
stock, they are considered not valid. To identify ATA’s ticket stock, look at your ticket number. If the first three
numbers are “366”, your ticket is on ATA’s ticket stock. If the first three numbers are not “366”, please contact your
booking source for further information.
Customers who have an unused ATA ticket that was paid for by credit card should file a claim with their credit
card company. Call your credit card company to find out what information they require. If you write to your credit
card issuer, be sure to state your account number and enclose a photocopy of the ticket, itinerary, or receipt if
possible, and indicate the price of the ticket and the date it was purchased. If the ticket was partially used,
identify the used and unused segments of your trip. State that ATA is in bankruptcy and has discontinued all
operations, that you will not receive the services that you charged to your account and that you are requesting a
credit pursuant to the Fair Credit Billing Act.
If you purchased tickets directly from ATA with cash or a check, you may obtain a full or partial refund by
submitting a claim to the Bankruptcy Court as part of ATA’s Chapter 11 proceedings. However, such a filing does not
guarantee a refund. If a refund is made, it may not be for the full amount of the claim, and the refund process may
take a long time. We regret this inconvenience. Information about submitting a claim is available at
http://www.bmcgroup.com/ataairlines or by calling
(888) 909-0100.
If you purchased tickets with cash or a check from a travel agency or tour operator, please contact that entity for further information. |
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| 9. |
Why can’t ATA provide refunds for unused tickets? |
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ATA has filed for bankruptcy, and bankruptcy law freezes assets and prevents companies from paying
pre-petition liabilities, which in this case, includes unused tickets. |
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| 10. |
Who can I contact about baggage or cargo claims? |
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ATA is not making payments for baggage or cargo claims (e.g., loss, damage, or pilferage). We regret
this inconvenience. For information about submitting a claim to the Bankruptcy Court, visit
http://www.bmcgroup.com/ataairlines or call
(888) 909-0100. Such a filing does not guarantee a refund, and the process may take a long time. |
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| 11. |
How will Air Freight shipments be affected now that ATA has terminated operations? |
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Current shipments can be retrieved at your local ATA Cargo facility. If you have made future cargo
shipping plans with ATA, we regret the inconvenience but those plans can no longer be honored. You should make
immediate alternative plans with other carriers for your cargo shipping needs. |
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| 12. |
Why didn’t ATA tell me this was coming before I booked my trip? |
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We regret not being in a position to provide advance notice to our customers or others. ATA needed to
file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and discontinue all operations very quickly. A primary factor leading to
these actions was the abrupt and unexpected cancellation of a key contract for ATA's military charter business, which
made it impossible for ATA to obtain more funding to continue operating or restructure our business. Another factor
leading to ATA's bankruptcy and shutdown was the dramatic and unprecedented increase in the price of jet fuel in
recent months, which severely impacted the scheduled service part of our business. |
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| 13. |
Why is ATA different from other airlines that have filed for bankruptcy without major customer disruption? |
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Unfortunately, and unlike some other airlines that have continued to operate while in bankruptcy, ATA
needed to shut down all operations and cancel all flights. Following the loss of a key contract for our military
charter business, it became impossible for us to continue operations. We apologize for the inconvenience and regret
the impact on passengers, employees, suppliers, and other parties. |
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| 14. |
What happens to the points earned by ATA Travel Awards members? |
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ATA’s frequent flier program and all accumulated Travel Awards Points will be canceled. |
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| 15. |
Is there still an option to convert ATA Travel Awards Points to Southwest Rapid Rewards credits? |
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All Travel Awards Points will be canceled; therefore, there will be no Travel Awards Points to convert. |
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| 16. |
Can ATA free ticket offers, promotional vouchers or credit for future travel be used with other airlines? |
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We regret the inconvenience, but ATA offers, vouchers and credits are no longer valid and, as such,
cannot be used for travel with any other airlines, nor are they redeemable for cash. |
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| 17. |
How do FlightBank members receive a refund for unused FlightBank credits? |
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ATA has filed for bankruptcy protection. Bankruptcy law freezes assets and prevents companies from
paying pre-petition liabilities, which in this case, includes unused FlightBank credits. Information about submitting
a claim for unused FlightBank credits is available at:
http://www.bmcgroup.com/ataairlines or by calling
(888) 909-0100. Such a filing does not guarantee a refund and the process may take a long time. |
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| 18. |
Can ATA Airlines Visa Signature Cards still be used? |
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You may continue to use the ATA Visa Signature Card; however, Travel Awards Points will no longer
accumulate for use. If you have specific questions about the card, please contact Barclays Bank, the card’s issuer,
directly. |
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| 19. |
Will ATA operate again in the future? |
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ATA is in the process of permanently winding down its operation. We do not expect the airline to ever
return to flying. |
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| 20. |
I purchased travel insurance. Who do I need to contact to get a refund? |
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Travel insurance policies have various approaches to handling refunds under these circumstances.
After a review of your policy, you may want to contact the company from whom you purchased insurance for further
instructions. |
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| 21. |
I traveled on an ATA flight prior to April 3, 2008 and forgot to include my Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards ID Number in the booking. Can I still obtain Rapid Rewards credit for this flight? |
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While we regret the inconvenience, you will not receive Rapid Rewards credit for flights if your request was not made and processed prior to April 3, 2008. |
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| 22. |
I booked an ATA flight using credit card Reward Points. How can I obtain credit for these flights? |
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Please contact your credit card company regarding their policy for these circumstances. |
