Actual experience airtran through southwest

[Granny square]

The post above mine appears to be sw. That was where I was getti g confused.

 

[beachgrl001]

I'm in a similar situation with 2 little ones, although I will have DH with me too (so doesn't matter if we sit 3+1 or 2+2). Since we booked on points, we have 4 different confirmation numbers. I just called SW to see if there was a way to link the numbers so that the computer will at least know that we are travelling together. She said there wasn't anything she could do. Boo!

On the bright side, a friend of mine just flew Airtran (via SW booking) and although his family was initially split up, so were all of the other SW families on the plane, so everyone just switched around, and they all got to sit with their own families.

We fly next week, so I'll be sure to report back on how it goes!

Thats what went on on ours. Everyone was switching. It turned out fine. For me its only a 2 hr flight. So im not super concerned. Although i would hv def had to switch with my ds 9. The guy that should hv been next to him was an older man. Nervous flyer? :/ had had a few drinks(could smell it ) and was moving all around. Standing up and walking back and forth. My son would hv been freaked.

 

[maxiesmom]

If anything, hopefully threads like this one (and all the ones like it) will get people to slow down and read everything on the page before purchasing airline tickets. So much stress over something that is right there in front of you, if only you stop to read it.

 

[Granny square]

If anything, hopefully threads like this one (and all the ones like it) will get people to slow down and read everything on the page before purchasing airline tickets. So much stress over something that is right there in front of you, if only you stop to read it.

Exactly. It is so important to read and reread. I messed up my airport hotel a couple of nights ago and only had myself and the stupidity if naming the hotel off airport road with limited shuttle the airport "hotel". My bad and it meant my husband had to take me to the airport at 5:am.

 

[JayhawkFans]

We are currently booked on SW with one leg being an AT flight (the leg from Chicago/Midway to MCO). When going to the AT website to see how the flight is filling up I notice that only 27 seats are reserved so far for the flight in 18 days. I'm so anxious to see if the 3 of us will be seated together or spread all over. We really had no choice because our travel dates aren't flexible and we have very limited options from our little bitty airport.

I'm assuming the airline has already assigned our seats but can't reveal that information to us until the 24 hour mark? If they haven't already assigned our seats how would they avoid "over selling" if others come in to purchase tickets and they have already commited 3 to us.

(I hope that makes sense)

 

[stitchlovestink]

We are currently booked on SW with one leg being an AT flight (the leg from Chicago/Midway to MCO). When going to the AT website to see how the flight is filling up I notice that only 27 seats are reserved so far for the flight in 18 days. I'm so anxious to see if the 3 of us will be seated together or spread all over. We really had no choice because our travel dates aren't flexible and we have very limited options from our little bitty airport.

I'm assuming the airline has already assigned our seats but can't reveal that information to us until the 24 hour mark? If they haven't already assigned our seats how would they avoid "over selling" if others come in to purchase tickets and they have already commited 3 to us.

(I hope that makes sense)

Well the computer system knows how many tickets are still availlable to sell but it won't assign your seats until the 24 hour mark. The reason being people buying their tickets thru the AirTran website can pay an add'l fee to select their seats at the time of ticket purchase and AirTran is going to give them as many seat options as possible since they are paying for this. But it will hold back however many 'overall seats' from being sold that it has sold thru SW and then assign those at the 24 mark. Does that make sense?

 

[Ride Junkie]

If you check in 24 hours prior (booked through Southwest) and your seats are separated, when do you ask for a possible seat change? When you get to the airport check-in desk, or do you try to switch once you're on the plane? (Seems like that would delay things.)

Thanks.

 

[Nennie]

If you check in 24 hours prior (booked through Southwest) and your seats are separated, when do you ask for a possible seat change? When you get to the airport check-in desk, or do you try to switch once you're on the plane? (Seems like that would delay things.)

Thanks.

I was told to ask at the check in desk (the one at the gate). It appears that rows 11-15 or so will all be SW users, so if you don't have any luck with the gate agent, when you get on the plane you'll be surrounded by SWers that will also be looking to change seats! Kind of like "open seating" the old way! LOL!!!

 

[Ride Junkie]

Ok, thanks for the info.

 

[lnv1122]

Wondering I anybody has missed an AirTran flight and got put on a SWA flight without having pay extra?

 

[jcondrad]

For those who booked on sw if you want to be together just pay for ebci or each of the tickets. Nbd. Do then all at once and they will be close enough number wise. Then you all get to sit together. An I missing something?

I don't get the "no one wants to deal with my screaming kid" business.

Yes you are missing something! EBCI is NOT an option for AT flights thru SW bookings. Therefore we are randomly assigned a seat, meaning my 1 year old could potentially be seated rows away from me. A 1 year old cannot take care of himself during the 3 hour flight and if I'm not seated next to him to care for him, either the people assigned to sit next to him would have to put up with a screaming child or take care of him or have me hanging over them while I tend to him.

If you were seated next to a 1 year old with NO parent, would you want to take care if him for the parents? And if you answered no to that question, then you do understand the "no one wants to deal with my screaming kid" business"

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Yes you are missing something! EBCI is NOT an option for AT flights thru SW bookings. Therefore we are randomly assigned a seat, meaning my 1 year old could potentially be seated rows away from me. A 1 year old cannot take care of himself during the 3 hour flight and if I'm not seated next to him to care for him, either the people assigned to sit next to him would have to put up with a screaming child or take care of him or have me hanging over them while I tend to him.

If you were seated next to a 1 year old with NO parent, would you want to take care if him for the parents? And if you answered no to that question, then you do understand the "no one wants to deal with my screaming kid" business"

Once again, a thread regarding Southwest/AirTran seating has degenerated into threats from parents to unsuspecting passengers about taking care of their kids if they can't get seats together.

If you want assigned seats, fly airlines which offer them and be willing to pay. Why is it worth the hassle and worry not to spend a few extra dollars (if necessary)?

 

[Gracie09]

Once again, a thread regarding Southwest/AirTran seating has degenerated into threats from parents to unsuspecting passengers about taking care of their kids if they can't get seats together.

If you want assigned seats, fly airlines which offer them and be willing to pay. Why is it worth the hassle and worry not to spend a few extra dollars (if necessary)?

Yup. You can book the same flight through AirTran and have assigned seats. You can switch from an AirTran flight and rebook a different sw flight and take advantage of ebci or family boarding. You made a choice not to do that.

 

[maxiesmom]

Yes you are missing something! EBCI is NOT an option for AT flights thru SW bookings. Therefore we are randomly assigned a seat, meaning my 1 year old could potentially be seated rows away from me. A 1 year old cannot take care of himself during the 3 hour flight and if I'm not seated next to him to care for him, either the people assigned to sit next to him would have to put up with a screaming child or take care of him or have me hanging over them while I tend to him.

If you were seated next to a 1 year old with NO parent, would you want to take care if him for the parents? And if you answered no to that question, then you do understand the "no one wants to deal with my screaming kid" business"

#1. Headphones
#2. Book

If you need to sit next to a child then you should book with an airline that lets you pick seats. Not fly with an airline that doesn't allow it and expect others to move to accommodate you.

 

[SamR]

It appears that rows 11-15 or so will all be SW users, ...

I don't think that is generally true. For my upcoming October trip, I chose to book the trip down to Orlando through AirTran's web site just so I could choose my seats ahead of time. And the seats I reserved were in rows 12 and 14 on the two-seat side of the plane. (Oddly, there is no row "13"...I guess someone at AirTran is superstitious, or they fear their passengers will be. )

 

[SamR]

I've read in this thread where you will eventually (sometime in 2014?) be able to book AirTran segments through SWA's web site and get assigned seats during that booking just as you do at the AirTran site. However, when the SWA/AirTran merger completes, isn't the final result supposed to be that all of AirTran's planes/flights are rebranded as SWA, and all booking/boarding procedures are those that Southwest has been using? If so, it seems a bit surprising that they would spend many months (and probably dollars) setting up the ability to book AirTran flights with seat assignments as an interim step until the merger completes (perhaps a year later? less?).

It will be interesting to see when/if these things happen...

 

[DebbieB]

I've read in this thread where you will eventually (sometime in 2014?) be able to book AirTran segments through SWA's web site and get assigned seats during that booking just as you do at the AirTran site. However, when the SWA/AirTran merger completes, isn't the final result supposed to be that all of AirTran's planes/flights are rebranded as SWA, and all booking/boarding procedures are those that Southwest has been using? If so, it seems a bit surprising that they would spend many months (and probably dollars) setting up the ability to book AirTran flights with seat assignments as an interim step until the merger completes (perhaps a year later? less?).

It will be interesting to see when/if these things happen...

I read that too, that they were going to set it up so that you could buy AirTran seat assignments on the SW website, but I don't recall a date.

Eventually AirTran will be gone. They are sending their 717's to Delta, 2 or 3 a month. The 737's will be repainted as Southwest. This has to be the slowest airline merger in history, looks like it will go into 2015.

 

[richmo]

I'm sure these have been asked before, but I'm too lazy to scroll thru 18 pages:

When you purchase an AirTran flight thru Southwest website, at the 24 hour mark you check-in using the Southwest site. When you do this, I assume you get an AirTran boarding pass(es) with seat assignment(s). Correct?

And, as a follow up, I would assume at the airport you would check in at the AirTran ticket counter...and they would know not to charge bag fees since it was booked thru Southwest. Is that correct?

 

[SamSam]

I'm sure these have been asked before, but I'm too lazy to scroll thru 18 pages:

When you purchase an AirTran flight thru Southwest website, at the 24 hour mark you check-in using the Southwest site. When you do this, I assume you get an AirTran boarding pass(es) with seat assignment(s). Correct?

And, as a follow up, I would assume at the airport you would check in at the AirTran ticket counter...and they would know not to charge bag fees since it was booked thru Southwest. Is that correct?

That's how it worked for us. We just flew AirTran (booked through SW) a few weeks ago from the midwest to D.C., we checked in on line at 24 hours, were assigned seats...when we arrived at the airport we checked our bag (no charge) and when we got to our gate we asked if we could have our seats changed (we weren't given seats together). they were able to find seats together but I wouldn't count on that.

 

[jayhawk74]

I read that too, that they were going to set it up so that you could buy AirTran seat assignments on the SW website, but I don't recall a date.

Eventually AirTran will be gone. They are sending their 717's to Delta, 2 or 3 a month. The 737's will be repainted as Southwest. This has to be the slowest airline merger in history, looks like it will go into 2015.

The last possible day of AirTran is Dec 31, 2014. That is because Southwest has agreements with both Southwest and AirTran employees that as of Jan 1, 2015 all flying will be done by Southwest employees under the Southwest contracts. Southwest has told the employees that they are on schedule to have all AirTran planes and employees transitioned to Southwest by that date.