Airtran boarding order?

[connie254]

What order do they board? Obviously first classis first, but after that?

 

[gdrj]

What order do they board? Obviously first classis first, but after that?

Here is what I grabbed from a website. "uses a rotating zone system. Business class passengers board first. Then, seats in the back five rows of the plane are boarded followed by the first five rows of coach, and this back-and-forth continues until all passengers have boarded." Plus you can pay to be in an early boarding zone.

 

[pigletto]

The only thing I know is that you can pay extra for seats in the first few rows (after business class) and Zone 1 boarding which allows you first crack at the overhead bins. I only know this because we paid the extra fee to be closer to the front of the plane.

 

[paults]

Is this a problem for people in the front with overhead bins being full or do the FA make sure the back rows use the back bins?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Is this a problem for people in the front with overhead bins being full or do the FA make sure the back rows use the back bins?

FAs do not monitor bin use and the bins over your seat are not "yours." You may place your luggage wherever there is room.

 

[pigletto]

Is this a problem for people in the front with overhead bins being full or do the FA make sure the back rows use the back bins?

I really don't know personally. We've always found room. I'm a nervous flyer and pretty claustrophobic. I feel much better being at the front of the plane and on an aisle. Silly, but I do what I can to be comfortable and relaxed so I pay for the seats that we want.

 

[ZellyB]

We've flown AirTran quite a bit and I always prefer to sit as close to Business class as I can in the coach section. I've never noticed the alternating loading mentioned by the PP, although maybe they do it that way on some flights. If you don't pay for priority boarding it is business class first and then back of the plane forward from my experience. And, yes, that has meant at times we have had trouble finding a place for our bags. Our last flight back from Orlando, one of our bags ended up several rows behind us. It wasn't a big problem for us as we were in no hurry to deplane, but if you are, it might be worth paying for priority seating.

ETA: I did have an epiphany on this flight that I might be better off to choose a few more rows back as it seemed the flight attendants were storing their bags in the first coach overhead bin thus limiting available space in that one.