Airtran Checkin Changes

[erikthewise]

In the past I've been able to checkin online 24 hours in advance and select seats. Today I checked in PRECISELY 24 hours in advance (60 seconds earlier I was not permitted to), only to find we had preassigned seats in the back of the aircraft, and virtually every seat on the aircraft was unavailable for selection!

How long has this been going on? My last Airtran flight was in August.

 

[safetymom]

I am sitting here now at MCO waiting for my AirTran flight. When my daughter and I checked in yesterday for 2 different sites we both already had assigned seats but we were allowed to change them. Did you try clicking on the seat number? My daughter thought she couldn't change it but by clicking on the seat she was able to.

Two weeks ago when I flew AirTran I didn't have a seat assignment.

 

[erikthewise]

I am sitting here now at MCO waiting for my AirTran flight. When my daughter and I checked in yesterday for 2 different sites we both already had assigned seats but we were allowed to change them. Did you try clicking on the seat number? My daughter thought she couldn't change it but by clicking on the seat she was able to.

Two weeks ago when I flew AirTran I didn't have a seat assignment.

Yes, safetymom, I was able to change, and I did change one seat, out of frustration more than anything.
My point was that because everyone else had been preassigned, there were very few choices.

Hope you had a great trip!!

 

[DebbieB]

I flew them to Atlanta last month, there was a seat already assigned when I did the 24 hour check-in but I could change it (the plane was empty in the back).

 

[John's Mom]

If you don't like your pre-assigned seat, exactly how do you change it?

 

[safetymom]

There were plenty of seats when I signed on. Wonder what they are doing and that nothing has been mentioned. I will ask when I go to the airport tomorrow.

 

[DebbieB]

If you don't like your pre-assigned seat, exactly how do you change it?

There was an button for seat assignments. I clicked on it and a map of the plane came up with my seat shown. I just clicked on another open seat (I forgot what the colors were, one for available and one for taken) and it changed. Then I printed the boarding pass.

 

[erikthewise]

If you don't like your pre-assigned seat, exactly how do you change it?

Unfortunately the question is "how do you change it to something even worse?". I got spoiled being able to get good seats by checking in exactly 24 hours in advance. Now it's just the luck of the draw.

 

[plutolovr]

In the past I've been able to checkin online 24 hours in advance and select seats. Today I checked in PRECISELY 24 hours in advance (60 seconds earlier I was not permitted to), only to find we had preassigned seats in the back of the aircraft, and virtually every seat on the aircraft was unavailable for selection!

It could be that this is a group booked on the flight. Pop Warner is in the World starting this weekend.

Also, Travel Agents can pick seats when booking flights and so can people who pay the higher fares.

 

[erikthewise]

Hmmm.... could be an interesting flight if it's 80% Pop Warner.

But we also had preassigned seats and we fit none of those categories. So I think something has definitely changed.

 

[plutolovr]

You may not fit those categories but maybe Airtran preassigns when the flights are full to see what seating is left.

 

[safetymom]

I was flying out of MCO to ATL and had assigned seats. Daughter was going to Indianapolis and had assigned seats. So something has changed.

 

[JulieEck]

When I checked in this morning for tomorrow we had seats assigned as well. They were good and all together so I left them as is. There weren't too many left - just the last 5 rows or so and a couple of single seats. I did it about 50 minutes later than the 24 hour mark though so not sure how much of a difference that made. I wonder if everyone is preassigned or if you are assigned something when you log in online. I hope we won't have a problem for our Thursday flight coming back. We won't be able to do online check in at Disney. Or can you? Maybe we could have my FIL do it for us online if we call him over the phone. We wouldn't have the boarding passes though. Can AirTran reprint them when we check our luggage?

 

[safetymom]

I checked in my daughter and her friends today and none of them were sitting together. I did get them in 2 rows in the very back of the plane.

You used to be able to get your seats when you checked in at the 24 hour mark. Checking in early usually always got you good seats.

So they are doing something different now. You can still check in from Disney or have someone do it for you. I checked myself in last night but had no printer. When I got to the airport today they printed the boarding pass.

 

[CarolA]

Airtran has LOTS of ways around this "hold on seats"

If you buy certain fares you can book seats immediately.

If your company has a "deal" with Airtran you can book seats when you book the flights. My company has such a deal and regardless of the fare class I can book my seat as soon as I book the flight.

 

[safetymom]

My company doesn't so I have to wait until the 24 hour mark. Something has changed and the gate agent didn't know about it last night.

 

[IluvMGM]

I checked in online this morning right at the 24 hour mark. There are 2 of us and 3 seats on each side of the plane and they had us up front in a great row, but an isle seat and middle seat, so I switched the isle seat to the window seat. I was very pleased with the seats I got. There were a few other good seats up front and all the back of the plane was empty except for one middle seat in the very last row

 

[JDietz40]

So they are doing something different now. You can still check in from Disney or have someone do it for you. I checked myself in last night but had no printer. When I got to the airport today they printed the boarding pass.

If you ask at the desk they will print it out for you. We were at the BCV last month and I checked in on the SWA web site on our laptop and later when I went past the front desk I asked if they could print out the boarding passes and they did it with no problem. I would assume that it would be the same for AirTran.



John

 

[erikthewise]

If you ask at the desk they will print it out for you. We were at the BCV last month and I checked in on the SWA web site on our laptop and later when I went past the front desk I asked if they could print out the boarding passes and they did it with no problem. I would assume that it would be the same for AirTran.
John

You are right. We checked in at a relative's house and the printer didn't seem to be working so I abandoned the printing part. No problem getting boarding passes at the desk.