Airtran experience since change??

[crazy_for_the_dis]

Anyone back from an airtran flight that can report on any differences since they now allow guests to pay for their seats in advance for $5? Just curious, since this is a new change. I personnally like the new policy and gladly paid for our seats MCO to PIT in August. But I'm wondering if it is making any noticeable changes to seat availability.

 

[bettydau]

Subscribing.

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

Another question to add to this since I have never flown Airtran. Can you pay for the assign seats immediatly once you have your tickets or do you have to wait until closer to the flight. Also, can you reserve seats for your flight home also at the same time as your flight going?

The only way I will want to use Airtran is if I know we can get assigned seats prior to checking in. I don't want to have to worry about if I will or will not be sitting next to my husband.

 

[mrsmom]

Another question to add to this since I have never flown Airtran. Can you pay for the assign seats immediatly once you have your tickets or do you have to wait until closer to the flight. Also, can you reserve seats for your flight home also at the same time as your flight going?

The only way I will want to use Airtran is if I know we can get assigned seats prior to checking in. I don't want to have to worry about if I will or will not be sitting next to my husband.

We booked ours for sept and i got our seats for 5 of us, already picked and comfirmed for orlando and back.You paid the 5 extra for ach person each way when you book.
Kim

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

We booked ours for sept and i got our seats for 5 of us, already picked and comfirmed for orlando and back.You paid the 5 extra for ach person each way when you book.
Kim

Great thanks!

 

[abk96]

We leave next week and are using Airtran for the first time. We already picked our seats for both legs of the trips and paid our $5 each. Well worth it.

I'll report back to let you know how everything went.

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

We leave next week and are using Airtran for the first time. We already picked our seats for both legs of the trips and paid our $5 each. Well worth it.

I'll report back to let you know how everything went.

Yes, please do report back. My DH is nervous about using them just because of the whole seating thing. We normally fly American. We will gladly pay the $5.00 per leg of the trip if we are guarnteed the seats we picked.

 

[crazy_for_the_dis]

Thanks ABK96!

 

[marciemi]

I just did this today for our trip in 2 weeks. Actually worked out better waiting. I called a couple weeks ago (when I first read about the possibility of paying $5 for the assigned seating) and even though I could see on the plane that there were many seats further forward available (per their website), the agent said she could only assign for a fee those from like row 23 or so back.

Well, I looked at the website today, and the only available full row (for 5 of us) was row 15 (a couple rows back beyond first/business class). I called and they could now reserve that for me. I was planning to reserve our seats coming back either way since we won't be able to check in right at the 24 hour mark due to park touring, but decided it was worth paying the additional $25 for going out since there were now very few seats left (I think it showed 7 not counting exit rows) and the odds seemed to be that we wouldn't all be together.

 

[ss0414]

My family and I flew home on 7/6/07 with Air Tran. I decided to purchase seats after reading some threads. When we boarded the plane, someone was in my seat. The flight attendant was right by me and I told her politely that the gentleman was in my seat. She responded with, "We don't have assigned seating." I responded with yes you do. I purchased 4 seats for my children and I. She asked me to provide proof. I then showed her my boarding passes which had our assigned seats printed. She seemed annoyed. She then asked the man to move, in a tone as though I was asking for his kidney. I was a little embarrassed, although I know I shouldn't have been. But the whole issue was pretty uncomfortable. Oh well. I guess the left hand hasn't talked to the right hand yet.

 

[marciemi]

That's strange because my understanding, even before this $5 option, was that there always WAS assigned seating, but just not until 24 hours prior. If I didn't pay the $5, I was still fully expecting to have an assigned seat when I printed my boarding pass the day prior.

 

[antmaril]

That's strange because my understanding, even before this $5 option, was that there always WAS assigned seating, but just not until 24 hours prior. If I didn't pay the $5, I was still fully expecting to have an assigned seat when I printed my boarding pass the day prior.

I agree - that is very strange. Even if you don't pay the $5 to get a seat assignment in advance, everyone has a seat assignment 24 hours prior to the flight. He had a seat assignment, even if he didn't pay for it.

 

[ss0414]

You're right and that makes it even more wierd. I've flown Air Tran in the past, also, and when I printed my boarding pass I had a seat number assigned 24 hours prior. I never even thought of that when the issue arose.
Maybe she was new. But she clearly acted like I was causing some type of a problem and I felt a little uncomfortable.

 

[abk96]

Yes very strange. We were going to Orlando last Sept. but had to cancel the trip and we went through a TA and they were able to get us assigned seating for Air Tran. So maybe that FA was new or just didn't want to be bothered.

 

[rethciR]

We booked AirTran through Disney. Can I still call and request seats for a Sept flight?

 

[snowbunny]

I think the new policy is affecting seating at 24 hours out. I selected and paid for our three seats weeks ago, but my DD's friend did not have a reserved seat. My mom checked her in at 24 hours for our flight home, while we were at a park, and all she could get her was a middle seat.

 

[JanB]

I flew Airtran about two weeks ago between Atlanta and Milwaukee. My first time to fly with them and to pay for the seating. My son and I were flying together and wanted to sit together, so we did pay. At the time of making my reservation, I paid for and selected seats for all legs of the flight. I made my reservations on the Airtran website. As I stepped through the reservation process, it showed me a diagram of the airplane with the seats available for me to select from.

I didn't have a problem with selecting the seats, and we didn't have a problem with our seats being (un)available when we boarded each time. The flights both ways were absolutely full, with a number of people flying standby. Everyone was assigned a seat before boarding, and I didn't observe or hear any problems with seating on the plane.

All in all, MUCH better than the free-for-all for seats in the early days of Airtran.

I do not know -- however, there may be some seats that are not available for pre-selection online. Possibly they are available if you speak with an agent. I'm thinking that I did not see any of the bulkhead seats or any of the emergency row seats when I selected. But they may have simply been already taken.

Under the new seating policy, your seat will be assigned to you at one of 3 times:
(1) When you make your reservation, you can pay $5 per ticket per leg to get an immediate seat assignment. We gladly paid the $20 extra.
(2) Without paying the $5, you will get your seat assignment when you do an at-home check-in (up to 24 hours before flight time) and print your boarding pass from home or hotel or whatever.
(3) Without paying the $5, OR without printing your boarding pass at home, you'll get a seat assigned to you when you check in at the airport. If you've paid your $5, then you've got the seat. You are not required to print your boarding pass at home.

ONE TIP -- If you print your boarding pass at home, and if you are concerned about the possibility of someone being in your assigned seat when you board, then be sure to print duplicates of your boarding pass. When you board the plane, they keep the entire boarding pass for those printed at home. There is no stub for you to keep. They tell you to just remember your seat assignment. So if you want to be prepared to show proof of your seat assignment, then have that duplicate pass with you.

Oh -- And I have never encountered an Airtran employee who was rude. Airtran prides themselves on their customer service. You can bet that I'd take down a name and write a letter or email when I returned home.

 

[CarolA]

Oh -- And I have never encountered an Airtran employee who was rude. Airtran prides themselves on their customer service. You can bet that I'd take down a name and write a letter or email when I returned home.

You fly out of ATL and you have never encountered a rude employee..

Next time they haven't boarded HALF an hour after the plane is suppose to take off, step up to the counter and ask if they know what's going on. I mean it's not like they had made ONE announcement...... I thought my normally calm boyfriend was going to kill the woman. Her attititude was something to behold....(Exact statement... First LONG SIGH, second "I don't know when we will board and I don't care.. I get off in 10 minutes and I am going home. I guess you will just be STUCK!" ) Luckily we both fly a lot. We just headed to another counter and found an agent who would help....

 

[LeslieG]

I have to say I wish everyone would not be so quick to pay the extra bucks for the pre-assigned seating. I've flown Airtran many times before this new policy was put in place, and I've never had a problem checking in online the day before and choosing seats together, even with my family of four. It's just never been a problem. I suspect in the future it will definitely be a problem with everyone now happily paying the extra fee. Leave it to the airlines to convince people they're doing us a favor by charging us more.

 

[JanB]

That's what I said. I didn't say that they don't exist, but my experiences have all been good.

When we flew back from Milwaukee, we were an hour late departing. But they did keep us informed. Didn't make us any happier, but it was outside the control of the gate agents, and they told us all that they knew. Turns out the plane was delayed due to a medical emergency ON the airplane at the gate in ATL before taking off for Milwaukee.

They very well could have ticked off everybody by not saying anything, but they told us what they knew. Too bad the gate agents for your flight didn't do the same.