Airtran experts

[3kidz4dis]

This is our first time flying Airtran (we usually fly Southwest) and was wondering if

1-We check in on line at the 24 hour before time like Southwest..

2-What we do when we get to the airport? I notice there is not a barcode on the confirmation I printed like Southwest....

Thanks!

 

[Inkmahm]

Yes. Check in 24 hours in advance. The difference is that you can select your seats when you purchase your tickets IF you pay for them. If not, you are at the mercy of whatever is left for open seats when you check in.

When you check in and print your boarding pass, there will be a bar code on it.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Just wanted to add that often, when checking in online, if there are empty business class seats, it will offer them as an upgrade for a small fee, around $50 or 60.

 

[3kidz4dis]

we already picked out our seats and didn't get charged since it was through Kayak (thanks to this board with that tip) so we have seats to and from BWI...

I know with Southwest we always were the first to jump on that 24 hour mark but didnt know if we needed to with Airtran...

 

[DonnaL]

Don't be surprised if you get charged for seats when you check-in since I believe that no charge glitch on the Kayak website has been caught by Airtran.... I read on these boards they stopped it back in January or February I believe. I don't know if there is any way you can check to see if you still are assigned those seats before the 24 hour mark. Maybe since AT closed the glitch the seat assignment would be voided?

 

[3kidz4dis]

Don't be surprised if you get charged for seats when you check-in since I believe that no charge glitch on the Kayak website has been caught by Airtran.... I read on these boards they stopped it back in January or February I believe. I don't know if there is any way you can check to see if you still are assigned those seats before the 24 hour mark. Maybe since AT closed the glitch the seat assignment would be voided?

I just looked up my confirmation number and the seat assigments are still the same as when I booked. I would think Airtran would honor it since it was their glitch...I booked in January

 

[dioxide45]

It wasn't a glitch. AirTran was a business partner with Kayak. They offered free seat assignments as part of that for people who linked through Kayak. Recently AirTran began offering priority seating (with priority boarding) seats now cost $15, $13, or $6 to preselect. They didn't want to give these hefty fee seats away for free, so they quit offering the free seat assignment through Kayak. Not a glitch and turning it off was intentional.

 

[aubriee]

It wasn't a glitch. AirTran was a business partner with Kayak. They offered free seat assignments as part of that for people who linked through Kayak. Recently AirTran began offering priority seating (with priority boarding) seats now cost $15, $13, or $6 to preselect. They didn't want to give these hefty fee seats away for free, so they quit offering the free seat assignment through Kayak. Not a glitch and turning it off was intentional.

True, I bought my airfare several months ago and was able to go through Kayak to get free seats. As usual those first few rows behind business class were blocked off, so booked a seat in row 13. However, after I read on here that you were no longer able to get the seats free through Kayak, I went to the Airtran site and pulled up my reservation to make sure I still had seats. Not only did I have them, but those first few rows were now unblocked and I was able to move up a few rows to one of those $15.00 seats. When you clicked on them it stated that they were now in boarding zone 1. No fee was charged. I called Air Tran to make sure and the rep said they would be honored since I'd booked them prior to the change. She said they were aware of the no seat fee if seats were booked Kayak, that it had been changed, but they would honor any that had been booked previous to the change. She said that if they were going to charge me for the more expensive seat they would have done it when I moved my original seats, but because they were tagged as being booked through Kayak prior to the change that they were eligible.

 

[3kidz4dis]

I just went into there to check the same thing and it even showed my seats with dollar amounts paid next to them like I had paid. I didnt want to mess with it because it looked like if I moved there would be a charge

 

[dioxide45]

I just went into there to check the same thing and it even showed my seats with dollar amounts paid next to them like I had paid. I didnt want to mess with it because it looked like if I moved there would be a charge

I was thinking the same thing. We have a flight where I would like to move our seats but am concern that we would be charged if we attempted this. Currently on the right of a 717 and want to move to the left so it will only be the two of us in the row together.

Update: I just atempted to change those seats and was presented with a payment page to pay the $15 fee. Perhaps if I had selected a $6 seat it would have been different?

I know that I was able to move up several rows a while back right after AirTran started the priority seating. However that was just before they discontinued the Kayak free seat selection.