airtran flight booked with SW --seats?

[pooh4evr]

Ok we have flown SW many times I understand the boarding, EBCI and all that but AirTran is throwing me for a loop! If I book an AirTran flight on the SW site, I get the luggage and other SW fee benefits, BUT other people booking the same flight on the AirTran site get to pick seats right? How do they handle that at boarding? Do the AirTran seat assigned people go first? then the SW booked people fill in what is left? Can we book 2 seats (hypothetically) on the AT site, choose seats then book on SW and when the AT people get on they can "save" a seat by them (yes I know about the saving seats stuff, but we have 3 kids, the times of the AT flights are perfect for us, the older 2 kids 9, 12 could sit by anyone but the 6 yr old needs somebody close) Does any of this make sense?

 

[DebbieB]

Ok we have flown SW many times I understand the boarding, EBCI and all that but AirTran is throwing me for a loop! If I book an AirTran flight on the SW site, I get the luggage and other SW fee benefits, BUT other people booking the same flight on the AirTran site get to pick seats right? How do they handle that at boarding? Do the AirTran seat assigned people go first? then the SW booked people fill in what is left? Can we book 2 seats (hypothetically) on the AT site, choose seats then book on SW and when the AT people get on they can "save" a seat by them (yes I know about the saving seats stuff, but we have 3 kids, the times of the AT flights are perfect for us, the older 2 kids 9, 12 could sit by anyone but the 6 yr old needs somebody close) Does any of this make sense?

You can choose seats at 24 hour check-in. People who book through AirTran but do not want to pay for advance assigned seats get their seats then too. They do not have "open seating", so you must get a seat assignment, no saving seats.

 

[pooh4evr]

Ok, well does anyone know how they handle boarding the plane when some of the passengers are AirTran booked and some are SW booked? Maybe they put the airtran passengers at the from of the plane? Sorry if these are dumb questions I am confusing myself I think!

I am thinking of booking 2 tickets with AirTran, for 6 yr old and with DH or myself then having the other 3 with southwest, so at least she will be by one of us. Thanks!

 

[msjprincess]

Ok, well does anyone know how they handle boarding the plane when some of the passengers are AirTran booked and some are SW booked? Maybe they put the airtran passengers at the from of the plane? Sorry if these are dumb questions I am confusing myself I think!

I am thinking of booking 2 tickets with AirTran, for 6 yr old and with DH or myself then having the other 3 with southwest, so at least she will be by one of us. Thanks!

You're assigned a seat when you check in online.

Seat Assignment
Q: Is it possible to purchase an advanced seat assignment for the AirTran segment of an itinerary that was purchased via Southwest channels?

A: Advanced seat assignments are not available on shared itineraries purchased via Southwest channels. Customers who purchase an AirTran segment on Southwest channels will be assigned a seat at the time of check in.

 

[DebbieB]

Ok, well does anyone know how they handle boarding the plane when some of the passengers are AirTran booked and some are SW booked? Maybe they put the airtran passengers at the from of the plane? Sorry if these are dumb questions I am confusing myself I think!

I am thinking of booking 2 tickets with AirTran, for 6 yr old and with DH or myself then having the other 3 with southwest, so at least she will be by one of us. Thanks!

Forget how Southwest boards. Everyone boarding an AirTran flight has a seat assignment and a boarding zone on their boarding pass, just like if you were flying United or American. They will call zone 1, zone 2, etc. You sit in your assigned seats. You will not know who booked through AirTran or who booked through Southwest.

 

[pooh4evr]

Thank you! I understand now. I think.

 

[Tiggerish]

When I flew AirTran before I would buy my ticket online and then call about getting assistance boarding at which time I would be assigned a seat, usually toward the front of the plane to limit the amount of walking required.

Now I booked online at Southwest and indicated that I would need wheelchair assistance. The online information said to call AirTran about assistance boarding. So I did. I was told that I would be assigned a seat when 24 hour check in opened up and that my account was noted so that I would most likely get a bulkhead seat (first row after business class).

Apparently those seats are not available for purchasing pre-assigned but are only assigned on a need basis. I am hoping the person I spoke to is correct because it will not be a pretty sight if I have to get to the back of the plane - - visualize very long line of impatient people stuck behind me as I make my way ever so slowly and carefully to the back.

 

[taymorel]

We chose to book through the AT site so we could pick our rows and seats. We had to pay extra to do that, but it is worth it to us to pick our seats. And from the seating chart our flight was booking up and there were not many 3 seats together that were empty.

If you need to sit by your 6 year old it makes sense to at least book those seats on the AT site and the rest through SW

 

[pooh4evr]

Yes I think that I will do 2 seats with AirTran, and 3 with SW and check all our bags with the southwest fliers to avoid bag fees. Between this being different and the new (bad) Disney experience site I feel like a newbie again!