Airtran- is it worth it to pay for seats?

[onelugnut]

why is everyone so defensive for the airline? (are you employees?, stockholders?)
of course they have the right to charge for anything they want.

but, there are some things that should just go with out saying.
If I buy 5 tickets and there are 5 seats available together, I should get them.
I dont care if i am sitting in the back or on the wing, but we should be somewhat near each other.

Or charge me for the window seat and the aisle but not for the middle seat?

What if Chef Mickeys started this practice?
o.k. you will be sitting with this family and you will be sitting at the bar etc..
or Fantasmic? I can hear the CM now saying, "sorry but families will have to break up and sit as singles"

I also am flying by the seat of my pants. The two older kids are a pleasure and will be easy, but God help the one who gets my 6 year old.
He never stops talking. I find him awesome, and would gladly trade with someone to sit with him, but if you paid for your seat, I can understand, but if you dont like kids, he may wear ya out! I dont know why anyone would pay for a seat assignment anyway in the last 3 rows where I will probably be sitting.

Go ahead, flame away!!! Tell me i should pay or fly a more expensive airline where I can sit together. I am saving money hear not supporting the airline or on a joy ride.

Right back at ya, dont complain when you are sitting next to my gabby 6 year old, because you most likely got a discount ticket also other wise you wouldnt be sitting in the back of this discount airline plane with me and my kids.
Now everyone buck up, we are going to Disney World!! wooo hooo!

 

[crashbb]

why is everyone so defensive for the airline? (are you employees?, stockholders?)
of course they have the right to charge for anything they want.

but, there are some things that should just go with out saying.
If I buy 5 tickets and there are 5 seats available together, I should get them.
I dont care if i am sitting in the back or on the wing, but we should be somewhat near each other.

Or charge me for the window seat and the aisle but not for the middle seat?

What if Chef Mickeys started this practice?
o.k. you will be sitting with this family and you will be sitting at the bar etc..
or Fantasmic? I can hear the CM now saying, "sorry but families will have to break up and sit as singles"

I also am flying by the seat of my pants. The two older kids are a pleasure and will be easy, but God help the one who gets my 6 year old.
He never stops talking. I find him awesome, and would gladly trade with someone to sit with him, but if you paid for your seat, I can understand, but if you dont like kids, he may wear ya out! I dont know why anyone would pay for a seat assignment anyway in the last 3 rows where I will probably be sitting.

Go ahead, flame away!!! Tell me i should pay or fly a more expensive airline where I can sit together. I am saving money hear not supporting the airline or on a joy ride.

Right back at ya, dont complain when you are sitting next to my gabby 6 year old, because you most likely got a discount ticket also other wise you wouldnt be sitting in the back of this discount airline plane with me and my kids.
No everyone buck up, we are going to Disney World!! wooo hooo!

First, no one is "defending the airline", people simply told the OP what the situation is.

Second, I have noise canceling earphones - your son can gab to his hearts content, I won't hear him.

 

[uva185]

If I buy 5 tickets and there are 5 seats available together, I should get them.
I dont care if i am sitting in the back or on the wing, but we should be somewhat near each other.

I think you are confused. If there are 5 seats together at the time of checkin you can most certainly have them for free. AirTran only charges for *advanced* seat assignments. Why should AirTran change the seat assignments of those customers who paid for their advanced seat assignments to accommodate your family who chose not to pay?

AirTran has decided to unbundle the fees that many legacy airlines still include in the price of their tickets. Essentially passengers have the choice whether or not to pay the fee while on a legacy airline the fee is bundled into the price of the ticket.

You may disagree with my viewpoint, but each airline has a business model to remain profitable. If you dislike the AirTran model then you should pick a new airline.

 

[maxiesmom]

AirTran has decided to unbundle the fees that many legacy airlines still include in the price of their tickets. Essentially passengers have the choice whether or not to pay the fee while on a legacy airline the fee is bundled into the price of the ticket.

And "unbundling" is why, for the most part, the cost of airfare has not risen much over the last 10 years or so. Not everyone feels the burning need to sit next to their family members. So they save money. Not everyone feels the need to take their whole closet with them on vacation. So those people also save money by not checking bags.

It is your choice what things you find worth paying for or not. If you need to sit next to your family, there are still airlines that do not charge for seat assignments. You can seek one of them out, or just add the seat assignment into the cost of a ticket on any airline that does charge. Your choice.

 

[onelugnut]

your right, i think i was a little confused,

I am actually using Spirit, and their seat assigment charges are worse,

I agree they should charge for seat assignments if they can get it, but i just think there should be charges for premium seats, for those who choose that they need it.

If i sit in the last row in the middle no aisle and now window, I should still have to pay extra for that?

oh well, not trying to get everyones blood going, just showing my point that if I am flying a discount airline, it doesnt make sense to pay for seat assignments that would erase any savings I was getting.

Noise Cancelling headphones! ha! Think I never thought of that?

just kidding, he is actually a very good boy and he better behave otherwise, I will have them "TURN THIS PLANE RIGHT AROUND, AND BRING HIM RIGHT BACK TO SCHOOL!"

 

[kaytieeldr]

If i sit in the last row in the middle no aisle and now window, I should still have to pay extra for that?

If that's the seat you want and your airline charges for advance seat selection, yes - not for the seat, per se, but to be able to select THAT seat.

While paying to preselect one's seat on a discount airline might reduce the saving, it rarely erases it.

 

[FINFAN]

I pay the $6 each way all the time. I would rather pack a pbj to eat and spend my money on knowing my seat is taken care of ahead of time, than say, getting McD's for $6 bucks at the airport. Now the luggage fee's. not so happy with those...

 

[thedish]

x

 

[HsvTeacher]

Just curious if anyone knows the answer to this. I SUSPECT if we pay for seats, then upgrade to Business Class, the money we paid for seats is just gone. Correct?

We upgrade to business class every time, and they have always applied the seat fees we've already paid to our upgrade fee.

 

[tinkerbell423]

I have a question about our Airtran tickets that someone here might be able to help me with. I tried calling Airtran but spent an hour and 20 minutes on hold last night and never got through. I finally left to pick up my DDs and my DH called a few minutes later and got right through. He paid for our tickets but didn't know my question. So needless to say I am in no hurry to call back and ask my question.

So here's my question: We booked our tickets through Airtran's group travel because we had more than 10 people. I think the seat fee is included but I am not positive. We have seat assignments. I just question it because last year on USAIR (I think) we selected seats only to find that we were given different seats at check in. So if I know my seat assignment will it be changed or are those my seats?

 

[Missytara]

I have a question about our Airtran tickets that someone here might be able to help me with. I tried calling Airtran but spent an hour and 20 minutes on hold last night and never got through. I finally left to pick up my DDs and my DH called a few minutes later and got right through. He paid for our tickets but didn't know my question. So needless to say I am in no hurry to call back and ask my question.

So here's my question: We booked our tickets through Airtran's group travel because we had more than 10 people. I think the seat fee is included but I am not positive. We have seat assignments. I just question it because last year on USAIR (I think) we selected seats only to find that we were given different seats at check in. So if I know my seat assignment will it be changed or are those my seats?

I would go online with my confirmation number and see is there is a seat assigned to you and what that seat number is. It shows up on two boxes at the top of the confirmation.

Here's what happened to me.

I booked round trip, with seat 19A going down and coming back.

About two months later, since I checked periodically, I noted that the flight number for the departure flight had changed. I pulled up my confirmation and sure enough, the new flight number showed up, but in the box for the seat assignment, it showed up as ???. I checked the seating chart and 19A was reserved and I hadn't been given a credit for $6.00, so I assumed all was okay.

But it just gnawed at me. I called a few days later, and oops, I had no seat. When the flight number changed, the agent said they start a new computer file and "transfer" all the information to the new file. My seat assignment didn't transfer for some reason, and it also didn't credit me for the lack of a seat assignment.

She was able to get me 25A instead.

Anyway, long story short, is that the boxes on the confirmation should be filled with your seat assignment. If not, you need to call.

 

[dudspizza]

I have a question about our Airtran tickets that someone here might be able to help me with. I tried calling Airtran but spent an hour and 20 minutes on hold last night and never got through. I finally left to pick up my DDs and my DH called a few minutes later and got right through. He paid for our tickets but didn't know my question. So needless to say I am in no hurry to call back and ask my question.

So here's my question: We booked our tickets through Airtran's group travel because we had more than 10 people. I think the seat fee is included but I am not positive. We have seat assignments. I just question it because last year on USAIR (I think) we selected seats only to find that we were given different seats at check in. So if I know my seat assignment will it be changed or are those my seats?

Those are your seats. What probably happened on US Air is that there was some sort of change, maybe something as simple as a airplane change, which in turn moved your seat assignments. Happens all the time.

I personally watch my seat assignments daily. If there is a change, I log on or call immediately and make sure they are corrected..... being proactive will help you keep those seats that you want.....

Duds

 

[tinkerbell423]

Thanks for the info I'll check my confirmation regularly

 

[LilyWDW]

Thanks for the info I'll check my confirmation regularly

This is always good advice for ANY traveler. Things happen that can change flight information. This could be the canceling of flights, condensing flights, or a change in equipment. There could then be changes to seating assignments or flight times. ALL passengers should keep a close eye on their flight information, especially if they book way ahead of time.

 

[lamb616]

can you call and add the seat selection after you have booked? I didn't even pay attention to seat selection when I booked mine. I have a "high maintenance" 3 year old and am debating if I should do the seat selection........ On second thought, maybe I shouldn't and the lucky person who gets to sit next to her can deal with her demands for 3.5 hours. After an hour that poor soul will probably pay ME to switch seats with them.

But seriously, can you call and add?

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

can you call and add the seat selection after you have booked? I didn't even pay attention to seat selection when I booked mine. I have a "high maintenance" 3 year old and am debating if I should do the seat selection........ On second thought, maybe I shouldn't and the lucky person who gets to sit next to her can deal with her demands for 3.5 hours. After an hour that poor soul will probably pay ME to switch seats with them.

But seriously, can you call and add?

You can go online to add seats. I did this yesterday. Enter your confirmation number, and then, on the left hand side, there will be a link to add seats.

 

[thedish]

If you don't want to spend the money to have the assigned seat then you have no right to ask someone to switch who did pay the money.

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

OK, been on hold for 20 minutes. Just looked at our documents and there's no confirmation number or anything for our flights. It lists them as part of the package, and gives the flight number, but that's it. EEK!!

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

OK, been on hold for 20 minutes. Just looked at our documents and there's no confirmation number or anything for our flights. It lists them as part of the package, and gives the flight number, but that's it. EEK!!

Contact the travel company you used to book the package; they should be able to handle this for you.

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

Contact the travel company you used to book the package; they should be able to handle this for you.

Well, the travel company that booked is my mom and stepdad. I told them I'd try to take care of it, and it failed. I hung up after 35 minutes on hold with Airtran; called Disney and because I booked thru a travel agent, they couldn't help me either. Called my mom back and they got my Airtran confirmation number within minutes (from Disney).

So, is the concensus on this thread that if the travel agent goes thru Airtran, the picking of the seats is free? I just checked our flights and it looks like the picked seats are going fast! I don't care at all WHERE we sit, as long as we have at least 3 seats together (or 2 and 2).