AirTran Online Check In...refresh my memory?

[kristenrice]

We are driving to Detroit the day before our flight in order to get a good night's sleep before flying out in the morning. We will be on the road when our 24-hour checkin window opens up and I really want to purchase the business class upgrade. Last October, I was in a meeting at the 24-hour mark so I had my dad log in, purchase the upgrade and get us checked in. Then, I stopped by his office on our way to Detroit and picked up the boarding passes that he'd printed out.

My dad is willing to do this again for us, but we will be on the way to Detroit when he does so we will not be able to pick up boarding passes or anything. What is my best option? Can/should I use the business center at our hotel and print our boarding passes there? Should I just wait until we get to the airport since I will have to check our baggage anyways?

 

[Inkmahm]

Your dad can check you in and you can print the boarding passes at the airport when you get there. Checking in is the important part. The boarding passes can be printed when you check in your luggage fairly easily.

 

[kristenrice]

Thanks! That is what I thought, but I wanted to make sure that I didn't goof something up by checking in without being able to print the boarding passes.

 

[nkkilala]

I would have your dad do the check in and then you can get them printed upon check in.

What hotel are you staying at in Detroit? I'd stay away from the Ramada, we thought it was disgusting. I liked staying at the Metropolitan, and we recently stayed at the Howard Johnson and it was good too!

 

[kristenrice]

We are staying at the SpringHill Suites on Merriman and using the park and fly service. I did the same thing last October but we stayed at the Fairfield Inn that time. I see that the SpringHill Suites just opened so we thought we'd try it, 'cuz it's new. It's only costing a total of $100 for the night and 8 nights of parking so it is a really good deal for us. It is so much easier making the 2 hour drive (that ends up being 3 hours once you factor in everyone's potty stops!) the night before instead of trying to time it right on the same day. Our flight leaves at 11:30am on Saturday so we will drive over on Friday and hang out at the hotel. Then, we can get up around 8am, grab the free breakfast and take the 5 minute shuttle ride over to the airport. This should work out fine. I just have to remember to pad our times by about 15 minutes so that DH runs on time. If we need to leave at 9am, he will be told that we are out the door at 8:45!

 

[nkkilala]

Kristen,

I know what you mean about padding times! I have to tell my WHOLE family that things happen 30minutes ahead of time!

Let me know how the new hotel is! I'm always looking for a clean, cheap park, sleep fly hotel!!

We also travel the night before over to DTW. We live on the West side of the state (Kalamazoo) and I just feel so much better about leaving the night before and not having to rush out of the house!