AirTran ~ Question About Seats

[DisneyGuess]

I'm getting ready to book our flights on AirTran as they dipped well below my target price for 6 people!

My questions are, if you've flown with AirTran before, did you pay the extra $6 per person, per flight to choose your own seats?
If not, do they just assign you seats when you check in? Would I be in danger of not getting at least getting 3 seats together if I don't purchase the seat assignments?

 

[jennyjinx3]

I'm getting ready to book our flights on AirTran as they dipped well below my target price for 6 people!

My questions are, if you've flown with AirTran before, did you pay the extra $6 per person, per flight to choose your own seats?
If not, do they just assign you seats when you check in? Would I be in danger of not getting at least getting 3 seats together if I don't purchase the seat assignments?

I am an airtran newbie, but I paid to have all our seats together. Too much to chance with our young DD's.

 

[deegack]

I'm getting ready to book our flights on AirTran as they dipped well below my target price for 6 people!

My questions are, if you've flown with AirTran before, did you pay the extra $6 per person, per flight to choose your own seats?
If not, do they just assign you seats when you check in? Would I be in danger of not getting at least getting 3 seats together if I don't purchase the seat assignments?

Yes you are in danger of not getting 3 seats together. You will probably end up scattered about the plane.

 

[Traveliz]

Yes you would definitely be in danger of not getting seats together. This is really a no brainer since your price has even lowered beyond what you wished for. Pay the $6.00 each.

Liz

 

[DisneyGuess]

Ok, paid the $6 for the seats. Just needed someone to tell me to do it!

Next question.....I've only ever flown on Southwest with no baggage fees. Do I pay for our checked luggage at the airport or when I do our online check in?

 

[jennyjinx3]

Ok, paid the $6 for the seats. Just needed someone to tell me to do it!

Next question.....I've only ever flown on Southwest with no baggage fees. Do I pay for our checked luggage at the airport or when I do our online check in?

I think they told me on the phone, I could do either. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Traveliz]

Ok, paid the $6 for the seats. Just needed someone to tell me to do it!

Next question.....I've only ever flown on Southwest with no baggage fees. Do I pay for our checked luggage at the airport or when I do our online check in?

If you check in online you can pay it there. If you check in online and don't put in any bags you can do it at the airport...so either place will work.

Liz

 

[dudspizza]

Yes, you can pay for it when you check in online.

One suggestion is to keep an eye on the flights. We paid for the $6 seats and the flight was changed. We were moved to another flight and only those seats that we had reserved and were available were ours... all others had a ??? by them....

Because I keep a close eye on that stuff, we were able to get our group of 9 together, but I check daily to make sure...

This could happen on any airline with assigned seating..

Duds

 

[vacationclub]

It could go either way. At a certain point (perhaps 24 hours before) those that didn't pay for a specific seat location are simply put in places where they fit. So if 3 people are on 1 reservation, and there is a row of 3 somewhere available....they put them there.

But depending on how many people reserved locations, and where those locations are, there simply may not be places for the airline to put you and get your party together. Parties of 2 probably still stand a decent chance of getting together somewhere, but 3 and beyond probably have a chance of getting broken up, especially if the plane is a 3x2 row (5 seats across) instead of 3x3. Airtran has both types of planes.

Before most Airtran (and other airline) flights I usually see the typical seat-puzzle game happening at the desk as gate agents move people around, occasionally call upon other passengers to move to a parallel or upgraded seat, etc to get everyone on in the best way possible. Airtran is very good at this, part of the reason their customer service is ranked so high. Such a shame this will all be wiped out when Southwest takes them over with their "every man for yourself" level of service.

 

[Olivejuicy]

Each direction I paid For my daughter to be with one of us and left it up to luck of the draw for the other parent.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I'm getting ready to book our flights on AirTran as they dipped well below my target price for 6 people!

My questions are, if you've flown with AirTran before, did you pay the extra $6 per person, per flight to choose your own seats?
If not, do they just assign you seats when you check in? Would I be in danger of not getting at least getting 3 seats together if I don't purchase the seat assignments?

Yes, you would be in danger. I have an AirTran flight later this week. When I went online to book my seats yesterday the only "three together" were exit rows (one of which I took so that's no longer an option)

As for AirTran "is very good at this" REALLY? LOL!

I have never seen AirTran really try unless thier are very small kids involved and even then it's hit or miss. Depending on the airline to take care of your kids is highly risky> Depending on AirTran to care... REALLY Risky! Sorry, but I live in an Airtran hub and all I can say is "WHAT IS TAKING SW SO LONG" I am over rude agents, late flights and generally a poor airline! (If someone else hadn't booked this flight it would NOT be on AirTran!)

 

[vacationclub]

As for AirTran "is very good at this" REALLY? LOL!

I have never seen AirTran really try unless thier are very small kids involved and even then it's hit or miss.

Of course it's hit or miss, there are either options or there are not. You can't blame that on Airtran, they have a seatmap in front of them, the cards are dealt. They do what they can, especially if you ask...and people with kids usually ask.

Depending on the airline to take care of your kids is highly risky> Depending on AirTran to care... REALLY Risky! Sorry, but I live in an Airtran hub and all I can say is "WHAT IS TAKING SW SO LONG" I am over rude agents, late flights and generally a poor airline! (If someone else hadn't booked this flight it would NOT be on AirTran!)

Airtran has the highest customer ranking in the industry. (SW is number 5)

http://www.gadling.com/2011/04/05/2011-airline-quality-ratings-airtran-at-number-one/

Airtran has the second highest on-time ratings in the industry. SW is behind them at number 3.

http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2012/dot032_12/html/dot032_12.html


Not sure what you're talking about. Just curious why you think it's a poor airline.

Airtran is ALWAYS my default booking unless they don't go to where I'm going.
As for SW, that occasional taking care of your kids seating plan will go from occasional to never. So I'm not understanding your logic here. Having some airline intervention is better than none. Having some ability to guarantee your seat location is better than none.

Not sure what living in a hub city has to do with any of this. Almost every round trip passenger on Airtran experiences a hub city departure or landing, regardless of where they happen to live.

 

[Caropooh]

We are a family of 4 flying Airtran the end of the month. I just had double foot surgery on Wednesday and was able to have a seat assigned to me on our flights. I also have a request in for wheelchair. Will they try and accommodate and put at least one family member by me on the flights, do you think?

 

[Missytara]

I am one of those people that is saddened to see Airtran being slowly gobbled by my absolute least favorite airline ever, SW. Seriously, I do not mind paying for a seat assignment, why cannot I? I mean Airtran only charged me $6.00; what is all about SW charging $10.00 for EBCI, just so I can spend three less minutes in the "cattle chute" arrangement.

I have always found Airtran to be wonderful ambassadors for their airline. We have always had wonderful experiences with them.

Unfortunately, Airtran and SW fly non-stop from BWI to MCO. So I will eventually be traveling on another airline and will have a layover somewhere.

 

[Missytara]

We are a family of 4 flying Airtran the end of the month. I just had double foot surgery on Wednesday and was able to have a seat assigned to me on our flights. I also have a request in for wheelchair. Will they try and accommodate and put at least one family member by me on the flights, do you think?

It is not the gate agent, it is whether someone else who already paid the fee will want to trade seats will accommodate you. And 99 times out of 100, that does not happen.

Depends on how full the flight is and if someone decides it is worth it to them to switch.

 

[vacationclub]

We are a family of 4 flying Airtran the end of the month. I just had double foot surgery on Wednesday and was able to have a seat assigned to me on our flights. I also have a request in for wheelchair. Will they try and accommodate and put at least one family member by me on the flights, do you think?

It just depends on the available seat map. If seats are still avail. to reserve for 6 bucks, why not just do it?

I've been on an Airtran flight, paid for 2 seats on the 2 seat side, then was called up to the desk. A family who obviously didn't pay was standing there trying to get together somehow. Airtran moved us up to the front of the plane, same side, actually a bit better seats. Normally I would have said "hey, we paid for those seats" but it was actually a bit of an upgrade. That allowed our old seats to be open and the family was somewhat close to each other. I see agents all the time making some effort to locate parties together if the computer didn't do that. That entire process goes away once SW takes over...they literally have no service in that regard...it doesn't exist.

 

[Missytara]

That reminds me a few years ago, on a solo trip, we were in the plane configuration of 2 seats one side and 3 on the other. I have claustrophobia, but I do fine in a window seat. Silly me, I like the extra depth with the window sill.

I watched the second seat next to me until the day before my trip and both ways it remained "unclaimed." But both flights were full both ways just a few days before.

Sure enough going down a girl sat next to me and asked me to switch so her sister could sit with her. Her sister was in the center seat across the aisle.

Her: I am a first time flier and I would like to have you switch seats with my sister so we can sit next to each other.

Me: No thanks.

Her: But the lady at the gate said to politely ask the person sitting next to me to ask to switch.

Me: Yes, and I am politely saying no. Sorry I paid the fee to choose my assigned seat and I am sticking to it.

Her (turning to her sister): I told you we should have paid the $6.00 to sit together.

The guy in the aisle seat offered to switch to her center seat, for $100.00.

On the way home, same story, lady sits down and asks if I would switch with her husband so they could sit together. She pointed and there he was in the center seat, last row, between two business persons with laptops, etc.

I used the same philosophy as the guy on the other flight - if she paid the difference so I could fly first class. She gasped. Bet that $6.00 fee doesn't look so bad, does it?

 

[DisneyGuess]

Thanks for all the opinions.

I paid for all 6 of us to be together, 2 rows of 3, on each leg of the flight.

I'm glad to read the good reports of AirTran's customer service. I've only ever flown Southwest, so if they're better, I'm excited!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Thanks for all the opinions.

I paid for all 6 of us to be together, 2 rows of 3, on each leg of the flight.

I'm glad to read the good reports of AirTran's customer service. I've only ever flown Southwest, so if they're better, I'm excited!

Don't get your hopes up.

They appear to have a few cheerleaders on here, but as someone who flies weekly I have not seen this customer service in action. What I see is an airline staffed by employees who don't really seem to care.



I sat at the airport last week at the SW gate next to the AirTran gate. Storming like crazy so everything was delayed. Every 10 minutes the SW agent gave an update.... the AirTran gate, they went off on break or something. Pretty typical

 

[goofy4tink]

I have flown AirTran repeatedly down to Ft Lauderdale, from Boston. I have yet to have any issues. Now, I have seen families boarding and getting all upset that they can't be seated together. But in all reality??? Perhaps they should have taken responsibility for themselves vs depending on the good will of other passengers..many who paid to choose their seats.
I have offered to give up my seat in order to help a family get seats closer together. The FA declined my offer, telling me that they were getting them seats at the rear of the plane. But, the family wasn't so happy about the rear of the plane. I actually heard the mother asking if there were seats at the front of the plane!!! Seriously???

But, all my flights have been ontime and pleasant. I was very surprised since I had hears some not so glowing reports about AirTran. I fly SW a lot, and really like them. I have no issue with choosing my seat once on board. It has yet to be an issue for me.