Airtran seat fee-not all seats 6$

[Magic4UsZ's]

I just booked a flight last night with AirTran and from what I could tell if you wanted to pick your seat the fee is based on where on the plane your seat is at. For example on my flight if I wanted a seats in row 12 or 14 the fee per seat was 15$, rows 15&16 was 13$ and the exit row was 20$ rows 17 and beyond were the only 6$ seats. You couldnt even pick the first two rows saying something like "restricted" but on the page where you select your flight and click to see what seats are open it will show you rows 10 & 11 but when it came time to actually pick your seat when purchasing those seats were labeled as restricted. Whats up with that?

Ughh!!!!

I like sitting in the front but not for that much when you are considering we are a family of four!!!
So the priority was to just get us all together at the cheapest price and closest to the front (which was row 17)

I like AT and want to support them as this is only an hour drive for us and free parking. The next choice is 2.5-3 hours away and parking fees, but arent they just getting a little carried away at all these fees?

Southwest is not an option unless we want to drive the long drive and parking. I like SW just they are not at our little airport. I try to go thru our little airport so they dont go away due to lack of business. What to do?

 

[Thumper4me]

Unfortunately, Air Tran has been charging for seats with the graduated system you described for a while now. You should be fine in row 17. Everyone has to wait for luggage so being in front isn't a huge difference time wise.

 

[OhMari]

We flew home on Christmas day and Row 10 & 11 were empty.
AirTran never opened those seats at the 24 hour mark so you didn't have to pay.
We would always try to check in at the 24 hour mark, and try to get those rows, if you want them now, you have to pay $15.

What really made me mad, before we boarded, they were telling everyone, that AirTran would take your carry-on luggage and store it under the plane for free. You should of seen the large carry-on's everyone was taking up to the podium to get checked in. I walked past the gate and asked for our money back that we paid to check our luggage.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

What really made me mad, before we boarded, they were telling everyone, that AirTran would take your carry-on luggage and store it under the plane for free. You should of seen the large carry-on's everyone was taking up to the podium to get checked in. I walked past the gate and asked for our money back that we paid to check our luggage.

Why get mad? You didn't indicate the reason for the offer to gate check luggage, but I would assume that the flight was very full and the gate agents realized that there wasn't going to be enough overhead space, so they offered to gate check luggage. Passengers who chose to do carry-on could have no way of knowing this would happen. Their carry-ons may have looked large, but if they were too large, they would not have made it through the x ray machine at security.

You chose to check your luggage; why should you get refunded your checked baggage fee?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Or you could just put your whole transportation package together and see how much you're saving in gas and time by not having to drive to the farther airport, and how much you're saving in parking charges by not having to pay to park at that airport, and decide if it's worth the $28 or $36 to be as close to the front of the plane as possible; or if just one of you "must" be close to the front of the plane, just pay to move that person up (since seating is only three-across anyway).

 

[tjmw2727]

It isn't just airtran, even airlines that don't charge for seat assignments do charge for "choice seats". Some have more legroom others are just window/exit or closer to the front of the aircraft. In researching for my next flight it seems they charge anywhere from $10 to $49 for these choice seats vs no charge for seats in rows higher than @15ish.

Now that airlines are separating fees you really have to do your homework to see which fares make sense for you. Are you checking bags, if so how many and what is that charge? Are you traveling with children, need to make a connection or have any other need for a "choice seat" if so figure in that charge.

My flight at the beginning of March is a code share - one airline on the first leg and another on the 2nd. The price was $200 different for the exact same itineary depening on which of the two airlines I booked.!!

So I am also learning that it pays to do some homework and what seems cheapest at first glance may not always be the best option.

 

[Missytara]

The way I look at it, we are ALL eventually going to get off the plane and it hasn't taken more than ten to fifteen minutes for everyone to get off anyway. What's another ten minutes when you are on vacation?

 

[Jestocost]

Or you could look at it this way. AirTran is in the process of being purchased by Southwest, who has indicated that they will transition to their business model after the merger. As a result, this all will be moot sooner or later.

 

[OhMari]

Why get mad? You didn't indicate the reason for the offer to gate check luggage, but I would assume that the flight was very full and the gate agents realized that there wasn't going to be enough overhead space, so they offered to gate check luggage. Passengers who chose to do carry-on could have no way of knowing this would happen. Their carry-ons may have looked large, but if they were too large, they would not have made it through the x ray machine at security.

You chose to check your luggage; why should you get refunded your checked baggage fee?

The flight wasn't full at all. The counter people made the announcement, that if you wish to store your carry-on luggage under the plane, they may do so for free at this time. These carry-on's were not your average small luggage and back-packs. These were large duffle sports bags-

The last couple times I have flown, I've seen more and more of these long sports bags being used as carry-ons. The take a whole compartment bin.
You are right, I did pay for mine, but it is ridiculous seeing the amount of carry-ons people have so they don't have to pay for checked luggage. Little kids will have carry-on luggage larger than they are and the only time they carry it, is onto the plane.

 

[aubriee]

I just booked a flight last night with AirTran and from what I could tell if you wanted to pick your seat the fee is based on where on the plane your seat is at. For example on my flight if I wanted a seats in row 12 or 14 the fee per seat was 15$, rows 15&16 was 13$ and the exit row was 20$ rows 17 and beyond were the only 6$ seats. What to do?

Personally I have no problem paying for those $15.00 seats. If you pay for them, you are guaranteed to be in Boarding zone 1. With all the carryons people are lugging onto the planes now days, every flight I've been on the last couple of years has been fully booked and the last people on have had to gate check their carryons. Also people have a tendency to stuff their bags into the first open bin they come to, then proceed on to their seats in the back of the plane, meaning that people who are actually assigned to those seats up front will now have to go to the back of the plane to find space for their bags, then walk back up the aisle to their seats. I also like an aisle seat close to the front of the plane as I have claustrophobic issues if I sit further back. The $15.00 seat fee is worth it to ensure I get the seat I need and to ensure that my carryon fits in the overhead over my seat.

Just a note: If not paid for, those $15.00 seats open up at the 24 hour mark and you can get them for free, but you don't get boarding zone 1 unless you paid for them. If you get them at the 24 hour mark for free you'll be in boarding zone 7 or 8 (depending on the size of the plane) and may have to gate check your carry on (or else the flight attendant may be able to find a place for it somewhere in one of the back overheads). I guarantee there won't be any free space over your head though if you don't pay for those seats up front. Another factor to consider is that Air Tran is notorious for overbooking their flights. Every flight I've been on for the last couple of years, the gate agents have made an announcement that the flight is overbooked and have asked for volunteers to give up their seats. If they don't have enough volunteers, the people who chose not to pay for their seats were the ones bumped.

What makes me mad is that I often fly solo, pay the $15.00 seat fee to ensure I get the seat and boarding zone I need, and then some family that chose to be cheap and not pay the seat fees, comes along and tries to demand that I give up my good aisle seat in the front of the plane for some middle seat in the back of the plane so they can sit with their kid or so a couple can sit together. Their sense of entitlement always gets me--'I have a kid, so everyone must accommodate me' or 'You're solo so you can sit anywhere. I want to sit next to my wife. Move!'. Sorry, not happening! They had the same chance to pay for their seats that I did.

 

[maxiesmom]

The way I look at it, we are ALL eventually going to get off the plane and it hasn't taken more than ten to fifteen minutes for everyone to get off anyway. What's another ten minutes when you are on vacation?

Unless you are in the back of a large plane where it can take upwards of half an hour to get off! Been there, done that!

As an FYI Allegiant Air charges more for different seats too.

 

[OhMari]

Personally I have no problem paying for those $15.00 seats. If you pay for them, you are guaranteed to be in Boarding zone 1. With all the carryons people are lugging onto the planes now days, every flight I've been on the last couple of years has been fully booked and the last people on have had to gate check their carryons. Also people have a tendency to stuff their bags into the first open bin they come to, then proceed on to their seats in the back of the plane, meaning that people who are actually assigned to those seats up front will now have to go to the back of the plane to find space for their bags, then walk back up the aisle to their seats. I also like an aisle seat close to the front of the plane as I have claustrophobic issues if I sit further back. The $15.00 seat fee is worth it to ensure I get the seat I need and to ensure that my carryon fits in the overhead over my seat.

Just a note: If not paid for, those $15.00 seats open up at the 24 hour mark and you can get them for free, but you don't get boarding zone 1 unless you paid for them. If you get them at the 24 hour mark for free you'll be in boarding zone 7 or 8 (depending on the size of the plane) and may have to gate check your carry on (or else the flight attendant may be able to find a place for it somewhere in one of the back overheads). I guarantee there won't be any free space over your head though if you don't pay for those seats up front. Another factor to consider is that Air Tran is notorious for overbooking their flights. Every flight I've been on for the last couple of years, the gate agents have made an announcement that the flight is overbooked and have asked for volunteers to give up their seats. If they don't have enough volunteers, the people who chose not to pay for their seats were the ones bumped.

What makes me mad is that I often fly solo, pay the $15.00 seat fee to ensure I get the seat and boarding zone I need, and then some family that chose to be cheap and not pay the seat fees, comes along and tries to demand that I give up my good aisle seat in the front of the plane for some middle seat in the back of the plane so they can sit with their kid or so a couple can sit together. Their sense of entitlement always gets me--'I have a kid, so everyone must accommodate me' or 'You're solo so you can sit anywhere. I want to sit next to my wife. Move!'. Sorry, not happening! They had the same chance to pay for their seats that I did.

Those $15 seats do not open up for free any longer at the 24 hour mark. They remain $15. All the other's seats do, except Business Class.

 

[Inkmahm]

Those $15 seats do not open up for free any longer at the 24 hour mark. They remain $15. All the other's seats do, except Business Class.

Maybe it is different depending on the flight. But I just put my mom in those $15 seats for free when I checked her in at the 24 hour mark both on her way to and on her way home from MSP this past week.

 

[aubriee]

Those $15 seats do not open up for free any longer at the 24 hour mark. They remain $15. All the other's seats do, except Business Class.

They did in December. I happened to be sitting next to a lady who had not paid for her seat and chose it for free at the 24 hour mark. We were talking about why I was in boarding zone 1 and she was in boarding zone 7, but we were sitting side by side. The FA overheard us and said it was because I had paid for my seat and she had chose hers for free at the 24 hour mark. We were in seats 12D and 12E. By the way, the reason the subject came up was that she was pissed that because she was in the last boarding zone, she had to check her carryon. She has assumed that she would get in boarding zone 1, just like those of us that had paid for those preferred $15.00 seats.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I wish the airlines would wise up and start charging at the gate for the "oversize" carryon. I see this all the time... the steamer trunk hauled to the gate where it won't fit and they don't have to pay while it delays the entire process!

Come on guys either charge or don't, but quit this nonsence game you have going on!

 

[MinnieForMe]

The flight wasn't full at all. The counter people made the announcement, that if you wish to store your carry-on luggage under the plane, they may do so for free at this time. These carry-on's were not your average small luggage and back-packs. These were large duffle sports bags-

The last couple times I have flown, I've seen more and more of these long sports bags being used as carry-ons. The take a whole compartment bin.
You are right, I did pay for mine, but it is ridiculous seeing the amount of carry-ons people have so they don't have to pay for checked luggage. Little kids will have carry-on luggage larger than they are and the only time they carry it, is onto the plane.

We travel as a family of 5 and I couldn't be bothered to carry on anything except my camera, laptop, and a few coloring books for my little one. However, I don't see why you would have a problem with carry on luggage for little kids. I'm assuming if they are over 2 years of age that they paid the same price as you did for a seat and are therefore entitled to the same amout of carry on space as you!