AirTran seat question flights from DTW to MCO

[Mommy_Jen]

Hi,

I purchased seats for the end of the month on Airtran. DTW to MCO. Flights #1483 and #1482.

We are a family of 5. I have seats reserved for a complete row. The website shows 6 seats across the row but seat B in every row is unavaiable. It has been like this since November. Do you think then on these flights there is no seat B? The reason why I'm asking is.. If there are 2 seats on one side and 3 on the other it works out good. Or am I going to get on the airplane and find out someone is sitting between me and my kid? If that's the case then I will move 2 of us to 2 seats either in front or behind the 3. But if I can get the whole row I'd rather do that.

Am I making sense?

Thanks for any help.

Jen

 

[Sandi]

Sounds like your plane is a Boeing 717-200 where there are no "B" seats. One side is A and C and the other side of the aisle is D,E, and F. If you want to confirm my suspicion, go to www.seatguru.com and enter in Airtran and your flight number. There are a few different planes used for your two flight numbers, but the 717-200 would give you the configuration where there is no B seat.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm sure Sandi is right, but on the off chance she isn't and you find someone in the middle seat, offer to trade with them... either the window or the aisle. I can't imagine someone would WANT the middle seat when offered one of the others.

 

[dudspizza]

Actually, here is the deal. You are most likely on a 737, which is 3x3 seating. They block out all of the B seats on the ABC side of the plane. Here is why. If they have to switch to a 717 at some point before your departure, then everyone is fine (not a huge nightmare). BUT, imagine if they allowed people to book the middle seat on that side and then made a switch to the 717. Every middle seat would then be relocated. There would be a lot of upset people (a HUGE nightmare).

All of my flights are on the 717 right now and the seat map shows the 2x3 seating. We have three rows of 2 and 1 row of 3 for the 9 of us. They did make a flight change and we were moved to another flight. 6 of the 9 of us LOST our seat assignments because the seats we were in were already occupied and hence didn't transfer. When I checked our seats 6 of us had ??? for seat assignment. Glad I check and luckily we were able to get 3 rows of 3.

Now, what can you do? This is what I would do. Keep the A and C in hopes of one of two things. 1. Hope they switch you to the 717 and you now have the entire row. 2. The other hope is that the middle stays open and you have more room. The chances of that happening are better if you are in the back of the plane. If someone ends up in the middle seat, you can offer them either the aisle or the window..... I don't know of anyone who would WANT to keep their middle seat.

Travel safe.

Find your exact flight time on the image below to see what plane you are on...

Here's the seat map for my flights... all 717's, at least for now.

 

[peemagg]

We just flew into DTW on flight 1482 and it was 3x3 seating. We had different flights down, but I believe that one was 3x2.