checking in with 1 stop, combo Southwest/Airtran flight

[calablovedisney]

I just booked our flights for June with return early July on the Southwest website. Flights were great prices, but both include a layover. And both flights have one flight with Southwest and the other with Airtran.
I understand Airtran assigns seats (little nervous traveling with 2 girls-a tween and young teen- about that as I would like one of us adults to be with them.

But, I was wondering if the first flight is with Airtran and I have to check in to reserve my boarding place for Southwest, do I check in and reserve at the time the first flight takes off or wait for the time the Southwest flight takes off? This is a bit confusing. anyone done this yet? this only affects our travel home as the trip down southwest is the first flight. (I am actually hoping a reasonable nonstop will open up and we can switch, but didn't want to lose the deal just in case).
I am hoping there won't be too many problems since these southwest/airtran flights just showed up on the site a couple of weeks ago----I have been watching flight prices for a while.
thanks for any input.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Sorry I don't have an answer for you but I'm also curious how this works. We fly both airlines often and I usually don't mind paying the $6/pp with AT to reserve seats in advance. Yet, if I book an AT flight through SWA.com using RR points, I can't choose seats until check in 24 hrs prior.

I also have a teen & a tween so I guess that's better than very young children. They each have a tablet so they can watch movies & it's only 2 hrs for us so if we can't all sit together, they'll be fine.

I wonder if it may be easier to transfer the RR points into A+ credits and book directly through AT?

This is all so new I wonder if anyone else has actually flown AT flights booked through SW.

 

[calablovedisney]

I did not know you could choose seats at check in for Airtran. I think on the website it said the seats would be chosen for you and you could change them at the airport. I don't really care if they are chosen for me, just as long as they are together.
I might call and ask about the check in question, because I will have to find a place to do it since I don't have an iphone and if I have to check in at the time of the 2nd flight then I plan to be at Epcot watching 4th of July illuminations since we fly out on the 5th and won't be able to check in at the 24 hour mark.

I hate to have these little things unanswered because it will bother me for a the last couple of days of our trip worrying about it. But prices on Southwest site were so much lower than anyone else and I can use the money for an extra night!!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I did not know you could choose seats at check in for Airtran. I think on the website it said the seats would be chosen for you and you could change them at the airport. I don't really care if they are chosen for me, just as long as they are together.
I might call and ask about the check in question, because I will have to find a place to do it since I don't have an iphone and if I have to check in at the time of the 2nd flight then I plan to be at Epcot watching 4th of July illuminations since we fly out on the 5th and won't be able to check in at the 24 hour mark.

I hate to have these little things unanswered because it will bother me for a the last couple of days of our trip worrying about it. But prices on Southwest site were so much lower than anyone else and I can use the money for an extra night!!

Yes, I think you're right on this. I'm confused between their new way & old way. If you fly AT, there's no need to worry about where you are at T-24. It doesn't matter if you check in a few hours late. If you really want to sit together, I would buy early bird check in on SWA for the return leg so you don't have to stress about it while on vacay.
I wonder if the seats are computer chosen at random with AT.

 

[dizkrazkate]

Anyone have any trouble with Resort Airline Check-In (RAC)? There was a comment in this weeks Allears newsletter that some are having trouble. This worries me as with 4 small children, no RAC and then getting separated on the plane is really starting to make me rethink my dear SWA

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Anyone have any trouble with Resort Airline Check-In (RAC)? There was a comment in this weeks Allears newsletter that some are having trouble. This worries me as with 4 small children, no RAC and then getting separated on the plane is really starting to make me rethink my dear SWA

I would buy EBCI then. In the old days it was no big deal to change seats to keep families together. Now that people are paying to sit where they want (with family, etc.) people will not be so willing to give up a seat they paid for just because you didn't want to pay.

Once when flying Airtran a lady in the row behind us asked dh if he would trade seats so her kids could sit near her. He had no idea I paid extra so we could sit together. Too late, already done. When I asked her why she didn't prepay for seats so she'd be with her kids she said she didn't think she had to since her kids were young. So basically I paid for her to sit with her kids.

Be smart; plan ahead. Don't be standing in the aisle crying that you're separated. EBCI saves a lot of stress. My kids are teens & I still buy it for the flight home. I like having us all sit together. It's worth it to me.

 

[dizkrazkate]

I would buy EBCI then. In the old days it was no big deal to change seats to keep families together. Now that people are paying to sit where they want (with family, etc.) people will not be so willing to give up a seat they paid for just because you didn't want to pay.

Once when flying Airtran a lady in the row behind us asked dh if he would trade seats so her kids could sit near her. He had no idea I paid extra so we could sit together. Too late, already done. When I asked her why she didn't prepay for seats so she'd be with her kids she said she didn't think she had to since her kids were young. So basically I paid for her to sit with her kids.

Be smart; plan ahead. Don't be standing in the aisle crying that you're separated. EBCI saves a lot of stress. My kids are teens & I still buy it for the flight home. I like having us all sit together. It's worth it to me.

While I don't disagree, I don't think I can/or it matters. Although the ticket is purchased through SWA it is "Operated by AirTran" and there are no boarding groups like a typical SWA flight. BUT because I bought my ticket on SWA, they WILL NOT ALLOW me to purchase a seat assignment ahead of time, like I could purchase if I had bought via AirTran. The one time we flew AirTran before the merge i did pay the extra $ to sit together. I have never had a problem on SWA because my type A personality always checks in via smartphone at exactly 24 hours and we have always had early B group. Not to mention I have an under 2, so we would normally get on between A and B.

My older boys are very well behaved (we let them sit together by themselves at LeCellier ages 9, 7, and 5 and we got several compliments on their good behavior), but more worrisome to me is the RAC. lugging the baby, stroller and carry on is one of my least favorite parts of the trip. RAC is a wonderful benefit that makes traveling to WDW better, and encourages me to return. I will be very disappointed in SWA if they do not get this issue fixed.