Early Bird check-in for AirTran flights operated by Southwest?

[dae3dae3]

We are flying Southwest to Orlando and returning on an AirTran Flight operated by Southwest. The AirTran flight doesn't allow you to pick seats and says to take any seat you want but also doesn't have the Early Bird check-in available.

Does anyone have any experience on how this works? We have two young children that we don't want to have to sit alone but are too old for family boarding on Southwest.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Your post is confusing. Are you returning on an actual AirTran flight which you purchased on Southwest's website? An AirTran flight operated by Southwest is actually a flight on Southwest metal. If this is an AirTran flight, you don't sit wherever you want and you can't do EBCI. You will get a seat assignment when you check in or you can pay for an advanced seat assignment:

http://www.airtran.com/help_seat_assignments.aspx

 

[dae3dae3]

I booked through Southwest but the return flight is AirTran. On my flight itinerary I can buy early bird for the Southwest flight but the airtran flight does not show it as available and has a button for seat assignments. When I click the "View/Select Seats" it redirects to http://tickets.airtran.com/SWSeatMap.aspx and in the section where you would normally be able to choose your seats it has the following text and there is no way to choose anything.

This flight is operated by Southwest Airlines.

Southwest Airlines has an open seating policy, so feel free to sit in any available seat when you get onboard.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Are you sure the return is on AirTran? I'd give them a call; quickest way to figure out what's going on.

When is this flight? Is it for next year, after AirTran stops flying?

 

[dae3dae3]

Here is what I see. I redacted the personal information.

 

[DebbieB]

I think the first area is for your Southwest flight (MDW/MCO)

The second area is where you click for your AirTran flight (MCO/MDW). Priority Seating/Exit Seating/Standard Seating.

 

[dae3dae3]

I called Southwest and we figured it out. I had to click the next flight button at the bottom of the screen. It didn't occur to me that it wouldn't take me to the flight I was hitting the button for on the Southwest page. I'm choosing to not feel stupid about this because the person from Southwest was confused as well and had to put me on hold for a minute to check to figure out what was going on.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Yes, you can see the next flight button at the bottom of the screen. I see how you could miss it.