Flying AirTran for 1st Time Picking Seat Question

[lpandorf]

I normally fly Delta and Southwest. I have my first AirTran flight booked to MCO in July. I did not choose my seats yet because I saw you had to pay to pick your seat. If you get to the airport and have not picked seats will they just assign my family whatever is left? Or can I ask for certain seats if they are still open? I am flying with DD10 who I know will be fine if seated away from me. I'm a little worried about DS6. More so about an active little boy bothering people around him if he is not seated next to me so I can watch him. He would not be upset to be somewhere else on the plane.

Thanks!
Lisa

 

[Traveliz]

I normally fly Delta and Southwest. I have my first AirTran flight booked to MCO in July. I did not choose my seats yet because I saw you had to pay to pick your seat. If you get to the airport and have not picked seats will they just assign my family whatever is left? Or can I ask for certain seats if they are still open? I am flying with DD10 who I know will be fine if seated away from me. I'm a little worried about DS6. More so about an active little boy bothering people around him if he is not seated next to me so I can watch him. He would not be upset to be somewhere else on the plane.

Thanks!
Lisa

You can pick your seats when you check in online 24 hours in advance without paying.

Liz

 

[DVCBELLE]

If Airtran releases a coupon between now and then - you can apply the coupon to the cost of selecting seats! So keep an eye out for those and then you can get your seats for free.

For future reference, if you go to Kayak.com and search for flights, they will then link you over to Airtran and your seat selection is free!

It is my experience that if Airtran holds back the last 3 rows of the flight until online check-in is available and you should not have a problem getting seats together then BUT it is not a guarantee. Also- if you plan on checking your bags at the resort - you can not do online check-in 24 hours ahead of time and would be at the mercy of what is currently available. I have seen parents begging at the gate for seats with their kids. While I have always seen them get the seats together - there are people on here who report that they have seen a family seperated. Many people feel (rightfully so) that if they paid for their seat why should they give it up for someone who didn't.

 

[dioxide45]

Why not try picking your seat now for free? I have suggested this several times and I have yet to see anyone attempt it. Go to Kayak.com and search for your flights. Click on the flight to link to AirTran.com. Do not book the flight, instead go to My Account and log in, then select My Bookings from the menu, then select your flight reservation. Click on the Select or Change Seats button on the right and see how much it is wanting to charge you for each seat. If it shows $0, pick away. If it shows otherwise, wait until the 24 hour mark.

 

[DVCBELLE]

Why not try picking your seat now for free? I have suggested this several times and I have yet to see anyone attempt it. Go to Kayak.com and search for your flights. Click on the flight to link to AirTran.com. Do not book the flight, instead go to My Account and log in, then select My Bookings from the menu, then select your flight reservation. Click on the Select or Change Seats button on the right and see how much it is wanting to charge you for each seat. If it shows $0, pick away. If it shows otherwise, wait until the 24 hour mark.

I actually have tried that and unfortunately - it didn't work for me! I had booked reward travel and was hoping it would assign my seats for free by doing it that way and had no luck.

I did find out on another leg that if you go to Kayak and then go book your reward travel - it works!

 

[dioxide45]

I actually have tried that and unfortunately - it didn't work for me! I had booked reward travel and was hoping it would assign my seats for free by doing it that way and had no luck.

I did find out on another leg that if you go to Kayak and then go book your reward travel - it works!

Yes, we were able to do this to book a rewards flight and get free seat selection, it seems that once the ticket is bought the seat fee is set.

 

[Thumper4me]

I just attempted to add my seats (previously purchased directly from Air Tran) through Kayak.com. I was unsuccessful. Is there a trick to it?

Kelly

 

[lpandorf]

Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[dioxide45]

I just attempted to add my seats (previously purchased directly from Air Tran) through Kayak.com. I was unsuccessful. Is there a trick to it?

Kelly

Apparently it can't be done. My post was a suggestion for someone to try it out. Apparently now it appears that no one gets seat fees free through Kayak. Not even those linking through Kayak when buying tickets.

 

[cruisingkat]

I If you get to the airport and have not picked seats will they just assign my family whatever is left? Or can I ask for certain seats if they are still open? I am flying with DD10 who I know will be fine if seated away from me. I'm a little worried about DS6. More so about an active little boy bothering people around him if he is not seated next to me so I can watch him. He would not be upset to be somewhere else on the plane.

Thanks!
Lisa

When you check in online 24 hours before your flight and do seat assignments then, Air Tran will give you the next available seats which may not be together - you don't have to take those seats, you can click on a button that will show you all available seats and pick from those. You will have to do that for each person in the reservation.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

If you're not going to ask a neighbor to change seats, then don't pay. If otoh, you would be wanting to switch seats so you can sit w/ your child, then pay. Those that you'd be asking may have paid to sit with their family.

On our last AT flight in Nov, we paid for our family of 4 to sit together. Since the seats are 3x3, we sat dh behind us. A family of 5 was frantic that they couldn't get seats together and asked dh if he would trade seats so 2 of her kids could sit with her. Of course dh would never say no and I didn't really mind until I asked her if she paid to select seats. She said someone told her not to worry about it so she didn't. She assumed the airline would never separate a parent from small children. I told her I always worry about it and that's why I pay. It's worth it to me. If dh's seat move would have left one of my kids alone, it wouldn't have happened.

 

[hildarumpole]

If you are at all concerned about sitting next to your family members, pay the fee to reserve your seats in advance. It's not that much, especially if you consider the peace of mind knowing that you won't have to potentially rely on the kindness of strangers to switch seats or worry about what your child might be up to 6 rows behind you. I've witnessed some nasty hissy fits at the airport when people who didn't reserve seats in advance assumed they'd be seated with their party only to find out they were scattered about the plane. It's not worth the hassle.