Newbie to airtran questions

[Promomx2]

We're flying out on airtran in june. I went ahead and paid for our seat assignments. I'm hoping to only have 1 checked bag and then 2 carryon suitcases and then my laptop bag. It's me, dh and ds. But I have a few questions.

1) Is there an advantage in doing the online checkin 24 hours in advance?

2) Should I put toiletries in checked bag or carryon?

3) During security, do they open your carryon suitcase?

thank so much, I would be lost without you disers!

 

[helenk]

Since you have paid for your seats you really do not need to worry about checking in 24 hours prior. You can check in on line at any time or even wait until you get to the airport.
If your toiletries are liquid and not in a 3 oz bottle or container then they will need to go into your checked luggage. I have never had security open my carry on luggage, you have to send it through the xray machine.

 

[honeymo78]

They may go through your carry on bag at security if there are any items in it that look "odd" or they cannot identify with the xray machine. I had some glycerin soap bars in my luggage that confused the security folks on our last trip so they opened it up to check them out.

Even with paid for seating, checking in at 24hours will allow you to double check that you still have your seats (in case of an equipment change) or even switch to more preferable seats that are open. You can also pay the bag fee when you check in online - I think it is cheaper online than at the airport.

 

[Funwith4kids]

Not sure what Airtran's policy is but some airlines will bump the last travelers who checked-in if the flight is overbooked and there are no volunteers.

 

[ancestry]

1) Is there an advantage in doing the online checkin 24 hours in advance?

2) Should I put toiletries in checked bag or carryon?

3) During security, do they open your carryon suitcase?

thank so much, I would be lost without you disers!

1) I always check-in prior to my flight even when I have seat assignments. I don't necessarily do it 24 hours in advance but I do do it at my earliest convenience. Like another poster mentioned, it *may* help you to not be bumped from an overbooked flight.

2) If you don't need your toiletries immediately upon arrival at your hotel, I would put them in your checked bag. Any toiletries that are liquids or gels have to be less than 100 ml or 3.4 oz and must be put into a separate quart sized ziploc bag (3-1-1 bag). You are limited to one 3-1-1- bag per person. You can put larger sizes in your checked baggage.

3) They may open or search your carry-on suitcase when you go through security. Sometimes they do this if they see something unusual when your bag is scanned. Other times they just do random searches. It depends on the airport and the level of security at the time. My husband always seems to get searched and they often dump out his entire carry on bag. Of course it doesn't help that he calls the TSA agents "comrade" when addressing them.

 

[serene56]

Not sure what Airtran's policy is but some airlines will bump the last travelers who checked-in if the flight is overbooked and there are no volunteers.

this is a main reason people should check in- It happened to us and we lost our seats together since we were not checked it--figuring we can do it at the airport 2 hours before the flight- Since we did not check in online the airline thought we were not going to make it.

If I dont have access to a computer I will ask someone to check me in at home and I will get boarding passes when I check my luggage.


Asking about taking toiletries in your carryon-- there is a liquid/gel restriction on most ALL airlines.

 

[Missytara]

If you are using RAC on your return trip, do NOT check in on the return flight.

Someone in the line ahead of me this past year was "locked" out of using the RAC system. It was finally determined that she had done check-in at the 24 hour point (in order to pick up a seat assignment at the last minute) and it locked her out of using RAC. She had virtually already checked-in.

She had to take her bags to the airport on the ME bus, and she was not a happy camper.....

 

[honeymo78]

I think the problem is when you tell online check in that you have bags and then go to RAC. We have upgraded online at 24 hours and checked in, then used RAC the next morning.

 

[Promomx2]

Thanks for all the help. The more info I know the less I'll worry!! When we do the prior online checkin, will we need to print anything off? I don't know if we will access to a printer at the condo we're renting. Can I put a aersol can of deoderant in the checked bag?