Not happy with Air Tran

aubriee

<font color=brown><marquee>Chocolate always makes
Joined
Dec 3, 2004
Messages
14,832
I usually take up for Air Tran when anyone disses them, but at the moment I'm not particularly happy with them. I just got back from WDW late Sunday night. When I booked the flights, you could still get seat selections for free through kayak. Shortly afterwards that stopped. I went online to make sure I still had my seat selection and noticed it let me move up to seat 12D which used to be blocked until 24 hours out, but is now a priority seat. When you click on it, a little box comes up saying it is $15.00 but is now zone 1 with first boarding. I moved to it and found it didn't charge me the extra fee. I then called Air Tran to make sure and was told they were aware of the glitch for people who booked through kayak and that yes they would honor that seat and I would be boarding in zone 1. For the flight down there on May 1st I decided to use A+ rewards and upgrade to first class, but kept my 12D seat for my flight home. On my last day, I checked in at the resort and found my boarding pass had me in seat 12D, but in boarding zone 7.:eek: I asked about it and was told to ask about it at the airport, which I did. I was very polite, but the gate agent very rudely called me a liar and said that seat 12D was never in zone 1, as they boarded from back to front. I told him I did not want to be in zone 7, as all the overhead space was usually gone by the time that zone boarded. Besides I knew that on their web site seat 12D definitely said it was in boarding zone 1. That's the only reason why I moved to that seat. He again insisted that it was not and never had been. I finally asked about using A+ points to upgrade to first class again then. Again he was very short and rude and told me I'd have to call as he couldn't do it. I did so and asked about having my $15.00 luggage fee refunded, since first class gets two checked bags free. The lady told me I'd have to have the gate agent refund it, but it wouldn't be a problem. The gate agent was again very rude and told me to go to customer service. The woman at customer service was very nice, but told me a supervisor would have to handle any refunds. The supervisor told me that since I had paid my baggage fee at the resort, that Disney handles things differently and pays the luggage fees in bulk, so there was no way to get my luggage fee refunded as it wouldn't show up in their system (even though I had my receipt showing I had paid it at the resort). In order to make sure I had space in the overhead, I had to waste four of my A+ reward credits to upgrade to first class, then was still out $15.00 in luggage fees, even though first class is supposed to get two checked bags free.:mad: When I got back home, I went online and acted like I was going to book another flight. Sure enough seat 12D still shows up as being in 'zone 1' and says 'first boarding'.:mad:

I couldn't believe the amount of stuff people was carrying on though, so am glad I did. No way would my bag have fit in the overhead bins, if I had stayed in the zone 7 group. People were carrying on huge WDW bags in addition to their legal carryon and a personal item. One lady had a huge back pack, a carry on, and three large WDW bags and one guy had six large WDW bags, plus a backpack. Both got on with everthing. Several other people had their carryon, a couple of personal sized items, and 1-3 WDW bags.:eek:
 
I'm right there with ya! I too always defend AirTran and have always loved flying with them. We leave tomorrow and I just did the online check-in and printed our boarding passes. We are in seats 12C, 12D, 12E and 12F which according to their website is Priority Seating, Zone 1. I too purchased through Kayak where I didn't have to pay for the seat assignments prior to that loophole being closed and chose that row specifically for boarding in Zone 1. When I printed my boarding passes just now, we are Zones 5, 6, and 7. Now, I haven't watched Sesame Street lately, but I'm pretty sure that 5, 6, and 7 are nowhere near 1.

I immediately called AirTran and was given some ridiculous song and dance about how Zone 1 is just what they call Priority Seating but that we still have Zones 5, 6, and 7 because they board from the back of the plan and from left to right. HUH??? So I said "basically, you are just deceiving people into paying an extra $15 per seat for early boarding then pulling the rug out from under them come boarding time?" He again told me how the boarding process works, like I didn't hear the asinine description the first time. Needless to say, I'm not happy (actually I have better words for it, but I'm trying to stay in my happy place because I'll see Mickey tomorrow.)

When my hands stop shaking enough to dial the phone again, I'm going to call back and speak with a supervisor. I intend to talk with someone at the airport tomorrow as well. Ridiculous!!
 
OK, update....just talked with an AirTran supervisor. I was informed that, even though they were aware of the Kayak glitch and told me when I called way back when to confirm that my seats and zone would be honored, they will not honor the zone 1 assignment and that I am getting zone 5, 6, and 7 because I did not pay for the seat assignment. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to get something for free that I don't deserve. Had they told me when I called when I made the Kayak reservation and requested the priority seating that they would not honor the zone assignment because of the free seating, I would be fine with it. What I don't like is being told one thing six months ago and now on the day before my flight being told something else. Oh well, lesson learned. Tomorrow I will be at Mickey's and all will be well.
 
OP i understand your frustration & Im not an AT cheerleader (just cancelled a flight booked for Oct that changed drastically & not about to deal with losing a whole day of a short trip:rolleyes1)

i do know when AT has a good idea they're going to run out of room in the overheads on full flights they (as most airlines ive patronized) make repeated announcements in the boarding area offering to check carryon's free of charge

It's not to be 'nice', they just don't have the option to of bags sitting in the aisle.:confused3There is absolutely no need to pay for business class upgrade to check a carryon if you're worried your bags won't have a place to rest.
 

Wow, is boarding order really that important when you have an assigned seat? :confused3 We usually wait to be some of the last people to get on so we don't have to sit on the plane any longer than necessary. We also make sure that all of our carry-ons fit under the seat in front of us, so overhead space isn't an issue. I guess I just don't see this as a major issue.
 
I just flew another airline and what I don't get is why people sitting in the back are allowed to but their bag in which ever overhead they choose. I think you should only be allowed to put it in the overhead above your seat. I think it's rude to put it somewhere else if yours is empty.
 
Wow, is boarding order really that important when you have an assigned seat? :confused3 We usually wait to be some of the last people to get on so we don't have to sit on the plane any longer than necessary. We also make sure that all of our carry-ons fit under the seat in front of us, so overhead space isn't an issue. I guess I just don't see this as a major issue.

ditto.
 
/
double ditto the previous posters.

We had seats in row 12 on the way down and had zone 6. On the way back we had row 14 - all 3 seats in the row, and each one of us had a different zone - 5, 6, & 7!

But, we do not use the overheads, and also want to be the last people on board, so it didn't matter.

The only thing that did matter was the flight home in row 14 was not a window row. That was kind of a bummer, since it was one of the $15 seat rows (which I didn't pay for anyway through Kayak)
 
Wow, is boarding order really that important when you have an assigned seat? :confused3 We usually wait to be some of the last people to get on so we don't have to sit on the plane any longer than necessary. We also make sure that all of our carry-ons fit under the seat in front of us, so overhead space isn't an issue. I guess I just don't see this as a major issue.

It is not so much the boarding order, but the fact that so many people are taking stuff on the plane (maxing out carry-ons) that if you board last, you end up having no room in the overhead and having to gate-check your items.

But as a PP said, Airtran makes continual announcements they will allow you to gate check at no cost to you. It isn't like they are allowing people with all these free bags on the plane and then making you cough up the bag fee - which would be unfair.

I haven't had it happen to me, because I take a carry-on that fits under my seat and that is it for me. Some people have reported that Airtran will hand you back the checked bag right at the gate, so it is as if you carried off the plane and have it available.

Really, I think it isn't Airtran so much, as the people trying to buck the system and taking on the max they can get away with - not necessarily what is common sense.
 
double ditto the previous posters.

We had seats in row 12 on the way down and had zone 6. On the way back we had row 14 - all 3 seats in the row, and each one of us had a different zone - 5, 6, & 7!

But, we do not use the overheads, and also want to be the last people on board, so it didn't matter.

The only thing that did matter was the flight home in row 14 was not a window row. That was kind of a bummer, since it was one of the $15 seat rows (which I didn't pay for anyway through Kayak)

Yeah, isn't that weird! Some of AirTran's rows don't have a window! We were in the very last row one time, and I thought, "at least I can look out the window while I wait to get off the plane". Nope--no window!
 
Wow, is boarding order really that important when you have an assigned seat? :confused3 We usually wait to be some of the last people to get on so we don't have to sit on the plane any longer than necessary. We also make sure that all of our carry-ons fit under the seat in front of us, so overhead space isn't an issue. I guess I just don't see this as a major issue.

We have two small children and two reasonably sized bags of things to keep them occupied on the flight (one goes in the overhead, one under the seat). It is much easier to get on earlier, when you aren't trying to keep from bumping into a flight full of people with a child and/or a bag. If I can get them on the plane and seated as soon as possible, then I avoid inconveniencing anyone. That's why I like to board earlier. Personal preference, I guess.
 
I get irritated when I am in one of the last zones to board (because I like to sit near the front on American) and have no room in the overhead compartment. I get REALLY annoyed when I see someone has put their small item like a briefcase in the overhead and they have nothing under their seat!

I wouldn't have upgraded to business class on AirTran just to be able to board sooner.
 
WHOA?! No window in some rows?! Uh oh!

I paid for seat assignments primarily so that I am sure my little ones have a window to look out. How can I make sure my row actually has a window?!

(I haven't even flown with AirTran yet and I'm already sick of them...:rolleyes1)
 
AT flies 2 different types of planes with different seating configurations, checkout seatguru for any airline
 
Hmmmmm.....

Neither AirTran's own seating charts, nor those shown on seatguru indicate the locations of windows. There seems to be no way to know which rows actually have windows.


Anyone know more about this?
 
I get irritated when I am in one of the last zones to board (because I like to sit near the front on American) and have no room in the overhead compartment. I get REALLY annoyed when I see someone has put their small item like a briefcase in the overhead and they have nothing under their seat!

I wouldn't have upgraded to business class on AirTran just to be able to board sooner.

Boarding sooner was not why I chose to upgrade to business class. I was using a new 22" Vera Bradley rolling duffel as a carry on. No way was that bag going underneath that plane. Twice in the last two years I've had to check my carry on, because there was no available space in the overheads. Not once, but both times my bags disappeared. The first time I never got it back, the second time it took two days for them to find it and when I finally got it back, it was filthy and stained. I moved to seat 12D only after I saw it was a priority seat in zone 1 and had called and confirmed that they would honor it. The fact that I had to waste some A+ rewards credits to upgrade to first class just to guarantee I could take that bag on, then the fact that they wouldn't refund the $15.00 bag fee I had payed earlier that morning was just the icing on the cake.
 
Well, I'm usually an AT cheerleader, but was surprised at what happened when my dh and 2 ds' flew home yesterday after a weekend trip to CA.

They were at LAX, had boarded on the plane for the 11:30 pm departure, when.......everyone was offloaded. Reason: no pilot. Not sure what happened there but obviously the plane wasn't taking off and apparently there was no sub able to be called in.

The Good:
AT handled things well. Vouchers given for hotel stay (Westin or Marriott, thankfully my dh was given Marriott as that is his frequent stay program---he even got hotel points for the AT voucher plus access to the concierge lounge the next morning). AT also gave them $30. worth of add'l food vouchers (which they were able to use in Atl. after landing since they were full earlier from free Marriott breakfast). AT also gave everyone a free r/t ticket voucher which was great considering we used free points to book the trip to begin with!

The entire plane was re-booked to leave the next morning at 9am. Many of the passengers took different flights that were already scheduled for that day so the plane flew home half empty. FWIW, they were booked in row 14 and didn't have the window, but with so many seats open my older ds moved back a row to look out the window.

The Not So Good:
A family going on a cruise did not make it in time.


End: not great that it happened but AT went out of their way to do what they could to make up for the problem.
 
According to seatguru, on Airtran's 737s there are no windows in row 14. On their 717s, the last two rows (30 and 31) do not have windows.
 
This is very interesting. We have a couple of flights booked with the free Kayak seat. Booked in to what is considered "boarding zone 1". I can understand them not providing boarding zone 1 to those that got the seat for free. In the past those front several coach rows were always zone 5, 6 or 7. The front to back window to isle system is what they have used. To think about it though, how many people are really coughing up $15 per seat for the priority zone 1? I am sure if you wait until the 24 hour check in mark to select one of those same seats, you probably also don't get zone 1. So in reality, most of those seats are unassigned until check in and most people sitting in those seats are also boarding in zone 5, 6 or 6. So I don't expect overhead space to be at a minimum for our flight in less than two weeks.
 
I just flew another airline and what I don't get is why people sitting in the back are allowed to but their bag in which ever overhead they choose. I think you should only be allowed to put it in the overhead above your seat. I think it's rude to put it somewhere else if yours is empty.

I totally agree!
 





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