Seating on AT thrrough SWA

[tyzzle]

I know it is early in the merging still, but would love to hear anyone's experience flying on Airtran but booking through Southwest, specifically how your seat assignments were on Airtran checking in online

 

[keishashadow]

unless something has changed recently, re my flights booked, was told we won't receive seat assignments on the AT portion of flight booked on SWA site until we arrive at the gate.

 

[LidoDeck]

I just (reluctantly) booked 5 seats on Airtran via Southwest website for BOS to MCO on 6/30/13. I really wanted to get non-stop but fare was $66pp less with one stop.

So I thought I'd be really clever and printed out available seats before booking, figuring that 5 seats would disappear and I'd know where they were assigned. Not so much! Seat availability was exactly the same after I booked as it was before.

Just hoping since it's a party of 5 that they'll all be assigned together. Or better yet, fare on the non-stop will drop and I can change the booking.

 

[keishashadow]

I just (reluctantly) booked 5 seats on Airtran via Southwest website for BOS to MCO on 6/30/13. I really wanted to get non-stop but fare was $66pp less with one stop.

So I thought I'd be really clever and printed out available seats before booking, figuring that 5 seats would disappear and I'd know where they were assigned. Not so much! Seat availability was exactly the same after I booked as it was before.

Just hoping since it's a party of 5 that they'll all be assigned together. Or better yet, fare on the non-stop will drop and I can change the booking.

nice try seats you're seeing as unavailable to book on AT could actually be 'open'. One of the reasons is airlines don't want to give competitors a heads-up on how their fights are selling. Several times when a flight time has changed, we jumped to another flight (thank you AT!). It appeared on website that seats weren't available in the same category that we had previously paid for seat assignments but the reps were able to book us into 'unavailable' seats.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So I thought I'd be really clever and printed out available seats before booking, figuring that 5 seats would disappear and I'd know where they were assigned. Not so much! Seat availability was exactly the same after I booked as it was before.

Seats assigned at gate/check-in means exactly that. The programming doesn't select your seats at purchase but only reveal them when you check in. It assigns your seats at or near flight time - not now.

 

[ccgirl]

I just (reluctantly) booked 5 seats on Airtran via Southwest website for BOS to MCO on 6/30/13. I really wanted to get non-stop but fare was $66pp less with one stop.

So I thought I'd be really clever and printed out available seats before booking, figuring that 5 seats would disappear and I'd know where they were assigned. Not so much! Seat availability was exactly the same after I booked as it was before.

Just hoping since it's a party of 5 that they'll all be assigned together. Or better yet, fare on the non-stop will drop and I can change the booking.

Just curious, why didn't you book on Airtran?

 

[tyzzle]

Just curious, why didn't you book on Airtran?

Now that you can book AT through SWA sometimes the SWA prices are cheaper...also you can use rapid rewards to book AT flights

 

[Cricket2]

Cheaper luggage too if AT is booked on SW. I was told that even if you have a kid in your party and book an AT flight on SW you are not guaranteed to sit together. Multi leg flights are even more complecated if one leg is SW and other is AT if the AT is the first leg.

 

[maxiesmom]

Cheaper luggage too if AT is booked on SW. I was told that even if you have a kid in your party and book an AT flight on SW you are not guaranteed to sit together. Multi leg flights are even more complecated if one leg is SW and other is AT if the AT is the first leg.

Does AT still show a fee for advance seat assignments? If so, then I wouldn't fly with small children without paying that fee.

 

[Cricket2]

The problem is, AT doesn't show you anything because it's SW booking an AT flight on your behalf where seating is done at the gate.

 

[tyzzle]

The problem is, AT doesn't show you anything because it's SW booking an AT flight on your behalf where seating is done at the gate.

Yep, this is why I will probably just bite the bullet and book with AT but was hoping to hear others experience first

 

[keishashadow]

The problem is, AT doesn't show you anything because it's SW booking an AT flight on your behalf where seating is done at the gate.

I've been told by both AT & SWA supervisors that 'they are working on it' as to this situation. Hard to imagine that 'sombody' isn't willing to take customer's money to buy a seat assignment.

Not holding my breath that this will be resolved by the time the booking window opens for my next round of purchases either (1/14 flights).

 

[Lewisc]

I've been told by both AT & SWA supervisors that 'they are working on it' as to this situation. Hard to imagine that 'sombody' isn't willing to take customer's money to buy a seat assignment.

Not holding my breath that this will be resolved by the time the booking window opens for my next round of purchases either (1/14 flights).

Nothing to work on. Southwest has decided the policies of the marketing carrier apply to your itinerary. Book through the Southwest website and you don't pay to check bags, no change fee and no advanced seat assignment. Book through the Airtran website and you get AT policies including the ability to pay for advanced seat assignments.

Maybe they're working on something like EBCI. Pay extra and you'll get your seats assigned at T-24.

I can't see Southwest spending any money since the systems will be integrated in a year or so.

 

[keishashadow]

Nothing to work on. Southwest has decided the policies of the marketing carrier apply to your itinerary. Book through the Southwest website and you don't pay to check bags, no change fee and no advanced seat assignment. Book through the Airtran website and you get AT policies including the ability to pay for advanced seat assignments.

Maybe they're working on something like EBCI. Pay extra and you'll get your seats assigned at T-24.

I can't see Southwest spending any money since the systems will be integrated in a year or so.

It's a given if they can churn a buck to easily sell a seat via tweaking the system before the final version they will 'fix it'. Many passengers would welcome paying the extra fees = a win, win.

If assignments tend to split up familes booked via this new method on AT flights (who are accustomed to the small child preboard system on SWA) I'm sure we'll hear about it here at great length.

 

[ccgirl]

Now that you can book AT through SWA sometimes the SWA prices are cheaper...also you can use rapid rewards to book AT flights

Did not know that. Thank you.

 

[Lewisc]

It's a given if they can churn a buck to easily sell a seat via tweaking the system before the final version they will 'fix it'. Many passengers would welcome paying the extra fees = a win, win.

If assignments tend to split up familes booked via this new method on AT flights (who are accustomed to the small child preboard system on SWA) I'm sure we'll hear about it here at great length.

Give passengers a way to pay for an assigned seat while booking on SWs website and knowledgeable customers won't be booking on AT's site. Avoid change fees and fees for checked bags.

Accepting money for seat advanced seat assignment will be offset by decreased revenue from checked bags and change fees.

A comprise would be to let passengers pay for an assigned seat at T-24. I can't see Southwest spending the money to add that option for only a few months.

 

[Cricket2]

From what I was told by 2 agents and a supervisor (who was sort of snotty) there is no intent of "fixing" the current booking situation because they don't think it's broken. I get the feeling SW employees aren't too keen on the AT situation.