<p>I haven’t been paying too much attention to this, have only noticed that when I check in for flights lately the signage at the check in area is for both airlines, and I know they are merging. But today I was booking flights and it sort of hit home. Here is what I am thinking:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Southwest is pretty much my favorite airline. I love the open boarding, good fares, easy to use rewards program w/ no blackout date, use of the smaller and less crowded terminal in my city, free bag check, that they don’t block the aisle with those beverage carts so I can get to the restroom, and the occasional presence of Cheese Nips in addition to peanuts. :D</p></li>
<li><p>AirTran is my least favorite airline ever. I flew them a couple of times several years ago and it was a complete cattle call. Horrible lines, rude staff, flight delays, very crowded boarding areas – ick.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>When I went to book flights on Southwest today for spring break, several of the flights or legs of flights available said, “Operated by AirTran”. Well… I sure wasn’t going to pick those flights given my past AirTran experiences. So I booked us on “pure Southwest” legs all the way.</p>
<p>So my question for the future is whether anyone has flown an AirTran flight or leg booked through Southwest lately. How was it? Have they incorporated Southwest’s benefits into the AirTran world?</p>
<p>Intparent…so funny. My SIL flies AirTran and she hates SW. With AirTran she gets an assigned seat. She really likes that. She says their FF program is easier to use.</p>
<p>I personally love Southwest…but if I were booking though SW, I would go for convenience and not fret over whether it was AirTran…or not.</p>
<p>From reading the link, it sounds more like Southwest bought Air Tran than a merger between two companies. I too am a big SW fan, and will pay a few dollars more for SW over other airlines. Here’s hoping this means more routes and planes with the SW attitude and branding!</p>
<p>I’ve flown AirTran only once but it wasn’t a bad experience. </p>
<p>I’ve noticed something in recent SW flights though - they have consolidated flights to make sure that the planes are full. In other words, some flights were in effect cancelled, and patrons put on other flights without there being an announcement of cancellation. The result for me was delays and also having to get off a plane I was supposed to be able to stay on. Beware of that. I paid more and left later for what should have been a direct flight and it was changed at the midpoint anyway.</p>
<p>Yeah… the last time I flew AirTran I ended up in a line of hundreds of people (literally) at about 6:30 am. Very stressful… in the end they came through the line looking for people on our flight and pulled us out so we would make the flight, but it was just a wretched experience. Moo…</p>
<p>I just read the merger link and FAQs, too. There is no mention of the Cheese Nips… more importantly, it does sound like the “integration” is mostly about booking flights on the same site, sharing a check in space, waving bag fees IF one of your legs is SW, and combining rewards programs. Seriously, I am sticking with my SW legs, glad I didn’t fall for the AirTran possibilities!</p>
<p>Agree that every SW flight I have flown lately except one has been completely full. I haven’t been moved around once at the airport or had delays though. I used to have a lot of problems with that when I flew Delta more (book a flight, get an email or two or three afterwards telling me my flight was changed). But we got into the SW habit during our college visiting process, and haven’t looked back. It is almost (almost!) fun to fly with them sometimes.</p>
<p>I don’t believe AirTran is doing free bags, the most important part of flying SW.</p>
<p>AT also has one main hub while SW is very spread out in terms of strong bases in multiple cities. So when I want to go to SF from Houston, it gives me choices pretty much via Atlanta. The connections work out well if I want to go somewhere on east coast.</p>
<p>Funny…three weeks ago I flew a SW flight and there were 33 paid passengers! When the boarding person made the announcement, she quipped that EVERYONE had an A boarding pass. I was less than thrilled that I had paid for an A boarding pass!</p>
<p>I had an Airtran flight this summer. Because I booked through the SW website, there were no baggage fees, but seats for SW passengers are not assigned until you check in 24 hrs ahead, so the 4 of us were not seated together. I try not to do Airtran flights, but it was the only direct flight home at the time we wanted to fly. I usually have my own snacks on the plane so I am not bothered by airline choice of snacks!</p>
<p>We booked a flight on SWA from Ft. Lauderdale to Atlanta. The reservation informed me that it was an Airtran flight. The Airtran information mentioned baggage fees so we were ready to pay another $105. Fortunately, they didn’t charge baggage fees since the reservations were through SWA.:)</p>
<p>I had the same experience with Airtran as some of you. Arrived in plenty of time to make a flight. Was in a “line” for check in and being herded through when they announced our flight was leaving… Nobody came through to get us so we missed it. It took us all day to get home and made my D late for her first day of a new job.</p>
<p>Won’t fly them again unless I have no choice. It would benefit Southwest to get Airtran on board, so to speak, with better service and dependability so that SW doesn’t start to suffer from guilt by association.</p>
<p>I am flying to Atlanta next week, booked through Southwest, but it is run through AirTran. I am so nervous! I fly Business Select, to get maximum points, and I don’t know if I’ll get free bags or not. I did call Southwest and ask about the seats, and I was told I would be assigned a seat when I check in. The agent did tell me that I could go to the gate and request a seat change if I wanted. For instance, I prefer a window seat. I was really calling to see if there was a preference option on my Rewards account, like I have for high floor on my hotel accounts. The agent could not find one, so I’m hoping for an assigned window seat. I’m curious to see what the difference in seats will be for Business Select, Anytime, or Wanna Get Away purchasers. Has anyone booked through Southwest using one of these fares, but the flight operated through AirTran? I’ve always liked how Southwest treats everyone the same, just your place in line is different, and I’m wondering if AirTran has the old time class distinction that you used to see in the sixties and seventies. I’m also used to flying 737’s, and one of my legs will be a 717, so I’m nervous about carryon size. Since I’m flying direct, I think I am actually going to check a bag, though I’m only staying two nights, because I’m coming from a warm city (New Orleans) to Atlanta, and I don’t know what the difference in temps will be.</p>
<p>It said right on my confirmation e-mail that the first 2 checked bags were free, but to check in/check bags you would go to the Airtran counter.</p>
<p>Somewhere in the FAQs I read that if even one of your legs on your trip is SW, then your bags “fly free”. I still can’t imagine two airlines with more different service philosophies and flying experiences merging…</p>
<p>At our local terminal, the AirTran and SW counters for check-in have merged into one. You get in the same line for both airlines. They have the signs for both right next to each other on the wall behind them. They may not have done this everyplace yet, though.</p>
<p>As I live in ATL, we fly Airtran with some regularity and rarely have complaints. I think the purchase of Airtran has led to higher airfare out of ATL – I think Airtran had better rates than SW. However, airfare is going up nationwide, so it might be hard to prove my thesis.</p>
<p>What I will like about SW, is the ability to change tickets with no penalty. That will be great.</p>
<p>The no change penalty is the reason I fly Southwest. The merger is great for me in that I can now fly to Atlanta without fear of change penalties. I don’t know that the NOLA concourse has changed signage, but it’s not a big airport and service agents are very helpful, so I’ll make sure I get there early enough to ask.</p>
I still can’t imagine two airlines with more different service philosophies and flying experiences merging…</p>