AirTran Airways A+ Rewards - AJC: AirTran adopts Southwest policy for large passengers

Here's the link to the article in the Atlanta fishwrap:

Atlanta Journal Constitution:
AirTran adopts Southwest policy for large passengers
(11:58 a.m. Wednesday, October 12, 2011) (http://www.ajc.com/business/airtran-adopts-southwest-policy-1198871.html)

"From March 1, AirTran will require the purchase of more than one seat for a passenger who "in the carrier's sole discretion, encroaches on an adjacent seat and/or is unable to sit in a single seat with the armrest lowered," according to the AirTran contract of carriage."

Should bring a nice little revenue bump.

Along with that excess baggage increase from $50 to $110 per item each way, beginning next April.

Get tough. Police baggy pants, child's temper tantrums, hijab styles, smelly fast-food, prayers in a foreign language and same-sex kissing.

about time. i just hope they enforce it. i think the rule should be extended to hair too: if you can't keep your hair within the confines of your seat, buy another one.

Long overdue. I was in BC some months ago, the guy next to me must have been 400 lbs. plus. Even in BC I was getting squeezed into my seat by his size. He belonged in Coach, in two seats.

Long overdue.

A WN policy that you actually approve of?

Not entirely unexpected, of course.

This article is the first I've heard about the possibility of WN retaining AirTran as a separate operating unit. If that happens, there will be a lot of VERY happy AirTran fans out there.

Personally, I had hoped that WN would maintain AirTran as a separate entity but adopt some of the WN policies that i prefer, such as the COS policy and no fees policy, while keeping the AirTran aircraft equipped with business class seating and wi-fi. I like WN's open seating, but I'm not married to it, and I'd switch to AirTran and assigned seating in a heartbeat if I could get a business-class seat for a reasonable extra cost. I'm not big enough to need a second seat on WN, but I'm 6'-4" tall and at one time I topped out at 300lb (before going on a diet and dropping down to 260lb), so I can sure use any extra space on an aircraft that I can get.

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2011/10/airtran-southwest-customer-of-size/553197/1

Moving Thread to Air Tran Forum.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

IF Southwest does operate AT as a separatae entity you do realize that it will only be until it can be closed.

It appears elite AT folks would like their cake and eat it too - keep seats, adopt WN's more friendly policies (free bags, COS, etc.)

:rolleyes:

Well our days are now officially done on AirTran. We actually just purchased the first half of our flights for next May three days ago on AirTran. After this policy change announcement, we bought our return flights on Delta.

My wife and I are what could be considered COS. We try to fly itineraries where 717s are used. This allows us to fly on the two side of the plane without causing any issues for other fliers. With this policy change, the counter agent checking us in could look at us and say "Your too fat, you must purchase another seat" or two, who knows. Remember, the policy is subjective and in the airlines sole discretion.

In the event we are in a row with three seats, it isn't fun. Trust me, a COS doesn't like sitting beside a skinny person any more than a skinny person likes sitting beside a COS. We must cram and squeeze in two two seats to put the armrest down. It isn't fun, it isn't comfortable, and we are in pain pretty much 100% of the trip. We make it work so we don't infringe upon the person beside us. We don't want to touch skinny people any more than skinny people don't want to touch us.

The problem is that if one family member is larger than the other, they could consider that the larger family member can't infringe upon the smaller one's seat even if they don't need the whole thing. Just like a COS sitting beside their young child. They could make that person buy an extra seat. Bull crap. If you are infringing upon a family member and they don't care it shouldn't be an issue. If it is an issue for the airline, it isn't about anything more than selling more seats.

Sure we could buy a second seat that we could put between us, but with the SW policy and cattle call seating, two people together may not get to sit together in a row of three seats with an empty one in between. So it would require two extra tickets when really only one is needed.

We had pretty much already determined we wouldn't be flying SW/AirTran once the airlines were fully integrated. This just accelerated that much more quickly.

Well our days are now officially done on AirTran. We actually just purchased the first half of our flights for next May three days ago on AirTran. After this policy change announcement, we bought our return flights on Delta.

My wife and I are what could be considered COS. We try to fly itineraries where 717s are used. This allows us to fly on the two side of the plane without causing any issues for other fliers. With this policy change, the counter agent checking us in could look at us and say "Your too fat, you must purchase another seat" or two, who knows. Remember, the policy is subjective and in the airlines sole discretion.

In the event we are in a row with three seats, it isn't fun. Trust me, a COS doesn't like sitting beside a skinny person any more than a skinny person likes sitting beside a COS. We must cram and squeeze in two two seats to put the armrest down. It isn't fun, it isn't comfortable, and we are in pain pretty much 100% of the trip. We make it work so we don't infringe upon the person beside us. We don't want to touch skinny people any more than skinny people don't want to touch us.

The problem is that if one family member is larger than the other, they could consider that the larger family member can't infringe upon the smaller one's seat even if they don't need the whole thing. Just like a COS sitting beside their young child. They could make that person buy an extra seat. Bull crap. If you are infringing upon a family member and they don't care it shouldn't be an issue. If it is an issue for the airline, it isn't about anything more than selling more seats.

Sure we could buy a second seat that we could put between us, but with the SW policy and cattle call seating, two people together may not get to sit together in a row of three seats with an empty one in between. So it would require two extra tickets when really only one is needed.

We had pretty much already determined we wouldn't be flying SW/AirTran once the airlines were fully integrated. This just accelerated that much more quickly.

I was a COS. WN allows preboards for COS's to allow them to avoid just the problem you describe: open seating preventing getting the open seat next to them. Your companion would be allowed to board with you. I don't think you would have the hassle you are worried about. You get a "seat holder" printed to place on your seat so no one tries to take that seat. I think just one extra seat would be needed.

I'm very excited by this - currently I drive past an AirTran serviced airport 30 minutes from my house to get to a Southwest serviced airport 2 and a half hours away because of SW's Customer of Size policy. This cuts down on a ton of travel time for me (at least for now - who knows if SW will continue to operate out of the close airport once the integration is complete).

I read on another thread they are adopting WN's carryon policies too. When will they adopt the free baggage and no change fee policies????????

I read on another thread they are adopting WN's carryon policies too. When will they adopt the free baggage and no change fee policies????????

They are adopting the smaller size carryon policies. It is in their new contract of carriage. Doubt they will go with the free baggage policy though.

I read on another thread they are adopting WN's carryon policies too. When will they adopt the free baggage and no change fee policies????????

Do you want Airtran to adopt Southwest higher fares too? :td: That is what you are going to get if and when the bag fees go away. One way or another, you will pay bag fees. I would rather only pay the bag fee IF I am checking in a bag...not have it already "rolled" into my ticket price.

IF Southwest does operate AT as a separatae entity you do realize that it will only be until it can be closed.

It appears elite AT folks would like their cake and eat it too - keep seats, adopt WN's more friendly policies (free bags, COS, etc.)

:rolleyes:

Airtran Elites already get free bags....

Should bring a nice little revenue bump.

Along with that excess baggage increase from $50 to $110 per item each way, beginning next April.

Get tough. Police baggy pants, child's temper tantrums, hijab styles, smelly fast-food, prayers in a foreign language and same-sex kissing.

Excess bag fee is already $50.00 and will remain $50.00 in April for the 3rd-9th bag.......$110.00 fee starts with the 10th bag. I am sure most people will not have to worry about that increase.

Should bring a nice little revenue bump.

Along with that excess baggage increase from $50 to $110 per item each way, beginning next April.

Get tough. Police baggy pants, child's temper tantrums, hijab styles, smelly fast-food, prayers in a foreign language and same-sex kissing.

Sounds good to me ;)

Excess bag fee is already $50.00 and will remain $50.00 in April for the 3rd-9th bag.......$110.00 fee starts with the 10th bag. I am sure most people will not have to worry about that increase.

I think it is in the interpereation:


Excess Baggage Fee: The third through ninth bags not in excess of 62 inches (outside length plus height plus width) and 50 pounds or less will be accepted for a charge of $50 per item One-way. Effective April 10, 2012 each additional excess item checked thereafter will be accepted for a charge of $110 per item One-way.

An excess bag is the 2nd through 9th. Effective April 10, 2012, fees for those will be $110.

I think it is in the interpereation:
An excess bag is the 2nd through 9th. Effective April 10, 2012, fees for those will be $110.

Excess Baggage
The excess baggage charge, for other than sporting equipment, will be $50 for each piece after the first two bags. Additional charges are applicable for bags exceeding the weight and size limits. Effective April 10, 2012, your 3rd through 9th checked bag will incur a charge of $50 per piece and any bag or item thereafter will be $110 per piece.

This is on the website, not sure where yours came from, but the website is pretty clear.

Excess Baggage
The excess baggage charge, for other than sporting equipment, will be $50 for each piece after the first two bags. Additional charges are applicable for bags exceeding the weight and size limits. Effective April 10, 2012, your 3rd through 9th checked bag will incur a charge of $50 per piece and any bag or item thereafter will be $110 per piece.

This is on the website, not sure where yours came from, but the website is pretty clear.

The website is much more clear. Mine was taken from the Contract of Carriage.

Similar story on the front page of this morning's Orlando Sentinel: AirTran (based here in Orlando) is adopting WN's customer-of-size policy. An AirTran spokeswoman told the newspaper that AirTran already had an informal policy, but it will now be written into the CoC like WN.

The story is pegged to an overweight University of Central Florida student who flew WN and was embarrassed to have to buy a second seat. But the meat of the story is the harmonization of AirTran's and WN's fat policies.

Orlando Sentinel: AirTran, Southwest defend policies on 'customers of size' (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-southwest-customer-of-size-20111020,0,1889189.story)