Trip Reports - AirTran to Atlanta

Okay, not many reports on AirTran, the Valued Jet of the Sky, but I'm going to submit one. I'm going Business Class to Atlanta from IAD tmrw and back the same day. I'll give y'all my thoughts on AirTran. We're not doing UAL because it's $600 more and they're not terribly reliable right now.

AirTran going to Atlanta is a sensible option in the East Coast from many cities. Otherwise there's the Delta option with bonus miles on UA but in view of the economics we're going AirTran. I'll let you know how it goes...

Richard, I am looking forward to reading your report. I have never flown AirTran but I recently purchase tickets for my parents on AirTran for PHL-ATL-MSY-ATL-PHL in Nov. I went the AirTran route for economics also.

Jay

I too am looking forward to your trip report. I think they are like KE...everyone gives them a reputation despite never actually trying on them...just heresay, etc.

Enjoy your trip.

We arrived at IAD around 6:15am and drowsed our way through security. We found the "mobile lounge" to the C gate and tottered in for the fun trek across.

Lots of construction at Dulles now, I'm not sure everything that they're doing but I believe it's another terminal, expansion, and a subway, anyone know for sure?

At the C terminal we made a right turn past the AA gates and all the way to the end where AirTran has their gate. We gave our tix to the agent and she issued us thermal printed receipt-style papers including:

1 receipt for their frequent flyer program
2 drink coupons
1 boarding pass

We had "A" tix which under AirTran I believe are full fare business class tix.

I was hoping for a 717 but got another ratty old DC9-30 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

The seats are what would have passed for standard coach seats not too long ago (pity the folks in back) with extra pitch. There was a pre-flight offer of drinks, which was nice. For alcoholic drinks you give up one of your coupons, otherwise they are free.

The door was closed and we taxied to the runway where we were shunted aside due to flow control in Atlanta. Soon however we got the go-ahead and had a smooth takeoff and ascent.

The in-flight service was quite good actually. They served us a few little carbo snacks which I didn't eat, and came by for drink orders frequently.

Landing was a bit hard (I'm sure there is a reason that these planes seem to put down pretty hard, I've noticed it before) and we taxied in and the flight was over.

AirTran of course has a hub in Atlanta and they have quite a few gates there, and as you know there is the tedious trip down the escalators to the train to the terminal area. Some love it, I hate Hartsfield. AirTran though was on time and quite satisfactory.

The flight back was overbooked. Volunteers were offered a business class seat on the next flight out in 2 hours, a free ticket on AirTran anywhere, and a dinner voucher. Everyone boarded efficiently, there were two pre-flight drink offers, and we departed.

The flight back was smooth and the service very good in business class. The same seats, this time in leather or perhaps naugahyde, I'm not sure, but they were better than the coach seats. My seat was in the back and didn't recline at all http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif These planes don't have a forward restroom either.

Landing was the same pronounced bump, but otherwise everything was smooth and efficient. I'd fly AirTran again (I have before) and unlike UA who cancelled one flight that day, AirTran was on time and what you (used to) expect.

I have flown AT many time, and mostly with good results. My problem is typically number of flights and having to go thru Atlanta to go anywhere. But if Atlanta is where you're going, or between you and where you're going, it's a very good option.

I haven't hit one of the new planes yet either..

I was scheduled to fly a FL 717 @ 1115 today from MYR-ATL, but knew weeks ago that I wasn't gonna make it. This morning, @ 0540 PDT, I received a call (voice-mail p/u) from FL in MYR telling me that my flight was canceled and that I had been rebooked on the 1525 departure to ATL. This was also a 717, as is all scheduled service between the two cities. Just checked to see if this flight operated on time, out of curiosity. Tried trip.com, but their website is experiencing technical difficulties, so I call FL toll-free res. The flt was airborne @ 1538 and is due into ATL on-time at 1640, which is actually right now. Wish I had been able to make it, b/c I've heard good things about that airplane. And a few extra hours in MYR wouldn't have suited me just fine.

richard,

Glad to hear that your FL flts were overall satisfactory to good, even if you did have to fly on two, as you stated, ratty DC9s.

You say you hate ATL; how much better is IAD? I flew in/out of there twice ('96 &'98), and while not in dislike of the system there, found it to be less efficient than ATL in both instances. It didn't help that both times there was terminal construction ongoing. Has it improved since the completion of the new concourse, which was very much underway last time I passed through?

Even with the recently announced $3.4B Capital Improvement Plan at IAD, it will still be several years before they complete the underground APM system and moving sidewalks connecting the concourses, something put in place @ ATL at the outset. Relying on the PlaneMates for transport form the terminal to concourses cannot be considered more convenient than the ATL APM system. IADs terminal is as wide as ATLs North/South Terminal Bldg is deep. But ATL overall is more than twice the size of IADs present terminal/concourse complex.

I am just curious to find out what is so much better about IAD than ATL, that's all, if you even think this to be the case.

Sorry for the ATL dig. All large airports have their problems. LAX and ATL represent for instance two completely different approaches: LAX has decentralized parking and terminals, and ATL has centralized everything. I happen to like LAX better. Dulles falls into the ATL camp but without the ATL infrastructure.

But, I find that I can go to a "mobile lounge" and go directly to the terminal I need to be at. With Hartsfield, I have to go in a straight line and it seems to take longer, involves up and down escalators, etc. I just don't feel as comfie in ATL as I do with Dulles.

I used to love Dulles until UAL increased their presence there a few years ago.

richard,

No apology necessary. I just wanted you to expand on your comments, that's all.

If you like IAD less today than a decade ago, before UA, then wait until around 2005, when the place is almost twice the size it is today, and the lovely PlaneMates will be replaced with a APM system ala ATL with stops at each concourse. But, they will one-up ATL by having a separate APM for those needing to go between the midfield concourses and Int'l Arrivals Bldg. That's smart! Thumbs up to whoever came up with that one.

One drawback to using PlaneMates in a manner such as IAD is that they are out there driving around on the ramp along with a/c support vehicles, fuel trucks, and a/c themselves. If that were the process @ ATL, I guarantee there'd be near misses every day of the week. Just too much movement in/around the ramps. Also, it does take time to raise and lower the lounge itself from the concourse level to the ramp level for transit. I can see how ATL would seem less comfy than IAD, because it is a huge complex, but that's one of the things I love about it!

For me, all the flts and pax there underscore the fact of how efficiently the place operates. Just talking sheer numbers, and not without some headaches and inconveniences, but the place functions like clockwork every day. 2600 operations and 230K pax on an average day. Wow!

LAX was basically built with separate terminals in a U-shaped pattern. Until recently, it was not a very connecting passenger friendly airport, and I'm only speaking of UA's newly refurbished and expanded T7 & T8 project. DL is all in T5, except for the first 2-gates on T6, but I cannot consider their present ops there major. AA is just now improving their facility to the standards of the others on their side of LAX. T1-T3 are a whole different story.

The problem with their design is that you have all sorts of hotel shuttles, parking shuttles, rental car shuttles all jockeying for position with tons and tons of private vehicles, especially on the lower Arrivals level.

One of the few things that makes LAX one of my favorites is the mix of carriers operating there, especially those Int'l carriers flying the big boys in/out all day. Another is the location, with departures instantly heading out over the Pacific. The airport itself doesn't impress me. But with the south side terminals looking fresh and new, and LAX finally putting some money into beautification projects, they may win me over yet.