When I flew through Atlanta often, I has to remember the different rules and expectations for each airline. I am WN CP A++ and was Airtran Elite.

At least once I was caught when the tram locked up with the door open. After a few minutes, I decided that foot power beat the Hartsfield maintenance teams. I made it to the Airtran gate about 10 minutes before departure - but they were closing the doors and would not open them for naught.

Having previously flown WN all over the country, I thought that the WN policy of closing the doors after all connecting pax arrived (sometimes even locking the doors late) would carry over to Airtran. Nope.

As often as you fly, you understand that some WN terminals need 45 minutes to load a plane, and adjust accordingly. LGA couldn't have made a 10 minute turn back in the 70's and 80's if the unions agreed to it.

I would chalk it up to 1.) Hartsfield Jackson attitudes, 2.) Airtran GA putting you in your place and 3.) the wonders of the WN IT dept.

When you call CS, be sure you mull over it first to get your bile up, then roast the GA rather than the CS babe.

That this happens there is no doubt. That it is excusable is not acceptable.