ATL->SFO AirtranU Standby Success?
 

Hi,

Being a student, I'm interested in taking advantage of the Airtran U for trip from ATL -> SFO on November 4th weekend. I have a discounted ticket back from US, so want to use Airtran for the first part of the trip.

I've searched the forum, but can't find any hint to whether this is even feasible. I know being November (holiday month)) will make things difficult. I am available to wait on Thursday and Friday nights, though I know the second is harder to get on.

Thursday and Friday flights: 9AM, 7:30PM, and 9PM. The PM flights still work when searching for 9 seats.

I know 9am would be hard to get on, since they like to overbook those and move people over to the later time flights.

But this is my first time, any insight if this has a good chance?

I would say, as you imply, that Thursday will likely be better than Friday, but it all up to the load. Since its only a week away, you could try to get an idea of what the loads are like this Thursday/Friday as an indication of what you may expect.

Even with coach 'sold out', unless they oversell it, you still have a decent shot at a seat since several people will pay the $129 to upgrade on this flight. That can open several coach seats in the last 24 hours.

So do some research for upcoming flights this week if you can, and try to be there at the minute that they allow AirtranU people to purchase a ticket.

I did it this past Saturday. I booked an 8 credit reward flight on the 9pm flight about 1 month out (only BC reward seats available on the 9am), and used a credit to pay for my wife's seat on the 9am. My plan was to pay the $25 same day change fee that morning. Seating chart showed 27 open seats the night before, so I wasn't worried. Woke up on Saturday and saw only 9 empty seats. Headed to the airport and wasn't able to do the $25 same day change (sold to capacity), only 5 seats showing empty, but could pay $514 for a seat. I went with standby, and 20 minutes out there was still 14 people missing, so I was given a seat. Wife and I returned last night on the red eye, I booked an elite exit row and paid $20 for my wife, plane left full.

The sudden surge in seat assignments was due to passengers not wanting to pay for assigned seating. If you don't pay for assigned seating, 24 hours before the flight you are allowed to check in and choose a seat free of charge.

FL has always been generous in allowing travelers using A+ vouchers one itinerary change free of charge. Has this changed? Did you try working something out with an A+ CSR?

BTW, there used to be a 10:30 AM flight to SFO. In my experience, the 10:30 flight was more popular than the 9:00 flight due to arriving transfer passengers. On more than one occasion, I have arrived at the departing gate for the early flight and found a gate agent trying to recruit passengers from the later flight to travel earlier.

One day is too short for SF.

Glad you enjoyed the trip.

Those changes are probably from one 8 credit available flight to another. Otherwise you could book an 8 credit reward flight and then change it to any other flight you really want, even when there are only 16 credit seats available, or no reward seats available

You are spending way too much time thinking about this

The A+ CSR's can open up closed flights, upgrade you if there is a need and do whatever they can to make you happy.

My experience has been uniformly positive.