Ah, 1992. The year Bill Clinton became President of the United States, the Summer Olympics were held in Barcelona, and AirTran was founded in Atlanta. This big year in the 20th century paved the way for AirTran Airways to reach over 95 different international destinations presently, and they offer a pretty killer cup of coffee to boot. Today the company is a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines and has received awards such as the Top-Ranked Airline by the annual Airline Quality Rating (AQR) study. So put on your sweatpants and get ready to enjoy the ride, AirTran is ready for action.
A+ Rewards
This isn’t the “gold star” of your elementary school years, this is the bona fide A+ Rewards program. Sign up and earn miles on your AirTran reservations that can be used toward receiving free flights, upgrading your current seat, renting a car, or securing buddy passes for your friend. Or give some miles to that guy at work who keeps hounding you about using your points to go see his mom. With major hubs in Atlanta and Milwaukee, you won’t even care if Joe from the office comes with you, as long as you get to fly in AirTran airlines’ business class.
There’s No Grade for Booking
Just do it. You can give yourself an A for effort if it really makes you feel better. Now that that’s settled, click through our huge selection of flights! You can even click through personalized recommendations and make AirTran reservations on your mobile phone. So get started and hunt down our deals and discounts to find the one that’s right for you. You’ll be flying high before you know it.
AirTran Reservations
You may or may not have heard the news about AirTran Airlines being absorbed by Southwest Airlines. The budget-friendly AirTran has been operating under the umbrella of Southwest for years. In December of 2014, the last AirTran flight retraced the route of the airline’s inaugural trip from Atlanta to Tampa. As of December 28, 2014, AirTran ceased to exist. Since then, the airline has been a thing of the past, like smoking on flights or wearing fedoras in the airport. All previously booked AirTran reservations and tickets were transferred to Southwest.
Luckily for you, AirTran’s great deals on low-cost airfare didn’t cease to exist, too. You’ll find similar prices on Southwest for all of your favorite routes that you took on AirTran flights. You might not notice any real change except that the flight attendants will have on a different uniform, and some have been known to sing a nice little ditty as you’re buckling up. It is still just as easy to make reservations and get information as it was before, you just do so with Southwest. AirTran had a great run, or, flight. Now its loyal customers have access to more routes that are just as affordable with Southwest.
AirTran Baggage Fees
Since AirTran is officially Southwest Airlines, all processes and policies are now those of Southwest, too. Anything you may find regarding AirTran baggage information is dated and considered to be inaccurate. Refer to Southwest for AirTran baggage fees, luggage restrictions, and other rules and regulations.
One of the reasons Southwest is so appealing to travelers is the fact that they do not charge a fee for the first two checked bags. Flying is expensive enough as it is, even on a budget-friendly airline like Southwest. Any time that you can save a few dollars, consider it a bonus! Plus, you’d rather spend some of that money on adult beverages during the flight, right? Keep the weight under 50 pounds per bag and you are good to go.
Carry-on baggage is limited to one small suitcase and an additional personal item like a purse or backpack. Just make sure the latter is small enough to fit under the seat in front of you—no one likes the bin hog who takes up too much overhead luggage space. Check with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to find out what you can and can’t bring through security. That list changes more often than Katy Perry’s hair color.
AirTran Pet Policy
As with everything else, AirTran’s pet policy is now under the umbrella of Southwest Airlines. The now defunct AirTran pet rules were basically the same as what Southwest now offers. So, don’t forget to pack Fido’s bone; he’s coming on the trip with you!
Two distinct categories of animal restrictions are in place: family pets and service animals. As you might think, there are more rules than there is room on this page to show. Here are some of the highlights, though.
Assistance or emotional-support animals like a guide dog are able to fly on the lap or at the feet of the owner, provided that the animal is not too large. If you have Marmaduke to help you calm your nerves, you better make friends with your row-mates. He is going to have to remain out of the center aisle.
Family pets such as dogs and cats can fly on all domestic flights. They must be kept in approved pet carriers and stored under the seat in front of you. Your pet also counts as one of your personal items, so keep that in mind as you are packing. You might have to put your socks and underwear in with Mittens to save on space. For more detailed information, right meow may be a good time to refer to the Southwest website.
AirTran Rewards Program
Most of the transition as AirTran was acquired by Southwest Airlines was smooth and direct. The AirTran rewards program was one area where the change was not as easily made. The difference is the way that AirTran A+ Rewards® credits are converted into Southwest Rapid Rewards® points. As AirTran miles accumulated, they were counted as credits. If you had unused A+ credits after AirTran’s dissolution, fear not. You didn’t have to use them for one last globetrot or else they would be left in the dust like a vapor trail behind a 747. At the end of 2014, Southwest automatically opened a Rapid Rewards® account under your name and rolled all of your A+ credits into Rapid Reward points.
Long story short, you are now in an amazing frequent flyer program and you didn’t even have to hassle with enrolling. All of the information on your AirTran account was permanently linked to your new Southwest membership.
With Rapid Rewards®, you earn points based on the cost of the ticket, not the distance travelled. Plus, you can save on purchases with Southwest’s partners and accumulate points for yourself in the process. You can also earn points with a Rapid Rewards® credits card. So, rent that car, book that hotel room, buy that dress, and get rewarded!
AirTran Seat Information
Since AirTran’s acquisition by Southwest in December of 2014, one major difference to note between the airlines is the boarding process. AirTran seating was offered in two classes, business and coach, as is Southwest’s. However, AirTran assigned seats whereas Southwest does not. Instead of purchasing a first-class seat like AirTran passengers did, Southwest business-class flyers are awarded priority boarding. And the way planes are boarded is like night and day.
AirTran used a rotating zone method with business class going first, followed by the last five rows of the plane, then the first five rows of coach, then the second to the last five rows, and so on, working toward the center. What seems like a chaotic cacophony actually can work into a well-orchestrated ballet. Those who had the routine down will have to learn a new dance with Southwest, though. With no seat assignments and a random boarding pattern, seats are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Higher priority boarding zone passes get first dibs on the good seats. Pro tip: Print your boarding pass early to get a higher priority zone. Then wear a Slayer shirt so no one will want to sit by you. Works every time.
Similar to AirTran, Southwest offers upgrades from economy to business or first class for added leg room and more personal attention from the flight attendants. AirTran upgrades were more costly than Southwest’s are, so, converts will have enough scratch left over to buy some extra rounds of adult beverages.