I'll Fly With You
Written: Nov 21 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap fares, easy upgrades
Cons: Cramped seats, no meal service
The Bottom Line: Competitive fares and ease of connections make this an airline that I will fly again.
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| friskycelery's Full Review: Air Tran |
How I ended up on Air Tran
I live in southeast Michigan, and I fly out of the regional airport in Flint whenever possible. Recently, I wanted to go to Myrtle Beach. Well, actually I wanted to go to Wilmington, NC, but you really can't get there from here, and it ain't easy to get to Myrtle Beach, either.
Spirit Airline (who??) flys to Myrtle Beach from Detroit, but with a very limited schedule. Northworst (oops, Northwest), my absolutely least favorite airline, flys to Myrtle Beach from Flint, but you not only change planes in Detroit, they route you through Newark. That doesn't sound like a fun trip. Now that USAir has abandoned Flint, that left Air Tran.
I admit I was a tad leery of flying Air Tran. This is the airline that used to be ValuJet. ValuJet experienced one of the worst air tragedies not attributable to an act of terrorism when one of their planes burst into flames from improperly loaded cargo, and crashed in a Florida swamp.
However, common sense, and my inate cheapness, won out. After all, which airline is most likely to get extra attention from FAA inspectors - one that has never had a violation, or one that has had its fiery crash plastered all over CNN? The FAA deems Air Tran airworthy, and that's good enough for me.
Prices
Air Tran prices are very competitive. On this particular route they were about $100 cheaper, with much better connections, than anyone else. They also have some nice options: you can upgrade to business class at check in for $25 per segment. Impecunious student? You can fly stand by for $52 per segment - though Air Tran fares are so low this may not be your best deal.
The Flight
Air Tran flies mainly 717s and older DC9s. The 717 is a fairly comfortable aircraft, even back in cattle class. However, they cram so many seats into the DC9 that it may be worth your while to upgrade to business class. There is less than eleven inches between the front of your seat cushion and the back of the seat in front of you in the DC9. This is tight accommodations. I saw one rather hefty (but not fat) young man not be able to exit his seat without pulling up the armrest.
Almost all Air Tran flights connect in Atlanta, and all Air Tran flights arrive and depart from concourse C in Atlanta, making connections a breeze. Air Tran doesn't serve meals en route, but since most flights are under two hours, this is no great hardship. (And who really misses the cardboard chicken anyhow?)
The Quibbles
There are a couple of things I don't like about Air Tran. First is that they do not provide you with a paper ticket, and their tickets are not assignable to another airline. This can be a problem if they have equipment problems at a particular airport. You can end up stuck.
My second quibble is that their gate agents are not familiar with the aircraft that Air Tran flies. You may be given the same seat number on two flights, but if one aircraft is a 717, and the other is a DC9, the seats will be very different.
This was my first flight on Air Tran, but it won't be the last. They have proven themselves to be a good, low cost provider.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
friskycelery
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Location: Holly, MI
Reviews written: 98
Trusted by: 47 members
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