All About Kimberly

Sailing Along the Life of Single Parenthood

Tag Archives: flying

Attention Travelers: AirTran Checked Bag Policy Change

I love AirTran prices and have used them to return home from Disney each time. I just stumbled upon this information and thought I’d share it with everyone else. (For me, it’s bad news):

Effective May 15, 2008 — The charge for a second checked bag will be $10.  For each fare-paying customer, AirTran Airways will allow one (1) checked piece free of charge, with size and weight limitations.

The excess baggage charge, for other than sporting equipment, will be $50.00 for each piece after the first 2 bags. Additional charges are applicable for bags exceeding the weight and size limits.

Source: AirTran Website

We almost always have more than one bag each so I hate to hear this. I’m glad our next trip is at least in August so that we will have shorts and tshirts instead of jeans and sweatshirts.

Some of you may be in luck as there are some exceptions to the rules according to a forum I frequent: The fee will not apply for passengers who hold Elite status in AirTran Airways’ A+ Rewards frequent flier program, or ticketed passengers traveling in Business Class.
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The Fun of Booking Airfare

Well with our summer vacation to Disney World booked, park days planned, ADRs made for all but that one day, what else was there to do? Start watching airfare so I could book it as cheap as possible. 

I began this search before even booking the trip. I looked over several carriers, and decided that Southwest looked like the way to go. When I first went to Southwest last week, I actually planned my days around their airfare so I knew  I would at least be able to go for $99 each way. I would love to pay less, but after paying Christmas/New Year’s rates for our last trip, this seemed great!  However, I had not gotten around to booking it yet today, and I got nervous when I got home from work after thinking about how prices had continued to rise during the time leading up to our last trip.  So I came home and got online.  I had an email from Airtran, and I almost didn’t click it as I had already checked their prices two or three times in the last week, but boy, am I glad I did.

They had our flights for $89 (a $10 savings from Southwest – Hey! Everyone little bit adds up, right?).  I was so proud because Airtran is also one of the airlines with Resort Check In at Disney so we’d be able to check in and give them our luggage at the hotel instead of taking it to the airport ourselves and checking it. I immediately double checked Southwest, prices had not dropped, and booked our return flights home for $89 a seat! And I am even happier to learn that they have a policy similar to Southwest, and if the price drops between now and then, I can call them for a credit for future flights with them.

I already had one of these credits with Southwest, in fact, from our Christmas trip so I decided to go ahead and book our flights to Orlando also. I had enough of a credit that one of our tickets with them were free!!  So even if prices don’t go down any between now and then (and you can guarantee I’ll be watching close), I paid $500 for rountrip airfare for all three of us, and I am happy.  Now the vacation feels even more real!