AIRTRAN AIRWAYS

Customer Ranking :

BUSINESS CLASS - Raleigh/Durham to Denver

2nd August 2005

DEPARTURE

Quick and efficient. There are airport kiosks by the checkin counter to issue boarding passes if you only have carryon luggage, and if you are an Air Tran "A-Plus" member, you can print boarding passes within 24 hours of your flight on their practical and recently- updated website.


CABIN

Boeing 717-200. Of the four Air Tran aircraft I flew on this trip, this one was in the most need of a good vacuuming. Felt a bit like this was a public bus, with cracker crumbs visible in the seams of the carpet and bulkhead. Blue and white decor was bright and cheerful, though. In comparison, the Boeing 737 aircraft on my return leg was immaculate both inside and out . A unique feature on Air Tran is complimentary XM Satellite commercial- free Radio. Disappointingly, only one of the 4 aircraft I flew on was equipped with this feature. Most standard headsets will fit the armrest port, but the airline does have headsets available. They are free to Business Class passengers, and $3.00 in Coach, but they are yours to keep.


SEATING

On Air Tran's 717s, the business class seats arecovered in a blue suede, or possibly a sueded fabric. The "stretch-out" legroom in row 1, at the bulkhead, is a bit limited, but Row 3 of the cabin has excellent knee and legroom. On the new Boeing 737s, the seats are blue pebble-grained leather, and are designed by Recaro. The back support is good, but the seat cushion seemed a bit short, so there was a sense of being perched somewhat precariously atop it , unless the seatback was reclined a bit.


CATERING

Air Tran does not serve meals or snacks other than light munchies, even in Business Class. On each of the 4 legs of this trip, the same snacks were offered in a basket by the flight attendant, so this does get a bit boring. The products are of good quality, but it would be nice to see some variety by the time of day. It would be delightful to see small sandwiches or salads offered, but perhaps in time. Beverages are served in plastic cups, even in Business, but refills are frequently offered, as was the entire can of soda on one leg. Alcoholic beverages, beer and wine are complimentary in Business Class.


CABIN STAFF SERVICE

On all four legs,overall, the crews were downright cheerful, professional and well turned-out. One flight attendant looks after business class for the first round of drinks, and usually then serves the first few rows of coach. However, they were consistently good about cheerfully offering and delivering refills on drinks, and offering extra snacks.


FLIGHT ARRIVAL

Denver is a huge airport, and it took about 15 minutes for the bags to arrive, even after the train ride from Concourse C to the main terminal baggage claim.


CUSTOMER VERDICT

Given the general state of air travel in the US today, Air Tran offers an efficient , well-priced, safety-conscious product. It is a good value, and their business class is worth the fare difference merely for the extra personal space. Air Tran service isn't necessarily fancy or elaborate, but with their new aircraft, easy connections, pleasant crews, and inflight XM Satellite Radio, you can't expect a whole lot more from domestic US air travel today.


CUSTOMER RANKING