Redeeming AirTran Rewards Voucher

[mecarroll]

Just wanted toshare a bit of info with all ya'll fine folks. My DW and I fly AirTran frequently and have gotten enough points to receive a free one-way ticket each. So, I submitted the request for the vouchers, which is essence, gives you a free one-way flight for up to one year. As soon as it was emailed to us, I called to check on available flights. Our trip is December 1 - 8 so I thought surely they would have plenty to pick from. Not so, they had only one flight from our area to MCO and that arrived after midnight on the 2nd. The flight home left at like 6am.

So, I hung up and started figuring we would either have to wait to use the vouchers for another trip elsewhere or book another day at our off-site hotel that we are staying at for one day prior to staying at the Poly.

After stewing over it for a day, I called back and checked to see if they might have any more flights. The agent said that the only flights they had were the same ones I had already heard about. Then she said, "when were you looking at leaving?" I told her that I would like the 5:45 AM flight from Newport News, VA to MCO. I heard silence, then "peck, peck, peck, peck" (you know, that sound of ticket agents pecking on a keyboard) and then she said, "what is your voucher number?" More pecking followed by, "what's your wife's voucher number?" Followed by more pecking and, "here's your confirmation number...."

She opened up two seats for me!!! She said that since it was so far out that she could do that. WOW! I thanked her a million times and hung up.

So, if you have a A+ rewards voucher, book early, and ask if there is any way they can get on a different flight then what is "currently available" if what they have does not meet your needs.

[faline]

Thanks for sharing your experience!