Online check-in is available between 24 hours and 45 minutes before the flight is scheduled to depart. Passengers checking-in luggage may check-in via the website and drop off their bags at the airport. Passengers checking-in at the airport should arrive 90 minutes before their flight is scheduled to take off. 

Domestic passengers (and baggage) will not be allowed to travel if they arrive at the ticket counter less than 45 minutes before departure. For international flights, the recommended check-in time is two hours before take off. If they arrive less than 60 minutes before their flight is scheduled to depart, they will not be allowed board the plane.

Hand Luggage: one item of hand luggage plus one personal item, such as a handbag, umbrella or laptop. No carry-on item may exceed linear dimensions of 24in long + 16in wide + 10in tall.

Checked: Coach-class travellers (excluding members of the military on active service) pay $20 to check in the first piece of luggage, $25 for the second bag.

Excess: $50 (about £30) per bag for the third piece of luggage. Overweight bags are charged at $49 for bags that weigh between 22 and 31kg (51 and 70lbs) and $79 for bags weighing between 32 and 45kg (71-100lbs). Baggage weighing more than 45kg (100lbs) will not be accepted. If a bag measures between 152 and 178cm (62-70in) the oversize charge is $49, for bags of 180-203cm (71-80in) the fee is $79.

Seat pitch: 76-78cm (30-31in). Passengers may pay extra to secure an exit-row seat.

There is a fee for pre-assigned seats - $6 (about £4) per flight or $20 (£12) for an exit row seat.

AirTran's fares are non-refundable (with the exception of Business Class). A $75 (about £48) fee per person applies to any change made after purchase, plus any difference in fares. Customers may store the unused airfare in a credit file for one year from the date of the original booking. Fee? $75.

Infants up to the age of two fly for free if carried on an adult's lap.

AirTran doesn't offer discounts for older travellers.

Small, domesticated dogs and cats that will fit in an approved kennel under the seat can travel. Airfare for a pet is $75 (approximately £48) one-way.

Musical instruments under 140cm (55in) total area and weighing less than 18kg (40lb) can be taken on board as carry-on items. Large instruments can be carried in a seat with the purchase of a separate ticket or as checked baggage.

Full meals are not served on flights; however, complimentary coffee, juices, Coca-Cola products, and snacks are available on all flights. Cocktails, beer, and wine can be purchased. Wi-Fi is available on every flight and XM Radio is available at every seat.

AirTran Airways' A-Plus Rewards.

There’s nothing like heading up in the skies to work up an appetite. Check out the airline’s menu before you fly so you can decide if you need to bring any extras. See photographs taken by fellow flyers of meals they’ve been served and read reviews at AirlineMeals.net.

Moby Dick, War and Peace, Bleak House … Do you need to pack a weighty tome or will the in-flight magazine keep you happily occupied for the duration of the flight? AirTran’s magazine, Go, is published monthly. Read a preview online.

AirTran is not a member of any of the major airline alliances, but is a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines.

AirTran Airways is, since early May 2011, a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines. It's based in Orlando, Florida, and flies to more than 100 destinations around the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. The new, merged, airline will carry more than one million passengers per year. AirTran will start the conversion to the Southwest brand in 2012 and both carriers will operate separately until they receive a Single Operating Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.