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carry-on and checked

baggage policies

Carry On

For carry-on baggage, all customers traveling on AirTran Airways will be restricted to one carry-on item and one personal item. Personal items include handbags, umbrellas, walking sticks, coats, cameras, reading matter, infant food, briefcases, and laptop computers.

Assistive Devices. Canes, walkers, crutches, and other assistive devices capable of being collapsed small enough to fit in overhead bins or underneath a seat are welcome inside the cabin and will not count toward your carry-on limit.

Dimensions. No carry-on item may exceed overall dimensions of 55 inches (length + width + height). All carry-on items must fit under the seat or in the overhead bin. Any heavy item must be placed underneath the customer's seat. Any item with inflexible surfaces must be placed underneath the customer's seat or flat on the floor of an overhead bin.

Restricted Items. Knives or sharp objects will not be allowed in carry-on baggage or past the security checkpoint. Any sharp items you may need in your travels should be packed in your checked baggage. Customers dependent upon syringe-injected medications may carry on such items. The TSA has instituted specific rules for carry-on of liquids, gels and aerosols. We encourage you to review the security rules for these carry-on items.

Specific items prohibited from carry-on baggage due to security restrictions include: metal scissors with pointed tips and a cutting edge longer than four inches in length, tools greater than seven inches in length, knives of any length, cutting instruments including carpet knives, box cutters and folding or retractable blades regardless of blade length or composition. Straight razors are prohibited, but disposable razors, e.g., Gillette or Bic, are allowed. Learn more about specific items that are permitted or not permitted on AirTran Airways flights.

Checked Baggage

AirTran Airways recommends that passengers arrive at the airport 90 minutes prior to the scheduled departure of their flight. Due to security requirements, passengers and their baggage will not be accepted at the ticket counter less than 45 minutes prior to the scheduled departure of their flight (some smaller airports may accept baggage up to 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure time). Baggage may be checked no more than 4 hours prior to departure time. For specific baggage check times at each airport, please see our Contract of Carriage (Adobe Acrobat Reader required to view this PDF file).

Baggage Allowances. Get full details of our baggage allowances and restrictions in the sections below, or review our Baggage Allowance Chart for an overview.

First Checked Bag
For all coach class reservations booked on or after November 12, 2008, the charge for a first checked bag is $15. For reservations booked before this date, one bag may be checked free of charge, with size and weight limitations (see baggage allowance details below).

Active military personnel with reservations booked March 18, 2009, or later, traveling with ID and official orders, will have their first, second, and third bag fees waived, in addition to oversize and overweight fees for those three bags. The bags must not exceed a total of 100 pounds or 80 inches each. Standard baggage fees will apply for all bags checked in excess of three.

Any customer who requires use of a wheelchair may have it checked as baggage at no charge, and it will not be considered part of the passenger's baggage count when assessing other baggage fees.

Second Checked Bag
For all coach class reservations booked on or after August 14, 2008, the charge for a second checked bag is $25. For reservations booked before this date, see the table below for applicable fees.

Second Bag Fee, as determined by reservation booking date:

If you purchased your ticket prior to April 22, 2008, and traveled between May 16 and May 31, 2008, and believe you were incorrectly charged a second baggage fee, please contact AirTran Airways at 1-866-AIR-CHAT (1-866-247-2428) to request a refund.

Excess Baggage
The excess baggage charge, for other than sporting equipment, will be $50 for each piece after the first two bags. Additional charges are applicable for bags exceeding the weight and size limits (see baggage allowance details below).

Some sporting equipment fees are assessed separately. Please visit our Sporting Equipment page for details.

Overweight Baggage
Overweight baggage rates are based on weight: $39 for bags weighing 51 to 70 pounds, and $79 for bags weighing 71 to 100 pounds. Baggage weighing over 100 pounds will not be accepted.

Oversize Baggage
Oversize baggage rates are based on overall dimensions (length + width + height): $39 for bags with dimensions from 62 to 70 inches, and $79 for bags with dimensions from 71 to 80 inches. Baggage over 80 inches in dimension (with the exception of some sporting equipment) will not be accepted.

When checking oversize items, please arrive at the airport no later than 90 minutes prior to departure time to allow enough time for your baggage to be screened before proceeding through security.

TSA Screening
All checked baggage is screened by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA recommends that passengers leave their baggage unlocked as Federal Security Screeners may have to open and physically search a bag as part of the screening process. For more information, visit the TSA's website at www.tsatraveltips.us.

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