pre-conceived notions

Living in Atlanta, I’ve been flying Delta almost exclusively for years now. On the rare occasion that I’ve flown another airline, I haven’t bothered adding my frequent flier number because, well, I’m not a frequent flier anymore and definitely not on that airline.

Earlier this month, I had the happy opportunity to fly on, in addition to Delta, Aegean Air, Air France and KLM flights. While all were a step above any flight I’ve had in the US recently, KLM had the most amazing service. No surly attendants, but ones who made you feel welcome and special.

As such, I was not at all looking forward to my flight on AirTran this week. I’ve heard the horror stories. I prepared myself to be uncomfortable.

While there was a bit of nickel and dime-ing and some herding, the experience was almost pleasant. The gate agents kept us informed. The zone boarding worked well. I had plenty of room for my carry ons. Soft drinks were free (though I only had water anyway as I had brought my diet coke from the airport on with me.)

But what really amazed me? While people were still boarding, the woman seated next to me realized she had left her jacket in a stall in the restroom by the gate. She asked the flight attendant if there was anyway to go get it. The attendant said no, the woman couldn’t get off the plane and get back on. But just as the flight was about to leave, the attendant came up the aisle with the woman’s coat. That’s true service!

michigan – 24 apr 2014