Now charging extra for everything. Checked bags, sodas. No wonder why a local bank was giving free tickets with this airline for opening a CD.

This causes check-in to take longer, and the beverage cart to block the isle for a longer time.

They lower their prices 50 cents and then charge extra for everything. They call this saving money?

I hope the other airlines don't do this.

Are you sure it's AirTran? I believe it's Spirit that's implementing the charges, while reducing fare.

I hope you are right. I booked a flight on AirTran in June.

I flew Air Tran 2 weeks ago and there were the usual free soft drinks, no charge for baggage, they had kiosks for check-in - seemed like a regular airline to me (unless you count that they issued duplicate boarding passes for our seats to other passengers - but they did pay people to get off the plane so we could stay on)

It's definitely Spirit. They've gone the whole Ryanair thing. Tickets as low as $1, all kinds of surcharges.