ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), is helping travelers successfully navigate this holiday travel season with the airline's Thanksgiving travel tips. For eight years running, the low-fare carrier has been offering helpful tips to customers traveling during the busiest season of the year.

"For those of us traveling during the holidays, preparation is the key to a stress-free travel experience," said Tad Hutcheson, AirTran Airways' vice president of marketing and sales. "AirTran would like to make Thanksgiving travel as enjoyable as possible for our customers by offering these easy-to-follow tips, convenient online booking and check-in on airtran.com."

AirTran Airways offers the following list of travel tips and guidelines as a service to holiday travelers:

• Keep the Sweet Potato Pies to Minimum - On the aircraft, you are allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item. A personal item is defined as a purse, briefcase, diaper bag or laptop bag. Per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, both the carry-on bag and the personal item must fit underneath the seat in front of you or in the EasyFit overhead bins.
• Stuffing, Pumpkins and even your Cornucopia are all Subject to X-Ray - At the screening checkpoint, be prepared to take your shoes off, remove your jacket, empty your pockets of all metal and remove laptops from your carry-on baggage.
• Secure Your Valuables - Place high-value items like medicine, jewelry, cameras, and other valuables in your carry-on baggage.
• Gather your family and leave early for the airport - During the busy holidays, anticipate possible slowdowns caused by heavy traffic, crowded airport parking lots and busy ticket counters and security checkpoints. AirTran Airways recommends passengers arrive at the airport a minimum of 90 minutes prior to scheduled departure, or two hours ahead of time if you plan to check baggage.
• Tag Your Luggage - A baggage tag with your name, home address and telephone number must be placed on the outside of your bag. It is also a good idea to put your home address, telephone number, destination address and telephone number inside your bag. For easy identification upon arrival, passengers may also want to use a ribbon or other easily identifiable item to mark their bag.
• Respect 'Father Time'- Baggage may be checked at the airport no more than four hours and no less than one hour prior to departure time at most airports.
• Get all the Hard Work out of the Way Early - Check in for your flights up to 24 hours prior to departure with our Online Flight Check-In on airtran.com. You will be able to select your seat assignment and print your boarding passes and a receipt from your computer.
• Three is the Golden Number - Per the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) guidelines, travelers can bring liquids, gels and aerosols in their carry-on luggage. The items must be stored in containers no larger than three ounces and must be housed in a single, quart-sized zip-top, clear plastic bag.
• Leave the Carving Knives at Home - Security requirements prohibit passengers from taking certain items in their carry-on bags, including: knives, box cutters and folding or retractable blades regardless of blade length or composition. Straight razors are prohibited but disposable razors (e.g., Bic) are allowed. Metal scissors with blades shorter than four inches are also allowed.
• Don't Lock your Bags - The TSA recommends that you use TSA recognized locks or leave your checked baggage unlocked as it may be inspected during the security screening process.
• Enjoy your Hot Apple Cider After the Security Checkpoint - Travelers are allowed to bring thirst-quenchers onto an airplane, but only if they are purchased at the airport beyond the security checkpoint.
• Check Twice for Your ID - TSA's security procedures require that all travelers 18 years of age and older show a government-issued photo ID, such as a valid driver's license, a passport or military ID. If you do not have one of the above, you may show two forms of non-photo ID, at least one of which must be issued by a local, state or federal government agency such as the following: birth certificate, Medicare card, voter registration card, Social Security card. Ensure that the name on your itinerary matches the name on your identification.
  

For more information on permitted or prohibited items, visit the TSA Web site at www.tsa.gov.

AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI) and a Fortune 1000 company, has been ranked the number one low cost carrier in the Airline Quality Rating study for the past two years. AirTran is the only major airline with Wi-Fi on every flight and offers coast-to-coast service on North America's newest all-Boeing fleet. Its low-cost, high-quality product also includes assigned seating, Business Class and complimentary XM Satellite Radio on every flight. To book a flight, visit http://www.airtran.com.

    Media Contact:  AirTran Airways
                    Christopher White
                    Cynthia Tinsley-Douglas
                    678.254.7442

SOURCE AirTran Airways

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