[readinglover33@aol.com]

During our check in with Airtran this morning, we were told there weren't 2 seats together. The Airtran employee went on to tell us we could sit together in Business Class for an additional $69.00 per person! We said no.

On the way to the plane ( after showing our boarding passes ) another Airtran employee stopped us and told us that the overhead bins where already full and we would have to check one of our bags. They quickly grabbed my bag, tagged it and ran off. As I got on the plane I remembered that all of my jewlery was in the bag they took. I noticed they didn't take anyone elses' bags after us.

Once on the plane, I found an entire row of seats unoccupied (after they tried to sell us business class, based on the fact there supposedly were no seats together).
I also saw many EMPTY overhead bins.

I spent the next 2 1/2 hour flight worried sick, because I was afraid they took my bag to get to the jewlery. Remember, TSA can see what's in your suitcases when they go through the screener. I'm not normally mistrusting, but after the lies I'd been told, I had good reason to worry.

My jewels did arrive in the suitcase fortunately, but I will never fly Airtran again, and advise others to use caution in their choices!

[Jetliner]

There is no communications between TSA and the airline about anything you have in your bag, unless you have something you shouldn't. The X-Ray screener is pretty glued to the screen, and is not looking for jewels. I know the TSA is not always, um, well, let's just leave it as we all know how the TSA can be. But to suggest they were in cahoots with the airline to find jewelry really is a conspiracy theory. In short, it never happened.

As far as there still being overhead space, something's not right with that. It sounds like the flight was full, and the agent probably assumed that toward the end of boarding, the bins would be full. The should have waited until they got word from the flight attendants that the bins were full, before they started checking bags.

On the seats, there probably really was nothing left available at the time you checked in. You are assuming that those seat were open all along. It's very possible that the people assigned those seats missed the flight. The agent was giving you the only option of sitting together at the time you checked in. Once you board, if someone misses the flight, they have no way to start going down the list of those who got separated.

[readinglover33@aol.com]

As I pointed out previously, passengers behind us did NOT have their carry on's taken. They very obviously wanted only MY suitcase. Since my husband and I are both white, mid 50's, and dress like business people, I can assume there wasn't any racial profiling going on.

I've flown many times and I've never had an experience like this one.

I know AirTran has been purchased or merged with Southwest. Hopefully, Southwest will screen and replace some of AirTran's employees!