Great First Experience on AirTran

A month or so ago, my family took our a cruise and due to flight times, cost, we flew from PWM to MCO. Our flight to MCO was on JetBlue on and E190. I really liked the aircraft and the JetBlue experience. It was my first flight on JetBlue.

Coming home we flew on AirTran, and I was very impressed, but not for the obvious reasons. The Captain came on and introduced herself shortly after we boarded the Boeing 717-200. I remember watching youtube videos of with someone bragging about a certain woman pilot being the best pilot at AirTran. Could it be this was the one?? When she started the takeoff roll, I was immediately impressed. She seemed to wait awhile to pull back, so it seemed like an especially fast take off roll. We were final approach to PWM about 45 minutes earlier than expected, but that isn't the end. Captain Amy must have flew the visual approach as she did not take the standard approach into PWM. On final she did a couple of S-curves to bleed off speed I am guessing. I looked at my kids and said, "this woman can fly!" We were parked at the gate 50 minutes early. It was a great first experience with AirTran.

Being a noob, I will try to figure out how to post pictures on here. They are not professional shots, but I have a pic of the 717 from inside the terminal and a few while in flight.

Good short informative thread. The S turns were more likely for traffic spacing than bleeding off speed on final. The 717from what I hear does a good job of being it's own brick when it's dirty on final. Every time I have flown on a 717 there is constant power adjustments once your established.

About 6 years ago I flew Airtran to MEM via ATL, I agree their a decent airline, staff was friendly, planes were clean, and their biz class was affordable. I haven't flow them since, but since Midwest now sucks I may start using them for my monthly trips to MKE. I'd rather fly a 717 then Republic's cramped E170s.

AirTran is a good airline. Not only is their Business Class affordable upon initial booking, but I like their cheap upgrades from coach.