ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), is spreading holiday cheer to customers traveling this holiday season by offering them tips to help navigate busy airports with ease.

"The holiday travel season offers many challenges with getting gifts through security and increased congestion at airports, but there are ways to make the trip more pleasant," said Tad Hutcheson, AirTran Airways' vice president of marketing and sales. "That is why we decided to stuff our customers' stockings with great holiday travel tips."  

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

• Give the gift of order – According to the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), the primary source of delayed screening times is overstuffed carry-on baggage. Make sure to de-clutter your bag to give screeners an uninhibited view of its content.
• Leave the Jingle Bells in your carry-on – Metal items like change, keys and jingle bells, are best carried inside of carry-on luggage. This helps expedite the screening process. Also, avoid wearing jewelry that features metal, as this will also slow up the screening process.
• Make a list and check it twice – As travelers endure the hustle and bustle of holiday travel it is easy to lose track of essential items like baggage, boarding passes and photo identification. Prior to arrival, develop a checklist of important items and make sure to place tags on you baggage so that you can readily identify it.  
• The weather outside could be frightful – Inclement weather conditions are always a possibility during the winter months, so make sure to log on to www.airtran.com to check your flight's status prior to leaving for the airport. Also, make sure to pack a cell phone charger in your carry-on baggage in case the weather causes a flight to be delayed.
• Say "Bah humbug" to wrapped gifts – Wrapping gifts is a holiday custom, but bringing them through security checkpoints may result in delays. If you plan to travel with wrapped gifts, ship them to your destination ahead of time or wrap them when reaching your destination.
• "T'was the night before your flight," and you should check-in – To avoid lengthy airport lines, check-in for your flight as early as 24 hours prior to departure at airtran.com. It will help expedite the boarding process.
• Leave the figgy pudding and eggnog at home – Items like these might be a delectable holiday treats, but containers of any liquid exceeding 3.4 ounces are not allowed to be carried through the security checkpoint. Also, food items are subject to additional screening.
• Make sure everyone knows who's coming to town – To ensure a smooth trip through security, make sure that the name listed on your identification matches the name on your boarding pass.  

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

AirTran Airways is a Fortune 1000 company and has been ranked the number one low cost carrier in the Airline Quality Rating study for the past three years. AirTran Airways is the only major airline with Gogo Inflight Internet on every flight and offers coast-to-coast service on North America's newest all-Boeing fleet. Our low-cost, high-quality product also includes assigned seating, Business Class and complimentary XM Satellite Radio on every flight. To book a flight, visit www.airtran.com.

SOURCE AirTran Airways