Fattony

Open tickets are mostly used by people traveling for work. When you do not know exactly when your going to finish some activity. Airlines work hard at designing their pricing model to extract as money as possible form people traveling for work.

 

There are a couple of smaller airlines that offer one-way fares are competitive prices.

We flew from Kona to Portland in first class on Alaska Airlines and the fare was changeable and fully refundable. Not all of their first class fares are (for some locations, there is a choice between changeable and non-changeable, with the former always costing more). We've also flown biz class internationally on UA, AA, US and DL, and the fares were never changeable (at least not without fees). Price difference for fully changeable/refundable was usually very large.

To each their own of course, but I would never want to travel with more than a single 40-50 pound checked bag plus carry-on. It would be a big mental and physical burden on enjoyment of the trip and make me feel like a tourist instead of a traveler.

 

On the passenger weight comments....when bag fees started kicking in around 2008, the airlines claimed it was due to the extra fuel burn. If that were *really* the reason, I thought it would make sense to weigh passengers with their bags and allow 250 pounds total.

Each person's needs are different. Just one bag for a trip including a cruise, during which someone may use athletic wear, casual wear, even a suit, would be tough. For others, not a problem.

Airlines do estimate average weights for adults and children. Those have gone up as people in many countries, such as the U.S., have become heavier (and not all muscle). Weighing individual passengers could be a logical idea, but would not only take lots of time (with passengers declaring they know their true weight), but new types of scales would need to be installed by airlines, and there'd be outrage by many, charging discrimination. Disputes with airline check-in agents re baggage weight can be tense enough. Imagine if one is arguing about individual body weight.

Back to OP: you know your bag is overweight. Maybe you'll slide by, but maybe not. Some guess you'll probably be okay, but it's only a guess. They won't pay the fee if you are charged. You will. Some airlines, even individual agents, can be tougher than others on this (we know from experience; even in biz class). Good thing you know the weight now. Considering the total you will spend on the flight, cruise, etc., you have to decide how onerous those extra fees are to you. If they are a big deal, cut back on the weight.

Similar questions are regularly asked re bag size.

Over the top? Well if you were told that you only had a 20% chance of getting on a plane to go on a cruise... You my friend would be a little up set to!!!!

But it doesn't sound like that's what they were told. The 20% referred to flights at the time of calling, not projected a week later, right? OP did apparently misquote the original advisory about flights being canceled until the 15th. Their flight is still scheduled to fly and sold out, I gather. What I didn't see is what Southwest said would happen, and when, should OP's actual flight be canceled. Would they make alternate arrangements?

http://www.southwest.com/html/advisories/swa_travel_advisory_20148261411742641777.html

http://www.southwest.com/html/help/soda_reaccommodation_practices.html

I am confused as to where the $900 and $100 numbers came from, since there were no change fees. Hubby was told the new flight they chose would cost $450 pp more than the original flight? If Southwest later "discounted" this where did $100 come from? Why $100? A special price given by Southwest?

The lack of notification from airlines about changes is a regular topic here, on Flyertalk and on Tripadvisor. Sometimes notices are sent but end up in peoples' spam folders. Sometimes they aren't sent. Best advice, often given here, is to regularly check one's flight status. Plus, of course, to avoid arriving at the cruise departure city the day of the cruise. since last minute problems, delays, etc. can happen with any airline (don't know if OP left an extra day but many people don't).

I liked Ushuaia. Scenic. Famed for king crab but it was so expensive (and usually in a stew), I had Patagonian lamb. Admire them for marketing it as the end of the world, even though there's obviously more land on the other side of the Beagle Channel. The guide I had said Ushuaia could call itself the southernmost city because the settlement to the south, on the Chilean side of the channel, isn't a city.

Some national park tours spend time on a small restored train. Look at photos before deciding on that. And look carefully at how much of the park you'd see.

Weather conditions can scuttle any port stop.

When you disembark at Ushuaia you should see kiosks for various tours, including boat tours to the main penguin island; the tour boats dock offshore and you view the birds from onboard. The only tour involving walking on the island (bus ride then Zodiac) too long for most cruise ship stops.

You will be in some remote areas. Calling from ship expensive. Skype does not require the recipient to have a computer if you arrange things in advance (cost involved, and computer speed may be slow and, from ship vs. towns, pricey. When we were on a similar cruise we waited until we got to ports and called from there using GlobalPhone service (you set up an account and use a connection number that varies by country you are calling from).

Small port, though if rough weather makes actual docking unfeasible, they may use tenders, which could delay things. And, of course, an exact docking time of any ship is not guaranteed.

The company seems pretty up-front about not being oriented to cruise ship passengers who arrive that morning and that you'd have to accept the risk of missing the tour. They won't wait long. Would you have to pay in advance? There are several tour company kiosks at the port. You don't say what about this tour appeals to you enough for you to consider taking the risk and whether you've looked at other options

Depends so much on the aircraft. Lie-flat or angle-flat or recline seats? What's the configuration of seats, etc? Is there IFE? Not much of a difference among domestic fc in my limited experience, but international biz class flights we've taken have varied widely. 2 x price is alot.

However, at the South American stops most people see just one species of penguin, the Magellan.

 

John

Not scientific, I believe. How many species one sees at Ushuaia, etc. depends on the time of year, due to times of migrations. I was there around April 1, which was after some species had migrated northward. Lots of last-minute tours available at Ushuaia port but most tour boats stop just offshore the main penguin island. The tour that takes you onto the island (bus, then zodiac) too long most cruise stops.

We assume you haven't yet booked your international flights yet, in which case I'd also agree with booking a multi-city itinerary, with ANC-LHR for your return (via whatever routing works out best for you; you would definitely have at least one connection, and that could be SEA, YVR, ORD or other). If you book ANC-SEA or ANC-YVR separately, you could end up paying extra baggage fees, and have the concern of what to do if you miss your connection. And not having your bags transferred. Icelandair looks cheapest, though you'd be in a 757, not a widebody plane, if that matters. Read reviews on airlinequality.com, etc.

It would be a Saturday night (8pm), March 14, and this layover isn't something that i'm scheduling-this is Delta.

Presumably Delta gives this connection as an option, which you can accept or not. If tickets are already purchased, no use worrying about it, unless you're willing to pay the change fee. If not yet purchased, or it's the result of a schedule change by DL, then what are your other options? If you miss your connection, DL should put you on the next flight with available seats, but that may not be the very next flight.

Just to see Puerto Montt? I didn't get the impression there was all that much to see. You want to go to the volcano in the area? Friends on the same cruise we were on took a tour to see it but, due to rain, saw even less than we did from the ship (we stayed on board because of the heavy rain). Do look in advance at car rental costs, including fuel and insurance. Driving there may not be like driving at home. I'm more familiar with driving in Brazil, where the death rate from auto accidents is about 3 times higher than it is in the U.S. or Europe (according to a Brazilian newspaper's article today).

Both cruises are for the same length of time and stop at the same ports, etc? When we took the Star Princess from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso a few years ago (I think Princess now starts at Rio), there was a Norwegian cruise leaving at the same time that took longer because, as a smaller ship, it could enter some fjords the Star could not. I wanted a larger ship. Even the Star didn't circle Cape Horn that trip, though at least got close. Weather can vary from day to day. Several days before the Star docked at Ushuaia, another ship was unable to, and people went to shore by tenders. On our cruise, the roughest seas were not near Cape Horn but after Punta Arenas, due to a Pacific storm. Briefly had hail before that. Really tough to generalize about weather in that area.

Someone told me that in Europe people use the terms non-stop and direct interchangeably, while in the U.S. direct means no change of planes (i.e., all non-stops are direct but not all direct flights are non-stop). Southwest Airlines uses the term "no change of planes" for a direct flight that is not non-stop.

Look on the bright side: if the price had gone up, they couldn't have charged you the difference.

We once had a case with Delta where a price drop was more than the cost of the change fee so we switched, but that's rare. Once had to cancel a trip on United due to family health emergency and they waived the change fee, but the rise in fare more than made up the difference, so we paid a lot more than we originally would have.

Looking at DL now for an international trip in November and prices seem to be rising. Haven't booked yet because my wife's plans aren't yet set.

From what I've heard from friends, I'd spend more time in SP, the largest and, arguably, the most cosmopolitan city in South America, than Santos, an industrial port city.

You should consult a physician before choosing an anti-malarial prophylaxis. What medication to take depends not only on where you're going, but your own personal medical history and characteristics. You can get anecdotal "evidence" here, but side effects, etc. vary by individual. A physician may not be able to predict with complete certainty, but could give you useful advice.

Still use mosquito repellent, wear long sleeves when possible, etc. Remember, there is no vaccine for dengue.

I worked in Mozambique for two years and switched prophylaxis due to side effects, but did so in consultation with a physician.

You should consult a physician before choosing an anti-malarial prophylaxis. What medication to take depends not only on where you're going, but your own personal medical history and characteristics. You can get anecdotal "evidence" here, but side effects, etc. vary by individual. A physician may not be able to predict with complete certainty, but could give you useful advice.

Still use mosquito repellent, wear long sleeves when possible, etc.

To be clear, they have plenty of flights that would get you to MDW that day, including some with a stop but no change of planes (you likely would just stay on the plane), but just one non-stop. Why does it matter "why"? Southwest has planes going someplace else that day; some go on to MDW. In other cases, you'd have to change planes.

Isn't one non-stop enough? You only need one flight. The non-stop is at 5:15 p.m. May seem late, but better than one leaving too soon after arrival at the port to get to. Don't like the 5:15 non-stop or can't get seats using miles? Try another, perhaps with a stop but no change of planes. It's a free flight. Why the worry?

It's up to you, but São Paulo is not IMO a very touristic city. It's an urban business jungle of skyscrapers with places to spend one's nice salary on pricey food, partying into the wee hours, and designer duds, museums not of expected quality for a world-class city that size, and two parks, one very tired one, and a small lush one. There are a couple of New York Times articles called "36 hours São Paulo" that you can Google and which give you an idea of what is possible.

If it were me, I would get on a flight to Rio from the domestic in-town Congonhas airport the next morning and spend my free days there, where there is a lot to see and do (even if the ship subsequently stops there for a short visit). See http://www.ipanema.com for info on sights and neighborhoods in Rio.

Or you could head toward Santos and relax there or at a nearby beach for a few days, but many of the cruise ports usually seem to be beach destinations as well.

That would seem to be a pretty rushed visit to Rio, assuming the first day upon arrival would be mainly for rest. And assuming you could use miles to fly to Rio on Wed. R.T. between SP and Rio could add a lot of rushing around, and cost. Any chance you could see Rio at another point? If not, could you get to Rio before Wednesday?

I'm not very familiar with Sao Paulo, but we have friends who love it, for the museums, restaurants and shopping.

If you arrive at GRU very late on Wednesday, you may want to stay at a hotel in Guarulhos, near the airport. There are several (e.g., Marriott, Caesar Park, Dobly). Then 2 1/2 days until you head to Santos. I'd do some research on what there is to do in Sao Paulo. Lots of guide books, online info, etc. available. BTW, it would help if you gave your interests when asking what there is to do.

You want to find a travel medicine clinic if your doc's facility won't prescribe anti-malarial prophylaxis, so you want to know who else has taken this cruise?? Are you asking whether the prophylaxis are necessary? This is medical advice. There are many travel medicine clinics that give such medications and you should be able to find one with an Internet search and/or by calling local hospitals. Which medications are best depends on where you're going (i.e., the strain of malaria found there), as well as your personal medical history (e.g., allergies, sensitivities). You should definitely get the prophylaxis. Some people (non-doctors) might say better to do without due to possible reactions, but malaria is life-threatening and isn't to be trifled with.

One other mosquito-borne illness, dengue fever, is carried by specific types of mosquitoes. There is no vaccination (just avoid getting bit), but the most common strain is usually easily treated if treatment begins soon after symptoms appear. Good idea to educate yourself on both diseases (e.g., http://www.cdc.gov).

Be careful, and enjoy your trip.

Lots of US airports offer luggage storage. For future reference, they do at MIA, LAX, SFO, HNL, MSP, SAN, SEA, ANC, etc. Some are operated by independent contractors.

And those are typically off-airport services. Need to account for the time that involves. And be sure of their hours. That is not the same as being able to take your bags to a locker or storage service in the airport. You would still have your valuables with you, of course.

How could any of us know, based on the info you provided? Have you considered phoning Southwest? They'd seem to be the best source.

I missed just what the tweet said. This guy sure had time on his hands to send out a complaint before boarding had even finished.

Are the flights booked? What would you do if the "experts" say it's not enough time? Pay the change fee? Or are you just looking for reassurance? It's a tight connection. If you miss it, AA should put you on the next flight with available seats to DFW, but that may not be the very next flight. What is your itinerary after DFW? I assume this is on your trip home after a cruise.