Business Class for the first time....

Husband and I are taking a repo cruise on the Summit in October from Cape Liberty to San Juan...we live in NJ so just a shuttle ride to the port and the only air travel on the back end.

I have always booked direct with the airline but a thread on Celebrity Choice Air made me look at the fares there, and much to my surprise the same AA flights I was looking at were running $70pp cheaper. I was able to snag a business class fare for only $321pp whereas had I booked Economy through AA I'd have paid $278pp plus $25pp for each of our checked bags. The Business Class seat was a no-brainer.

How is it that Celebrity can offer that same seat so much cheaper? From where I stand, I don't think it matters if it is a more restrictive flight - it's my inbound, after the cruise, so any delays won't cause me to miss my ship. Plus, with the business class seat, I think I am eligible to make a same-day flight change with no penalty or cost.

 

How is it that Celebrity can offer that same seat so much cheaper? From where I stand, I don't think it matters if it is a more restrictive flight - it's my inbound, after the cruise, so any delays won't cause me to miss my ship. Plus, with the business class seat, I think I am eligible to make a same-day flight change with no penalty or cost.

It may be the same physical "seat", but internally to the terms and conditions between Choice Air and AA, it's a different seat.

If you go and read this link, it explains a lot and you will know more than you wanted. The link may be old but the information is still valid for the most part.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=530322

Some of the restrictions that Choice Air may have negotiated to get the cheaper price. You can only fly on that flight. Miss that flight, no rerouting allowed, You have to wait for the next scheduled flight with that flight number. Maybe no FF miles earned. Maybe no pre assigned seats allowed. Could be a few minor things on the backend that you have never dealt with.

Guaranteed it's not "the same seat".

It may be the same physical "seat", but internally to the terms and conditions between Choice Air and AA, it's a different seat.

 

If you go and read this link, it explains a lot and you will know more than you wanted. The link may be old but the information is still valid for the most part.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=530322

 

Some of the restrictions that Choice Air may have negotiated to get the cheaper price. You can only fly on that flight. Miss that flight, no rerouting allowed, You have to wait for the next scheduled flight with that flight number. Maybe no FF miles earned. Maybe no pre assigned seats allowed. Could be a few minor things on the backend that you have never dealt with.

 

Guaranteed it's not "the same seat".

Thanks klfrodo...I am pretty sure there are certain Choice Air restrictions that are in addition to those that AA has for direct purchases. I was given an AA locator number as soon as the purchase confirmation was emailed, and was able to go right to aa.com and select our seat assignments. Everything shows up in the My Trips section of the AA website, but I would imagine that should there be any changes or need for assistance, I should reach out to Choice Air first.

We'll see how it works out. As I said, it's only a flight on the back end of the trip so no worries about missing sailaway. We are scheduled to fly home on a Saturday, so in the event there are issues I still have all day Sunday to find a way home.

How helpful Choice Air can be might be underwhelming. The fare you bought has a lot of restrictions. Depending on the exact issues and conditions, Choice Air might not be able to help at all.

That is why there are so many negative comments on consolidator fares here.

It may be the same physical "seat", but internally to the terms and conditions between Choice Air and AA, it's a different seat.

 

If you go and read this link, it explains a lot and you will know more than you wanted. The link may be old but the information is still valid for the most part.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=530322

 

Some of the restrictions that Choice Air may have negotiated to get the cheaper price. You can only fly on that flight. Miss that flight, no rerouting allowed, You have to wait for the next scheduled flight with that flight number. Maybe no FF miles earned. Maybe no pre assigned seats allowed. Could be a few minor things on the backend that you have never dealt with.

 

Guaranteed it's not "the same seat".

Thank you klfrodo for sharing the link to this old thread. We always book our own air with cash or points, but every so often we do look into cruise air just for price comparisons. This information has been interesting and helpful.

How helpful Choice Air can be might be underwhelming. The fare you bought has a lot of restrictions. Depending on the exact issues and conditions, Choice Air might not be able to help at all.

 

That is why there are so many negative comments on consolidator fares here.

Yes, there are a few negative comments about consolidator fares because of many factors, one of which many passengers only look at the price and not the restrictions, if any, covering the ticket.

Also, many believe that they can get the 'economical' fare and treat it like they purchased from the airline and in some instances we cannot. Some do not understand the additional fees charged for selecting seats through some airlines even when purchasing from the airline direct.

Until many consumers become more educated about purchase options and restrictions (potential) and not just price, then there will always be negative comments, here and elsewhere.

bon voyage

... Everything shows up in the My Trips section of the AA website, but I would imagine that should there be any changes or need for assistance, I should reach out to Choice Air first....

I would guess that you will have no problems; most passengers have uneventful flights. When I recently used Choiceair, we ran into some weather problems (heavy rains at SFO) and had to be re-routed to Australia. I did not call ChoiceAir. I dealt directly with the airline agent who was standing in front of me, and I got what I wanted. I was afraid ChoiceAir would have complicated things; I am a very experienced flyer. So, in the event of a problem, you might want to start with the airline and if you run into obstacles, then contact ChoiceAir.