CHOICE AIR PLUS - Do They Really Get You There No Matter What?

[Lastdance]

I'm sure what everyone is saying is...look up your flights and check out all the prices, including refundable tickets with the fine print! I would love to see what Choice Air has to offer, but my flights are not available for next May. United gave me the price of 1200 pp. Reno/San Fran/Zurich and Rome/San Fran/Reno. I decided to take it, as the week before it was 3,400! I am anxiously awaiting Choice Air's price. If I could get refundable tickets, I would be in Heaven. Since I have my father's health to consider, I always purchase a plan from Travel Guard. Don't like doing it that way, but really don't have a choice! Sure hope Choice Air will prove to be better than booking directly with the airlines!

Edited July 30, 2012 by YouGo Girl

[Christine Frances]

I'm sure what everyone is saying is...look up your flights and check out all the prices, including refundable tickets with the fine print! I would love to see what Choice Air has to offer, but my flights are not available for next May. United gave me the price of 1200 pp. Reno/San Fran/Zurich and Rome/San Fran/Reno. I decided to take it, as the week before it was 3,400! I am anxiously awaiting Choice Air's price. If I could get refundable tickets, I would be in Heaven. Since I have my father's health to consider, I always purchase a plan from Travel Guard. Don't like doing it that way, but really don't have a choice!

 

Reno isn't a gateway for Choice Air you would have to use SFO to do your search:)

[Lastdance]

Reno isn't a gateway for Choice Air you would have to use SFO to do your search:)

 

Yes, I did know that; however, when I called I was told my flights weren't available yet...but thanks for your answer!

[Lastdance]

I'm sure what everyone is saying is...look up your flights and check out all the prices, including refundable tickets with the fine print! I would love to see what Choice Air has to offer, but my flights are not available for next May. United gave me the price of 1200 pp. Reno/San Fran/Zurich and Rome/San Fran/Reno. I decided to take it, as the week before it was 3,400! I am anxiously awaiting Choice Air's price. If I could get refundable tickets, I would be in Heaven. Since I have my father's health to consider, I always purchase a plan from Travel Guard. Don't like doing it that way, but really don't have a choice! Sure hope Choice Air will prove to be better than booking directly with the airlines!

 

I was finally able to get on their site before August. The great news for me is that booking directly with the airlines, during what must have been a promotion, gave me a cheaper price than Choice Air! This was due, in part, to the additional air fare that I would have to pay for not departing from one of their major airports. In the future, I will always check both just to be sure. I feel so much better now!:D

[rugercruiser]

Out of principal will no longer use choice air I don't care about the fine print they say find a better fare within 24 hour we will honor it at 110%. We did, they didn't end of story. Will never use choice air again. Will not waste my time calling and emailing will simply not use this service again and if everyone here would do the same they will catch on.

[C 2 C]

Out of principal will no longer use choice air I don't care about the fine print they say find a better fare within 24 hour we will honor it at 110%. We did, they didn't end of story. Will never use choice air again. Will not waste my time calling and emailing will simply not use this service again and if everyone here would do the same they will catch on.

 

This thread was 2 and a half years old.... till it was brought back from oblivion.....

[cruisestitch]

So many newbies don't look at the dates on old threads, it's a shame that the moderators can't put threads to bed after they are no longer useful. Just an idea.

[teecee60]

[/b]

 

If RC picked the flights it was packaged air - not Choice Air where you pick the Airline, dates, flight times. Still not a good outcome for people who opt for the "convenience" of having the cruise lines assign the flights. I definitely agree with everyone that people should be cautioned about opting for packaged air where you don't know your flights/connections until after final and which in most cases, gets you to the port on the day of embarkation. Not a good plan:eek:

 

Excellent comments on some peoples' poor understanding and usage, of terms that can sometimes be less than accurate, ambiguous or confusing. This also pertains to those occasions when they are unable to distance themselves from the over-emotional personal involvement in their own (unfortunate) circumstances. :o

 

Christine,

 

Is there a reason you seem to keep wanting to defend Choice Air even when objective information is being presented to show that it can be bad? The OP in the thread I linked earlier had spoken about how the flights they had selected had been changed so they contacted RCCL as the new flight times would not work: "In December, my Mom noticed that Continental airlines had changed the flight times and the new flights would not get us to New Orleans (port of dep.) unitl 8pm. She notified RCCL. They found us new flights, then posted additional charges of $1200 to her account. We fought for two months.. finally got this cleared up 3 days prior to sailing."

 

The facts are Choice Air can have pitfalls and does not always come through when there is a glitch in one's travel plans. This is factual objective information. It does not mean to never choose Choice Air; it can save a lot of money and sometimes they have come through. People need to be aware of the PROS and CONS and make informed decisions and not believe that Choice Air is some kind of wonderful option with all sorts of gaurantees and at the same time not totally dismiss Choice Air as always being a bad option.

 

I would suggest that usage of the phrase "independently booked commercial air fare, either on your own OR through a travel agent" in the above statement, in place of the words "choice air" would produce an equally accurate statement, which makes the argument a wash.

 

I agree that each and every decision has pros and cons, and EVERONE has the right and ability to make their own decisions in this matter, and they should educate themselves to produce the best outcome. They also need to dispense with the excuse of "victimhood" when they fail to educate themselves.

 

I guess that I am a "Cheerleader for Choice Air" based on the FACTS that I have used Choice Air for 6 out of the last 7 Celebrity transatlantic (and the sole transpacific) cruise(s) I have taken in the last three years. I have saved THOUSANDANDS of dollars compared to the costs of the same flights that could have been booked through other online travel sites or directly with the airlines.

 

The BEST example...

 

A transatlantic flight from beautiful downtown Fargo ND, (most certainly NOT a "major gateway")to Rome on Delta, booked only 8 days before fly out for only $508pp. (trashing the argument of "high costs" for "last minute" air travel)

Edited December 27, 2014 by teecee60

[Ex-Airbalancer]

[quote name=teecee60;450607

A transatlantic flight from beautiful downtown Fargo ND' date=' (most certainly NOT a "major gateway")to Rome on Delta, booked only 8 days before fly out for only $508pp. (trashing the argument of "high costs" for "last minute" air travel)[/quote]

 

What , Fargo is not the Aviation hub for the USA ? :eek:

[NQHCruiser]

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[cruisestitch]

Welcome to Cruise Critic -- I see this is your first post --

 

A bit of advice -- when you are replying to a thread, check the date of the thread. This one is quite old and most of the information is out of date.

 

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[NQHCruiser]

We booked an Alaska Cruise with Royal Caribean and booked our flights with Choice Air. We usually fly in the day before the cruise departs. However, on this cruise we booked airfare on the same day as the cruise departure. BIG MISTAKE. We had over 9 hours of flight delays and missed the cruise departure. We contacted Choice Air numerous times and was told to go to the airlines and see what they could do. Choice Air was NO help in rearranging flights. Choice Air web site states "We have experts on hand monitoring your flights. If any delays or cancellations arise, we work quickly with the airline to get you on the next available flight so you make it to your ship on time. Next cruise we will purchase airfare on our own and fly in/our the day before and after the cruise.

[purpletequila]

We have always booked our own air and gotten to the area of debarkation at least one day prior to sailing. We are now booked on the Equinox for Dec. 27 and realize it would be difficult to leave on the 26th. According to the Choice Air rep, if we book with them, we are guaranteed to get to the ship. For those of you who have used them, what has been your experience? Thanks.

 

As to the question with the qualifier, "no matter what..." the answer is no. There are limitations. I am sure they will do all they can for you, but they are at the mercy of the airlines just like a non-Choice Air passenger is and, remember, you're going during one of the busiest times of year for airports.

The one time I used them, the rep failed to populate a bunch of fields on their side of the paperwork and I almost missed my flight because I had to wait in an enormous line for an hour and a half after the kiosk rejected my request for boarding passes. Airport lines and being behind multiple idiots who try to shift weight between multiple suitcases when they get to the check in desk drives me IN-SANE, so, I won't be using them again because I'm scarred. But if it makes you feel better, I don't see a big risk as prices are comparable and sometimes slightly lower for whatever reason.

[sasset]

Our experience with Choice Air:

 

After doing our own air booking, mostly for Trans Atlantics, we tried Choice Air for the first time in April 2014. We booked refundable one way Business Class on AA LHR to LAX for $300 more than a one way coach. We've used Choice for the international flights since. Most recently we booked one way LAX to PSA (we're staying a few days in Lucca before the Trans Atlantic from Civitavecchia) on AA for half the price of a one way coach. This is also refundable. We have found that the multiple destination tickets are not a good value so we just book the to or from FLL/MIA on our own.

 

We a re sold on Choice.

[sasset]

Our experience with Choice Air:

 

After doing our own air booking, mostly for Trans Atlantics, we tried Choice Air for the first time in April 2014. We booked refundable one way Business Class on AA LHR to LAX for $300 more than a one way coach. We've used Choice for the international flights since. Most recently we booked one way business on AA from LAX to PSA (we're staying a few days in Lucca before the Trans Atlantic from Civitavecchia) on AA for half the price of a one way coach. This is also refundable. We have found that the multiple destination tickets are not a good value so we just book the to or from FLL/MIA on our own.

 

We are sold on Choice.

Edited September 15, 2015 by sasset