Celebrity Choice Air

[cruising sister]

Anyone use Choice Air? We are booking a trip on the Reflection and we need to choose a "Perk". The perks are money off of Choice Air, prepaiid gratuities, on board credit and drink package. We don't drink so that is out, the choice air has the highest cash amount but if their prices are higher normally it might not be worth it.

[cruisingsince94]

I would take the prepaid gratuities unless the choice air offer is higher. Prepaid gratuities = $12 pp per day x length of cruise of cruise. If a 7 night that's $84 per person.

[prim8keeper]

I used choice air for our last cruise. Their fares are generally the same or better than if you bought them directly from the airline. We bought ours rather last minute, a week out, because of a change in plans due the weather and the tickets through choice air were half the cost than if I would have bought them directly from the airline.

 

 

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[cruisingsince94]

That is often the case if booking last minute but not if your cruise is still well down the road. We have done 17 cruises and I have yet to get a better airfare from the cruise line than what I found on my own.

[ECCruise]

You will likely be able to beat Cruise Air on your own UNLESS the booking is a one-way long haul (Transatlantic/Asia/Australia). We've used Choice Air on those types of itineraries and found fares sometimes 25% (like $450 vs. 2000+) of normal airline fares.

[Michidoeme]

Booked intereuropean flight for this Summer with Choice Air using perk. Found price was slightly higher for same non refundable, non re-routable, non changeable fare than booking directly on-line with airline, approx. USD 20, however booking with airline would have added about same amount for using credit card, for which Choice Air did not charge extra.

Had only good experiences booking one way Transatlantics with Choice Air previously.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Michidoeme

[terigo]

Used choiceair on our transatlantic and saved a LOT of money on the one way.

We also checked both on our own and choiceair for our upcoming Alaska cruise.

Flying into Vancouver and out of Anchorage, the airfare is almost twice as much on our own as it is with choiceair.

[RickT]

I would go with whatever perk gives you the biggest savings.

 

As far as choice air flights being more expensive than those you can purchase yourself, in almost every case when I've seen a lower fare elsewhere I've been able to have Choice Air match the lower fare unless it is with a charter airline.

 

Go to the choice air page and see what sort of on-line quote you get. Then compare it to what you can find yourself (be sure to also check airfare on ITA Software). If you find a lower price just call up choice air, give them the details (flight dates, numbers, airline (in case of codeshare flight) and the class of ticket associated with each flight). Most likely you'll find they will match or beat it.

 

If you are unfamiliar with choice air you might want to go to the cruise air section of this forum. Lots of positive and negative opinions on it. I've used it a number of times with no problems. People say that choice air uses discounted (consolidator type) tickets which may be the case in some situations but depending on the cost/savings it can still be worth it.

Edited April 5, 2014 by RickT

[cruising sister]

Thanks for all your input. I am doing transatlantic in 2015 and appreciate the heads up. I am waiting to hear from my TA on the amount we get off for using their Choice Air.

[biomedbob]

Just recently tried to use Choice Air for an upcoming Alaska cruise. Needed

to get from Seattle to Vancouver and wanted to know if we needed to come in a day early or not.

 

Told them the earliest we could be in Seattle was 2:00 PM.

 

Their reply was that they could put us on numerous flights on our embarcation day that would put us in Vancouver by the cruiselines deadline of 1:30.

 

Don't know how we could be in Vancouver by 1:30 if we won't be in Seattle until 2:00.

 

Different time zones? :confused:

[cruising sister]

Anyone use Choice Air? We are booking a trip on the Reflection and we need to choose a "Perk". The perks are money off of Choice Air, prepaiid gratuities, on board credit and drink package. We don't drink so that is out, the choice air has the highest cash amount but if their prices are higher normally it might not be worth it.

 

Here is the deal: Pick your perks

1) $400 off Choice Air

2) two free beverage packages

3) Paid gratuities for 2

4) $200 on board credit

We don't drink so that is off the table. Leaning toward Choice Air if you can indeed negotiate as previous post stated.

[jagoffee]

Here is the deal: Pick your perks

1) $400 off Choice Air

2) two free beverage packages

3) Paid gratuities for 2

4) $200 on board credit

We don't drink so that is off the table. Leaning toward Choice Air if you can indeed negotiate as previous post stated.

 

Is this perk being offered on a Repositioning TA?

[ghstudio]

Is this perk being offered on a Repositioning TA?

 

I suspect that her TA did not realize that this promotion excludes transatlantics...however, irrespective of the perk, we have found choice air the least expensive way to get to or from a transatlantic, buying a one way ticket. We live in florida, so we drive home...but I would book two one way tickets for a transatlantic....choice air for the overseas flight and whoever's the least expensive on a domestic flight....and there, choice air does not handle all the airlines, so you might do better using another booking site.

[Christine Frances]

Just recently tried to use Choice Air for an upcoming Alaska cruise. Needed

to get from Seattle to Vancouver and wanted to know if we needed to come in a day early or not.

 

Told them the earliest we could be in Seattle was 2:00 PM.

 

Their reply was that they could put us on numerous flights on our embarcation day that would put us in Vancouver by the cruiselines deadline of 1:30.

 

Don't know how we could be in Vancouver by 1:30 if we won't be in Seattle until 2:00.

 

Different time zones? :confused:

 

Don't quite understand:confused: Are you trying to book a 30 min flight through Choice Air? If you get into Seattle at 2pm you will definately have to come in a day early even if you find a flight to Vancouver. (assuming you are sailing at 5pm). Allowing for collecting luggage, traffic you need to allow at least 2+ hrs to get to Canada Place from the Airport and then you still have to get through security etc. Lots of options to get to Vancouver other than flying if you come one day early.

[cruising sister]

Transatlantic is next year, we are sailing in December on the Refection and these are the perks we can choose from for that sailing.

[biomedbob]

Originally Posted by biomedbob View Post

Just recently tried to use Choice Air for an upcoming Alaska cruise. Needed

to get from Seattle to Vancouver and wanted to know if we needed to come in a day early or not.

 

Told them the earliest we could be in Seattle was 2:00 PM.

 

Christian Francis:

 

I didn't try to do this the same day!

 

I asked if it was doable!

 

I can tell time.

[goofysmom99]

I am a big fan of Choiceair for overseas flights. Got a one-way business class flight from Orlando to Rome for just over $1100 five months ago for a TA. Everywhere else wanted at least 4X that amount. I got the fare during a phone call to choiceair. The agent played with various options and found United flights for a total of $500 more than my refundable coach reservation! I had no idea that my original reservation WAS refundable. It's been decades since I've had a refundable fight. I was really impressed (airlines charge to speak to someone these days).

 

For US flights, especially roundtrip (including returning from a different city), I can usually do better with the airlines.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Transatlantic is next year, we are sailing in December on the Refection and these are the perks we can choose from for that sailing.

 

You are going to have to check your sailing dates Reflection leave Rome Oct 23 2015

This year it is Oct 17

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Just recently tried to use Choice Air for an upcoming Alaska cruise. Needed

to get from Seattle to Vancouver and wanted to know if we needed to come in a day early or not.

 

Told them the earliest we could be in Seattle was 2:00 PM.

 

Their reply was that they could put us on numerous flights on our embarcation day that would put us in Vancouver by the cruiselines deadline of 1:30.

 

Don't know how we could be in Vancouver by 1:30 if we won't be in Seattle until 2:00.

 

Different time zones? :confused:

If I was doing that trip see if you get a flight on a float plane , that would be cool

[cruising sister]

You are going to have to check your sailing dates Reflection leave Rome Oct 23 2015

This year it is Oct 17

It leaves out of Miami December 6th, I think I am going for the Choice Air Perk. We have crazy weather here and we will have the comfort of their guarantee. It worked well for a friend when she went to Alaska. I will definitely look into it for my Transatlantic in 2015.

[CathyCruises]

If I was doing that trip see if you get a flight on a float plane , that would be cool

I'll second that. We did a float plane ride out of :confused: Juneau??? and it was great--went back into the fjords and landed, got out of the plane and walked around for a bit, expensive but worth it.

[jkgourmet]

That is often the case if booking last minute but not if your cruise is still well down the road. We have done 17 cruises and I have yet to get a better airfare from the cruise line than what I found on my own.

 

International flights are often cheaper on choice air. One way international flights are usually cheaper on choice air. Domestic is more expensive on choice air.

 

Easy to figure out. Go to the choice air website and search for your fate on your selected dates. Compare with what you can get on your own. Apply the perk discount and Do the math.

 

ONE OTHER THING: The drink package has non alcoholic perks included. Speciality coffees, for example. That may make it a good choice for your 123 selection (in addition to paid gratuities).

 

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[waterbug123]

It leaves out of Miami December 6th, I think I am going for the Choice Air Perk. We have crazy weather here and we will have the comfort of their guarantee. It worked well for a friend when she went to Alaska. I will definitely look into it for my Transatlantic in 2015.

 

The "guarantee" you speak of is not actually a guarantee. They do state that they'll do what they can if there's an issue, but they make no actual promises. If weather is bad at your home airport and your flight is canceled, there's a good chance that any alternate flights would be canceled as well, and then you'll have a ton of people who all have to be rebooked with limited options. They would still try to help you get to the next port, but no guarantee that you'll make the cruise just because you booked with Choice Air. ;)

[dodger1964]

The "guarantee" you speak of is not actually a guarantee. They do state that they'll do what they can if there's an issue, but they make no actual promises. If weather is bad at your home airport and your flight is canceled, there's a good chance that any alternate flights would be canceled as well, and then you'll have a ton of people who all have to be rebooked with limited options. They would still try to help you get to the next port, but no guarantee that you'll make the cruise just because you booked with Choice Air. ;)

 

It might not be a true guarantee, but it is way better than being totally on your own.

 

To OP, remember that the drink package covers non alcoholic drinks also...depending on what u would consume, don't just discount it just because u don't drink alcohol.

 

We've had good luck with choice air last three cruises. All round trip flights, one to Europe and 2 within USA. All same or cheaper than we could find on our own, and all were flights we wanted. (You pick your own flights...If I remember correctly, we booked cruise air a long time ago and they picked the flight....we had no choice as to carrier)

[Lsimon]

The only way to answer this or any other price related question about Choice Air is to shop around. I would never book Choice Air without doing comparison price shopping through other sites. But I always include Choice Air in my airfare shopping. You can check rates on Choice Air flights on their website without having an actual booking.

 

Once you know their rates and the rates of the competitors and direct booking with the airlines then the rest is just math.

 

Sometimes Choice Air has the best deal and sometimes not. Once I even found a lower rate on a domestic flight with a major airline than the airline offered on their own site although I think that was a pretty rare occurrence.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Lsimon