What's the advantage to ChoiceAir in my situation?

[gsu_paintballer]

We are cruising Saturday 11/28. We will fly in Thursday 11/26 and fly out the day we return on 12/5. The prices aren't any different. Is there an advantage to using ChoiceAir to select my flights?

[Twickenham]

Not really. Go with the airline direct.

[jsf]

Might help to know where your flying to and from, one advantage to Choice Air is if your delayed the ship will wait for you. If the prices are the same you'll have to decide for one or the other.

J.

[gsu_paintballer]

Atlanta to San Juan. since we are flying in two days early, the ship waiting on us SHOULDN'T be a concern. Note that I didn't say it wouldn't :-)

[billscruiser]

My concern would be if the cruise line insurance was purchased. What date it was purchased dictates the refunds or credits from outside purchases. They are no longer covering air fares not purchased through ChoiceAir should you have to cancel or change plans, weather, health, etc. Just my experience. Kathryn

[Rob the Cruiser]

I haven't found compelling differences in price for domestic flights but I use Choice Air anyway because of their flight delay policy.

 

Prices for open jaw international business class are incredibly good. Our flight from Rome to Denver, booked on Choice Air, cost 63% less than American Airlines or several flights on Travelocity.

[grandgeezer]

Might help to know where your flying to and from, one advantage to Choice Air is if your delayed the ship will wait for you. If the prices are the same you'll have to decide for one or the other.

J.

 

I don't think this is true anymore. I think they will assist you in getting to the next port to catch up with the ship. Maybe for a little time, but not anything significant.

[navybankerteacher]

Since you are buying a regular round trip ticket, ChoiseAir does not offer any advantage. On our trans-Atlantic repositioning cruises it really does matter - since most airlines actually charge more for a one way than a round trip.

[ozark74]

The only reason to use choice air is for a one way ticket. Used it last year to Europe and saved a lot. For round trips they are the same or in some cases more than the airlines.

[blindrid]

Since you are buying a regular round trip ticket, ChoiseAir does not offer any advantage. On our trans-Atlantic repositioning cruises it really does matter - since most airlines actually charge more for a one way than a round trip.

 

Disagree. Anymore airlines charge by segments, makes no diff round or one way.

[Cruise Junky]

Disagree. Anymore airlines charge by segments, makes no diff round or one way.

 

That sentence doesn't make sense.

[az_tchr]

Agree. Tickets all sold in segments.

 

Am I missing something - Why not simply look around on say Kayak or your favorite airline and then call Choice Air? Free call and only takes a few minutes. They do assist and take care of changing flights if there are issues and I found them twice to be cheaper. NEVER more expensive.

 

They MIGHT save you a few dollars and there is the chance of a benefit.

[Cruise Junky]

Agree. Tickets all sold in segments.

 

Am I missing something - Why not simply look around on say Kayak or your favorite airline and then call Choice Air? Free call and only takes a few minutes. They do assist and take care of changing flights if there are issues and I found them twice to be cheaper. NEVER more expensive.

 

They MIGHT save you a few dollars and there is the chance of a benefit.

 

There is a monster difference in flights one way flights to Europe unless flying on a charter. Domestic, not worth it.

[huskerc]

I've seen some notable discounts through choice air, but usually it's nothing better than what you can book for yourself.

[blindrid]

That sentence doesn't make sense.

 

Thanks for the posters that put it in English for me:rolleyes:. I book a lot of international and a lot of time one way (in English, segments :rolleyes:) on one airline, returning on another is a lot cheaper........ Segments :rolleyes:.

[Cruise Junky]

Thanks for the posters that put it in English for me:rolleyes:. I book a lot of international and a lot of time one way (in English, segments :rolleyes:) on one airline, returning on another is a lot cheaper........ Segments :rolleyes:.

 

Care to share which airlines you book this through?

[alcpa1]

Unless there is a substantial number of passengers arriving late NO cruise line will hold up sailing. The cruise air programs will ASSIST you in getting to the ship at some point. Weather related issues could provide an embarkation cushion which the cruise lines provided in the last couple of weeks with the heavy snowfall in the north east US.

In the Caribbean delayed embarkation at another port may entail having a passport and there are some destinations that cruise air will not provide transportation, Jamaica for one.

 

From Atlanta you will have a number of Delta direct flights and connecting flights on Southwest and other carriers. Your least expensive option will be flying down on Thanksgiving Day.

[MadManOfBethesda]

Agree. Tickets all sold in segments.

 

Yes, tickets are priced in segments, but in many instances the prices you see are based on a r/t purchase. If you change the booking conditions to one-way, the prices for those very same segments can jump considerably.

[waterbug123]

Might help to know where your flying to and from, one advantage to Choice Air is if your delayed the ship will wait for you. If the prices are the same you'll have to decide for one or the other.

J.

 

Absolutely not true. While they ship might wait a short period of time, particularly if there are a large number of CA pax who are delayed and the delay isn't long, but if it's a lengthy delay, forget it. They may try to assist you in flying to catch up to the ship, but depending on the itinerary and seat availability on alternate flights, that could take several days. Do NOT assume the ship will just wait indefinitely for you at the embarkation port.

 

Disagree. Anymore airlines charge by segments, makes no diff round or one way.

 

Wrong. For many airlines (I'm sure there are exceptions) tickets are priced by segment but often the price assumes a round trip fare and you'll actually pay a premium for a one way flight. Ex. Searched Delta for a round trip ATL-BCN for a week in July and the lowest coach fare came back at $1852, round trip. Searched again for the same departure date but as a one way and the price jumped to $2600+.

[Rob the Cruiser]

Go to ChoiceAir website and check prices. Go to airlines or 3rd party consolidators and check prices.

[MadManOfBethesda]

Go to ChoiceAir website and check prices. Go to airlines or 3rd party consolidators and check prices.

 

The OP has already checked prices and confirmed that there is no difference. His question is whether there is any benefit to using Choice Air in the absence of a price difference.

[Rob the Cruiser]

The OP has already checked prices and confirmed that there is no difference. His question is whether there is any benefit to using Choice Air in the absence of a price difference.

 

Thanks for telling me something I already knew. For one-way or open jaw international flights there is a HUGE difference in prices. That is the benefit of booking with Choice Air.

[Rufferto]

Here's one minor disadvantage: your edocs will be issued later rather than sooner. Something about your Choice Air booking needing to clear before they can create the edoc.

[gsu_paintballer]

Went ahead and booked air last night. We'd already planned on flying in thanksgiving day and were flying out the afternoon of the debarkation.

[Bruin Steve]

I've actually booked the air for both of my cruises this summer using Choice Air...

The first cruise is Alaska--llying LAX to Anchorage, Vancouver to LAX...

The second is Round Trip LAX-Quito for the Galapagos...

 

In BOTH cases, the cruise fare is EXACTLY what I could have done myself if I had booked each on the same dates!

It was a little less than SOME sites--who tacked on a small service charge...

And Alaska was less than initially appearing on some airline sites--because those sites tried to book you on their line both trips while Cruise Air went directly to the solution where we fly to Anchorage on Alaska Air but fly home on Air Canada (Of course, I could have done that on my own as well--it just takes a little more work).

 

We are flying in to both one day prior.

 

So, why did we choose doing these through Choice Air?

First, for no price difference, I didn't see a compelling reason for NOT using Choice Air...

Second, that line about them ensuring you get to your ship (no, they don't hold the ship for you...they just guarantee to get you there).

 

Everything is really identical...

We have the same flights, we have a trip locator number--so we can change seat assignments directly with the airlines...Once it's booked, everything is really the same...

And, the terms are basically the same--both are paid at the time of booking, etc.

 

Back in the "old days", I booked a few times with the cruise lines--and there were some advantages and disadvantages: The prices were negotiated at a bulk rate early...and uniform no matter where you were flying from... and were sometimes far cheaper than what you could get directly--of course, that usually worked out well for those flying from farther away or from places requiring less popular routes...And you didn't have to pay until final payment day for your cruise. One time, because RCCL couldn't get us into Miami the morning of a cruise, they actually included a hotel in Miami for one night on their dime...Oh, and they used to include the transfers with the air.

The negatives included that you couldn't choose your own flights and flight times without paying additional fees...

But, now, the Choice Air thing means the cruise lines are really just acting as a booking agent for the airfare...Their Choice Air website is very easy to use...and a great resource for checking the airfares...

 

About the only reason I would have booked direct would have been to use some of my seemingly worthless frequent flier miles--now THERE'S an impossible system...The airlines have destroyed any benefit to collecting those...