Another EZ Air Question

[augies]

I booked EZ air flights to London for our cruise in June. It won't let me choose seats. Is there a way to get seat assignments?

Thanks, I never used EZ air before.

[Kenswing]

I booked EZ air flights to London for our cruise in June. It won't let me choose seats. Is there a way to get seat assignments?

Thanks, I never used EZ air before.

 

You can usually go to the airline's website and do it there.

 

With Delta I was able to enter my first and last name along with my confirmation number and choose our seats..

 

Or you can call Princess and they will be able to help you.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Kenswing

[Times Prince]

I booked EZ air flights to London for our cruise in June. It won't let me choose seats. Is there a way to get seat assignments?

Thanks, I never used EZ air before.

Use your confirmation numbers and go to the airline sites directly to choose seats.

 

HOWEVER - some airlines do not support choosing seats in advance, like British Air.

United and American do support choosing seats, but may show a warning about you are unable to change the booking; however you can change/select seat assignments.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Times Prince

[Colo Cruiser]

1 time we had to wait until we arrived at the airport. :(

Another time we could not choose until we were within 24 hours of departure. :(

[moki'smommy]

Also, be aware the choosing seats does not guarantee that you will get the seats you choose. The airline can shuffle seats any way they choose!

[augies]

Thanks for the replies. We are on American to London and Delta back to the US. Delta let me book seats, American wouldn't.

[netorders]

I got a flight booking number from Princess and called airline directly. They would not allow seat selection on either website. Air Agent gave us seats for both directions. Without paying in full for air and cruise. Good luck

[Colo Cruiser]

I got a flight booking number from Princess and called airline directly. They would not allow seat selection on either website. Air Agent gave us seats for both directions. Without paying in full for air and cruise. Good luck

 

 

Better watch your booking. I did the same thing and the seats disappeared because it was not paid for yet. :(

[netorders]

Better watch your booking. I did the same thing and the seats disappeared because it was not paid for yet. :(

 

Will do thanks !!

[mina]

We had the same issue. On American we could not choose elite seats prior to making final payment on the cruise and airfare (I am elite on aa). The flights are not ticketed till after final payment. Princess will allow you to pay for the cruise and flight early and have you fill in a permission form to ticket your flight early. We did this and were able to select our seats online once the flight was ticketed.

[txwriter]

Also' date=' be aware the choosing seats does not guarantee that you will get the seats you choose. The airline can shuffle seats any way they choose![/quote']

 

I don't know about all airlines, but I worked for an airline and this is NOT standard practice. It can happen if there is a change of some kind (plane changed, time changed slightly, etc), because in these instances the seat to seat map may not be exactly the same. This happened to me once when changing from a Super 80 to a 757. The seat configurations are different on the two planes with the Super 80 having a two by three configuration and the 757 having a three by three. We had bought seats on the two person side, but they changed us to something I didn't like, so I called, and they gave me some choices.

 

If you book more than a couple of months in advance, it is imperative to watch your flight information on a regular basis.

[Alaskanb]

We had the same issue. On American we could not choose elite seats prior to making final payment on the cruise and airfare (I am elite on aa). The flights are not ticketed till after final payment. Princess will allow you to pay for the cruise and flight early and have you fill in a permission form to ticket your flight early. We did this and were able to select our seats online once the flight was ticketed.

We want to be able to book economy cabin extra seats -- do you know if it possible to do this with Princess air? Is it possible to just pay for the flights before final payment on the cruise? We are looking at one-way TATL flights to the UK for 2017.

[Kenswing]

We want to be able to book economy cabin extra seats -- do you know if it possible to do this with Princess air? Is it possible to just pay for the flights before final payment on the cruise? We are looking at one-way TATL flights to the UK for 2017.

 

You can have Princess pay for your flights early but you must pay your entire booking.

 

Send them the attached form.

Flexible_Early_Ticketing_Request-Princess.pdf

[Corfe Mixture]

BUT

 

If you are going to pay early so that you can get a ticket issued, then why not book directly with the airline?

 

OK, EZAir gives you cover against delays, but their fares aren't always the best.

 

We are off to Australia in December and because of the distance and time we wanted both an outbound four day stopover in either Hong Kong or Singapore, full flat bed business class seats and to arrive in Sydney four days before the cruise, which has the added benefit of not having to worry about flight delays.

 

Without the stopovers, tickets from Cathay Pacific were just under £2,800 each which was some £600 cheaper than booking the exact same flights through EZAir where they wanted just over £3,400 each, though I have to admit that I could have got EZAir flights through Beijing with China Air also for just under £2,800.

 

Furthermore, by booking direct with Cathay I was able to add our four day stopover in Hong Kong for just the additional £5 per person airport taxes which transit passengers don't have to pay.

 

OK I had to pay Cathay Pacific up front, but I have not had to pay for my cruise up front and I was able to reserve my seats as soon as the booking was complete. I can also cancel or change our flights right up to the day before departure for a fee of £250 per person, which is the same as the terms of the 'Flexible Fare' from EZAir.

 

Absolute no-brainer for us.

 

Note, even if you book direct with the airline, or pay up front, BA don't allow you to book seats without paying a fee, whereas American allow you to book your seat once the ticket is paid for.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Corfe Mixture

[cruisingram1]

A bit off topic, but still related to EZ Air. We booked an Alaska Air flight through EZ Air several months ago and chose the flexible option which was the cheapest one. It was the same fare as going through the airline, but could be cancelled prior to final cruise payment. I was able to select seats by going to the Alaska website. I think the seat option might have been available through the Princess site too under "modify". Yesterday I saw that the price went down. It was only $15, but Princess rep was able to reprice since we had not yet passed final payment date. I did have to reselect my seats as the booking number changed. Had I booked directly with the airline I would not have been able to refare. I can't think of one negative to using EZ Air. You can book early and keep watching fares. And get the protection of Princess getting you to your cruise should there be any weather delays etc. Will be using EZ Air whenever we fly to port.

[Kenswing]

BUT

 

If you are going to pay early so that you can get a ticket issued, then why not book directly with the airline?

 

OK, EZAir gives you cover against delays, but their fares aren't always the best.

 

~Snipped~

 

Each situation is certainly different.. This time for us it made sense.. Business Class from SEA - LHR was $5,900 on Delta. Same flights from EZAir were $3,150.

 

I saw that Business Class seats were filling up fast for our flight so I had them ticketed early. Heard too many stories of people losing their seats.

 

And like you mentioned, it gives us protection against delays or cancelled flights.

[Kenswing]

A bit off topic, but still related to EZ Air. We booked an Alaska Air flight through EZ Air several months ago and chose the flexible option which was the cheapest one. It was the same fare as going through the airline, but could be cancelled prior to final cruise payment. I was able to select seats by going to the Alaska website. I think the seat option might have been available through the Princess site too under "modify". Yesterday I saw that the price went down. It was only $15, but Princess rep was able to reprice since we had not yet passed final payment date. I did have to reselect my seats as the booking number changed. Had I booked directly with the airline I would not have been able to refare. I can't think of one negative to using EZ Air. You can book early and keep watching fares. And get the protection of Princess getting you to your cruise should there be any weather delays etc. Will be using EZ Air whenever we fly to port.

We did the same thing.. We re-priced our flights three different times for a savings of over $800 per person from our original booking to when we had the flights ticketed. Just kept watching and was able to do it from the Personalizer.

[Thrak]

We checked EZ Air for our flight to Fairbanks in June. Prices looked good and I almost booked but decided to "look around". Found Delta flights for way cheaper. Booked and selected our seats and paid in full. I guess EZ Air is a good way to go sometimes but, in this case, it would have cost much more.

[Cruise-Crazzy]

I compare the airlines price with EZ Air. Some times the airline is cheaper. Most of the times I found Princess prices significantly lower. Princess prices are always changing. With flexible air you can re-book.

[kayred]

I was very happy with the ezair price to Seattle (less then 50 more then booking direct and with ezair I don't pay in advance). but then today I called and checked on the first class price. I am paying a total 300 more for 1st class but I will save between 100 and 150 on baggage fees (they were 25 per bag each way, I like choices so I would have 2 maybe 3 cases). So I jumped at it and figured 50pp each way was worth it to fly first class. I am thrilled to start and end my trip with a little more comfort. Just a thought and it might be worth it for others like me who pack too much :)

[caribill]

BUT

 

If you are going to pay early so that you can get a ticket issued, then why not book directly with the airline?

OK, EZAir gives you cover against delays, but their fares aren't always the best.

 

 

a) Cost

Of course one should check EZAir fares vs. the fares from the airlines. EZAir does not use all the possible airlines (for example, not Southwest) and sometimes EZAir costs less, sometimes it costs more. For an upcoming one-way fare across the Atlantic, EZAir price was less than 25% of the airline's direct web site price.

 

b) Flexibility

The EZAir flexible option is often lower than the non-flexible option. With the flexibility option you can change or cancel the reservation at no charge up to 45 days before embarkation or the flight, whichever is earlier. If booked directly with an airline, there would be heavy change fees and possibly no refund at all if cancelled. And as another poster noted, you can take advantage of any price reductions up to 45 days before embarkation or the flight, whichever is earlier.

[Corfe Mixture]

a) Cost

Of course one should check EZAir fares vs. the fares from the airlines. EZAir does not use all the possible airlines (for example, not Southwest) and sometimes EZAir costs less, sometimes it costs more. For an upcoming one-way fare across the Atlantic, EZAir price was less than 25% of the airline's direct web site price.

 

I did say 'not always the best', and one way transatlantic / other intercontinental flights are one example where EZAir is nearly always better as they get access to a one way element of a return price whereas we can only purchase expensive one way tickets from the airline.

 

However, in the example I gave, and which you partially quoted in your post, I was comparing like for like on a real booking and I did not have to pay for my cruise up front, as well as the flight, in order to get ticketed and reserve my seats.

 

b) Flexibility

The EZAir flexible option is often lower than the non-flexible option. With the flexibility option you can change or cancel the reservation at no charge up to 45 days before embarkation or the flight, whichever is earlier. If booked directly with an airline, there would be heavy change fees and possibly no refund at all if cancelled. And as another poster noted, you can take advantage of any price reductions up to 45 days before embarkation or the flight, whichever is earlier.

 

Yup, the EZAir flexible option is for some reason sometimes cheaper than the non-flexible, but remember this thread is about reserving seats and, as others have said, until you have paid, even if you think you have reserved your seat. it is only a request which anyone who pays in full can override.

 

In the case of the real example of my flexible ticket. If I had elected to book through EZAir and pay an extra £600 ($850) each, then I could have put my seats on request, with no real confidence that my request would be fulfilled, and changed free of charge only up until 45 days before my flight, whereas by booking with the airline, I was able to lock in my seat selection (they are now showing as occupied / unavailable for selection on expertflyer - a well known seat availability site ) and I can cancel or change my booking for a fee of £250 ($350) right up to the moment the plane departs.

 

Where you do gain from EZAir is that, if prices come down you can cancel and re-book free of charge whereas I can only do that at a cost of £250 ($350), but as all the dozen or so flights from LHR to HKG are always fully booked in Business class, in my case that is not something that is at all likely.

 

To re-iterate, I did not say that booking direct is always better. I simply suggested that, as an alternative to paying for both the flight and the cruise up front in order to reserve their seats, there could be advantages in booking directly with the airline (when you only have to pay for the flight up front) and I gave a real life example which showed that EZAir prices are not always the best.

Edited February 18, 2016 by Corfe Mixture

[cruisingram1]

I am a little confused by the statement that someone paying for their seat ahead of the EZair reserving customer can claim a seat that already shows reserved and unavailable on the airline seat map. Perhaps overseas airlines are different than US domestic carriers. My EZ Air reserved seat shows as UNavailable (X on it) to select on the seat map on Alaska Air's website. I just looked again to make sure the seats had not been released along the way. I have definitely not paid yet. As far as I can tell no one booking that flight can take my seat.

I do agree that not all carriers participate. And for sure one should check with the airlines, Expedia, etc for comparison. But for me being able to lock in a great price many months out and still be able to take advantage of intermittent sales has great value. And along with that, the ability to cancel if plans change. Perfect combination. I'd pay a little more for that option alone.

[Corfe Mixture]

I am a little confused by the statement that someone paying for their seat ahead of the EZair reserving customer can claim a seat that already shows reserved and unavailable on the airline seat map. Perhaps overseas airlines are different than US domestic carriers. My EZ Air reserved seat shows as UNavailable (X on it) to select on the seat map on Alaska Air's website.

 

I can only speak for non-US flights, but Keith (Colo Cruiser) appears to have made the same point about US carriers.

 

Basically, it boils down to this. If you book through EZAir, Princess make the reservation, but like all tour operator linked airline tickets, whilst that reservation is confirmed to Princess, it has not been assigned to an individual.

 

For sure Princess / EZAir may have a deal where the booking is confirmed but not paid, but once they identify a passenger by name to the airline, they then have to pay to pay the airline.

 

So, whilst the seats you have requested may appear to be blocked out, they will not have your name against them, just a reference to having been requested by Princess and, until such time as Princess pay up, they are really no more than a request. This means that, particularly if you have requested a popular or extra legroom seat, whilst no-one can take your preferred seat on line, you are vulnerable to folks with higher levels of membership of the airlines frequent flyer club, who have paid for their ticket, picking up the telephone and requesting that seat.

 

This may seem unreasonable to you, but consider this. One of the plus point of EZAir is that you can cancel, without penalty up to 45 days before the flight and whilst your place on the aircraft is secure and your request is noted, until you have actually shown them the colour of your money, you have done nothing to give the airline any real confidence that you will not cancel.

 

As you say it may be different for US carriers, but you can check the situation for yourself by phoning the airline and giving them your name. If you have not yet paid Princess they will probably not recognise your name and will ask for their airline ticket reference (different from your cruise booking reference)before they discuss anything with you. Unless you have this to hand, unlikely if you have not yet paid, they will probably suggest that you get the ticket number from Princess. However when you phone Princess they will not give you the ticket number until you have paid as once a ticket is assigned to you as an individual, Princess will lose the right to make changes to the airline ticket if you later decide to cancel.

 

The generally accepted bottom line is that you can't have it both ways and get the airline to irrevocably block out a seat for you whilst you reserving the right to cancel without them having ever seen the colour of your money.

 

The best you can get is either

a) a request which, may or may not pass the test of time,

or,

b) if you pay up front, the right to book a seat and then cancel and get your money back.

 

Anything else may work out exactly as you have planned but it will always be vulnerable to change and you could be disappointed.

[Colo Cruiser]

I am a little confused by the statement that someone paying for their seat ahead of the EZair reserving customer can claim a seat that already shows reserved and unavailable on the airline seat map. Perhaps overseas airlines are different than US domestic carriers. My EZ Air reserved seat shows as UNavailable (X on it) to select on the seat map on Alaska Air's website. I just looked again to make sure the seats had not been released along the way. I have definitely not paid yet. As far as I can tell no one booking that flight can take my seat.

I do agree that not all carriers participate. And for sure one should check with the airlines, Expedia, etc for comparison. But for me being able to lock in a great price many months out and still be able to take advantage of intermittent sales has great value. And along with that, the ability to cancel if plans change. Perfect combination. I'd pay a little more for that option alone.

 

 

What it boils down too is the airline is not obligated to hold anything until the reservation is fully paid. Which only makes sense to me although its a pain because as I stated we have found seats canceled more then once on the same booking. You are correct that nobody can take your seat as long as its in the system but its not guaranteed to stay there until fully paid by Princess and every airline has a different take on how this is handled.

You just have to be vigilant in watching before its paid for. ;)