When does RCI book your flights?

[emeraldcity]

I booked my air through RCI early in the year. The original plan was to wait for a price drop from the airlines and then dump the air part of the cruise booking. It doesn't look like I'm going to better the deal, so now I have to find out how the RCI custom air service works. I know you can only use the platinum level perk to get free custom air once. If you change your mind, then you have to pay the fee, so I've been holding off. Do they wait to book your air until after final payment? If so, I've got about 3 or 4 weeks to make those arrangements.

[wrp96]

I booked my air through RCI early in the year. The original plan was to wait for a price drop from the airlines and then dump the air part of the cruise booking. It doesn't look like I'm going to better the deal, so now I have to find out how the RCI custom air service works. I know you can only use the platinum level perk to get free custom air once. If you change your mind, then you have to pay the fee, so I've been holding off. Do they wait to book your air until after final payment? If so, I've got about 3 or 4 weeks to make those arrangements.

 

I am a few weeks from final payment on my Serenade cruise. We opted for custom air several months back as it was apparent that I would never find anything from my area that was as low as cruise air (and I was right). When I made the custom air request back in August, they went ahead and booked the flight.

[gambler]

If you did not do the custom air, it is usually 30 days out.

[jcanino]

If you did not do the custom air, it is usually 30 days out.

 

Royal Caribbean flights are available from their air/sea department at 60 days out.

[myrtle0116]

My understanding of custom air is they charge $50.00 pp and, if the air fare goes up, your price increases. Is this correct or did I misunderstand my TA? What do you suggest?

 

Myrtle

[jcanino]

My understanding of custom air is they charge $50.00 pp and, if the air fare goes up, your price increases. Is this correct or did I misunderstand my TA? What do you suggest?

 

That is correct. When you request Custom Air, you can just specify different days or you can specify specific airlines and flights. When they respond, they tell you what is available and what the additional cost, if any, is. If you accept the deviation, you are then assessed the deviation fee, in this case $50.00, and any extra cost for your flights.

 

As an example, let's say the cruise line is charging $300 for air. You want specific non stop flights on a specific airline the day prior to your cruise. If there is limited space on those flights that you want and the actual cost is $600, you will have to pay the additional $300 plus the air deviation fee.

[judy&steve]

Our TA called last week to give us our flights for our 1/21/06 Serenade cruise. I know there are direct BWI-SJU flights. But, I figured we were out of luck since we didn't say anything about them earlier. Time sort of slipped away from us. We are platinum, so we can use the deviation. I got so upset over the flights on two different airlines with connections. She got us on our AA direct flights:) and I am once again a happy camper!

No addition fees or anything.

--Judy