Any issues flying in the morning cruise leaves via Allegiant?

[aimcat]

doing a cruise late feb and a local airport has an allegiant flight into fll that arrives at 10:30am. Would you foresee any issues flying in then and getting a transfer to port of Miami?

[E@syPe@zy]

I have flown with Allegiant and am not one of the haters, however the problem is if there is a long delay or cancellation, there will not be a back up flight through Allegiant that same day. You will have to catch a flight on another airline and it will probably be very pricey.

For Allegiant I would only fly in a day or two early for a cruise, just to be on the safe side. Again I like Allegiant with their non stop flights and prices. I don't like their 40 pound limit on checked bags as I tend to take more with me when I'm cruising. And of course they charge for their carry on bags also. Just make sure after paying all of the fees, the flight is still a good deal and I just wouldn't fly in on the same day you embark on your cruise....too risky.

[Clarea]

I have flown with Allegiant and am not one of the haters, however the problem is if there is a long delay or cancellation, there will not be a back up flight through Allegiant that same day. You will have to catch a flight on another airline and it will probably be very pricey.

For Allegiant I would only fly in a day or two early for a cruise, just to be on the safe side. Again I like Allegiant with their non stop flights and prices. I don't like their 40 pound limit on checked bags as I tend to take more with me when I'm cruising. And of course they charge for their carry on bags also. Just make sure after paying all of the fees, the flight is still a good deal and I just wouldn't fly in on the same day you embark on your cruise....too risky.

Totally agree, Allegiant would be the last airline I'd ever consider for a cruise day flight.

[internetwhiz]

Never on the same day as the cruise.

[aimcat]

Flights the day before and other airlines are about 400 more

[E@syPe@zy]

Flights the day before and other airlines are about 400 more

I understand, but if you decide to try Allegiant, make sure you get travel insurance.

Is there a city within an hour or so that might have better prices on flights??

We live outside of Louisville, KY and I will travel to Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Lexington, and even Nashville. I find that Nashville and Indianapolis usually have better prices and more flights than Louisville.

2 years ago I signed up for a Southwest Visa and got a bonus of 60,000 points and continue to rack up the points. The points have come in very handy and I love how you can cancel with Southwest up to a few minutes before you board your flight, if need be. The 2 free bags per person is a very nice perk.

[internetwhiz]

Flights the day before and other airlines are about 400 more

 

 

I’d rather pay and not stress about missing the ship.

[Keith1010]

Do not fly the day of the cruise. There is great risk of that no matter what airline you fly and no matter what time of year and no matter where you fly from and to.

 

I have been in too many situations during my business class on both public and private flights where I have seen almost every problem imaginable happening and that has included:

 

Weather

Airport Security Issues

Aircraft Security Issues

Airline Computer Issues

FAA Computer Issues

Insufficient Flight Personnel (including flight attendants)

Aircraft Mechanical Issues

Another aircraft blocking the runway

 

And the list goes on and on and on and because of this I will not fly in the day of the cruise.

 

Might everything go right? Absolutely.

 

Can something go wrong and cause you to miss the ship? Absolutely.

 

In the end this is your decision but no one can guarantee the outcome.

 

What some of us can say is that there is risk and if you do searches on Cruise Critic you will see posts from people who did fly in the day of the cruise and will say never again because they missed the ship.

 

Keith

[aimcat]

Yes I had checked other airports even as far as 3 hours out all were a lot more than the allegiant flight. The allegiant flight leaves at 8:30 arrives at 10 or so. I’ve flown with them several times and never had issues but I do understand what your saying totally!

[Flymia]

If your flight arrives on-time or even an hour or two later you should be ok. Make sure to have travel insurance though. I would never fly in same day for any cruise, but with Allegiant it is even a bigger risk.

 

That being said, much higher chance that you make it on-time than you don't but you never know, just be prepared.

[JTBCruiser]

doing a cruise late feb and a local airport has an allegiant flight into fll that arrives at 10:30am. Would you foresee any issues flying in then and getting a transfer to port of Miami?

 

No way, no way, no way! This airline flies out of an airport about 15 minutes from where I live. The low fares may look tempting but when I watch to see how many times one of their flights gets delayed, well over 80% and I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. And on those delays, most go out very late afternoon or early evening or worst yet, the following day. I wouldn't fly with them even if it was free on same day. DW and I have flown SWA twice now on same day but from here on out, it isn't worth the stress and we go a day early and start unwinding before we board the ship the next day.

[E@syPe@zy]

Here's a suggestion; fly another airline "into FLL or MIA and use Allegiant for your return flight. That should cut your overall cost for your flight down. The problem is that you also have commute time from FLL to the Miami cruise port.

The last time we flew Allegiant to FLL, the flight was about 2 and half hours late. Once we arrived, it took over 30 minutes before the luggage could be retrieved. Luckily we flew in the day before, so it was just an aggravation, not an end to our cruise plans.

Just ask yourself, would the extra cost be worth a chance of missing the cruise. I am a very frugal person, but I would not fly Allegiant the day of my cruise.

[luvabargain]

I wouldn't, ever. I work at an airport and Allegiant is notorious for long delays. I would only fly Allegiant if I have no important schedule to be on and can accommodate possibly flying in or out several hours or possibly a day later than scheduled. If you have a back up plan and can hitch a ride on another airline if needed, then go for it. Chances are good that you would make it in time, but they just have too many issues with older planes and shortage of crew to chance it, IMO.

[JohninDC]

Be sure to come back after your cruise and post a review on how it worked out! ;)

[momof3cruisers]

Yes I had checked other airports even as far as 3 hours out all were a lot more than the allegiant flight. The allegiant flight leaves at 8:30 arrives at 10 or so. I’ve flown with them several times and never had issues but I do understand what your saying totally!

It sounds like you are trying to convince yourself that it will be okay but your gut is telling you different. I totally get the price difference being a major factor. But seriously consider if the cheaper price is really worth the anxiety it could cause let alone missing your cruise departure. I have no problem with airlines like Spirit and Allegiant etc but I wouldn't count on ANY airline to get me to a cruise port on the day I was departing let alone one that has no back up flights.

[teknoge3k]

It's funny how airline charges vary from airport to airport, airline to airline. For me, Allegiant is double the cost of Southwest going into FLL non-stop once you factor in luggage fees.

 

No way I would fly in the morning of my cruise though.

[BlueHerons]

I fly Allegiant frequently and love the airline but I would NEVER use them to fly in the day of a cruise.

 

I agree to use another airline to fly in and fly home on Allegiant.

 

Only about half my flights with them are on time and if your flight is cancelled, you are two or three more days getting on another flight.

 

They don't code share.

[Jaco5NC]

Another thought from someone who lives in Florida and travels from FLL to MIA via I-95. Traffic can be BAD. Even though we only live 3 hours north of Miami we always travel down the day before our cruise. Too risky. Good luck and enjoy your cruise!!

 

 

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[knbcruisers]

Is Amtrak or even self drive an option?

 

 

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[eandj]

[quote=BlueHerons;55161546

 

I agree to use another airline to fly in and fly home on Allegiant.

 

 

I agree too. Good solution, if indeed a lot of money can be saved with Allegiant.

[jamesr3939]

Allegiant isn't known for having much depth in backup fleet. If your plane breaks chances are slim you will fly that same day.

 

They fly from my home town to Hawaii and it's really cheap. But more than once there have been stories of the plane breaking and people getting delayed for 1-2 days.

[Tapi]

I wouldn’t fly Allegiant on the day of the cruise even if the flight was free. Between their abysmal on-time performance and cancelation rate, their maintenance issues, their lack of agreements with other airlines, and very limited schedules, this has disaster written all over it.

 

Don’t risk your vacation.

 

 

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[Flatbush Flyer]

doing a cruise late feb and a local airport has an allegiant flight into fll that arrives at 10:30am. Would you foresee any issues flying in then and getting a transfer to port of Miami?

 

 

 

Sorry to be so straightforward but, you have now redefined "pennywise and pound foolish."

 

 

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[Keith1010]

Yes I had checked other airports even as far as 3 hours out all were a lot more than the allegiant flight. The allegiant flight leaves at 8:30 arrives at 10 or so. I’ve flown with them several times and never had issues but I do understand what your saying totally!

 

In the end, you have to make the decision.

 

Please just understand there is risk to this.

 

If you arrive on time you are fine but if something goes wrong you can miss the flight.

 

So you have to decide what to do.

 

For me I would never do this. Please remember that even though you have not had a problem with flights before there is always the first time and at some point a delay or cancellation will happen.

 

I base this on years of flying across many airlines.

 

Keith

[paulh84]

We've flown in the day of before but I too would never recommend attempting doing so when flying on Allegiant. I would say there is a substantial risk in your $400 savings. If there is a delay, your incoming plane is delayed, etc. you're going to be stuck for quite some time. They have no flexibility in their fleet to accommodate those situations. I would not do it.