Choice Air seems to cheap

[clojacks]

I'm wondering what hidden surprise I am missing with some prices I am checking on Choice Air versus Airline quotes and some of the traditional flight search engine tools. I am getting prices showing up when I search on Choice Air for Business Class to Europe on a Multi Destination trip that are about 60% of the Airlines and search engine fares? Prices on the Airlines own sites that are around $3700 or so, are being returned as around $2200 per person on Choice Air. Am I missing some hidden charges or something? We would be flying US to Europe and back, but using different cities in Europe for destination and return. These are for a trip next August. It just seems to good to be true. 

[wendychloecruiser]

No surprises for me.  I have used choiceair/air2sea for years now.  

[Covepointcruiser]

I would suggest grabbing the airfare you like right away.    It is often much less expensive to book business class air through choice air but there are a limited number of seats.   Make sure it is an airline you would be okay to fly.

[RICCruisers]

Agree with the previous posts. We are flying to Venice with a return from Barcelona. United website had flights at About $1700 per person. Choice Air got our flights for about $660.  No worries. We have our seats assigned except for the Brussels to Venice leg. 

[Lastdance]

I seems cheap because it is cheaper.  Just make sure that you read all of the information about your tickets in case of issues that could arise.  Other than that, I have used them for years and love the prices for business class.  It is certainly your decision, but do your homework, so no surprises.

[jelayne]

We have used Choice Air many times to/from Europe primarily on AA as we live in N. Texas.  I always call to book and get my airline record locator # then I can go online and select our seats.  We have always gotten our frequently flyer miles for these flights.

[clojacks]

I'm assuming that if we have some vouchers from one of the airlines we are considering through Choice Air, that they can't be redeemed? 

[Nancynurse]

Choice air has been cheaper for us the last three years for Europe. We are flying round trip to Dublin for less than 2000 per person business class.  We have not had any issues with them.

 

Nancy

[Jim_Iain]

Never had an unpleasant surprise with Choice Air.    Currently on Silhouette and we booked via ChoiceAir a Business Class on Air France from SFO to London for $1,100 each.    Was a wonderful flight and great service.  I also noticed that the ticket was non-refundable but could be changed for a $250 fee.   

[clojacks]

Thanks for the positive experience reply's. It seems like a lot of the Choice Air searches on CC refer to seat assignment issues, but I don't see that in these responses.

[prim8keeper]

Agreed that it generally is just cheaper. We are flying to Europe next year (round trip although open jaw) and were able to snag business class tickets for a fraction of what they would cost otherwise ($2,100 pp). Once you have you booking numbers it is generally easier to just make seat assignments, etc. directly with the airline. We have never had an issue. We have also used them last minute domestically without issue.

[RICCruisers]

Re: Seat assignment. Be sure you are booking on a US Carrier and the Class is not a Basic Fare. If you book on a Non US Carrier you probably won’t be able to select your seat until 24 hours in advance. 

[PSU]

We are also flying business class to Venice and back from Barcelona. I called choice air and they found us a flight for $1900 round trip. On the airlines website it was $3600.

[justcake]

When using Choiceair do you usually fly in the day of the European cruise?  I’ve never been to Europe and was thinking of booking through Choiceair to Rome. How do you usually get from the airport to the port?  What if the flight is delayed?  Does Celebrity cover issues like this?  I’ve been looking for information on Celebrity website but haven’t found anything. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[justcake]

Are flights by celebrity different than Choiceair?

[Iamthesea]

1 hour ago, PSU said:

We are also flying business class to Venice and back from Barcelona. I called choice air and they found us a flight for $1900 round trip. On the airlines website it was $3600.

 

I guess it depends on where you are flying from because we have never had good luck with finding reasonable flights with Choice Air.

 

PSU - Would you mind sharing your flight details...where you leave from, and stops in between ...both ways (not dates or times?) 

We are flying to Barcelona and back from Zurich.  Booked on-our-own, in Business Class, for $3600pp (cruise ends in to Venice. The flight price was the same from Venice, as well.)

 

52 minutes ago, justcake said:

When using Choiceair do you usually fly in the day of the European cruise?  I’ve never been to Europe and was thinking of booking through Choiceair to Rome. How do you usually get from the airport to the port?  What if the flight is delayed?  Does Celebrity cover issues like this?  I’ve been looking for information on Celebrity website but haven’t found anything. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Definitely fly in at least a day before!  And remember that you arrive a day later than when taking off.  There are great services that pick you up from the airport and take you either to a hotel or the port in Civitavecchia.  Rome Cabs is one that we have used often.  The last time we were there, we used Domenico with  www.romashuttleairport.it . Very reasonable and efficient!

 

If you book air through Celebrity (Choiceair), they are suppose to help you get to the next port of call if your flight causes you to miss the ship. However,  lately have read otherwise with stories from passengers being left to figure things out with the airlines.  I'm sure there are good and bad stories out there! 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2018 by Iamthesea

[jebbs]

Recently completed Celebrity Constellation round trip from Civitavecchia.  We flew in a week early to Florence, via Zurich from our home airport, Boston Logan.  With that open leg, and because we had used it before, we booked through Choice Air.

Well, for all you faithful Cruise Critic readers, you may recall that the October 19 sailing of Constellation was late returning to Civitavecchia.  No question, Choice Air booked hotel accommodations and new flights out the next day.  Passengers from the cruise who booked their own flights were scrambling, and many had to spend  lots of $$$$$, to rebook.

Choice Air for me!

[PSU]

1 hour ago, Iamthesea said:

 

I guess it depends on where you are flying from because we have never had good luck with finding reasonable flights with Choice Air.

 

PSU - Would you mind sharing your flight details...where you leave from, and stops in between ...both ways (not dates or times?) 

We are flying to Barcelona and back from Zurich.  Booked on-our-own, in Business Class, for $3600pp (cruise ends in to Venice. The flight price was the same from Venice, as well.)

 

 

Definitely fly in at least a day before!  And remember that you arrive a day later than when taking off.  There are great services that pick you up from the airport and take you either to a hotel or the port in Civitavecchia.  Rome Cabs is one that we have used often.  The last time we were there, we used Domenico with  www.romashuttleairport.it . Very reasonable and efficient!

 

If you book air through Celebrity (Choiceair), they are suppose to help you get to the next port of call if your flight causes you to miss the ship. However,  lately have read otherwise with stories from passengers being left to figure things out with the airlines.  I'm sure there are good and bad stories out there! 

 

 

We are flying direct to Venice from Newark and back from Barcelona to Newark. We live outside Philadelphia but flying American direct was so much more from there. We are flying United.

[The_Big_M]

3 hours ago, justcake said:

Are flights by celebrity different than Choiceair?

 

Same thing. They changed their name from Choiceair to Flights by Celebrity a little while back.

[Iamthesea]

3 hours ago, jebbs said:

Recently completed Celebrity Constellation round trip from Civitavecchia.  We flew in a week early to Florence, via Zurich from our home airport, Boston Logan.  With that open leg, and because we had used it before, we booked through Choice Air.

Well, for all you faithful Cruise Critic readers, you may recall that the October 19 sailing of Constellation was late returning to Civitavecchia.  No question, Choice Air booked hotel accommodations and new flights out the next day.  Passengers from the cruise who booked their own flights were scrambling, and many had to spend  lots of $$$$$, to rebook.

Choice Air for me!

I would expect as much seeing that the ship was late getting in, versus a flight getting in late and missing the ship. 😉

 

1 hour ago, PSU said:

We are flying direct to Venice from Newark and back from Barcelona to Newark. We live outside Philadelphia but flying American direct was so much more from there. We are flying United.

 

Ah...we are flying/prefer Delta.  Part of our problem is that we do not live up North where those good flights seem to be.  We would have to fly to CLT, or ATL, and then up to New York before heading over the ocean.  Many of the flights we have looked at also had a layover in a European country before getting to our destination city.

[TommyD3]

Just booked airfare from Miami to South America.

Choice air was $375 pp, airline wanted $2000 pp for the same thing !!!

[Kaibocan]

Is Air Choice One the same as Choice Air?

[SFCAcruiser]

5 hours ago, Kaibocan said:

Is Air Choice One the same as Choice Air?

 

Air Choice One is not even remotely related to ChoiceAir, which is also known as Flights by Celebrity.

Edited November 12, 2018 by SFCAcruiser
added link

[waterbug123]

On 11/10/2018 at 2:25 PM, clojacks said:

I'm wondering what hidden surprise I am missing with some prices I am checking on Choice Air versus Airline quotes and some of the traditional flight search engine tools.....It just seems to good to be true. 

 

You are likely seeing a ticket with different fare rules.  If you have no issues on travel day it won't matter.  If you do, you may or may not be reaccommodated to your satisfaction.

 

On 11/10/2018 at 3:54 PM, clojacks said:

I'm assuming that if we have some vouchers from one of the airlines we are considering through Choice Air, that they can't be redeemed? 

 

Probably not.

 

16 hours ago, clojacks said:

Thanks for the positive experience reply's. It seems like a lot of the Choice Air searches on CC refer to seat assignment issues, but I don't see that in these responses.

 

Seat selection depends on various things, including the exact fare class of your ticket and frequent flyer status.  Some fare classes do not allow advance seat selection, some do.   And even if you can choose seats, you may not be able to see/choose from all available seats if the airline blocks preferred seats for its elite level frequent flyers.

 

15 hours ago, prim8keeper said:

Agreed that it generally is just cheaper.

 

Not exactly; if it's significantly cheaper the exact fare rules are probably different.  Whether this will end up mattering is anybody's guess.

 

13 hours ago, justcake said:

 What if the flight is delayed?  Does Celebrity cover issues like this? 

 

Sort of.  Based on anecdotal reports, Celebrity may or may not help you or may just tell you to talk to the airline.  If you are going to miss the ship they may or may not hold the ship, but if you miss it they will try to rebook you to get you to the next port.

 

 

[clojacks]

On 11/12/2018 at 5:36 AM, waterbug123 said:

 

You are likely seeing a ticket with different fare rules.  If you have no issues on travel day it won't matter.  If you do, you may or may not be reaccommodated to your satisfaction.

 

 

Probably not.

 

 

Seat selection depends on various things, including the exact fare class of your ticket and frequent flyer status.  Some fare classes do not allow advance seat selection, some do.   And even if you can choose seats, you may not be able to see/choose from all available seats if the airline blocks preferred seats for its elite level frequent flyers.

 

 

Not exactly; if it's significantly cheaper the exact fare rules are probably different.  Whether this will end up mattering is anybody's guess.

 

 

Sort of.  Based on anecdotal reports, Celebrity may or may not help you or may just tell you to talk to the airline.  If you are going to miss the ship they may or may not hold the ship, but if you miss it they will try to rebook you to get you to the next port.

 

 

Waterbug, I was specifically trying to gather opinions from travelers who had used Choice Air for Business Class, as that is what my comparison research had led me to my Original question. I'm not sure but what some of your statements were referring to experience with Econ tickets?