Choice Air

[sunsuit]

Beware of hidden baggage fees when using Choice Air. I have used Choice Air many times over the past ten years with a few problems especially on co-share flights ,it being nearly impossible to get seats before the flight. 

But even worse ,we booked flights to Rome for four of us and were assured by Choice Air that they were standard coach fares. Upon arriving at the airport we were informed that we could not board unless we paid a $260 baggage fee. I thought it was a mistake and got a supervisor who informed us that we were booked on a discounted ticket and had to pay $65 for every bag checked. We each had one bag so we had to pay the $260 or would be denied boarding.

 When I got home we called Choice Air only to be informed that they had “nothing to do with baggage fees. “ 

[mek]

30 minutes ago, sunsuit said:

Beware of hidden baggage fees when using Choice Air. I have used Choice Air many times over the past ten years with a few problems especially on co-share flights ,it being nearly impossible to get seats before the flight. 

But even worse ,we booked flights to Rome for four of us and were assured by Choice Air that they were standard coach fares. Upon arriving at the airport we were informed that we could not board unless we paid a $260 baggage fee. I thought it was a mistake and got a supervisor who informed us that we were booked on a discounted ticket and had to pay $65 for every bag checked. We each had one bag so we had to pay the $260 or would be denied boarding.

 When I got home we called Choice Air only to be informed that they had “nothing to do with baggage fees. “ 

There is a link to click on each fare explaining general baggage charges and a call out to be sure to click on the specific airline  link because each one has different rules/charges.  I always make sure I know under which flight code my flights are being booked and would never simply rely on what someone at Choice Air tells me. I always try to book with Delta because I get free bags regardless of the fare code, but last year coming back from Ireland I booked with United for price.  I like Choice Air, especially on long haul flights.

Good advice though because so many people just click and buy w/o doing any homework.

Edited April 5, 2019 by mek

[sunsuit]

Thanks for that excellent advice

[mchell810]

4 hours ago, sunsuit said:

Beware of hidden baggage fees when using Choice Air. I have used Choice Air many times over the past ten years with a few problems especially on co-share flights ,it being nearly impossible to get seats before the flight. 

But even worse ,we booked flights to Rome for four of us and were assured by Choice Air that they were standard coach fares. Upon arriving at the airport we were informed that we could not board unless we paid a $260 baggage fee. I thought it was a mistake and got a supervisor who informed us that we were booked on a discounted ticket and had to pay $65 for every bag checked. We each had one bag so we had to pay the $260 or would be denied boarding.

 When I got home we called Choice Air only to be informed that they had “nothing to do with baggage fees. “ 

 

It is situations like this that kept me from using Choice Air.  The Choice Air rep on the phone assured me the ticket he was offering included seat choice and baggage; however, he referred to the ticket class as "standard" while the Delta site used the terms "Economy" and "Main Cabin."  I just couldn't accept the risk that somehow I wouldn't be able to select my seat so I decided to book directly with the airline -- paying a little extra to know I was getting what I expected.

[Solution]

I had a different experience. When I called last year to inquire about an one-way fare to Europe, the rep told me that the price is the lowest possible price and hence the luggage fee may apply. Unfortunately there is no way to confirm any additional charge until it is too late. The link is only as good as the information they put in (and remember this is Celebrity).

 

This gives me a good reason to start flying Premium Economy Class 😁

[mek]

9 hours ago, Solution said:

I had a different experience. When I called last year to inquire about an one-way fare to Europe, the rep told me that the price is the lowest possible price and hence the luggage fee may apply. Unfortunately there is no way to confirm any additional charge until it is too late. The link is only as good as the information they put in (and remember this is Celebrity).

 

This gives me a good reason to start flying Premium Economy Class 😁

When I booked my one way from Dublin last year on United  through Choice Air I got a fantastic price, including no extra baggage fee and was then able to upgrade to their version of Premium Economy on the United web site.  Choice Air can tell you what the fare class is and then you can contact the airline directly before purchasing to see what if any restrictions apply.

 

I booked my open jaw air for our next cruise to Hawaii through Choice Air - great flights, great times - Cincinnati to Vancouver with one layover and Honolulu home with one layover, on Delta for $575 RT.  With my free bags it was a really great deal.

 

As with cruise prices, a little homework is necessary to ensure you get what you want.

 

I believe the individual links are provided by the airlines, not Celebrity

[letsgogogo]

15 hours ago, sunsuit said:

Beware of hidden baggage fees when using Choice Air

It's not particularly Choice Air. Welcome to air travel on any major carrier (other than Southwest Airlines.) They have all moved to selling a bare bones economy class (where bags and seat assignments are considered luxuries and paid separately) or an upcharged regular economy (not even referring to "premium economy" here) where you pay for these basics. I booked United flights on Choice Air for an upcoming Miami sailing. Never had the option to select a more inclusive fare, so I'll get stuck with bag fees. Choice Air is just passing on the lowest fare offered by the airline. Those typically do not include bag fees. This is the state of air travel these days.

[happy cruzer]

Yes, all the extras can be a problem.  After you get your flight info be sure to look at the airlines info for all the details about seats, food, baggage fees/sizes...  These change so much I am sure the travel sites have a hard time staying current but once you have your flight info you should be able to check it yourself which is a pain but seems to the nature of travel at this point.  Oh, yes keep checking, because the airlines can change things like the flight times, aircraft, seats...

[Beachin2]

I do my homework/keyboard work BEFORE contacting Choice Air.  If you research your flight options and pretty much decide what you want and the terms before you cal them (and the cost) you should have a better idea of what to ask as far as fees and booking.

 

Like others, only issues I've really had over the years (international bookings only with CA) is with code-share flights.  Won't book them anymore.

 

Do not like surprises.

[Solution]

Many booking sites start to put in options to show different fare categories. It will be nice if Royal / Celebrity has this option for us to choose. With their IT department, it may take 10 years.....

[mek]

1 hour ago, letsgogogo said:

It's not particularly Choice Air. Welcome to air travel on any major carrier (other than Southwest Airlines.) They have all moved to selling a bare bones economy class (where bags and seat assignments are considered luxuries and paid separately) or an upcharged regular economy (not even referring to "premium economy" here) where you pay for these basics. I booked United flights on Choice Air for an upcoming Miami sailing. Never had the option to select a more inclusive fare, so I'll get stuck with bag fees. Choice Air is just passing on the lowest fare offered by the airline. Those typically do not include bag fees. This is the state of air travel these days.

I'm curious if anyone has purchased a flight through Choice Air where they couldn't select their seat?  I always check, but with this last flight, I was told by the CA rep that they don't sell bare bones fares that prevent people from selecting their seats. Just wondering if this is really true. ??????

[bubbachief]

12 minutes ago, mek said:

I'm curious if anyone has purchased a flight through Choice Air where they couldn't select their seat?  I always check, but with this last flight, I was told by the CA rep that they don't sell bare bones fares that prevent people from selecting their seats. Just wondering if this is really true. ??????

That's what I was told also. We have used CA several times booking with Delta, United and JAL and never had a problem with getting seats or unknowingly getting the bare bones fare.

[Fogfog]

Interesting. We booked with Choice Air and were able to select seats via the carrier website within minutes of the purchase.

 

This is Biz class long haul so perhaps that is the difference?  Hoping we don't get baggage fees upon check in--though if we do-- live and learn. I didn't ask when we booked them. We did have steep fees with changes ($200 pp)

[jagoffee]

17 hours ago, sunsuit said:

Beware of hidden baggage fees when using Choice Air. I have used Choice Air many times over the past ten years with a few problems especially on co-share flights ,it being nearly impossible to get seats before the flight. 

But even worse ,we booked flights to Rome for four of us and were assured by Choice Air that they were standard coach fares. Upon arriving at the airport we were informed that we could not board unless we paid a $260 baggage fee. I thought it was a mistake and got a supervisor who informed us that we were booked on a discounted ticket and had to pay $65 for every bag checked. We each had one bag so we had to pay the $260 or would be denied boarding.

 When I got home we called Choice Air only to be informed that they had “nothing to do with baggage fees. “ 

What airline?  $65 for each bag?  I assume it was not over the weight limit?

[odysee]

We could choose seats on major European airline when booking with Choice Air, but against fee as for checked bags.  I expressly asked for rate which would include this, bus Choice Air rep said they do not have this on offer.  This was different in past.

[Jim_Iain]

I can tell you the same can happen even when you book directly with an airline.   Last year I booked a flight from Barcelona to Glasgow at a good rate on Iberia.   After booking we saw it was a code share on BA.    The receipt from Iberia clearly stated 1 piece of luggage free per passenger.    When I went to check in BA demanded $100 each for luggage.    Even speaking to a supervisor did not help.    They said it was their aircraft and we had to follow their rules.  

[mchell810]

6 hours ago, mek said:

I'm curious if anyone has purchased a flight through Choice Air where they couldn't select their seat?  I always check, but with this last flight, I was told by the CA rep that they don't sell bare bones fares that prevent people from selecting their seats. Just wondering if this is really true. ??????

 

I was told the same by the Choice Air, I just didn't trust it.  I was afraid I'd end up not being able to choose a seat and have to pay for a bag so I booked directly with the airline; the small difference in price was worth skipping 7 months of worry.

 

6 hours ago, bubbachief said:

That's what I was told also. We have used CA several times booking with Delta, United and JAL and never had a problem with getting seats or unknowingly getting the bare bones fare.

 

Good to know, perhaps next time I will will go with CA.

 

[sunsuit]

9 hours ago, jagoffee said:

What airline?  $65 for each bag?  I assume it was not over the weight limit?

Alitalia   All 4  bags were under the weight limit

[Lastdance]

35 minutes ago, sunsuit said:

Alitalia   All 4  bags were under the weight limit

 

Flew Italia several times, but never had to pay for a bag...however, I hate biz class with the open seat in the middle, but that is  how it is done in Europe and I love Europe!

[jagoffee]

2 hours ago, sunsuit said:

Alitalia   All 4  bags were under the weight limit

Thanks.  Bummer for sure.  I looked at their website and they do have a fare time called “light” that does not include any luggage.  It is below economy.

I am shocked and very surprised that Celebrity Air would sell you that class of ticket especially without making it very clear.

I would think you could make a complaint to Celebrity Air and perhaps get some relief?

I know that US airlines are marketing basic type fare classes now.  It has always been my understanding that Celebrity does not sell those fares.

Your experience is a warning.

 

 

[waterbug123]

On 4/5/2019 at 6:04 PM, sunsuit said:

Beware of hidden baggage fees when using Choice Air....

 When I got home we called Choice Air only to be informed that they had “nothing to do with baggage fees. “ 

 

It's not the CA hides the bag fees; it's a matter of what airline fare code is booked.  Always good to research a bit first and know what you're getting.  And technically CA is right- they DON'T have anything to do with baggage fees.  Those are set by the airline according to the rules and restrictions of the specific fare purchased.

 

On 4/5/2019 at 11:07 PM, Solution said:

 

 

 

 

On 4/6/2019 at 10:45 AM, Beachin2 said:

Like others, only issues I've really had over the years (international bookings only with CA) is with code-share flights.  Won't book them anymore.

 

Do not like surprises.

 

There is much less surprise with code-share flights if you make note of the airline operating the flight.  That is the airline whose policies will be in place.  If your flight confirmation says, for instance, "flight XXX operated by airline YYY" then go to the website for airline YYY and look up their policies for baggage fees, seat selection etc.  You'll be more aware of what to expect.  Depending on how much one travels internationally, avoiding code-shares can be difficult.

 

On 4/6/2019 at 11:17 AM, mek said:

I'm curious if anyone has purchased a flight through Choice Air where they couldn't select their seat?

 

Yes.  There are plenty of anecdotal stories out there.

 

On 4/6/2019 at 11:38 AM, Fogfog said:

Interesting. We booked with Choice Air and were able to select seats via the carrier website within minutes of the purchase.

 

This is Biz class long haul so perhaps that is the difference? 

 

Yes, rules are often more relaxed for business class fares, including the ability to select seats in advance. 

 

On 4/6/2019 at 12:14 PM, Jim_Iain said:

I can tell you the same can happen even when you book directly with an airline.   Last year I booked a flight from Barcelona to Glasgow at a good rate on Iberia.   After booking we saw it was a code share on BA.    The receipt from Iberia clearly stated 1 piece of luggage free per passenger.    When I went to check in BA demanded $100 each for luggage.    Even speaking to a supervisor did not help.    They said it was their aircraft and we had to follow their rules.  

 

Correct, the applicable rules will be those of the operating carrier.  It's a shame that the ticketing carrier, in this case Iberia, gave you the wrong information.

 

On 4/6/2019 at 9:33 PM, Lastdance said:

 

Flew Italia several times, but never had to pay for a bag...however, I hate biz class with the open seat in the middle, but that is  how it is done in Europe and I love Europe!

 

Just to clarify for others, that is only on intra-European flights that "business class" is essentially just the first few rows of coach but with the middle seat left empty.  For long haul flights, business class on European carriers is true business class seating.

[XtaSea]

We usually use CA for international and book domestic directly with the airline. But CA now has the option to reserve flights at no cost, including fee-free changes, until final cruise payment is due. This would allow us to get the flights/times we want now and still secure potential fare reductions (usually 4 to 6 months out) with no penalty. American had the Business Class fares to SJU for Feb 2020 that I wanted. CA had the same flights at $21 pp less, but the last leg of the return trip was Economy, not Business. The $21 pp was not an issue, but I wanted CA's the new payment and change options so I called them. The rep was able to reserve the flights in Business all the way for $15 pp more. He also put in our airline loyalty and KTN numbers and within minutes I had email confirmation with an airlines record locator number. I checked and saw we already have assigned seats, and I haven't even provided anyone with a credit card number. Hope this works.

[2Long2NxtCrz]

2 hours ago, XtaSea said:

We usually use CA for international and book domestic directly with the airline. But CA now has the option to reserve flights at no cost, including fee-free changes, until final cruise payment is due. This would allow us to get the flights/times we want now and still secure potential fare reductions (usually 4 to 6 months out) with no penalty. American had the Business Class fares to SJU for Feb 2020 that I wanted. CA had the same flights at $21 pp less, but the last leg of the return trip was Economy, not Business. The $21 pp was not an issue, but I wanted CA's the new payment and change options so I called them. The rep was able to reserve the flights in Business all the way for $15 pp more. He also put in our airline loyalty and KTN numbers and within minutes I had email confirmation with an airlines record locator number. I checked and saw we already have assigned seats, and I haven't even provided anyone with a credit card number. Hope this works.

Oh, wow!  That seems pretty amazing seeing as how most airlines require payment within 24 hours of booking.  Is it because it's a Business Class fare?  Which are completely flexible and do not have change penalties?  Or is this something that CA could do with Main Cabin fares?

[Orator]

I've booked many flights using Choice Air. Only once I could not select seats and that was with Ethiad Airlines. Sometimes the lowest price posted is not the lowest price when you consider fees. As others have suggested you need to do your homework before booking.

[mfabz]

56 minutes ago, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

Oh, wow!  That seems pretty amazing seeing as how most airlines require payment within 24 hours of booking.  Is it because it's a Business Class fare?  Which are completely flexible and do not have change penalties?  Or is this something that CA could do with Main Cabin fares?

Not just for Business Class -- we just booked JFK to Auckland via LAX and Melbourne to JFK via LAX in Premium Economy.  When a flight with better change time in LAX became available, we phoned and flights were changed -- no problem.  You don't pay for the ticket until final payment. Up until that time all changes are free; after final payment there will be a change fee.  We also selected our seats.