Norwegian Air

[ChollaChick]

We booked the March 1st 2020 transatlantic on Allure of the Seas thinking that the airfare would be similar to the last TA we took in 2012.  That has not proved to be the case.  The air from Barcelona to Phoenix is well over $1k per person (more than the price of the cruise) and we just can't afford that.  I don't know if maybe we are just looking too early, or if there might be a different way to get the air cheaper but so far I'm at a loss.  Last time we used CruiseAir (now called Air2Sea) and the entire cost for the flight to Barcelona and then home from New Orleans was about $500.  

 

Someone mentioned Norwegian Air and I've looked at their rates and must say "wow" because those are dirt cheap.  But now I am worried that the airline may be going under and we could wind up stranded in Barcelona.  I don't know the ins and outs of the airlines because we don't travel much due to money.  We have been saving up for this trip for a couple of years (we are celebrating our 50th birthdays and our 25 year anniversary on the ship) and are freaking out about the air fare.  

 

Any advice?  Is Norwegian in trouble?  Am I just looking for air too early?  Should I be looking at round-trip flights to BCN rather than just the one leg?  What can I do to make this trip still happen?

[fbgd]

There’s no correlation between the price of a cruise and the airfare.

 

Also the airline industry has changed hugely since 2012 so banking on getting the same fare as you paid then is not a wise strategy. $500 seems hugely optimistic, IMO.

 

Norwegian’s finances are a touch dicey, not helped by the fact their longhaul fleet, 737 Max and 787, are all grounded or partially grounded due to continuing issues with Rolls Royce engines and the well publicized MAX aircraft crashes. They are leasing aircraft from other airlines as cover. If Norwegian were to go under at short notice you’ll be paying significantly more for your airfare.

 

 

[Twickenham]

Not sure when you're coming back, but searching from the 13th on using ITA Matrix (https://matrix.itasoftware.com/), I'm seeing options in the $600-700 range.

 

There's also the option of using FF miles for rewards tickets. You're far enough out that you would have time to get some credit card bonuses going.

[Globaliser]

5 hours ago, ChollaChick said:

We booked the March 1st 2020 transatlantic on Allure of the Seas thinking that the airfare would be similar to the last TA we took in 2012.  That has not proved to be the case.  The air from Barcelona to Phoenix is well over $1k per person (more than the price of the cruise) and we just can't afford that.  I don't know if maybe we are just looking too early, or if there might be a different way to get the air cheaper but so far I'm at a loss.  Last time we used CruiseAir (now called Air2Sea) and the entire cost for the flight to Barcelona and then home from New Orleans was about $500.  

 

On most airlines, one-way long-haul tickets tend to be expensive because airlines generally do not sell the cheapest fares on a one-way basis.

 

For one-way long-haul travel after a one-way cruise, the cruise line's air travel can therefore be a good source because frequently they will have contracts with airlines that allow them to sell a one-way ticket for something like half the round-trip price. Have you yet tried this? What prices are you getting from the cruise line? There are potential disadvantages to booking air tickets through the cruise line, but to me they would seem to be small compared to the risk that Norwegian goes under a couple of weeks before you travel and it then costs you many thousands to buy a replacement air ticket.

 

Another possibility is to take advantage of routes on which a stable airline does sell tickets on a one-way basis. The first idea that comes to mind is to use Air New Zealand between London and Los Angeles. A quick search shows a price of $546 for a one-way ticket on Air New Zealand from Barcelona to Los Angeles, with the first (Barcelona-London) sector on British Airways. You may then be able to get yourself home to Phoenix relatively cheaply, although as that will have to be on a separate ticket you will want to take steps to de-risk that last step.

 

Is this getting any closer?

[ChollaChick]

Thank you. These ideas helped tremendously.   I think we can get a British Air flight from Barcelona to Los Angeles and then take Southwest from LA to Phoenix. Great ideas.

[CruiserBruce]

2 minutes ago, ChollaChick said:

Thank you. These ideas helped tremendously.   I think we can get a British Air flight from Barcelona to Los Angeles and then take Southwest from LA to Phoenix. Great ideas.

FYI, British Airways doesn't fly from Barcelona to LAX. The might fly Barcelona to London to LAX.

[ChollaChick]

10 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

FYI, British Airways doesn't fly from Barcelona to LAX. The might fly Barcelona to London to LAX.

Yes.  That's exactly the flight. 

[Globaliser]

 

5 hours ago, ChollaChick said:

5 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

FYI, British Airways doesn't fly from Barcelona to LAX. The might fly Barcelona to London to LAX.

 

Yes.  That's exactly the flight. 

 

What price are you seeing this for? Are you sure it's British Airways - British Airways? I would be surprised if you can easily get that for an affordable price one-way.

 

I was thinking about a British Airways - Air New Zealand combination for that, which is priced using an Air New Zealand fare.

[terry&mike]

8 hours ago, ChollaChick said:

Yes.  That's exactly the flight. 

Did you use a travel agent? If so, most agents have access to "cruise fares" from consolidators. To book them, the agent just need to supply documentation that you are actually booked on a cruise, which you are. If you didn't use a travel agent, then most agents would not want to deal with you on air.