Free Air Info Question

[Oakman58]

How and when does NCL inform you of your flight information?  EDocs, email, etc.?  We tried calling but after 45 minutes on hold we gave up.  We took advantage of the free airfare promotion and we are 59 days out from our cruise and still haven’t gotten any flight information.

[mertziek]

They used to notify you at about 60-75 days out but recently it has been closer to 30-45 days.  The free air promo has inundated their system and their recent computer migration/merging update has slowed everything down to a snail’s pace.  I was literally on hold with Premium Air for more than 2 hours on several occasions.  It has been frustrating but NCL finally addressed the issue and is in the process of hiring additional staff.  Patience is a virtue - NOT!!!  🤭🙄

[bevkay]

I didn't get mine until about 30 days out. 

[Booman14]

I just received mine and we are 94 days out.  We had to call about another issue and just happened to ask about it.  They fixed us right up; however we seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

 

Have a great one. 

[SailorMan20]

I have Reduced Air and ill be flying into the destination port city 2 days early and leaving 2 days after We get back. I hope I don't get stuck with Envoy or Frontier airlines.

[farjar]

4 hours ago, Oakman58 said:

How and when does NCL inform you of your flight information?  EDocs, email, etc.?  We tried calling but after 45 minutes on hold we gave up.  We took advantage of the free airfare promotion and we are 59 days out from our cruise and still haven’t gotten any flight information.

Our flights showed up in our edocs under "air itinerary confirmation" 82 days before our Alaska cruise.  Our return flight was an overnight, 14 hour, 2 connection nightmare.  I called and got it changed to a perfect 7 hour, one connection flight.  We are now about 50 days out and waiting for NCL to actually pay the 2 airlines involved so we can choose our seats.  I have set up "frequent flyer" accounts with the 2 airlines and now check everyday to see if the flight have actually been ticketed.  Nothing yet.

[clo]

4 hours ago, farjar said:

Our flights showed up in our edocs under "air itinerary confirmation" 82 days before our Alaska cruise.  Our return flight was an overnight, 14 hour, 2 connection nightmare.  I called and got it changed to a perfect 7 hour, one connection flight.  We are now about 50 days out and waiting for NCL to actually pay the 2 airlines involved so we can choose our seats.  I have set up "frequent flyer" accounts with the 2 airlines and now check everyday to see if the flight have actually been ticketed.  Nothing yet.

So do any of your docs show a record locator/passenger name record?  If so you may be able to use that to select a seat.  Although we did a tour through a tour operator and the flights were on American and I could do any thing until very late in the process.  But I understand that AA is especially bad in that regard.

[Nola26]

1 hour ago, clo said:

So do any of your docs show a record locator/passenger name record?  If so you may be able to use that to select a seat.  Although we did a tour through a tour operator and the flights were on American and I could do any thing until very late in the process.  But I understand that AA is especially bad in that regard.

In the described scenario you just see passenger, date, city pairs. No actual flight information. I called in on Wednesday to make sure our flights matched the friends we are travelling with, they made the adjustment and told me it would be less than a week for ticketing. We will be right around 50 days if that holds true. Now that I know our arrival times I can plan our day in Barcelona!

 

I have a FF account for our assigned airline, so now I'll look there as well as on my NCL app.

[clo]

10 minutes ago, Nola26 said:

I have a FF account for our assigned airline, so now I'll look there as well as on my NCL app.

Good idea.  And there may be a special # to call n on.

[newmexicoNita]

18 hours ago, mertziek said:

They used to notify you at about 60-75 days out but recently it has been closer to 30-45 days.  The free air promo has inundated their system and their recent computer migration/merging update has slowed everything down to a snail’s pace.  I was literally on hold with Premium Air for more than 2 hours on several occasions.  It has been frustrating but NCL finally addressed the issue and is in the process of hiring additional staff.  Patience is a virtue - NOT!!!  🤭🙄

We are not sailing until mid Oct and already have our conformation and even our seat assignments.  

[imacruiser99]

I am 51 days out and I received the official email overnight.  I already had the record locator number when my eDocs were available, so I already knew what my flights were on AA.  I have a non-stop flight, so I did not think they were going to change from the original itinerary.  eDocs are not available now, but I am not worried about that at all.  I noticed the flights were actually ticketed on AA back on  July 9, before then they were only reserved.

 

here are a couple of links to NCL's site related to the air/sea program

https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/airsea

 

This link will provide an idea which airlines NCL uses

https://www.ncl.com/uk/en/getting-to-the-pier/flights-information

[mertziek]

33 minutes ago, newmexicoNita said:

We are not sailing until mid Oct and already have our conformation and even our seat assignments.  

 

Thats great news!  I know NCL said they were hiring extra people to deal with their new air promo so sounds like they are getting a handle on it.

[Oakman58]

Thanks for the responses.  My edocs show our airport transfers but nothing about our flights.  MyNCL online shows that we have free air but nothing else.  I’m getting antsy.

[farjar]

20 hours ago, farjar said:

Our flights showed up in our edocs under "air itinerary confirmation" 82 days before our Alaska cruise.  Our return flight was an overnight, 14 hour, 2 connection nightmare.  I called and got it changed to a perfect 7 hour, one connection flight.  We are now about 50 days out and waiting for NCL to actually pay the 2 airlines involved so we can choose our seats.  I have set up "frequent flyer" accounts with the 2 airlines and now check everyday to see if the flight have actually been ticketed.  Nothing yet.

UPDATE:  Just got our airline confirmation numbers via NCL email.  We're 48 days out.  Went to the airlines' involved and were quite pleased with the seat assignments.  As I mentioned, I had already set up accounts with the 2 airlines with seat preferences and our Known Traveler Numbers to make TSA screening easier. Now we can relax and wait for our cruise to begin.

[Oakman58]

Yea!  53 days from our cruise and we finally got our flight information to Miami.  Coming and going will be on American Airlines and they are both non-stop flights.  I'm happy with that.  When we booked our cruise we paid $99 per person for these flights.  To book those same flights through the airline it would cost 345.60 per person.

[17cruisesnsl]

We're not leaving until January 18th out of Miami, we booked the Haven including the free air - every little bit helps against the cost of the Haven.  .    There's already air listed on reservation - Newark to Charlotte to Miami which sounds like American with return listed as Mia-Newark.    One-stop is not ideal but that may be the result of flying out two days early on 1/16 to hedge the weather.    I called to see if these were the actual bookings and was  told they are a  placeholder - that they are booking flights at 45 days out. Was told that that day of sailing flights are usually very early and non-stop to ensure cruisers arrive for required  embarkation times and that disembarkation flights tended to be 1 stop.  Other flights can vary greatly 

 

 I asked if they would consider more than one airport but they say the computer system could only handle one and that the flight could be Miami or Ft Lauderdale but that I shouldn't worry about where I book a hotel as you purchase the transfers with the free air.     

 

I asked if I could switch and  pay air thru NCL to guarantee a non-stop flight as DM will be 91 at time of sailing.   Told to call a different NCL number where I  was told NCL no longer books premium air which is contradictory to what I've read on the boards.  Also told I can decline the air once ticketed with no penalty.   

So I've decided to cross my fingers and hope for good weather and decent flights.  

Curious  if experience has been different for those who've arrived two days prior to sailing? 

 

Wishing all who cruise calm calm seas and a fantastic vacation 

[GranPaEd]

On 7/11/2019 at 3:07 PM, farjar said:

Our flights showed up in our edocs under "air itinerary confirmation" 82 days before our Alaska cruise.  Our return flight was an overnight, 14 hour, 2 connection nightmare.  I called and got it changed to a perfect 7 hour, one connection flight.  We are now about 50 days out and waiting for NCL to actually pay the 2 airlines involved so we can choose our seats.  I have set up "frequent flyer" accounts with the 2 airlines and now check everyday to see if the flight have actually been ticketed.  Nothing yet.

Who did you call?

[Jasonmom]

55 days out and no information on flights (other than cites listed).  Really want to know times so I can do some planning.  Also to stop worrying about short layover in ATL.

[farjar]

21 hours ago, GranPaEd said:

Who did you call?

I called the NCL Air Program Dept. at 1-866-625-1163.  We now have our airline confirmation numbers and were able to change the seats we were assigned.  That said, the orginial seats were very good.  We just swapped a window for an aisle.

Edited August 6, 2019 by farjar
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