Royal Caribbean Air to Sea Program

[orioles74]

Hello,

Has anyone used RCCL Air to Sea Program?  I have been looking at flights for our upcoming cruise in July on the Freedom of the Seas out of San Juan.  Do they really have the lowest flights?  For our trip RCCL air program they are about $300 less then AA, and $1,100 less then Delta.  I have not purchased flights through a 3rd party. I have booked direct with the airline or with a TA.  I am doing this trip on our own without a TA, So I have been looking at flights daily for flight cost and to watch when the flights go down.  At one time 7 months was the magic time to purchase flights.  On my 7 month window they were the most expensive.  The next day the flights went down to what they were before.  Should I wait until after the holiday's and see if the flights come down? Or purchase them now?

TIA for your insights and knowledge.

[Clarea]

Air2Sea has very good prices for international travel, especially one-way international travel. 

 

Prices for purely domestic US flights are generally a bit more than the airline's websites.

[Ken at the beach]

Air2Sea also offers fully refundable flights that you don’t pay for until final payment at which t8me they become non refundable. 

[smplybcause]

Flights to San Juan have gone crazy for some reason. They started creeping up after the max 8 incident, but I'm not sure if that's the direct reason. I booked a cruise a year in advance and flights are at least a third higher than what they were when I booked (and was using as a guideline). Lucky for me I'm in Florida so a 33%+ isn't that much, but many in our group canceled because of the high airline costs. 

 

I can't say specific to royal as the cruise isn't with Royal and I chose southwest to fly on, but prices haven't gone down since they were announced and when it comes to SW they're higher. JetBlue and frontier have stayed approximately the same for months (the others aren't nonstop for me so I didn't watch them).

[madiaka]

I haven’t used them before, but I booked our flight through them for our August cruise. I only have one-way booked right now. I couldn’t resist the refundable fare being lower than non-refundable.  The non-refundable  prices from February 2020 through May 2020 are similar, so I’m not counting on a huge price difference closer to the sailing date. 

[Sunshine3601]

I have used rcl choiceair for international flights.  They are great to work with and the fact you can change or reprice your flight at no cost as long as it is done before final payment is due is awesome.

I like to pick my own seats so I will book online thru choiceair website then go to the airline website view available seats and call choiceair to select seats.  

Sometimes you can pick directly with the airline on their website when you checkin but I prefer to do as soon as I book my flight.

Choiceair makes it very simple to watch airfare and reprice if it lowers.

[ChollaChick]

We always use Air2Sea for international flights ESPECIALLY for trans-atlantics.  The prices are much better for that.  I sometimes use them for domestic but sometimes I find better prices on my own so that's a mixed bag.  I wouldn't shy away from using them if you get a good fare. 

[ryano]

11 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Air2Sea also offers fully refundable flights that you don’t pay for until final payment at which t8me they become non refundable. 

 

The main reason I used Air2Sea for our flights to SEA from ATL in August.   Roundtrip, nonstop on Delta for 500.00 a piece.  Right now, the same flight is 46.00 more pp booking directly through Delta.

Edited December 10, 2019 by ryano

[vacationlover_mn]

We did this, and got an amazing price- but didn’t realize that we were booked in the lowest class.  No reserved seating, and not next to each other.  We both got middle seats, rows apart 😞. If we ever do it again, we will double check our seating!

[waterbug123]

On 12/9/2019 at 10:37 PM, orioles74 said:

 Do they really have the lowest flights? 

 

At one time 7 months was the magic time to purchase flights.  On my 7 month window they were the most expensive. 

 

As for lowest price, sometimes yes, sometimes no.  The best deals seem to be on international flights.

 

As for the 7 month mark, that is something that is perpetuated by misleading travel articles.  There is no magic day when prices are always lowest.  Never has been and never will be.  Airline prices change constantly, and are governed by complicated algorithms that neither you nor I will ever be able to outguess.

[FLACRUISER99]

I like using Air2Sea because when the inevitable hiccup happens you have someone to help you out.

[Another_Critic]

21 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I have used rcl choiceair for international flights.  They are great to work with and the fact you can change or reprice your flight at no cost as long as it is done before final payment is due is awesome.

 

Can you change / reprice flights online or do you have to call?

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, Another_Critic said:

 

Can you change / reprice flights online or do you have to call?

 

You have to call.

[Sunshine3601]

Yes you have to call to reprice.  Quick and easy to do.

[Cruise a holic]

On ‎12‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 10:37 PM, orioles74 said:

Hello,

Has anyone used RCCL Air to Sea Program?  I have been looking at flights for our upcoming cruise in July on the Freedom of the Seas out of San Juan.  Do they really have the lowest flights?  For our trip RCCL air program they are about $300 less then AA, and $1,100 less then Delta.  I have not purchased flights through a 3rd party. I have booked direct with the airline or with a TA.  I am doing this trip on our own without a TA, So I have been looking at flights daily for flight cost and to watch when the flights go down.  At one time 7 months was the magic time to purchase flights.  On my 7 month window they were the most expensive.  The next day the flights went down to what they were before.  Should I wait until after the holiday's and see if the flights come down? Or purchase them now?

TIA for your insights and knowledge.

Used them previously for a flight to FLL from NY.  Price was a little lower then the airline direct.   However used them again for aCelebrity,  March 2020 cruise and the time changed significantly and they refused to help change the flight without paying them a fee.  If we deal direct with airlines and change the flight no charge.  Also, when I called to speak to the Air program at Royal, they suggested that I e-mail the air to sea program.  I did and they ignored my e-mail.  So now we cannot use the luggage valet program to go home.  The only advantage is that you do not have to pay for the airfare until you pay for the cruise.

 

Will not use them again. 

Edited December 11, 2019 by Cruise a holic

[George C]

They gave us a cheaper rate than I could find for business class round trip to Barcelona 

[Icesk8rReedy]

I got first class out of ATL to PR for $877 a person about 6 weeks ago for our April cruise.  I have yet to see them that cheap again since then and it lasted only for a few hours.  I'm very OCD and like to make sure I got a good deal, I check daily several times a day even after I buy.  I don't know why, I just do. Gluton for punishment if they go cheaper, I guess.  Not that it would do me any good even if they do.  I also check RCCL and the prices were much higher than what I paid at the same time for the same class.