Need experts advice on airfare!

[cruz4us2]

:o Hi,everyone! is it better to go though a travel agent for airfare or go directicly through CC to book everything for you? I just don't want to be stuck somewhere! We leave SFO to Vancouver for Alaska on May 20 on the Summitt. We are taking the north bound passage to Seward, then busing us to Anchorage...then fly ANC/SEA/SFO...we don't get back to SFO until 11:18pm does this sound about right?

[tuggers]

You've booked your trip. Did you do it through a ta or through X? And you've already booked your air or just looking? You can have your ta add the X air and then research it yourself. If you find something better, cancel the X air. No one can really guarantee you won't miss a connection or weather forces a cancellation. I suppose what you mean by 'stuck' is stuck paying for any additional cost these situations might cause. If you book it all through X the travel insurance will cover everything including flights. If you book through a ta just tell them you want the insurance to cover the whole package, including air.

 

Did I understand your question correctly?

[cruz4us2]

Yes, you understude correctly...I booked though a ta and I did ask and pay for insurance to cover it...but my husband and I have wondered if we did the right thang, going though a ta we probley should have booked directly though x! your opinion?

[ocngypz]

Well.... I normally book air separately for my clients.. unless there is a fabulous cruise air promotion.

 

You would not believe some of the horrible flights the cruiselines come up with.

 

I recently booked air for an Alaska bound client from Florida. By not booking through the cruiseline, my client saved over $230 per person.

 

Isofar as airlines no longer pay agency commissions, I do my clients' air as a service for them.

[tuggers]

I, having a fabulous ta, would trust the ta's expertise over a telephone operator which is what you get at X! If a ta books it for you, they are doing you a service. The airlines no longer pay commission as the previous poster stated.

 

Now are you using a ta or someone like Orbitz?

[Longboysfan]

Seeing that you are already computer savvy... ;)

 

Look in Orbitz or Travelocity for the airline flights you will need.

The cruise line may only be using filghts on one carrier to get people to a destination.

So you may miss out on a great direct flight - if the line uses their air then you are at their mercy. You can request certain schedules but if they have not purchased those flights you are stuck.

 

Then look at the actual company site for the exact air fare.

 

Book through them and save some $$.

 

You can always kill the Celebrity air before you send in final payment.

[cruz4us2]

:cool:

I, having a fabulous ta, would trust the ta's expertise over a telephone operator which is what you get at X! If a ta books it for you, they are doing you a service. The airlines no longer pay commission as the previous poster stated.

 

Now are you using a ta or someone like Orbitz?

 

No, we went through a ta (united miliage plus ta) but the one who was orignially helping us, left and left us with someone that we thought would take care of us..we shouldn't have paid but, w/my husbands situation we wanted it payed in full.:cool:

[BTDookie]

I book all of my pre and post cruise travel myself. In this manner, I get what I want, not what they are willing to give me for said price. I also have points and miles from most major airlines and hotel chains, so I can leverage those as well. I stay with the airlines I have status with so they will take care of me to the best of their abilities should something mess up somewhere along the line.

 

When I leave the continental US, I depart a day before the cruise departs. In the US I will still add a good time cushion around departure from my home town and departure of the cruise. Same applies for the return trip. It has been my experience that the ship returns to port far earlier than they indicate. Example this last trip. We arrived in San Juan at 5am, 2 hours earlier than what X stated.

 

As for the cruise- I have booked directly with X both times. Again, I knew what I wanted and did not have to work with anyone to figure it out.