Flights by Celebrity: What are the Advantages & Disadvantages?

[Vagabond Knight]

Those of you who have used Flights by Celebrity... what are the advantages and disadvantages?  Thanks in advance!

Some of the items about which I'm curious, if not covered in your advantages/disadvantages:

 

• Did you experience significant savings?  
• Did Celebrity cause any issues?
• If you had issues that were not due to something Celebrity did, were they able to help?
• How does seat selection work, and do they handle various flight categories or do they just book coach?
• How easy is it to change your flight schedule?
• Will they handle flights that are outside the usual window connected to a particular cruise?  Example:  If one person in our party needs to fly home after our cruise tour, but the other will travel by train into California and then fly home a few weeks later.
• Now that you've used Flights by Celebrity, would you do so again for future Celebrity cruises?

[Jim_Iain]

4 minutes ago, SunsetPoint said:

Those of you who have used Flights by Celebrity... what are the advantages and disadvantages?  Thanks in advance!

Some of the items about which I'm curious, if not covered in your advantages/disadvantages:

 

• Did you experience significant savings?  

Generally you get your best savings on International travel.   Usually Domestically I get the same rate

 

• Did Celebrity cause any issues?

None

 

• If you had issues that were not due to something Celebrity did, were they able to help?
• How does seat selection work, and do they handle various flight categories or do they just book coach?

You select Class of service 1st, Business or Coach.   Then you can get Refundable or Non-Refundable.

 

• How easy is it to change your flight schedule?

Depends on if ticket is refundable or non-refundable.   If the flight schedule change just all Choice air or the airline and they will work with you to select a flight that may work better.

 

• Will they handle flights that are outside the usual window connected to a particular cruise?  Example:  If one person in our party needs to fly home after our cruise tour, but the other will travel by train into California and then fly home a few weeks later.

I believe you can do it by calling in.   May not be possible booking yourself.

 

• Now that you've used Flights by Celebrity, would you do so again for future Celebrity cruises?

Yes

One of the best parts currently is that many of the flights are refundable and you don't have to pay until final payment date.

 

Also during the cancellation.   I booked one through airline and one throught Celebrity because we were arriving late and thought their guarantee to get to the ship would be helpful.    When Celebrity shut down I just arrived in Florida.   Even though I used the flight Celebrity refunded my 1st class fare but since I booked my own return I didn't get that one refunded.

 

[ericosmith]

When the second of my B2B cruises was canceled in Australia, New Zealand connections were canceled even in the checkin line, it sure made it easier and less costly to get home.  Flight bookings were a complete mess but Celebrity got us home.

[upwarduk]

In the UK, if you book cruise+ Air , it becomes a package holiday. This then includes transport to the ship and from the ship to the airport at the end of the cruise. If the return flight leaves late, a day hotel is also included.

Because it is a package holiday, it is also ABTA & ATOL protected, which would be very useful at the moment, due to the cruise cancellations.

[adolfo2]

Your Celebrity Air is automatically protected under Celebrities "Cruise Care" travel insurance at no additional cost.

[Denny01]

I’ve booked my own, used my TA’s ‘good deal’ and Celebrity Air. I found Celebrity Air to be pretty much equal to my TA deals and at times cheaper than what I found on my own.

 

I’ve found Celebrity Air to be handier for European flights. The only issue was I had three-legs flights on 2 itineraries. Called and got them changed once; the other time I had to stick with the 3-leggier. I usually fly from my small town to Atlanta and then across. Celebrity was accommodating on dates and if I wanted to go to or depart from another city than the Cruise had. 

 

I was able to select my own seats and so on. And as mentioned, I didn’t pay until final payment was due for the cruise. That’s a biggie.

 

One very good thing with Celebrity (and my TA) was a one-way. Many websites and even Airline Websites don’t have very good deals or pricing for one-way. We’d fly over to Europe, do a TransAtlantic and then rent a car and drive home back to the Florida Panhandle. So a 1-way was very handy. Trying to get a good price on that on your own can be very tricky and Celebrity Air did just fine on that.

 

Den

[TFree]

Our experience has been that we have called Celebrity Air to check fares, probably for 4 of our Celebrity cruises.  Twice Celebrity Air had nothing different to offer than what I could book myself, so I booked it myself.  (Obviously if there had been a cruise cancellation or something of the sort, we would have been better off with Celebrity Air.)  The other two times, Celebrity Air had a far better fare than was available to me by booking it myself (as I recall about 35-40% lower).  This was on international business class fares.  We have not done a one-way international fare, but my understanding is that Celebrity Air's contracts with the airlines permit them to get fares for that kind of trip that you would almost never find on your own. 

 

I think whether they have anything special to offer on a round trip or open jaw trip probably depends on how early you book, and maybe on the popularity of the route.  And of course now that you don't have to pay until final payment date, there is no good reason not to check early on.  

 

Tom & Judy

[DUTRAVEL]

We have found the best prices on one-way fares to Europe in business class on Celebrity Air. We have been able to select seats in advance on all flights. We were able to get price reductions and no payment was due until final payment. We are very glad we have booked with Celebrity Air for our upcoming transatlantic in October. If we end up canceling that cruise before final payment we won't be out any money to the airline. So far we haven't had any issues with our flights.

[Vagabond Knight]

So far, haven't heard any disadvantages, which is very encouraging!   Does that mean there are none, or just that no one who's had issues happens to be looking at the Celebrity forum these days?   😉

 

We always get trip insurance (of late, that's been through Allianz and it's been to cover all aspects of the trip), so we'd need to ponder as to whether that would be sufficient protection to book non-refundable flights and look over future insurance contracts carefully.  I'm thinking that there may be a number of changes to travel insurance contracts going forward.

[TFree]

34 minutes ago, SunsetPoint said:

So far, haven't heard any disadvantages, which is very encouraging!   Does that mean there are none, or just that no one who's had issues happens to be looking at the Celebrity forum these days?   😉

 

We always get trip insurance (of late, that's been through Allianz and it's been to cover all aspects of the trip), so we'd need to ponder as to whether that would be sufficient protection to book non-refundable flights and look over future insurance contracts carefully.  I'm thinking that there may be a number of changes to travel insurance contracts going forward.

I am sure others will have had much more experience with Celebrity Air than I have.  I am not aware of any downsides.  But three tips I picked up on these boards before the first time we used Celebrity Air were: (1) do your own research anyway, so that you know the prevailing fares, and ideally have your first and second choice routings handy.  This way, if Celebrity Air offers you something with a good fare but bad routing, you can at least ask them to check your preferred routings, too; (2) don't rely on their website - always call them when you are ready to book; and (3) sometimes it helps to ask them explicitly to check the fare as if it were two one way fares, rather than as a round trip or open jaw.  No idea why that makes a difference, but apparently it does (and it seemed as if that made a difference when I requested it in one case).

 

Tom & Judy

[Beachlover1989]

9 minutes ago, TFree said:

 (3) sometimes it helps to ask them explicitly to check the fare as if it were two one way fares, rather than as a round trip or open jaw.  No idea why that makes a difference, but apparently it does (and it seemed as if that made a difference when I requested it in one case).

 

Tom & Judy

Two one ways can definitely make a difference through Celebrity.  We've done it for both NZ and South America and got Business Class for much less than the advertised prices.

[Miaminice]

54 minutes ago, SunsetPoint said:

So far, haven't heard any disadvantages, which is very encouraging!   Does that mean there are none, or just that no one who's had issues happens to be looking at the Celebrity forum these days?   😉

 

 

Well, I kept quiet because most anwers come from the US.

I have compared the Celebrity/Choice Air price with rates I manage to get here in Germany many times. So far, the Celebrity price was much higher - so much, that the advantages were not worth the difference. On our last cruise (NZ) it was almost double.

However, let me tell you about recent experiences with two cruises first changed and than cancelled by Celebrity.
The passengers who booked the flights with Celebrity had no problems at all. When the departure port was changed, Celebrity changed the flight. When the cruises were cancelled, Celebrity refunded the flights.

Many people on the roll calls who booked flights independently were not so lucky and ended up with being at the mercy of the airline. 

In our case it was different. Although we booked flights on our own, we were covered by German consumer protection laws when Celebrity cancelled.

[Vagabond Knight]

Thank you all for your input.  You've provided some great tips.  I wouldn't have thought to ask them to check two one-ways.  Our travel plan for next year's cruisetour (assuming it actually happens) necessitates that anyhow, but that tip could prove very helpful for a cruise that starts/ends in the same place.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Another question. Can you book with points through celebrity air?

[KruznKimmie]

On 5/29/2020 at 9:56 AM, SunsetPoint said:

So far, haven't heard any disadvantages, which is very encouraging!   Does that mean there are none, or just that no one who's had issues happens to be looking at the Celebrity forum these days?   😉

 

We always get trip insurance (of late, that's been through Allianz and it's been to cover all aspects of the trip), so we'd need to ponder as to whether that would be sufficient protection to book non-refundable flights and look over future insurance contracts carefully.  I'm thinking that there may be a number of changes to travel insurance contracts going forward.

As mentioned the largest advantages are usually much cheaper airfare internationally & refundable which includes you can change or cancel your flight at no cost until final payment.  I will look online then call Choice Air to compare prices but I usually always see cheaper fares online than Choice Air quotes by phone.

I did find I had to check my flights occasionally because there were some changes made & Choice Air did not notify me.  Also, I wanted to pay for upgraded seats but I could not upgrade seats until flight was paid in full & booked after final payment.  I had to call Choice Air to allow me to book upgraded seats because there was a part of their process they had not completed.  If you are diligent this can pay off in some $$ saved.

[KruznKimmie]

23 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Another question. Can you book with points through celebrity air?

No you cannot.

 

[downsmead]

Trying to get Choice Air flights in the UK does not seem as easy as elsewhere 😔, plus each time I seem to be able to get a better deal by booking my own flights. 
BA refunded my cancelled flight for my cancelled 21st April cruise with no problems. 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

27 minutes ago, aly7859 said:

No you cannot.

 

That's too bad. Thanks

[DUTRAVEL]

5 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

That's too bad. Thanks

You cannot book with points, but you can earn points for the flights.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Once we use our accumulated points we will no longer be chasing points as we will never accumulate enough for another free flight.  Kind of like chasing CC points to make Zenith, never going to happen.

[D C]

We're going to be first-time users this fall.  With the unknown of cruising this year, and the chance of it being cancelled, I figured I'd rather deal with one company on a cancellation than two.

 

When it comes to booking for day of departure flights, I would never do it any way except through Celebrity.  We had friends who were trying to get to Port Everglades when it was snowing at home.  Celebrity dealt with the flight cancellations, rebooked them from new York through Chicago and to Miami and got them to the ship on time.   

[Vagabond Knight]

1 hour ago, D C said:

When it comes to booking for day of departure flights, I would never do it any way except through Celebrity.

 

You're much braver than we are.  We are much too risk averse and stress averse to fly in on the day of departure.  We even do a stayover the night before when cruising out of ports that are just a few hours drive from us!  ☺️  

[dog555]

we booked our last cruise flights with Celebrity, and when we cancelled due to the virus, we got a full refund.  

[D C]

44 minutes ago, SunsetPoint said:

 

You're much braver than we are.  We are much too risk averse and stress averse to fly in on the day of departure.  We even do a stayover the night before when cruising out of ports that are just a few hours drive from us!  ☺️  

Oh, we're NOT that brave!   Although more often than not, we'll stay in Orlando (cheaper and more plentiful hotels) and drive to port the morning of the cruise.  

[nast]

Have a cruise booked for next November. 

 

Maybe it's a good time to try Celebrity Air for the first time. 

A few questions: 

 

# What's the difference between Choice Air website and Flights by Celebrity on Celebrity Cruises website. 

These are two different websites for booking Celebrity flights.

Found 2 difference prices for the same flight ??

 

#If Celebrity cancels our cruise in November after final payment. Do we get full refund for flights ? 

or do you have to pay $200 air penalty and processing fee (guess this is only when you cancel by yourself)

 

#Has someone used Best Prices Guaranteed when you find a lower fare on another website ?