cruise/air HAL

[Jocru]

We booked HAL cruise/air from PHL to Vancouver and Fairbanks to PHL. Has anyone done this? Did the assigned flights work?

[greatam]

We booked HAL cruise/air from PHL to Vancouver and Fairbanks to PHL. Has anyone done this? Did the assigned flights work?

 

Have you made final payment? Have you looked at booking your own air? How did the price compare?

 

Since you are flying from Fairbanks, I would assume you are on a cruise tour post cruise. Your TA may or may not have your air information earlier than normal cruise air (no pre or post tour). Otherwise, you will not know what flights you are on until 2-3 weeks before you leave. And you may fly any place to get you home. Example: Fairbanks to Anchorage, Anchorage to LAX, LAX to Dallas, Dallas to PHL. This is an AA/Alaska routing. The point is-you WILL NOT know until 2-3 weeks pre cruise. Do NOT EXPECT nonstops from Anchorage. Those are usually the most expensive and the cruiselines book the cheapest.

 

You can usually save a lot of money booking RT PHL/Seattle, take the shuttle to Vancouver and book a one way ticket from Fairbanks to Seattle on Alaska. It may be somewhat of a hassle to coordinate this routing, but at least you know when you are going to fly.

[ocngypz]

Did your agent inform you that with HAL air, you could have forced hotel overnights at your own expense??

 

You have three choices, accept what you are given by HAL. Keeping in mind the flight schedule wil be give 30 days prior to departure when the flights are actually ticketed.

 

Second, pay HAL's deviation fees, select your own flights and pay any upcharge in fare.

 

Third, do your own.

[Jocru]

Thank you for your replies. Before booking the trip we had checked prices of various flights as did our TA later. At that point the HAL air was less expensive than any alternative. We have used X's air and booked our own air at various times. Things have usually worked very well but the timing for cruise air has been closer on changes than I like. We are traveling with friends and may decide later to try to fly a day ahead but we are still trying to decide which route would be best. Both Alaska and HAL are new experiences for us.

If HAL does fly you out a day early and you are forced to take a hotel, are you forced to use a given hotel or do you chose your own? Thanks.

[Bill S]

Jocru: while we prefer to make our own air travel arrangements we, have used HAL-arranged air on several occasions. With one exception, we have found HAL air to be a better deal than what we could find for "open-jaw" flights like yours.

We also have never had bad seats with HAL-air.

Also, the only time we have had to pay for our own hotel with HAL-air, is when we elected to travel a day early. Our experience has been that if HAL has to fly you in a day early, they also provide the hotel and again, with only one exception, the hotels have been very nice. Our last time using HAL-air for a one-way Alaska cruise, they put us in the Fairmot Waterfront hotel in Vancouver, a wonderful hotel. I want to stress that the above is just our experience, so I am not saying that HAL will always cover the hotel. Hopefully, they will do it for you! :)

Whichever way you go re air travel, I hope you have a great cruise!

[Jocru]

Thank you Bill S. After reading your reply I think I can sit back and just relax. No matter what happens I feel as though this will turn out to be one of our best trips. Thank you again for your response.

[gizmo]

 

Also, the only time we have had to pay for our own hotel with HAL-air, is when we elected to travel a day early. Our experience has been that if HAL has to fly you in a day early, they also provide the hotel and again, with only one exception, the hotels have been very nice. Our last time using HAL-air for a one-way Alaska cruise, they put us in the Fairmot Waterfront hotel in Vancouver, a wonderful hotel. I want to stress that the above is just our experience, so I am not saying that HAL will always cover the hotel. Hopefully, they will do it for you! :)

 

 

Bill I am not so sure Hal does this anymore. I think I read this on the Hal board a couple of months ago.

 

Joru,

Call Hal and ask about this.

[Bill S]

Gizmo: thanks for the update! :)

[ocngypz]

Jocru: while we prefer to make our own air travel arrangements we, have used HAL-arranged air on several occasions. With one exception, we have found HAL air to be a better deal than what we could find for "open-jaw" flights like yours.

We also have never had bad seats with HAL-air.

Also, the only time we have had to pay for our own hotel with HAL-air, is when we elected to travel a day early. Our experience has been that if HAL has to fly you in a day early, they also provide the hotel and again, with only one exception, the hotels have been very nice. Our last time using HAL-air for a one-way Alaska cruise, they put us in the Fairmot Waterfront hotel in Vancouver, a wonderful hotel. I want to stress that the above is just our experience, so I am not saying that HAL will always cover the hotel. Hopefully, they will do it for you! :)

Whichever way you go re air travel, I hope you have a great cruise!

 

 

No longer does HAL provide hotel if they have to fly you in a day early.. or fly you back a day later.