Celebrity? Anyone home?

[Ride-The-Waves]

Incompetence first comes to mind...  Celebrity informed us 4 months ago that our business class air reservation from FCO to MCO was "being worked" after providing a good flight itinerary on booking.  Flights can change, flights can be rerouted and even cancelled for many reasons.  The incompetence at Celebrity, not just Celebrity Air which is talked to, is really staggering.  How can a travel company book a flight from Rome to Orlando WITHOUT including a trans-Atlantic segment.  Walking from MUC to EWR at my age is just not in the cards.

 

Celebrity Air (if you can get through the India accents) refuses to book our complete flight home.  They blame the airline?  Unbelievable.  Celebrity Air says, every week when we call, "wait a week!" and it will be fixed.  Four months later - nothing.  Maybe to to start working to cancel the cruise...

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by Ride-The-Waves

[Bo1953]

Cancel and book direct, no need to be infuriated with 'incompetence' and the fact that X most likely cannot give you what you want of which they do not have access to, at the moment...

 

I can only presume you have found flights which will accommodate your requirements, book them direct.

 

Issue solved and further frustration alleviated.

 

Sorry this is such an issue, as this is at least the second time I remember seeing a post about this situation.

 

bon voyage

[C-Dragons]

54 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

Cancel and book direct, no need to be infuriated with 'incompetence' and the fact that X most likely cannot give you what you want of which they do not have access to, at the moment...

 

Sorry this is such an issue, as this is at least the second time I remember seeing a post about this situation.

 

bon voyage

Yes, this does sound familiar.

I  certainly learned my lesson.

[JFontaine]

1 hour ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

 

 

Celebrity Air (if you can get through the India accents) 

 

You're exploring the world - people have accents - including people reading your posts. Get over it. 

[Ride-The-Waves]

1 hour ago, JFontaine said:

You're exploring the world - people have accents - including people reading your posts. Get over it. 

Thanks.  Raised in Europe 1949-62 then off to US university.  We had 80 different nationalities in high school: International School of Geneva.  I was the only American (US) on the school football (soccer) team.  Served in the US Navy for 30 years and traveled the world.  Oh, and speak (passably) four languages to include Serbo-Croation having lived and worked in Belgrade.  Have been to all 7 continents.  Think I understand accents.  Well, maybe not some from east-central Florida...  Appreciate your interest.  😀

[LB_NJ]

2 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

Cancel and book direct, no need to be infuriated with 'incompetence' and the fact that X most likely cannot give you what you want of which they do not have access to, at the moment...

 

I can only presume you have found flights which will accommodate your requirements, book them direct.

 

Issue solved and further frustration alleviated.

 

Sorry this is such an issue, as this is at least the second time I remember seeing a post about this situation.

 

bon voyage

 

Problem is if the cruise gets cancelled you are stuck with the airfare.  

 

 

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, JFontaine said:

You're exploring the world - people have accents - including people reading your posts. Get over it. 

All the more reason the OP needs to book direct, if that is an issue as apparently it 'sounds' like it is...LOL

 

In more ways than one...

 

bon voyage

[Bo1953]

2 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

 

Problem is if the cruise gets cancelled you are stuck with the airfare.  

 

 

One is only, generally, stuck if they purchase a severely restrictive fare as such... otherwise, not an issue for refundability.

 

Or at least that is how I purchase my airline tickets, that way I know what I have and what my desired routing is and it can be changed without jumping through hoops and screaming and angst and other such...

 

Yet, that is how I and a few others I know, approach getting airfare to wherever we want to fly to.

 

Leaving it to a 3rd party and then complain about what they are not doing for me or doing it the way I want it to be, can never be an issue by booking direct, refundable. Not happy, cancel and book elsewhere.

 

bon voyage

[NutsAboutGolf]

15 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

 

Problem is if the cruise gets cancelled you are stuck with the airfare.  

 

 

 

That is why you need to be strategic when you book.  Even if international, if you book directly with the big three (United, American or Delta) due to their alliance and partnerships, if you need to cancel a flight and receive a credit, it can be used on other airlines within the alliance/some partnerships. 

[Ride-The-Waves]

1 hour ago, JFontaine said:

You're exploring the world - people have accents - including people reading your posts. Get over it. 

Thanks.  Raised in Europe 1949-62 then off to US university.  We had 80 different nationalities in high school: International School of Geneva.  I was the only American (US) on the school football (soccer) team.  Served in the US Navy for 30 years and traveled the world.  Oh, and speak (passably) four languages to include Serbo-Croation having lived and worked in Belgrade.  Have been to all 7 continents.  Think I understand accents.  Well, maybe not some from east-central Florida...  Appreciate your interest.  😀

[Ride-The-Waves]

Good news!  After 4 months Celebrity Air finally arranged the easiest, simplest and most straight forward routing for the return home.  No sure why it took so, long, but pleased with the results and to have a full flight schedule home.😀

Edited May 10, 2022 by Ride-The-Waves

[NutsAboutGolf]

7 minutes ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Good news!  After 4 months Celebrity Air finally arranged the easiest, simplest and most straight forward routing for the return home.  No sure why it took so, long, but pleased with the results and to have a full flight schedule home.😀

 

Was your account hacked by Celebrity Air?  🤔 JK, thanks for following up

[Covepointcruiser]

Just wait, the airlines will cancel flights and re route you.   If your flight is not happening in the next week expect changes and not for the better.

[Jeremiah1212]

Part of the problem is Celebrity doesn’t ‘service’ an air booking. You’re sold and ticket for $xxxx and that’s it. Then you’re at the airlines mercy. It sounds like there was a canceled flight or misconnection and this one fell through the cracks.

 

FBC service can be terrible but it’s worth the headache right now especially if you’ve got business class airfare on the line. 

[Lastdance]

2 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

 

Problem is if the cruise gets cancelled you are stuck with the airfare.  

 

 

You do have time to use and book, especially when a multitude of cruises are booked; I did he same thing, as CA was a nightmare!

Edited May 11, 2022 by Lastdance

[asnaleah]

Or, you can insure your airfare. Very reasonable.

[Virginia100]

15 hours ago, JFontaine said:

You're exploring the world - people have accents - including people reading your posts. Get over it. 

Sorry, don’t agree. If your going to service North America clients then your customer service employees need to speak English fluently. I have experienced nearly unintelligible accents on various customer service calls, including Celebrity Air. It’s all done just to save $, not to make service a priority.

[Bo1953]

15 minutes ago, Virginia100 said:

Sorry, don’t agree. If your going to service North America clients then your customer service employees need to speak English fluently. I have experienced nearly unintelligible accents on various customer service calls, including Celebrity Air. It’s all done just to save $, not to make service a priority.

Not to mention that there are quite a few North Americans who cannot understand some regional dialects and who speak English fluently.

 

No money savings there, only one fluent English speaker not able to fully understand another fluent English speaker....

 

Or do I and others not hear correctly, do you think?

 

Safe Travels...

[Jeremiah1212]

1 hour ago, Virginia100 said:

Sorry, don’t agree. If your going to service North America clients then your customer service employees need to speak English fluently. I have experienced nearly unintelligible accents on various customer service calls, including Celebrity Air. It’s all done just to save $, not to make service a priority.

 

'Merica! Maybe you have the unintelligible accent? FYI - they don't service strictly NA customers either. A little patience goes a long way. 

[Bo1953]

17 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

Yes, this does sound familiar.

I  certainly learned my lesson.

The Cruise Air forum here on CC... LOL

 

This is not to say that lessons will not be taught on this forum, for those who do not even think about other forums available here on CC...

 

bon voyage

Edited May 11, 2022 by Bo1953

[C-Dragons]

1 hour ago, Virginia100 said:

Sorry, don’t agree. If your going to service North America clients then your customer service employees need to speak English fluently. I have experienced nearly unintelligible accents on various customer service calls, including Celebrity Air. It’s all done just to save $, not to make service a priority.

The “customer service employees” that you refer to are not employed by X. They work for a Consolidator that X does business with.

[JFontaine]

3 hours ago, Virginia100 said:

Sorry, don’t agree. If your going to service North America clients then your customer service employees need to speak English fluently. I have experienced nearly unintelligible accents on various customer service calls, including Celebrity Air. It’s all done just to save $, not to make service a priority.

Actually they do speak fluent English (a marvelous achievement, in my opinion), but with an accent. Usually people call customer service with an issue or problem to resolve.   They are anxious about the problem and are dreading the call. Some, when they hear a different accent, their anxiety increases, whether consciously or unconsciously.   The call has gone bad before it starts.  If the customer service rep had a British accent, would the result be the same? 

 

My grandparents came to the US with an accent,  and not fluent in English. Luckily, they were given a chance, and I'm the product.  Patience, as said above, empathy for someone trying to make a living.  Customer service reps often have discretion in handling issues, or will work until an issue is resolved to satisfaction. This could benefit you too.