Is one day early enough?

[6rugrats]

I work for a major carrier at one of its largest hubs.   As usual, summer weather, with the afternoon thunderstorms have greatly affected flights out of EWR and IAD.  There have been big problems with ATC with Florida flights in the last few weeks.  And, that doesn't even account for crew timing out and mechanical problems.

Even so, most flights are not canceled, most bags are not delayed, and most people make it to their destination just fine in a timely manner.

I have helped at least three sets of customers who purchased cruise air in the last month.  One was for an Alaska cruise through NCL, the other two were European river cruises, leaving from Switzerland.  The group with NCL had their flight canceled because of weather.  They stated they called NCL for help and NCL eventually hung up on them and were absolutely no help in rebooking.  They were not a rude group, so I have no idea what happened.  There was very little availability, but we finally got them rebooked for the next day. They pulled out a big handful of large bills and tried to tip us (not allowed).

The river cruise pax were also not helped by their cruise line (one was Viking, don't remember the other) and we were unable to get them to their cruise on time because there simply was no availability using any routing on ANY airline to get them to ANY European city.  They decided to go back to calling the cruise line air department, so I have no idea what happened.

You can't be rebooked by anyone if there are not any seats.  This fact seems to puzzle many pax who appear to think there are planes "on the back lot" gassed up with crews and ready to go.  "Can't you just get another plane?"

In any case, I would not hesitate to fly in one day in advance to Florida in Sept if I was taking a nonstop and it was the first flight of the day.

Edited July 16, 2022 by 6rugrats

[roysue]

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

I agree.  The traditional reason to use cruise line airfare is the discount they may have.   Many of us recommended cruise air since Covid as the possibility of cruise cancellations was ever present and if the cruise was cancelled then the air would automatically be cancelled and money returned. 

So our cruise departs onSeptember 17th.  I booked a 10am non stop flight to Ft. Lauderdale.  I have made final payment and now my 10am is "cancelled" and they have rescheduled  me to leave at 12:40 pm.  My time cushion has now disappeared.  Celebrity FBS offered me little to no help.  They offered me a "one time courtesy"  to cancel my flights and rebook at the current rate.   If I had booked directly with Delta, I could have changed the flight through Delta at no charge.  Now I have no real choice but to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.  I don't think  I will book through the cruise line in the future.  Just my thoughts

[Mary229]

54 minutes ago, roysue said:

So our cruise departs onSeptember 17th.  I booked a 10am non stop flight to Ft. Lauderdale.  I have made final payment and now my 10am is "cancelled" and they have rescheduled  me to leave at 12:40 pm.  My time cushion has now disappeared.  Celebrity FBS offered me little to no help.  They offered me a "one time courtesy"  to cancel my flights and rebook at the current rate.   If I had booked directly with Delta, I could have changed the flight through Delta at no charge.  Now I have no real choice but to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.  I don't think  I will book through the cruise line in the future.  Just my thoughts

We had an issue earlier this month.  It was a massive delay.  Even though we had cruise air I recommended we work directly with the airline on the ground.  We did, we were accommodated and at no further cost.  As I said I buy it for two reasons 1. Price, can you beat AMS to DFW business class for $600? and 2. If the cruise is cancelled. 
 

as to once it is booked I manage it myself.   I agree with in arriving at least one day early and with the current environment if you can manage 2 days that is better.  In many current circumstances you may need an extra day afterwards too

[Twickenham]

1 hour ago, roysue said:

So our cruise departs onSeptember 17th.  I booked a 10am non stop flight to Ft. Lauderdale.  I have made final payment and now my 10am is "cancelled" and they have rescheduled  me to leave at 12:40 pm.  My time cushion has now disappeared.  Celebrity FBS offered me little to no help.  They offered me a "one time courtesy"  to cancel my flights and rebook at the current rate.   If I had booked directly with Delta, I could have changed the flight through Delta at no charge.  Now I have no real choice but to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.  I don't think  I will book through the cruise line in the future.  Just my thoughts

 

So let me get this straight: you're flying the day of the cruise departure, on a flight that (according to Delta's website) gets into FLL at 3:41 pm, and hoping to embark on a ship leaving at 4 pm? Because that is literally impossible.

 

You need to switch to the 7 am flight, because as things stand now you will miss your ship.

[FlyerTalker]

44 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

1. Price, can you beat AMS to DFW business class for $600?

 

Cruiseline business class promotions have the rest of the cost of the ticket baked into the price of the cruise.

 

TANSTAAFL

[6rugrats]

2 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Cruiseline business class promotions have the rest of the cost of the ticket baked into the price of the cruise.

 

TANSTAAFL

Agree, You need to price out your cruise without this cruise airfare to find the true cost 

Edited July 16, 2022 by 6rugrats

[Mary229]

30 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Cruiseline business class promotions have the rest of the cost of the ticket baked into the price of the cruise.

 

TANSTAAFL

Not exactly.  I bought the cruise and then bought the airfare 4 months later .  It was not a package deal 

Edited July 16, 2022 by Mary229

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

Not exactly.  I bought the cruise and then bought the airfare 4 months later .  It was not a package deal 

 

And what would have been the price of a coach ticket?

[Mary229]

55 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

And what would have been the price of a coach ticket?

About the same.    The same day the airline was offering the same ticket for $2400.  Anyway usually the offers weren’t that brag worthy but the international, business class offerings can be excellent.  Before the pandemic we added a 7 day cruise to our European itinerary just to nab the business class offer.  In that case even with the added cruise we still were saving over 30%.  Unfortunately that travel was canceled due to the onset of the pandemic  

[rkacruiser]

23 hours ago, Mary229 said:

1. Price, can you beat AMS to DFW business class for $600? and 2. If the cruise is cancelled. 
 

as to once it is booked I manage it myself.

 

WOW!  What a great price!  I assume on American.  Managing the booking myself is something that I have been able to do in the past even if I booked cruise air.  I don't recall difficulty in choosing a seat or, if the flight details are changed and I am assigned a seat I don't care for, getting that seat changed by working with the airline.  Reading recent experiences of others with cruise air, I am wondering if "things" have changed.  

[Mary229]

39 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

WOW!  What a great price!  I assume on American.  Managing the booking myself is something that I have been able to do in the past even if I booked cruise air.  I don't recall difficulty in choosing a seat or, if the flight details are changed and I am assigned a seat I don't care for, getting that seat changed by working with the airline.  Reading recent experiences of others with cruise air, I am wondering if "things" have changed.  

With business class and premium economy I have had no problems managing it.  Some airlines now require you to pay extra to choose your economy seat, American among them.  Those I must wait until they are ticketed to manage the seats, this is usually at least 30 days in advance.  I think in light of the current issues if it is urgent it is best to work directly with the airline, it is just one less middleman.  

[6rugrats]

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

 Some airlines now require you to pay extra to choose your economy seat, American among them.  

No major US carrier, including AA, requires you to pay for seat selection in regular economy.

Edited July 17, 2022 by 6rugrats

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, 6rugrats said:

No major US carrier, including AA, requires you to pay for seat selection in regular economy.

Have you flown lately.  If you want to select a seat in basic economy prior to the 24 hour check in period you pay. 

[alidor]

You do not pay for a seat in basic economy on American.  If you want a seat more up front or has more room, then you would pay, but you don’t pay for basic Econmy seat selection.

[roysue]

On 7/16/2022 at 5:11 PM, Twickenham said:

 

So let me get this straight: you're flying the day of the cruise departure, on a flight that (according to Delta's website) gets into FLL at 3:41 pm, and hoping to embark on a ship leaving at 4 pm? Because that is literally impossible.

 

You need to switch to the 7 am flight, because as things stand now you will miss your ship.

Sorry I didn't  explain correctly.   We are flying in on the 16th, then cruising on the17th.

[6rugrats]

19 hours ago, Mary229 said:

 Some airlines now require you to pay extra to choose your economy seat, American among them.  

 

16 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Have you flown lately.  If you want to select a seat in basic economy prior to the 24 hour check in period you pay. 

Yes, I have flown lately, and although I'd never book a BE ticket, I am well aware of the restrictions of this type of fare.

You are saying two different things.  No major US airline makes you pay to choose a regular economy seat in advance.  AA has three fares in economy, Basic Economy (BE), Main Cabin and Premium Economy.  You do not have to pay extra for any of these fares to choose a seat in advance but BE. 

Edited July 18, 2022 by 6rugrats

[Globaliser]

16 hours ago, alidor said:

You do not pay for a seat in basic economy on American.

 

I'm pretty sure that you do. I tested it earlier in a dummy booking. Also, there is this succinct summary from a blog:

 

<<

Everything you need to know about flying basic economy on American Airlines

 

Can I select a seat?

 

Yes, but it will cost you. You can choose a specific seat at any time during or after booking for a fee.

 

If you don’t choose to pay to select a seat, American Airlines will automatically assign you a seat for free at check-in. ...

>>

[vjmatty]

On 7/16/2022 at 11:27 AM, Empehi said:

Air travel is such a mess .... a cancellation with a flight going in the day before is no guarantee you can be re-booked to get to your cruise the next day .... so something to consider:

 

If you can fly non-stop the first flight of the day on the day of the cruise ... I would consider this.

You MUST book the flight with the cruise line so if something does happen, they will get you to your cruise .. life is a gamble and given today's flight problems ... this would make as much sense as anything. Oh ... only travel with carry-on luggage.

 

e

 

Cruiseline air does NOT guarantee you will get to your ship on time.  The most they will do is refund the cost of your cruise and airfare if the flight fails.  Any good trip insurance will do the same, and I for one would rather have the flexibility to find a flight that gets me to the ship than get a refund which won't give me back my paid vacation days that will be wasted.

[Loracpin2]

On 7/16/2022 at 1:17 PM, 6rugrats said:

I work for a major carrier at one of its largest hubs.   As usual, summer weather, with the afternoon thunderstorms have greatly affected flights out of EWR and IAD.  There have been big problems with ATC with Florida flights in the last few weeks.  And, that doesn't even account for crew timing out and mechanical problems.

Even so, most flights are not canceled, most bags are not delayed, and most people make it to their destination just fine in a timely manner.

I have helped at least three sets of customers who purchased cruise air in the last month.  One was for an Alaska cruise through NCL, the other two were European river cruises, leaving from Switzerland.  The group with NCL had their flight canceled because of weather.  They stated they called NCL for help and NCL eventually hung up on them and were absolutely no help in rebooking.  They were not a rude group, so I have no idea what happened.  There was very little availability, but we finally got them rebooked for the next day. They pulled out a big handful of large bills and tried to tip us (not allowed).

The river cruise pax were also not helped by their cruise line (one was Viking, don't remember the other) and we were unable to get them to their cruise on time because there simply was no availability using any routing on ANY airline to get them to ANY European city.  They decided to go back to calling the cruise line air department, so I have no idea what happened.

You can't be rebooked by anyone if there are not any seats.  This fact seems to puzzle many pax who appear to think there are planes "on the back lot" gassed up with crews and ready to go.  "Can't you just get another plane?"

In any case, I would not hesitate to fly in one day in advance to Florida in Sept if I was taking a nonstop and it was the first flight of the day.

I'm making the asssumption that since you're mentioining flights out of Newark and Dulles you're referencing the "friendly Skys". In the past, we have always flown from IAD to FLL the day before a cruise. Our plan for this coming January 3rd Beyond sailing was to fly on Jan 1st instead of the 2nd but now have concerns about travelling New Year's Day. Appreciate any recommendations. Thank you. 

[roysue]

On 7/16/2022 at 4:28 PM, Mary229 said:

We had an issue earlier this month.  It was a massive delay.  Even though we had cruise air I recommended we work directly with the airline on the ground.  We did, we were accommodated and at no further cost.  As I said I buy it for two reasons 1. Price, can you beat AMS to DFW business class for $600? and 2. If the cruise is cancelled. 
 

as to once it is booked I manage it myself.   I agree with in arriving at least one day early and with the current environment if you can manage 2 days that is better.  In many current circumstances you may need an extra day afterwards too

Who are you cruising?   I am booked with Celebrity and I used FBC.  I am after final,payment.  FBC has been less than helpful.  They cancelled my 10am flight and put me on a 12:30 flight.  I asked them to allow me to go on the 7am flight  and they said no and also that I couldn't deal directly with Delta.  I have learned a lot with this trip.   

[Mary229]

8 minutes ago, roysue said:

Who are you cruising?   I am booked with Celebrity and I used FBC.  I am after final,payment.  FBC has been less than helpful.  They cancelled my 10am flight and put me on a 12:30 flight.  I asked them to allow me to go on the 7am flight  and they said no and also that I couldn't deal directly with Delta.  I have learned a lot with this trip.   

Holland America.  Why we were able to work with the airline is we were already ticketed and the airline changed the original flight.  The change would have cause a terrific delay. We were at the airport when the change was announced 

Edited July 29, 2022 by Mary229

[bellevuemountain]

On 6/27/2022 at 9:36 AM, Retirement2016 said:

 

No, I would not take the chance.

 

We recently missed our cruise out of Southampton due to TWO airline delay/cancellations.  We were to leave LAX on 6/22, flight delayed due to mechanical problem, then cancellation due to no crew.  Rebooked on another airline, spent the night in a hotel.  Next day (22 hours later) our flight coming from LHR diverted to Canada for medical emergency.  Second flight delayed 28 hours, leaving LAX 9 pm.  Now it's 6/24 and our ship is due to leave on 6/25.  Needless to say, there was no way we could make it on board.   What are the chances of missing two flights in a row?

 

This cruise was planned for two years, delayed graduation present for my son.

 

At least you are traveling in the U.S.  I would still give yourself two days.  Lot easier on your nerves.

I am so sorry to hear 🥺.  That was not a fun experience.

[FlyerTalker]

On 6/28/2022 at 3:42 PM, Retirement2016 said:

I would make sure there are later flights available if your flight is cancelled.  We did have the option of flying LAX-FLL-PHL-LHR, total flight time 26 hours in Economy when we were booked in business class.  My children said "no".

 

So....you had the opportunity to take flights to make the cruise.  You chose not to take them.

 

Being in business class was more important than making it to your destination.

 

Just so we are all clear on that.

[travelplus]

We are arriving on Sunday for a Friday cruise to London. We need to do a COVID test on Tuesday.  We find its more relaxing to arrive a few days before to tour the city.

 

We have a private transfer booked to and from Dover. We are flying from Gatwick to Paris when we get off the ship.

 

So we try to make our travel less stressful. 

[travelplus]

On 7/16/2022 at 2:11 PM, Twickenham said:

 

So let me get this straight: you're flying the day of the cruise departure, on a flight that (according to Delta's website) gets into FLL at 3:41 pm, and hoping to embark on a ship leaving at 4 pm? Because that is literally impossible.

 

You need to switch to the 7 am flight, because as things stand now you will miss your ship.

Sorry but its incumbent on the passengers to build in buffer time as much as the cruiselines want to help there is a time when its best to arrive a day or two before!