transatlantic air cancelled

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, dandylion said:

I am looking for a new travel agent.

 

Sorry, I don't see this as your TA's fault.  The airline either cancelled due to schedule changes or because Princess delayed payment.  (This latter issue has been well-publicized on Cruise Critic and is why I requested early ticketing for us to/from Europe).  It might be a good tip for you in future to keep an eye on your EZ-Air booking and make sure still there.  You can request early ticketing online on the EZ-Air page in Cruise Personalizer.  For me, it worked in about 24 hours. 

 

I am glad to read your flight was restored, but I would request ticketing immediately, if not already done.  You can tell if you are ticketed when you pull up your flight details in Cruise Personalizer.  Hit the Green Change/Cancel button.  If you see a button for early ticketing, you are not ticketed.  If you see "View eTickets", then you are ticketed.

 

2 hours ago, dandylion said:

I am looking for a new cruise line.

Well, I would say PCL has some blame here because they have always ticketed at 45 day mark.  Now, reports on here indicate waiting until 30 days or less sometimes.  IDK if they have any arrangements with certain airlines, but if the airline just cancels after no payment received (and not because of a schedule change), then it's on Princess.  As someone mentioned above, other cruise lines are using the same consolidator.

 

BTW, you mentioned "hefty surcharge" for Business.  Another tip is to keep checking the fares in your Cruise Personalizer.  I re-fared our outbound and return flights (separate bookings and airlines in my case) several times and we have Business Class in each direction for ~$850 USD/pp.  The up-charge from coach fare is well worth that amount. 

 

Yes, you were a victim of circumstance here, but it always pays to keep any eye on your bookings periodically and scan relevant topics here on Cruise Critic.  This is where I learned about folks having issues like you did and so I decided the best route was to ticket early when I knew no way the airfares would improve further. 

 

Hope you have a great trip now and have some tips for the next time.

[CineGraphic]

43 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Sorry, I don't see this as your TA's fault. 

 

The TA told her that she had to call and deal with it.

[Steelers36]

4 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

The TA told her that she had to call and deal with it.

Yes, point taken.  I reread the OP, but she doesn't say who booked the air.  The way I figure it is TA's make nothing from airfare and it is a self-service function in Cruise Personalizer.  Who says a TA is going to book the best thing for a guest, or just grab the first flight they see?  

 

I do agree that if a guest needs support for air and the cruise, well then a TA who is willing to do that is important.  If the TA booked it, I can see a customer of the TA expecting them to act further, but how many know they may need to call the airline, etc, and usually, EZ-Air needs to step in.  As was posted, Princess provides a phone line for flight travel issues. 

 

Not sure what to think, but if support needed, I guess it is important to interview the TA and ask if they will handle the air booking plus any changes required?  That said, I would never expect that TA to be in checking for airfare drops or other options that we can do with EZ-Air in Cruise Personalizer. 

 

 

[pris993]

3 hours ago, patrickmoran said:

There are a number of good hotels near Heathrow that you TA can book. An unfortunate additional expense but with travel so messed up right now may be best option.

I have stayed at a Marriott at Heathrow, if that helps. 

[pris993]

19 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Yes, point taken.  I reread the OP, but she doesn't say who booked the air.  The way I figure it is TA's make nothing from airfare and it is a self-service function in Cruise Personalizer.  Who says a TA is going to book the best thing for a guest, or just grab the first flight they see?  

 

I do agree that if a guest needs support for air and the cruise, well then a TA who is willing to do that is important.  If the TA booked it, I can see a customer of the TA expecting them to act further, but how many know they may need to call the airline, etc, and usually, EZ-Air needs to step in.  As was posted, Princess provides a phone line for flight travel issues. 

 

Not sure what to think, but if support needed, I guess it is important to interview the TA and ask if they will handle the air booking plus any changes required?  That said, I would never expect that TA to be in checking for airfare drops or other options that we can do with EZ-Air in Cruise Personalizer. 

 

 

I stopped booking air with TA or cruise lines years ago, when airlines would not deal with me directly while traveling.  Booking air myself, directly with airlines, if a problem comes up airline works with cruise passenger better than this.  

[Steelers36]

1 minute ago, pris993 said:

I stopped booking air with TA or cruise lines years ago, when airlines would not deal with me directly while traveling.  Booking air myself, directly with airlines, if a problem comes up airline works with cruise passenger better than this.  

I agree, but cannot beat EZ-Air pricing - particularly if booking two one-ways (we have multiple cruise voyages, so the first one has the outbound and the last one the return).

[pris993]

1 minute ago, Steelers36 said:

I agree, but cannot beat EZ-Air pricing - particularly if booking two one-ways (we have multiple cruise voyages, so the first one has the outbound and the last one the return).

Do what works for you.  

 

The last time I booked with a TA, needed to change my ticket mid-way through a trip, I had to buy a whole new ticket, ticket I had was nonrefundable purchased by the TA.  I was in Tele Aviv trying to get back to San Francisco via Paris.  Lucky for me, Air France ticket agent referred us to an air charter company.  Otherwise, I would have paid a lot more.  From that point on I book my own air and know what I have purchased and in a better place to manage problems that come up.  

 

This was the 2nd time I got burned by a TA.  Another time, I was in Florida, wanted to make a change, found the TA purchased the ticket as part of a block, 6 months before we booked with the TA.  Once again, had to purchase new tickets, being in USA less expensive.  

[cr8tiv1]

Greetings on a Saturday.  In the most recent Captain Circle magazine, it is printed that there is "24/7 support to ensure that your air travel is as worry-free as your cruise."  Page 32.

[Steelers36]

39 minutes ago, pris993 said:

Do what works for you.  

 

The last time I booked with a TA, needed to change my ticket mid-way through a trip, I had to buy a whole new ticket, ticket I had was nonrefundable purchased by the TA.  I was in Tele Aviv trying to get back to San Francisco via Paris.  Lucky for me, Air France ticket agent referred us to an air charter company.  Otherwise, I would have paid a lot more.  From that point on I book my own air and know what I have purchased and in a better place to manage problems that come up.  

 

This was the 2nd time I got burned by a TA.  Another time, I was in Florida, wanted to make a change, found the TA purchased the ticket as part of a block, 6 months before we booked with the TA.  Once again, had to purchase new tickets, being in USA less expensive.  

Ouch and ouch again.  Totally agree.  I control my own air 100% and we can do that with EZ-Air.

 

In fact, it is so good for transatlantic to Europe, I will be looking into consolidators next time we do a land trip.  The great thing about EZ-Air is we can book and then keep checking for other lower cost options or fare drops, whereas once booked with an airline (or a consolidator I presume), the fare is locked in.  In that case, you have to have pretty good timing to get the best deal.  Or, not worry about it.

 

I also realize if you book directly with an airline, you can just deal with them.  I think this is better if one has some level of FF status.  I used to have that with Air Canada when I was working and it made a huge difference on many occasions as I could get someone on the phone in seconds to deal with an issue or disruption.  

 

ETA:  I get your point in Post #30.  Things happen while traveling and you need to be nimble sometimes to get around it.

Edited August 13, 2022 by Steelers36

[Thrak]

5 hours ago, patrickmoran said:

There are a number of good hotels near Heathrow that you TA can book. An unfortunate additional expense but with travel so messed up right now may be best option.

 

I would look into having Princess cover the additional expense. It's not your fault they changed your flights.

[spookyfudge]

7 hours ago, dandylion said:

As a 76 year old woman traveling alone from the us to London for a 16 day cruise I opted to pay the hefty surcharge for business class air through princess air. I booked at around final payment and paid in full, selected my seats on the airline website, arranged my ground transportation to the airport. To minimize problems I also booked princess transfers to the ship . This was to be a getaway for me from the daily caregiving I provided to my husband who has Altzheimers. I arranged for full time nursing care with relatives for back up and began dreaming about my  small room with a balcony ..also with a hefty surcharge as I was paying double for a single. Purchased cruise insurance through princess. Yesterday about 2 1/2 weeks before departure I get an email from someone at my travel agency I had been dealing with about 15 years that my flight had been changed and I was leaving early in the morning and arriving not the day of the cruise but the night before. This puts my at heathrow with my luggage, cane and no bed to sleep in and a long wait for the earliest transfer .I called my travel agent who said I had to deal directly with princess as she had tried to call princess air but couldn’t get through. I then spent the rest of the day on the phone either being transferred to no one , put on hold or told there was nothing they could do as the air department was closed. At 930 pm eastern time I hung up the phone. I was on the phone as long as I would have been in the air.

I will start again in 3 minutes. I am platinum princess. I have travel insurance. I am looking for a new travel agent.

 

If you fly British Air on business class, no problems. The lounge which you have access to has a place to sleep and shower, happy flying

[pris993]

4 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Ouch and ouch again.  Totally agree.  I control my own air 100% and we can do that with EZ-Air.

 

In fact, it is so good for transatlantic to Europe, I will be looking into consolidators next time we do a land trip.  The great thing about EZ-Air is we can book and then keep checking for other lower cost options or fare drops, whereas once booked with an airline (or a consolidator I presume), the fare is locked in.  In that case, you have to have pretty good timing to get the best deal.  Or, not worry about it.

 

I also realize if you book directly with an airline, you can just deal with them.  I think this is better if one has some level of FF status.  I used to have that with Air Canada when I was working and it made a huge difference on many occasions as I could get someone on the phone in seconds to deal with an issue or disruption.  

 

ETA:  I get your point in Post #30.  Things happen while traveling and you need to be nimble sometimes to get around it.

Even without lots FF status, I have found airlines helpful regarding changes, especially when airline changes flights and new flights don't work with connecting with cruise arrangements.  

[pris993]

4 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Greetings on a Saturday.  In the most recent Captain Circle magazine, it is printed that there is "24/7 support to ensure that your air travel is as worry-free as your cruise."  Page 32.

Wonder if this is a result of bad proofreading on part of publisher??

[dandylion]

2 hours ago, spookyfudge said:

If you fly British Air on business class, no problems. The lounge which you have access to has a place to sleep and shower, happy flying

 

Didn’t know that…..thanks to you and everyone for sharing these suggestions

 

[kiwimum]

28 minutes ago, dandylion said:

 

Didn’t know that…..thanks to you and everyone for sharing these suggestions

 

The arrivals lounge is not open 24 hours at Terminal 5.  According to the BA website it is open from 5:00am - 2:00pm.

[Alaskanb]

31 minutes ago, dandylion said:

 

Didn’t know that…..thanks to you and everyone for sharing these suggestions

 

It may help to join the AA frequent flyer club as it allows you to easily see flights on-line; you can also request wheelchair service.