Is celebrity air dependable ?

[horseymike]

Looking at some Mediterranean cruises on celebrity, also looking at the flights by celebrity.

has anyone had any experience from the USA to Barcelona and back booking through Celebrity Air ?

 

 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

I've booked with them and they are as reliable as any other Travel Agent.  

 

Upside if you book with them you do not have to pay anything until final payment

 

Downside is sometimes long wait times,  if you need to make a change after final payment even with a fully refundable fare you are charged $100 pp.

 

Also if you wish to change something on your reservation you have to call them and can't do it direct through airline.

[D. B.]

We have used F By C a Lot with great results.

 We once booked flights with them for A cruise from Rome and planned to arrive the same day as departure because my wife was still working and had little vacation time.

 Big Mistake as the weather caused our SFO-JFK  US flight to be canceled so we would not make our connection to Rome.

Lucky for us we had booked through F By C and a call to their emergency toll free number (We were At the airport!) and they pulled off a miracle combination of flights to get us to Rome 3 hours before the ship sailed. The transatlantic flight was with Air France and the snotty lady said We Might be allowed to board so I called F By C again in a panic and was Told "Ignore the snotty Lady because you WILL be on that Flight" and we were.

 F By C  had a person waiting at the Rome airport with a Sign with our name on it and a Driver to Rush us to the Port with 1 hour to spare!

 We were Impressed to say the least. But since then  we have Never attempted to join an overseas cruise without spending at least One day nearby pre cruise.

  

 

[NMTraveller]

4 minutes ago, D. B. said:

We have used F By C a Lot with great results.

 We once booked flights with them for A cruise from Rome and planned to arrive the same day as departure because my wife was still working and had little vacation time.

 Big Mistake as the weather caused our SFO-JFK  US flight to be canceled so we would not make our connection to Rome.

Lucky for us we had booked through F By C and a call to their emergency toll free number (We were At the airport!) and they pulled off a miracle combination of flights to get us to Rome 3 hours before the ship sailed. The transatlantic flight was with Air France and the snotty lady said We Might be allowed to board so I called F By C again in a panic and was Told "Ignore the snotty Lady because you WILL be on that Flight" and we were.

 F By C  had a person waiting at the Rome airport with a Sign with our name on it and a Driver to Rush us to the Port with 1 hour to spare!

 We were Impressed to say the least. But since then  we have Never attempted to join an overseas cruise without spending at least One day nearby pre cruise.

  

 

What is F By C.  Do they have a website?

 

Sorry if it is obvious.

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

What is F By C.  Do they have a website?

 

Sorry if it is obvious.

“Flights By Celebrity”

 

 I don’t think they have a stand alone website. If you have a cruise booked, you can access FBC either through your Cruise Planner or Manage my Reservation (I forget which). 

 

If you’re interested in FBC air pricing for a cruise you haven’t booked, there’s a way to get there to have a cruise plus air price. On the mobile website you have to scroll all the way to bottom of the web page for the cruise you are interested in until you see this:

Edited November 20, 2022 by mahdnc

[Arizona Wildcat]

FBC stands for Flights by Celebrity.   It is a consolidator organized to provide deals on airline  flights to cruise customers.  It gets discounted fares by reserving blocks of seats -- putting together groups.

The advantage and disadvantage are the same - you don't pay for your ticket until final payment so you are also not ticketed tuntil then as well.  Being part of a group makes changes sometimes more difficult when things go sideways.  Any changes must be done by the group organizer.

Pretty much every cruiseline operates a similar system. 

If things go smoothly , you are not picky about seat selection and are aware FBC is at the mercy of airlines and flight changes then a good deal.  Usually best on international flights 

 

[odysee]

We had this year flights by Celebrity included in 2 European cruises for 1 Euro pp.

Were not expecting too much, but had each time flights with reputable airline (Star Alliance) and allowance for 2 checked in suitcases pp. We were allowed to pick date and flight time, subject to availability which was positive in our cases snd confirmed within 48 hours (took a bit longer as we booked via non Celebrity TA).

Could not select seats ourselves prior to check in but  then found out each time we had  already 2 seats assigned beside each other with extra legroom, which normally cost extra.

Edited November 20, 2022 by odysee

[terrydtx]

We used FBC yesterday online to book our flights for next September. We are going from San Antonio to Amsterdam and back from Athens. We are booked in Business class on all flights. We are on United to Amsterdam and on American Airlines from Athens. The price we booked is about $1000pp less than I could find on my own. We have used FBC in the past very successfully.

 

Our advantages by using FBC:

No payment until final payment in June 2023

Can cancel or change flights anytime up to final payment with no penalty, if we find cheaper flights on our own or with FBC.

Able to book multiple airlines to get best price.

When booking you can add airline loyalty accounts for miles rewards.

After booking we went online to the airlines websites to choose seats

 

Disadvantages:

No ability to cancel or change flights online, we have to call FBC to make changes, but in past the waits for calling have been much less than calling US airlines.

No way to book seats online, you have to go to the airline websites to do this.

You cannot mix cabin categories, for example fly one way business class and the other in lower class like premium economy.

 

I would like to add that we have also used HAL's flights for booking and they have a much better online portal for booking and changing flights. On their site you can book seats when booking and go back online anytime to cancel or change flights without having to call them.  I wish FBC had these same features.

 

 

Edited November 20, 2022 by terrydtx

[wisteria1019]

Has Flights by Celebrity replaced Choice Air or is it the same service with a new name?

[Mike07]

It's been as dependable as air travel can be.... Granted, the real measure of success is what happens when something goes wrong. E.g. flight cancellations and serious delays that risk embarkation.

[terrydtx]

8 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

It's been as dependable as air travel can be.... Granted, the real measure of success is what happens when something goes wrong. E.g. flight cancellations and serious delays that risk embarkation.

It saved us $1000's when we had to miss our flights in Business class home earlier this year because of testing positive for covid and having to quarantine in Italy for 3 days after our cruise ended. FBC rebooked us 4 days later in BC all the way home from Italy at no extra charge to us. Had we booked direct with the airline we would have paid $5000 to fly home BC after missing our flights.

Edited November 20, 2022 by terrydtx

[Mike07]

1 minute ago, terrydtx said:

It saved us $1000's when we had to miss our flights in Business class home earlier this year because of testing positive for covid and having to quarantine in Italy for 3 days after our cruise ended. FBC rebooked us 4 days later in BC all the way home from Italy at no extra charge to us. Had we booked direct with the airline we would have paid $5000 to fly home BC after missing our flights.

 

 

 

That's awesome to hear --- not that you had covid and it threw a monkeywrench in travel plans, but that Celebrity came through in the clutch.

 

I've always found that cruise line airfares to be competitive and even more so on international routes. Even if you're paying a little bit more, there is peace of mind in that your air TA is the cruise line and they know exactly why you're traveling --- for the cruise and embarkation or disembarkation.

 

 

[blackshirt]

33 minutes ago, wisteria1019 said:

Has Flights by Celebrity replaced Choice Air or is it the same service with a new name?

Choice Air is the name Royal Caribbean uses. I don’t know if Celebrity ever called it that or not. It’s been Flights By Celebrity as far back as I remember but yes, it is the same service.

[NutsAboutGolf]

If with book with FBC and need to change after final payment, there’s a $200 fee and you have to call in.  They only service the biggest airlines which doesn’t include southwest.  If you book online directly with the airline, as long as you’re not in basic economy, you can change without a fee and so so online

[grandgeezer]

8 hours ago, D. B. said:

We have used F By C a Lot with great results.

 We once booked flights with them for A cruise from Rome and planned to arrive the same day as departure because my wife was still working and had little vacation time.

 Big Mistake as the weather caused our SFO-JFK  US flight to be canceled so we would not make our connection to Rome.

Lucky for us we had booked through F By C and a call to their emergency toll free number (We were At the airport!) and they pulled off a miracle combination of flights to get us to Rome 3 hours before the ship sailed. The transatlantic flight was with Air France and the snotty lady said We Might be allowed to board so I called F By C again in a panic and was Told "Ignore the snotty Lady because you WILL be on that Flight" and we were.

 F By C  had a person waiting at the Rome airport with a Sign with our name on it and a Driver to Rush us to the Port with 1 hour to spare!

 We were Impressed to say the least. But since then  we have Never attempted to join an overseas cruise without spending at least One day nearby pre cruise.

  

 

The stars must have bee aligned just right. First, the airport is huge to get through in a timely matter. Secondly, apparently you didn’t have checked luggage, the one time we flew into Rome it took about 45 minutes to get our luggage. Thirdly,  the ship doesn’t leave from Rome, it leaves from Civitavecchia which is about 45 minutes away, with no major traffic problems. Lastly, if I remember right, you have to be checked in and on the ship an hour, or an hour and a half before sailing.

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, wisteria1019 said:

Has Flights by Celebrity replaced Choice Air or is it the same service with a new name?

Yes..   to be honest I believe it is just a name rebranding.   Choice Air is still in use by Azamara  and RCL rebranded to Air2Sea.   

 

The interface is the same.

[FourNines]

5 hours ago, odysee said:

Could not select seats ourselves prior to check in but  then found out each time we had  already 2 seats assigned beside each other with extra legroom, which normally cost extra.

You CAN select seats prior to check in, and there are several ways to do it. One requires the record locator number (some may require the PNR number instead) while the other does not. 

 

With Record Locator:

Some airlines will not allow you to see the flight information even if you have a record locator number (looking at you American Airlines) when booked with a third party consolidator like FbC, but there are several hacks by using partner airlines websites to do so.

We fly exclusively One World partner airlines  so once I have the record locator, I head on over to the Royal Jordanian Airlines website and insert my records locator number in the Manage My Booking page. From there, I can see the seat map (also availability) and our assigned seats for each flight. If the seats automatically assigned are acceptable, I move on with my life. If not, I jot down the seats I would like and then call FbC with my preferred seat selection. They usually make the changes while I am still on the phone with them. 

 

Without Record Locator:

I use Expert Flyer to check each's flight seat map and availability. With my preferred seats in hand, I call FbC and have them assign those seats to us and then ask them for the record locator. I then verify that the seats were correctly assigned to us by using said record locator on the airline's website (or partner site).

 

It's been awhile since I have used FbC, so some of the above methods may have changed. I know there are quite a few fellow CC'rs that use hacks like I have described above, so I am sure they'll chime in with any updated information.

 

Hope that helps.

 

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, grandgeezer said:

The stars must have bee aligned just right. First, the airport is huge to get through in a timely matter. Secondly, apparently you didn’t have checked luggage, the one time we flew into Rome it took about 45 minutes to get our luggage. Thirdly,  the ship doesn’t leave from Rome, it leaves from Civitavecchia which is about 45 minutes away, with no major traffic problems. Lastly, if I remember right, you have to be checked in and on the ship an hour, or an hour and a half before sailing.

While on the phone with FBC Friday, I was notified that Celebrity now requires all cruises departing from Amsterdam must arrive no later than the day before departure for all air booked with FBC.  This wasn't a problem for us as we intend to arrive 3 days early. This change was due to all the delay problems this past summer in Amsterdam and the huge backlog of rebooking flights and getting delayed passengers to the next port to get on the ship. I wouldn't be surprised if this new policy isn't extended to other Europe departure ports.

Edited November 20, 2022 by terrydtx

[terrydtx]

49 minutes ago, FourNines said:

You CAN select seats prior to check in, and there are several ways to do it. One requires the record locator number (some may require the PNR number instead) while the other does not. 

 

With Record Locator:

Some airlines will not allow you to see the flight information even if you have a record locator number (looking at you American Airlines) when booked with a third party consolidator like FbC, but there are several hacks by using partner airlines websites to do so.

We fly exclusively One World partner airlines  so once I have the record locator, I head on over to the Royal Jordanian Airlines website and insert my records locator number in the Manage My Booking page. From there, I can see the seat map (also availability) and our assigned seats for each flight. If the seats automatically assigned are acceptable, I move on with my life. If not, I jot down the seats I would like and then call FbC with my preferred seat selection. They usually make the changes while I am still on the phone with them. 

 

Without Record Locator:

I use Expert Flyer to check each's flight seat map and availability. With my preferred seats in hand, I call FbC and have them assign those seats to us and then ask them for the record locator. I then verify that the seats were correctly assigned to us by using said record locator on the airline's website (or partner site).

 

It's been awhile since I have used FbC, so some of the above methods may have changed. I know there are quite a few fellow CC'rs that use hacks like I have described above, so I am sure they'll chime in with any updated information.

 

Hope that helps.

 

When we booked online yesterday with FBC, I received a confirmation email with the record locator numbers for all the airlines involved. Made getting seats very easy online.

[terrydtx]

2 hours ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

 

That's awesome to hear --- not that you had covid and it threw a monkeywrench in travel plans, but that Celebrity came through in the clutch.

 

I've always found that cruise line airfares to be competitive and even more so on international routes. Even if you're paying a little bit more, there is peace of mind in that your air TA is the cruise line and they know exactly why you're traveling --- for the cruise and embarkation or disembarkation.

 

 

We also had a great travel insurance policy purchased through our TA that covered all our expenses 100%. The CruiseLine wanted to give us a future cruise credit for the last 5 days of the cruise we were in quarantine after testing positive. The insurance company paid us in cash for the missed 5 days. It was a monkey wrench but everything worked out in the end. My DW and I never had symptoms any worse than a mild cold and a cough for a couple of days. I have come home from cruises in Europe with way worse cases of bronchitis and one that developed into pneumonia over the last 15 years.

Edited November 20, 2022 by terrydtx

[odysee]

1 hour ago, FourNines said:

You CAN select seats prior to check in, and there are several ways to do it. One requires the record locator number (some may require the PNR number instead) while the other does not. 

 

With Record Locator:

Some airlines will not allow you to see the flight information even if you have a record locator number (looking at you American Airlines) when booked with a third party consolidator like FbC, but there are several hacks by using partner airlines websites to do so.

We fly exclusively One World partner airlines  so once I have the record locator, I head on over to the Royal Jordanian Airlines website and insert my records locator number in the Manage My Booking page. From there, I can see the seat map (also availability) and our assigned seats for each flight. If the seats automatically assigned are acceptable, I move on with my life. If not, I jot down the seats I would like and then call FbC with my preferred seat selection. They usually make the changes while I am still on the phone with them. 

 

Without Record Locator:

I use Expert Flyer to check each's flight seat map and availability. With my preferred seats in hand, I call FbC and have them assign those seats to us and then ask them for the record locator. I then verify that the seats were correctly assigned to us by using said record locator on the airline's website (or partner site).

 

It's been awhile since I have used FbC, so some of the above methods may have changed. I know there are quite a few fellow CC'rs that use hacks like I have described above, so I am sure they'll chime in with any updated information.

 

Hope that helps.

 

We had record locator, airline reference and ticket numbers, could see our bookings on airline webpage etc, but not seat assignments.  When trying to book seat we always got message : any changes etc only through booking agency.  We are very used to booking airline tickets ourselves and we have already made numerous bookings with that particular airline directly, some through travel agencies, and know how to do it.  For first flight booked by Celebrity I even called airline to see what could be done and was told only booking agency was allowed to do something, they would not even confirm if seats were selected already.

 

I think it really depends on airline and what kind of booking/ tariff etc.

We have been able to do it in past, but not for these 2 cruises this year.

 

just wanted to inform, that Celebrity took good care of us and booked us good seats with plenty of luggage allowance on top rated airline even for “free” or included airfare (1 Euro was charged nominally as completely free does not seem to be allowed here or does not fit in system).  Would have caused us less time ans some aggrevation if we would have known this before our first trip.

Edited November 20, 2022 by odysee

[FourNines]

10 minutes ago, odysee said:

We had record locator, airline reference and ticket numbers, could see our bookings on airline webpage etc, but not seat assignments.  When trying to book seat we always got message : any changes etc only through booking agency.  We are very used to booking airline tickets ourselves and we have made numerous bookings with that particular airline directly ourselves and know how to do it.  For first flight booked by Celebrity I even called airline to see what could be done and was told only booking agency was allowed to do something, they would not even confirm if seats were selected already.

 

I think it really depends on airline and what kind of booking/ tariff etc.

We have been able to do it in past, but not for these 2 cruises this year.

This does happen. American Airlines is one that will not allow you to make a change to the reservation if it is booked through a third party.

That's the reason for the hack I mentioned where I used another One World partner airline to make those changes myself.

 

[odysee]

5 minutes ago, FourNines said:

This does happen. American Airlines is one that will not allow you to make a change to the reservation if it is booked through a third party.

That's the reason for the hack I mentioned where I used another One World partner airline to make those changes myself.

 

We could not see seat map or find out our assigned seats, even through “manage my bookings” or phoning airline.  Also through other Star Alliance partners we could not get in.  Only after online check in was opened 24 hours before flights, did we see them.

Edited November 20, 2022 by odysee

[FourNines]

32 minutes ago, odysee said:

We could not see seat map or find out our assigned seats, even through “manage my bookings” or phoning airline.  Also through other Star Alliance partners we could not get in.  Only after online check in was opened 24 hours before flights, did we see them.

Sometimes what happens is that a partner airline may assign a completely different PNR or record locator when the flights are made through different partner airlines. This happens a lot when two partner airline flights are used to get you to your destination. You'll need to get the locator number for each flight and then use that information to make your seat assignments.

 

In your case, I would have used Expert Flyer to see what the seat availability was for each flight, and then called FBC to assign my seats.

[SFCAcruiser]

4 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

...They only service the biggest airlines which doesn’t include southwest....

i was surprised to see Southwest listed as an option with "Wanna get away" fares when I was looking for flights from SFO to LAX recently. Southwest flights do not appear on any other flight search sites, so FBC has made some deal with this airline.