Another Flightease question.

[scottie920]

Hi,

We have arranged our Flights through the Flightease Program. The return flight from Barbados is not due to take off until after 8pm. Assuming disembarkation is around 9am and airport check in at 5pm. How will Seabourn handle our day? I would be grateful for any advice but if anyone has any experience of this in Barbados it would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance. 

[jdk-atlga]

Greetings:

Many times with a long wait on disembarkation day, SB will arrange a "day pass" at one of the nearby hotels (e.g., Hilton). Your TA should be able to let you know.

Best, jdk

 

[Hlitner]

When we had a later flight, SB offered an excursion that visited several spots around Barbados before dropping us at the airport in mid-afternoon.  Other then that, a day room does make sense.   I believe that some of the resorts, such as Sandals, does offer a "day pass" that would include use of their facilities.  I am not a big fan of Sandals (Barbados) but that would be a decent option for the day, even if it cost a few hundred dollars.  Their web site shows that a day pass is available for $260 which would include facilities, food, and drink.  One could easily grab a taxi from the port to Sandals and later to the airport.

 

Hank

[Utopia1]

Seabourn arranged transportation from ship to a hotel with lunch followed by transportation to airport in Barbados-  Transportation to hotel and to airport (in a taxi) was arranged by Seabourn.

 

 

 There were other Seabourn passengers with the same arrangements at the hotel when we arrived

I don't remember the name of the hotel.

 

 

[scottie920]

44 minutes ago, jdk-atlga said:

Greetings:

Many times with a long wait on disembarkation day, SB will arrange a "day pass" at one of the nearby hotels (e.g., Hilton). Your TA should be able to let you know.

Best, jdk

 

Thank you for prompt reply. When you say Seabourn will arrange a “day pass” do you know what they include. 8 hours is a long time and would like to be able to shower privately before a long flight after a day at the beach/pool. I appreciate I will have to make my own meals and drinks. Just wondering whether I should request day room and pay extra. TIA. 

[scottie920]

16 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

When we had a later flight, SB offered an excursion that visited several spots around Barbados before dropping us at the airport in mid-afternoon.  Other then that, a day room does make sense.   I believe that some of the resorts, such as Sandals, does offer a "day pass" that would include use of their facilities.  I am not a big fan of Sandals (Barbados) but that would be a decent option for the day, even if it cost a few hundred dollars.  Their web site shows that a day pass is available for $260 which would include facilities, food, and drink.  One could easily grab a taxi from the port to Sandals and later to the airport.

 

Hank

Thanks Hank, my understanding is that if you use Seabourns flight package they will arrange hotel/day pass at their cost. I could be wrong. 

[Hlitner]

38 minutes ago, scottie920 said:

Thanks Hank, my understanding is that if you use Seabourns flight package they will arrange hotel/day pass at their cost. I could be wrong. 

That would be the perfect option

[Gourmet Gal]

Is it possible to change your flight?

[scottie920]

Just now, Gourmet Gal said:

Is it possible to change your flight?

No unfortunately. Thanks for asking. This is the flight Seabourn gave us. 

[Gourmet Gal]

Is this a 2024 trip or next year?  Surprising SB doesn’t allow choice or changes to flights?

[scottie920]

We are flying back to London Heathrow so limited options. Spring 2025 

[JodiandFrank]

2 hours ago, scottie920 said:

No unfortunately. Thanks for asking. This is the flight Seabourn gave us. 

With FlightEase you know you can pick your own flights…you don’t always have to take what they offer.  We have a 4:30 flight out of BGI and I was told by FlightEase they will arrange a day pass for us at a hotel with a pool and changing rooms….lunch will also be included.  I assume we will learn more once onboard Ovation.

[jdk-atlga]

On 7/6/2024 at 1:38 PM, JodiandFrank said:

With FlightEase you know you can pick your own flights…you don’t always have to take what they offer.  We have a 4:30 flight out of BGI and I was told by FlightEase they will arrange a day pass for us at a hotel with a pool and changing rooms….lunch will also be included.  I assume we will learn more once onboard Ovation.

I second this - I probably OCD my flights and I'm constantly "changing the flights" inside FlightEase to see if anything new/better comes up. If not, then I simply back out and keep what I've got. If there is a better option, then I can change the existing. One other thing to consider in regards the "included" transfers is that SB only offers them on embarkation/disembarkation days. If you decide to fly in early or leave on a later date than published, then you are on your own for transfers.

Best, jdk

[Kane]

We have only used Flight Ease once before but found it to be a pretty useful tool.  It's not a magic solution that will get you the lowest fare possible, but (up to final payment) provides a free tool to get confirmed bookings while you research better and possibly less costly alternatives.

 

Basically, you can "book" confirmed air travel on almost any airline and route at no additional cost.  You will have a confirmed bookings that you can modify daily, if you wish, up and until final payment date.  You can change or cancel at any time up to that date.

 

In the meantime, you can be trying to better the deal with your airline loyalty program and miles.  You just have to make a final decision on final payment day.

 

The rest of the story: We ended up doing the Flight Ease deal on our Seabourn Antarctica voyage.  Unfortunately, United screwed up in Newark and we missed the embarkation, not Flight Ease's fault.

 

Whatever the case, Flight Ease is basically a free tool that you can use.  I will definitely try it again if the opportunity arises.

[FlyerTalker]

9 hours ago, Kane said:

Basically, you can "book" confirmed air travel on almost any airline and route at no additional cost.  You will have a confirmed bookings that you can modify daily, if you wish, up and until final payment date.

 

I see you wisely used quotation marks around "book".  Because you really aren't a confirmed, ticketed passenger.  You have a request in for ticketing on a particular set of flights.  Until that is changed from a request to ticketing, you have an indefinite commitment to being on those flights.

 

Why do I say indefinite? Because until you have a ticket, you have no true recourse for anything changing your itinerary.   You get moved to a new routing and flights - too bad, you aren't a ticketed passenger, so you get what you get with no compensation/consideration.

 

When all works fine, it's an acceptable strategy to use.  When things go pear-shaped, not so much.

 

Read the actual terms and conditions sometime.  Both from SB and the airlines.  You will see that unticketed passengers and ticketed passengers are two different animals.

 

 

[Kane]

No disagreements here.  If you travel enough, discovery that air arrangements occasionally go haywire is more something that will eventually happen.  One just needs to be prepared to adapt.

 

The cruise line we most frequently sail has their own air department.  They do a great job, but you don't see online instantaneous results. 

 

Carnival lines seems large enough to provide Flight Ease as a way to get around having their own air department.  If you are lucky enough to find a good routing, it's a pretty painless process, and everyone is happy.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, Kane said:

No disagreements here.  If you travel enough, discovery that air arrangements occasionally go haywire is more something that will eventually happen.  One just needs to be prepared to adapt.

 

Missing my point.  Until ticketed, you have no air arrangements.  You have an offer to ticket you in that fashion.  That's not something going haywire, it's that you have no ticket.

 

 

[Kane]

I will agree that, until final payment day, I did not have a ticket.

 

I guess somehow, by luck or magic, on final payment day Flight Ease was able to fashion tickets for us that exactly matched price, schedule, and seats that were quoted to us more than 6 months earlier.  Seems like more factors may have been involved.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, Kane said:

I will agree that, until final payment day, I did not have a ticket.

 

I guess somehow, by luck or magic, on final payment day Flight Ease was able to fashion tickets for us that exactly matched price, schedule, and seats that were quoted to us more than 6 months earlier.  Seems like more factors may have been involved.

 

You must have missed where I wrote in the above post:

 

9 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

When all works fine, it's an acceptable strategy to use.  When things go pear-shaped, not so much.

 

It worked out.  Which happens most of the time.

 

Just want folks to realize that this is not a risk-free strategy.   Which you alluded to when you called it a free tool, and never mentioned any downside.

 

 

[scottie920]

Is anyone else unable to view their FlightEase flights in Manage the Booking. I have been trying for around 10 days to view and possibly change flights, but I keep getting ‘ERROR 500 Sorry, we ran into an issue with our system. We will have things fixed as soon as possible, please check back later.

TIA

[skybluewaters]

Yes!  After two weeks of frustration, I finally found a work-around:

From the "Travel Planning" tab at the top of the page of your specific cruise, click on "Private Arrangements."

Then hover on "Flights and Planning" at the top of the page and click on "Flights" from the drop-down menu.

 

[marazul]

4 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

Yes!  After two weeks of frustration, I finally found a work-around:

From the "Travel Planning" tab at the top of the page of your specific cruise, click on "Private Arrangements."

Then hover on "Flights and Planning" at the top of the page and click on "Flights" from the drop-down menu.

 

You are a genius!!!!! 

But the prices have gone up....😁

[scottie920]

4 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

Yes!  After two weeks of frustration, I finally found a work-around:

From the "Travel Planning" tab at the top of the page of your specific cruise, click on "Private Arrangements."

Then hover on "Flights and Planning" at the top of the page and click on "Flights" from the drop-down menu.

 

Amazing. Thank you. Prices...Wow!

[FlyerTalker]

On 9/5/2024 at 12:43 PM, marazul said:

You are a genius!!!! 

But the prices have gone up....😁

 

Do you really expect them to be fixed?  It's your old friend supply and demand at work.

 

 

[marazul]

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

Do you really expect them to be fixed? 

 

Of course not. A mild attempt at irony.