Anyone purchased air through carnival?

[czimm]

If so, how soon before the cruise did you find out your flights? Has anyone ever had a problem with the flights they chose? Can we expect long layovers and multiple plane changes?

 

We aren't leaving until February, but I have never purchased air through Carnival before and I don't know what to expect. I don't like losing control of the flight options, but right now Carnival Air is cheaper than purchasing flights ourselves.

 

Please let me know about your experiences

 

Thanks!

[twinkletoes4445]

We used Carnival for our flights and did have a problem. The tickets arrived and they were wrong. They had the right flight numbers, but the wrong departure cities on them (I knew this because I had found out what flights we were on and I called the airlines to pick our seats). They fixed this, but it would have been a real hassle to have been at Miami trying to catch our flight, when in reality, we needed to be in FLL. Another problem was that we were on a connecting flight that we couldn't have possibly caught since we would still have been in the air when the other flight was scheduled to leave. That puzzled the people at NW. But it was taken care of.

 

Also, Carnival eventually switched our return flight from American to NW. The big problem with this was that to the TSA we looked like a risk since to them, we only had a one-way flight (they didn't care about the fact that we came down on an airline). So we had to go through a complete search....however, this was at a time when they were implementing new rules, so this may have changed.

 

We also paid the deviation fee so we could fly in a couple of days earlier. I had read where you have a say in what flights you are on...well, we didn't. And they put us on the earliest flight out of our city, even though I told them we didn't want to do this.

 

I believe we found out what our flights were about a month out.

 

This time around we booked our own. We just didn't have much luck with this, but I know I have read where many people have used the cruise lines air and have had no problems.

 

Have a great cruise! :)

[Guest YesitDonna]

Wow I have never heard of Carnivals flights being cheaper. From what I know.... you get god awful fights with connections if they can get it cheaper to send you that way. Then, almost anyone I have talked to says you don't end up getting to the pier until like 3:00 for a 4:00 sail away.

[big_duck]

Used it a few times. Flight itineraries will be included in your docs.

 

What flights they chose, will depend solely on where you are flying from. If you are at a major airport hub, there is a good chance on a one stop or even direct flight.

 

Carnival will book the cheapest flights they can of course. Again, depending where you are flying from this could be a contracted major airline or an el-cheapo minor one.

 

Carnival will fly you down the day of the cruise, which may not be desireable from Buffalo in February. ;)

 

When considering costs, remember Carnival air prices include all required transfers.

 

Our first two cruises using Carnival air went Ottawa-Montreal-Port City and return all on Air Canada leaving the day of the Cruise. For the Triumph last March, we were flown Ottawa-Detroit-Miami the night before, and they put us up in a hotel. Shuttles were provided airport-hotel-port. We were flown back Miami-Montreal-Ottawa on Air Canada and for some reason beyond all comprehension First Class :confused: :D. Not bad for $329 pp.

[lgbteacher]

We used Carnival for our air and cruise and had no problems. We were only going from OKC to Houston so that might be the reason why. We had very early flights but I was glad because we got to board the ship at 12:30. It was great we had lunch and unpacked before the muster drill. In the past we get on the ship and it is time to get out life jackets :( . I liked having the extra time. We flew directly to Houston. That surprised me I thought we would lay over at DFW. Carnival also provided our ground transfer from the airport to the ship which was included in the price.

 

Lisa

[czimm]

First class, Don? That would be great, but I won't hold my breath....It would be nice to fly in a night early too - its a holiday week (which is why prices are so high) so there is always the chance they would fly us early. :rolleyes:

 

I have been religiously checking flight prices, but right now it would only be cheaper if we come in a day early at a further airport - and the price difference is not enough to make up for the cost of the hotel and rental car / taxi. Maybe when Southwest comes out with their February flight schedule....

 

Thanks for the responses. I would love to hear from others who have booked air through Carnival!

[MissMokey]

We have booked Carnival air for all but the last cruise and have had no problems at all. We live in South Dakota and usually cruise in the December-January timeframe. We found that it is better to use them because they can get us seats where we might not be able to on our own. Because of our location they fly us in a day early and put us up at a hotel and provide transfers. Works great plus they are then responsible to get you on the cruise if there is a problem with a missed flight, etc. They have booked us on the same flights that we could on our own and do not make us go on flights with additional stops. Of course, we have a TA that works with the Carnival people and that may be why we have been well taken care of.

[DqALEX]

If so, how soon before the cruise did you find out your flights? Has anyone ever had a problem with the flights they chose? Can we expect long layovers and multiple plane changes?

 

We aren't leaving until February, but I have never purchased air through Carnival before and I don't know what to expect. I don't like losing control of the flight options, but right now Carnival Air is cheaper than purchasing flights ourselves.

 

Please let me know about your experiences

 

Thanks!

I will never do it again and im not alone. The price was high and they book the plane as a charter. There were 5 of us all over the plane, one lady who got on in another city her 6 year old was sitting with two people she diden't know. they were nice enough to change seats, but some people you meet on airplane's are not so nice. I will never biook air through carnival again

[Wennfred]

If so, how soon before the cruise did you find out your flights? Has anyone ever had a problem with the flights they chose? Can we expect long layovers and multiple plane changes?

 

We aren't leaving until February, but I have never purchased air through Carnival before and I don't know what to expect. I don't like losing control of the flight options, but right now Carnival Air is cheaper than purchasing flights ourselves.

 

Please let me know about your experiences

 

Thanks!

 

We used the Carnival Flyawiegh program for years from coast to coast and never had a problem, we would get out Air Tickets with our Docs. Out of San Diego to Miami for example, we would leave at 6am and arrive at Miami around 6pm, there would be a plane change either in St. Louis, Atlanta and on the way back in Dallas. Also since we are coming from the left coast the flight would be the day before sailing and they would put us up in a very nice hotel.

 

Since we have 2 for 1 airfare with Carnival Vacation Club we now book our own air to save. But if not we would always book with Carnival because arriving at the Airport and having a Carnival Rep greet you, give you instructions on where to wait, chat with them and then pick up our luggage and then get on the bus to the hotel is so much fun and it adds to the whole cruising experience.

 

 

 

Fred

[DASA]

Have used ccl air on our last 7 cruises and maybe by pure luck have never had a problem. We have done 2 cruises out of San Juan on same day departures and have had no problems getting there.

 

Did Alaskan cruise this past june and went in a day earlier and still had no problems.

 

The question you have to ask yourself is what is the airlines charging and what is CCL charging. CCL charges include all transfers so be sure to add that into the equation. Yes you might not be next to your loved one but you are going to same place aren't you. As far as traveling with kids that would be another issue for me.I would definetly want them next to one of us.

 

On our flights out of Alaska t/a arranged for us to all be seated together 6 couples . But airline changed seating for some reason ,so don't blame CCL on all the seating problems.

 

Not 100% sure on CCL making sure you get on ship if you miss departure because of flight delays because they have changed their policy within the last 3 years on this. Check with whoever you are booking through.

 

 

HAVE A GREAT CRUISE !!!!!!!!!!:D

[Wennfred]

I was just thinking about something, If you book your cruise about 8 months to a year in advance you shouldnt have any problems, you are booked and all set with the airlines. If you try to book with Carnival Air within 3 to 6 months of cruise date forget it, they will have problems looking to even keep 2 people sitting next to each other. If in the future plan way ahead if dealing with Air Travel.

 

Fred

[Changes_In_Lattitudes]

I booked airfare through Carnival as well (flying in 4 days). I don't think I'll ever do it again. If you were allowed to tailor the flight I might, but they charge you extra for that. They too had me flying out the morning of the cruise, getting there around 2pm (too close for comfort in my case). I was unable to pick the airline for mileage rewards, and am flying NWA down and Usairways back. I go from Massachusetts to Detroit to Tampa, which is adding about 40 minutes of flying time. Overall, I will still get there and will be ready for a party all the same. But in the future, I think I'll pay a couple extra dollars to have control (by the way - it cost me $100/pp to change my flights to the day before).

[Pleasan7]

Humor - I forgot and let Carnival book my air - what with it being a last minute suprise from husband - Anniversary Trip. Excited is my only excuse.

 

They got us flights leaving early from Tampa comming home 12:47 -- Sigh --

Also early departure from home -- it's an hour from home to the airport and they booked us on the 6 am flight out .. so we are getting up really, really early -- some way to start a vacation.. Yes, thought about staying near the airport but what with plane noise .. is it really worth the extra hour sleep we might get .. grin ..

No, they won't change the flight out. Probably they will change the one home if necessary.

 

I too normally book my own flights - makes me feel a little more in control but it really is all relative.

 

I was informed that about a month out Carnival assigns you to an airline. I called Carnival and ask which airline and got our confirmation number and assigned it to my frequent flyer number and then picked our seats. This way you can get the flight changing information by email.

 

I hope this helps.

Carol

[happy cruzin]

Wow I have never heard of Carnivals flights being cheaper. From what I know.... you get god awful fights with connections if they can get it cheaper to send you that way. Then, almost anyone I have talked to says you don't end up getting to the pier until like 3:00 for a 4:00 sail away.

 

Donna - have you used the air program? Do you speak from experience? :confused: We have used it 3 times and never had a problem. Twice Carnival was SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper and once they were the same cost. We are using them again in February because we can not find a reasonable room for Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale - because of the Super Bowl in Miami :eek: .

 

True, we flew in the day of the the cruise. But each flight with the exception of one has been non-stop at a reasonable time and a flight I probably would have chosen myself if I were booking my own. So I do not think that "god awful" is a fair representation. I think it depends on where your "home airport" is how much trouble you have. Pittsburgh being a major airport - we have not had any problems.

 

In all fairness I have read that some people have had bad experiences - but we have had nothing to complain about. I would actually recommend that you at least check in to the Carnival Air program - sometimes it IS the best deal. One bonus is that you do not have to pay for the air until your final payment - unlike any reservation that you book your self. Also if you add the air when you book - and you find a better deal before you make final payment you can have it removed. No harm...no foul...no penalty. So for some it make work out well.

 

We always look at all of the options - and then decide. If we can get a better deal - including the hotel then we go down the day before. But if I'm going to fly in the day of - at least I am with other cruisers and they are more likely to wait for us then if I were flying on my own.

[TX Cruiser]

We bought air through Carnival when we cruised on Destiny out of San Juan last fall. The airfare was cheaper than what I could find myself and they put us on a nonstop flight. The best I could do was about $200 more and would have required multiple stops and arriving the day before our cruise. We'd have had many more hours travel time and a hotel stay the night before.

 

We flew in the same day as our departure and got to the ship a couple of hours before the sailing time. A bit close on the timing but everything went smoothly.

[tantalos60]

If so, how soon before the cruise did you find out your flights? Has anyone ever had a problem with the flights they chose? Can we expect long layovers and multiple plane changes?

 

We aren't leaving until February, but I have never purchased air through Carnival before and I don't know what to expect. I don't like losing control of the flight options, but right now Carnival Air is cheaper than purchasing flights ourselves.

 

Please let me know about your experiences

 

Thanks!

 

I booked through Carnival and had no problems--it was cheaper and we have a non-stop from CMH. One connection on return (in Cincy). I understand your worries--very difficult to trust someone else to book flights for you. That was my largest worry--when will I arrive and will I have enough time on the front-side to offset flight difficulties. Sooo, they booked us through Delta and I really have no reason to complain...though the waiting was trying. Stop fretting about it--they want you to cruise!

I called Delta and then they assigned seats--It is the airline that does that--not Carnival. I went into the Delta website and changed most of our seating, anyway. try this site: www.seatguru.com It shows (in their opinion) where the best seats are located.....j I confirmed all our flights the day after our docs arrived..don't wait.

Enjoy your cruise!!

[big_duck]

First class, Don? That would be great, but I won't hold my breath...!

 

Definately an annomoly. For some reason, flights just weren't that available coming back. Some people from my city on the same cruise ended up with an extra nights hotel stay at the end of the cruise. I guess UB likes me. :D

 

The only problem was there was nothing on the tickets do indicate it was F/C (unless you are familiar with airline class codes). We didn't find out until we got to the ticket counter after standing in the looong line for 30 minutes, while the F/C counter was basically empty.

[lonig]

We did the Fly Aweigh to Rome and paid $125 and got the exact flights we wanted. We lived in two different cities and wanted to fly together so they flew two of us from Minneapolis to Detroit and then we all three flew together from there. We went from Detroit to Amsterdam to Rome and it was a great flight and timing was very good. The transfer to the port was included in the flight and it worked out great. We stayed two days after, we had made our own hotel reservations, so we took the transfer back to the airport and then caught a shuttle from the airport to our hotel which was not far from the airport. The hotel arranged shuttles for us into Rome and although it was a bit of a drive, we were close to the airport the morning we flew out and had no problems getting there for our 8:30 flight out. Some times I book with the cruise line and other times if I can find cheaper flights I book myself. Just depends, but since I am in a Northwest hub I usually get a Northwest flight.

 

As soon as we get our cruise travel documents, they have a confirmation number on them for the flight, we go on line and reserve our seats so we would sit together. A month ahead is plenty of time to get seats together. You can also call the airline once you have your reservation number and ask to sit together, it is much better a month ahead rather then at the airport. If you have frequent flyer numbers it helps too because you can manage your seats that way. I did a review of the seating arrangements and found out I was sitting next to the bathroom, so changed my seat to the one in front of my sister and friend about 3 weeks before we flew. I went on line to do this. Most people are not aware if they have a reservation number they can choose their seats right away. Do not wait until the day of the flight!!!!

 

All airline reservations should be confirmed with the airlines before your flight, it doesn't hurt to call ahead and let them know you intend to fly as booked.

[skiorcruise]

I booked flight with Carnival when booking the cruise. Never again!

 

My parents, DW & I booked the Conquest out of Galveston. We set all the bookings up at one time with one Carnival PVP. We did air at the same time for DW & myself, parents opted to set their own air. We are out of Salt Lake City, parents out of Phoenix. Parents (retirees) were deciding drive or not, visit friends along the way, etc.

 

We were given the choice of two flights, one leaving at 6:30 am with a two hour layover/change in Denver, the second with a 8:00 am departure with no stops. Both arrive in Houston (Bush, not Hobby) within half an hour of each other. We opted for the direct flight.

 

Booked in March, cruise in 26 days (Yahoo!!!). After comming home from Phoenix, I got on Delta's web site to choose our seats. We were assigned seats in the back row of a nearly empty aircraft. I changed them, no problem.

 

About 6 weeks ago, Dad received a very garbled e-mail from Carnival. It had several numbers on it, including our booking number and my flight number. Nothing else made sense. He forwarded it to me. I had a computer literate friend get into it, and he eventually translated something about our flight being changed. I called Delta, and found out we were now leaving 30 minutes early due to airline schedule changes. No big deal, but why did Carnival send it to Dad and not me?

 

Doc's arrived about a week ago (Yahoo!!!). No mention of air in our docs. I again called Delta and confirmed our flight. I then e-mailed our PVP (who was great when booking, and again when the parents called her back later). I asked if I should have air listed in the docs (it wasn't). She sent me back some info on ground transfers (which was in the docs as it should have been).

I clarified my question. She responded with info about flight home, but never said the coupon should or should not be in the docs.

 

All minor stuff really. I know e-tickets work, and have confirmed with the airline. but just the same, next time I'll be in charge and set it up on my own. I'm suffering from minor stress wondering if I'll make it to the ship on time with a same day flight, and how do I prove to someone that I paid for the flight through Carnival if something goes wrong.

 

Next time I'll set it up myself and fly in a day early.

[czimm]

Thanks for all the responses! It seems like responses are pretty evenly divided between positive and negative experiences. Hopefully I'll have a positive experience to share in February (flying in first class a day early direct flight and staying at a 5 star hotel on South Beach, all courtesy of Carnival). It could happen...

 

Thanks for the tips on reserving seats together - we have kids traveling in our group so it will be important to us to sit with them.

 

Is it too early to be excited about my February cruise? Its not often Buffalonians wish winter would get here sooner... :rolleyes:

[jayscore]

I just booked my cruise direct from CCL, and he asked if I would like to include air travel. I allready did my homework, so when he told me the price, I couldn't help but laugh out loud! From Minneapolis, it would have cost me nearly $400 more! Beleive it or not, the PVP then looked up some nonrefundable flights and came up with the same prices I had allready found. I went ahead with his price and booked the flight(s). I waited a couple of days and checked out the AA sight to find my flight, and there it was, except, we didn't get the window seats we asked for. Not a problem, being that particular flight was empty so far, I changed the seating arrangements. The PVP did do me good, all in all. Hope this helps a little.:o

[jnighttimed]

If so, how soon before the cruise did you find out your flights? Has anyone ever had a problem with the flights they chose? Can we expect long layovers and multiple plane changes?

 

We aren't leaving until February, but I have never purchased air through Carnival before and I don't know what to expect. I don't like losing control of the flight options, but right now Carnival Air is cheaper than purchasing flights ourselves.

 

Please let me know about your experiences

 

Thanks!

I HAVE had my flight and seat number for three weeks my cruise is aug 24

[NMCRUISER@AOL.COM]

of the 12 cruises I've taken with carnival- I have let them book the air 7 times- never had a problem- in fact it worked out well twice as 1-- the scheduled airline went on strike 4 days before my cruise and carnival re-booked it- ended up in 1st class that time, the other time i cruised the same day as the democratic convention was starting + there were tons of reporters trying to get on the same flight as i was- they didn't have any luck as the plane was booked solid (mostly with people cruising!). Once in a blue moon I was able to book the flights cheaper myself but that also meant flying in 3 days before the cruise and flying out 3 days later- luckily i had a friend to stay with at the time to warrant the price difference (well over $150). Usually before i book my cruise I check the rates for the days i'll be flying and lately it's cheaper and alot less hassle for me to let carnival book the flights.

[redskin80]

4 out of 4 and all air with CCL. We live in Denver. So all have had a lay over in one place or the other. It is very difficult o get a direct flight to Florida from here.

 

The first was to Miami vie St Louis. day before

The second Puerto Rico vie Houston day of

The third Ft Lauderdale vie Atlanta day before

The last Rome Vie Frankfurt. VERY LONG DAY OF.

 

We have never missed a flight, never lost any luggage, never missed the ship.

 

Puerto Rico, we did arrive last, but no big deal, embarkation was a breeze, and no lines.

 

Rome, got there about 2:00 pm.

 

I do not like the hassle of booking it on my own.

 

I called about about 60 days out for Rome and they faxed me my flight iteneries.

[mabgab]

We have tried the Carnival flights. Have always had layovers and never arrived at the ship until just before sailing...We flew from New England

 

where you are leaving the day before you should be okay..Happy cruising