Why the big price difference when booking airfare?

[lucywestie]

I am just wondering why when booking air travel through RCI there is such a big difference to the actual prices the airline itself charges. Right now there is a nearly $600 price diffference for our flights to Alaska then back from San Diego and thats using the exact same flight, times, dates and inedible meal for two people [to clarify, booking direct through the airline is way cheaper]. We still have the ability to cancel the RCI bookings and do our own as we havent made the final payment yet. But I was just wondering why there is such a large difference?

 

Cheers

Pete

[Lightsluvr]

Sometimes CruiseAir is more expensive...once in a while it is cheaper. Just the luck of the draw. RCI buys their tickets in "bulk" and tacks on a fee. If you have found a cheaper fare, go for it. Don't forget that the CruiseAir price includes transfers...

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

LL

[lvtotrvl1]

Cruiselines purchase their air way in advance. So with air sales, you sometimes can find it less expensive. It can work both ways, sometimes the cruiseline air will be better or the same as the airlines, but the cruise air includes transfers. You can take your air off your reservation up until final payment.

[Happy ks]

I think RCI (and all other cruise lines) just charges what could be the highest airfare at the time, plus they tack on extra to line their pockets. Many times the amount also covers transfers to and from port, but even booking your own air and hiring a taxi or shuttle is cheaper (most of the time).

 

While it is not always cheaper to book your own air, most of the time it is. It's a good thing you are checking before you are locked into a very expensive and limiting air fare. I see no clear advantage to booking through the cruiseline, other than if you are travelling to a foreign country and totally confused about how to get to port. Sometimes a one way flight is less through the cruiseline than what you can get on your own.

 

I think there is just a huge part of the world population that is willing to pay exorbitant fees for someone else to make their plans for them. They are also looking for the "simple" way to do things and think the cruiselines are going to take care of everything for them. In reality, it's far easier and simpler to book your own travel, including air, taxi, insurance, hotel etc...

 

We have saved as much as $800 doing our own planning and had the benefit of walking right past the long lines waiting to board the bus.

[amybear912]

Agreed...

 

we always book our own air because it is always cheaper to do so... The cruiselines tend to use airlines like Northwest or Delta which are much higher than what we can do with Southwest (for our particular destination)..

 

Just make sure you plan the timing of your flight well, don't leave yourself in too much of a crunch to get to the pier on time...

[lucywestie]

Ok thanks for the answers. Because we werent flying back the day we disembarked we had to pay a deviation fee of $74.00 per person. Plus then we decided to change the cruise from a 7 day to a 13 day [and its still cheaper than the 7 day, go figure that one out] and we got stuck with another $64.00 per person deviation fee ontop of the original 74. Seems a bit much especially to a first time cruiser. Our TA did try hard to get them to drop the second fee but RCI wouldnt have it. Lot of money for them to type a couple of numbers into a computer and change the flights and we lose those deviation fees if we do our own flights, RCI keeps them etc. Brutal. Live and learn I guess

[MGoBlue2]

I am just wondering why when booking air travel through RCI there is such a big difference to the actual prices the airline itself charges. Right now there is a nearly $600 price diffference for our flights to Alaska then back from San Diego and thats using the exact same flight, times, dates and inedible meal for two people [to clarify, booking direct through the airline is way cheaper]. We still have the ability to cancel the RCI bookings and do our own as we havent made the final payment yet. But I was just wondering why there is such a large difference?

 

Cheers

Pete

Among other things, flexibility to cancel. Try comparing RCI's rate with the fully refundable rate of the arlines.

[negc]

Ok thanks for the answers. Because we werent flying back the day we disembarked we had to pay a deviation fee of $74.00 per person. Plus then we decided to change the cruise from a 7 day to a 13 day [and its still cheaper than the 7 day, go figure that one out] and we got stuck with another $64.00 per person deviation fee ontop of the original 74. Seems a bit much especially to a first time cruiser. Our TA did try hard to get them to drop the second fee but RCI wouldnt have it. Lot of money for them to type a couple of numbers into a computer and change the flights and we lose those deviation fees if we do our own flights, RCI keeps them etc. Brutal. Live and learn I guess

 

If you think that those change fees are bad, try changing a reservation that you make directly with the airline. $100 is not unusual and they also just have to "type a couple of numbers into a computer". Our airfare dropped over $100 after we booked our flights (directly with the cruiseline) and in order to get the lower price (for the exact same flight) the airline charged us $30 per ticket and gave us vouchers for the balance.:rolleyes:

Always check out all your options before you decide how to book. Sometimes it is cheaper to book on your own (even adding in the cost of transfers) and sometimes it is cheaper to book through the cruise line. It is up to you to decide.:)

[Dremac373]

Thats not always true!! I just started to book my Apr. 08 Wstrn Car. and the airf for wife and the web site shows $816 for the both of us!! I went to AA, Airtran, and a few other even tried expedia and travelocity.. they were WAYYY to much to book on our own and they wanted almost thta much pp:( !!! so I seriously daoubt that the cruise lines are doing this in there favor to to make it a higher price, even when I cruised my 1st one this past Apr. RRC air was cheaper then booking sep.

[cruisenfever]

Always find out what your airfare allowance is for each cruise. Then find out what the transfers are and deduct that from the airfare allowance.......thus, you know what to work with. Depending on arrival city for embarkation, sometimes it is better to go with RCI and then sometimes it is better to do it on your own. You have up until Final Payment to make your choice.

 

We are sailing on Splendour of the Seas next March out of Valparaiso Chile. I researched air fares through booking buddy (which gives you a great comparison of different airlines/schedules). Found the flights that we wanted from Cleveland to Valparaiso, but was afraid that RCI would not approve it. Lo and behold, we got the flights that we wanted (CLE-ATL-SCL), and it was cheaper through RCI by more than half of what it would have been on the internet. In fact, we saved a little over $700pp. Booking directly through the airlines, we could have done a 7 day cruise o what we saved through RCI! So, in this situation...........RCI was the better choice......we have our flights and our seats 9 months prior to sailing.

[KMagz]

I would LOVE to meet the Wizard that sets airline airfares. (I'm talking booking outside of RCCL.) Check the same flight throughout any given day and it flucuates, sometimes drastically. I'd be willing to bet that no 2 families on a given flight are paying the identical fare!

 

I was looking at a flight yesterday. The price for a single traveler was $208. When I changed it to 2 or 3 passengers, the fare jumped to $228. When I changed the search to 4 passengers, the fare went up to $248. Why??!?? There were many seats availalbe on the flight.

 

Same thing with car rentals.

 

- Ken

[Dremac373]

I noticed last night when I was comparing $$ they had a ret. flight from Mia to FLL leave at 3 arr. at 6 then to another city then to Richmond... another was from MIA to StL to FLL to Richmond are they kidding me??? some of the schedules these airlines make have to NO sense envolved...dept from RIC. layover in NY or PHL for like 3-4 hours then down to MIA!!! so far RCCI has been good with gettin me the most Direct flight early enuff in the morning, here to Charrolette to MIA and same route back