Flying w/Princess Air option

[mmsoko]

We're cruising from San Juan in March....originating in Detroit.

 

Independent flights are not cheap!!

 

What are your experience when buying and flying air through Princess?

[spongerob]

When we've booked air through Princess, and it's been a while since we've done so, we did so on the advice of our (former) TA who assured us it was the smartest thing to do. In some cases, where long international flights are involved that might be true. For domestic flights, you can often do better in terms of cost and schedule on your own.

 

If you can't find better prices on air, go ahead and book with Princess air at this time, then see if you can find a better price on your own later.

[DoniaG]

We booked air through Princess in July because it was the best deal I could find. But I spent a lot of time looking at online resources for cheaper flights before I made that decision. Keep a couple of things in mind -

1. From what I've read here, the fact that Princess books and charges you for your air gives you no additional guarantees if there are problems with connections, missed sailings, etc. If at all possible, plan to go in at least one day early to avoid those kinds of complications. The weather can still be "iffy" in Detroit in March!
   
2. If you change your mind about dates/times, you will pay a minimum $50 deviation charge to change your flights, plus any difference in the cost of the ticket.
   

We flew USAir to San Juan and AA coming back. The flights were fine - though the connections were a little tighter (Charlotte going out; Miami coming back) than I might have chosen. However, we made them both ways, so no harm, no foul. Good luck, Donia

[srphnx]

No thanks, costs more, does less, I want to be resposible and make the choices, again, no thanks.

[Coral]

I would consider booking air through Princess with international flights but for us domestically - it doesn't make sense.

 

If it turns out to be less expensive to go through Princess - I would do a air deviation (it cost extra) and fly in the day before and pick your flights.

 

Good luck!

[BJS]

I would consider booking air through Princess with international flights but for us domestically - it doesn't make sense.

If it turns out to be less expensive to go through Princess - I would do a air deviation (it cost extra) and fly in the day before and pick your flights.

Good luck!

I agree with Coral and add to it that if the domestic flights are not round trip Princess can be cheaper. We have never done Princess air without choosing our own flights for which we pay $75pp for International but feel that is money well spent and still cheaper than any flights we could book on our own.

[Jacqueline]

We have done the opposite booked international flight cheaper ourselves many occasions. On such long flights it is important to be happy with the choice of carrier, possible connections involved and so forth.

Alaska is one time in particular that it can be less to use Princess air.

In any case, I would advise pricing out alternatives and see where this leads you. Deviations are also a possiblity. We did this once when Princess was using that charter airline for Tahiti and got the ATN flight cheaper than we would have booking it on our own.

[zurmoly]

I would book with Princess then start looking. You have until final payment to cancell. USAir has had a carribean sale in December and Jan for March and April.

[Coolmama_1]

We booked our own air and saved several hundred dollars. I booked SW to Ft Lauderdale and AA out of Ft Lauderdale to San Juan. We were able to go in a day early and stay in a hotel and still saved money. SW runs great specials to Florida. I would play around with that and book my own air.

[Pam in CA]

I've both booked my own and booked Princess air. There are times when Princess air is less expensive... and times when you could do better on your own.

 

My advice is to book the Princess air and then start looking. You don't pay for it until your final payment is due so you have until then to find flights that are less-expensive or more convenient.

 

San Juan is one of those spots that could be either cheaper or more expensive. I found that there aren't that many flights between there and Boston so that the choices were pretty limited. It was less-expensive to book through Princess. I've also booked through Princess for any "open-jaw" cruise flights, i.e., sailing from one port and arriving at another. That includes my Alaska cruise and European cruises.

[rferr]

Just went through this on Friday on air from Washington Dulles to San Juan. Princess wanted $550 with tax and another 50 each if you wanted to choose the flights yourself. Our experience is that they put you on cheap flights at odd times with at least one connection. I got direct flights at great times and saved myself $200 per ticket and saved about 3 hours each way in travel time by getting direct flights. That is four hundred dollars saved with one internet search.

[Mimarciann]

We also had the same flight questions. I found out that there is only one non stop flight a day from Detroit to San Juan and that is on Northwest. We had gone on flights booked by Princess previously and do not like all the stops and lay overs so we choose to go on the Northwest flight at $537.90. It takes four and half hours going and five hours returning vs eight hours. Good Luck.

[mmsoko]

Thanks all. By the time I tried to book the NW nonstop, the $537 price was sold out...now $830 something.

 

We're trying a continental with one stop each way in Cleveland....will go down a day in advance....

Any advice for hotels?