No Plane Tickets, waiting for Docs

[kruznkanuk]

We broke our normal rule and used cruise air for our coming TA on the Galaxy. We leave home in 13 days and have no documents. Everything was paid for nearly two months ago. X says they were mailed Nov 7th which is annoying in itself since final payment was long before that. IF they were mailed to Canada as stated, and not to California which is what happens when they foolishly use "CA" as the code on the address, they should have been here by now.

Custom Air Department says they are paper airline tickets but Documention Dept says they are e-tickets. Celebrity Customer Service seems useless but I am getting worried. :( I have my Xpress Pass for the cruise and can deal without luggage tags, but somehow doubt that Lufthansa will let us all on the planes (in Toronto Canada or connecting in Frankfurt) without something. Has anyone run into this? Will X courier replacements? Any suggestions? Any names of anyone to try "up the ladder" at Celebrity to get action?

[Susan-M]

We flew Lufthansa for our Med cruise in '05 and arranged flights ourselves. I haven't had a paper air ticket in years and when I bring edocs, I never have to show them as the only thing they want is a passport. However, it would be nice to have some confirmation from Celebrity and if their documentation department says that it is e-docs, then they shoud be able to email them to you.

 

And if they're paper docs and were mailed to you, don't give up as the mail can be terribly slow. I've received documents a couple of times directly from Celebrity without confusion between California and Canada.

 

Good luck & have a great cruise!:)

[judyfssw]

I think that I would like the confirmation code for the airlines and call the airline. Are you sure which airline you'll be on? Another thing would be to call customer service at the airline and confirm with them that you do have tickets to fly on the dates that you requested.

[TravelerThom]

We flew Lufthansa for our Med cruise in '05 and arranged flights ourselves. I haven't had a paper air ticket in years and when I bring edocs, I never have to show them as the only thing they want is a passport. However, it would be nice to have some confirmation from Celebrity and if their documentation department says that it is e-docs, then they shoud be able to email them to you.

 

And if they're paper docs and were mailed to you, don't give up as the mail can be terribly slow. I've received documents a couple of times directly from Celebrity without confusion between California and Canada.

 

Good luck & have a great cruise!:)

I think that I would like the confirmation code for the airlines and call the airline. Are you sure which airline you'll be on? Another thing would be to call customer service at the airline and confirm with them that you do have tickets to fly on the dates that you requested.

I also have not had a paper ticket in years [e-docs are great in that you can't possibly misplace your ticket, but are a pain if your flight is canceled and you need that proof in your hand]. X should be able to give you the airline, flight number and record locator [the six-letter reference code which enables you to access your reservation] over the phone.You then should be able to go to the airline's website and confirm that they have you, and confirm if you have e-docs. You should be able to print boarding passes 24 hours before departure. If X is stonewalling you, and if you are sure that you are on Lufthansa and know the date, an LH person [not the website] should be able to provide you with your record locator. At both X and LH, if you are not getting what you need from the person you are talking to, ask to speak to a supervisor. Good Luck!

[Coral]

I had paper tickets this summer (not by choice). I booked FF miles on AA with connecting flights on BA and returning on Swiss Airlines (and then AA) to Russia. For some reason (I think it was Swiss Air), they had to issue paper tickets. The phone rep explained that one of the airlines was not cooperating/accepting AA edocs, thus, they had to issue paper docs.

 

Good luck on getting this resolved!

[CathyCruises]

We flew Celebrity-arranged air on Lufthansa just last month. All we had were some strange letters in our cruise booklet--not the record locater I am used to using. And we couldn't check in ahead as Lufthansa does not offer that feature on US-based flights. BUT when we arrived at the Lufthansa counter in Chicago (note: this is the one international flight that does not depart from the international terminal--because they are affilated with United, it leaves from the United terminal--3?) Anyway, when we got there I gave her my cruise booklet turned to the appropriate page--she promptly handed it back to me and said, "I don't want to read your bible! Where are your passports?" and that was all she needed to issue our boarding passes.

 

I'm not saying to rely on this, but it can work! Best of luck,

Cathy

[kruznkanuk]

Thanks, everyone.

I know e tickets are the norm.. have flown a lot (35 flights this year? or 40? maybe 45?) and the last paper ticket I used was on a special coupon deal with Northwest about 6 years ago. I have found the RCL custom air people to be completely incompetent so I should have known better, but they were so DEFINITE about the fact that Lufthansa/US Air would not use e tickets because of the number of countries and the "special arrangements" with the cruise lines that I accepted their statements when they told me that we would require paper tickets. However, since the lack of tickets is stressing me out, :eek: I decided to call the airlines directly.

So, RCL lied, we do have e tickets. :rolleyes: However, they also lied about our seat assignments so even though they were "selected" 4 months ago other people now have those seats and we are in crummy center seats for the long overnight overseas flight and the back of the plane coming home:mad:. RCL/Celebrity should be ashamed of the service by this department as it has been poor from the beginning. Among the problems in addition to this:

• Very long waits on hold (up to 25 minutes)
  
• Repeated suggestions of dreadful connections
  
• Errors in our names
  
• Indifference to the difficulties caused by airlines' changes to flight times and refusal to investigate better options
  
• Ignorance about the transfers and ground transportation included with the air arrangements
  
• No information on baggage allowances or check in times
  
• No phone numbers provided for the airlines
  
• Refusal to include our frequent flier numbers on the records

And all this with our free "Custom Air" because we are Elite CC members. We have been big X supporters for 10 years but sure hope things are wonderful once we get on that ship!

thanks again for the helpful suggestions, better get started packing. :)

[MEcruzr]

"However, they also lied about our seat assignments so even though they were "selected" 4 months ago other people now have those seats and we are in crummy center seats for the long overnight overseas flight and the back of the plane coming home"

 

This happens on all flights, no matter who books them. The further out you book, the more often you have to check to make sure you're still seated where you want to be and with whom you want to be. In the last six weeks before your cruise you should be checking weekly. If the airline changes the flight number, the departure time or the airplane your seats will most likely change. The thing that gets me is that when they reseat you, they don't even put passengers traveling together, together!! Keep checking. Then check again. lol