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Booking seats on flight to Caribbean


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Hopefully, someone can help with a couple of questions I have as I am trying to help my mother sort out her Christmas cruise. I had emailed fredolsencruises, but they didn't answer questions, just sent Atol certificate. 😟

 

My mother booked through an online travel agent who state that they do not book particular seats on the flights. No flight times have been given yet, so how long before cruise is one able to book a seat?

 

 

Also, she will require wheelchair assistance at airports as she cannot walk too far. Who do I contact to arrange this?

 

 

Many thanks.

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Which Xmas?

2017 will be available now.

2018 will not be out until Jan next year.

Make sure she has insurance from time she books flights in case of illness or cancellations

 

Sent from my ME371MG using Forums mobile app

Are you actually talking about Fred Olsen's charter flights to the Caribbean or are you talking about scheduled flights?

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In our experience, you will be lucky if you get flight times more than a couple of months in advance. We have never had the option to book specific seats in advance. Fred did not give that as an option when we last flew on one of his flights in November 2015, but you could make requests on the ship for the return flight. The seats were allocated at check in for the outbound.

 

I would not be surprised if Fred realises he can make a charge for that and changes his policy though. Others should be able to give a more updated reply than mine.

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Unfortunately, with Fred's charter flights we have never been able to prebook seats on the way out; they are also quite late giving out flight times (often six weeks before), although we have been verbally given a time over the phone sometimes. The last time we had a Caribbean flight with them was this February.

Onboard the ship you are given flight tickets to verify for the return flight and can make a request on the form you give back to reception, but there is never any guarantee you will get what you requested. We are just happy if we get a seat together, which hasn't always happened!

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Thanks very much for this information. We were waiting for flight details in order to decide if we needed to book a hotel for the night before departure, but we don't want to leave it too late, so I think we will go ahead and book. :)

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Obviously this is our experience and may not always be the case, but, just had a quick look and previous Fred. flights to Barbados we have been on (both Manchester and Gatwick) have left between 10 and 11.30 am; return flights have been overnight.

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On our most recent Fred Flights (which were to and/or from Tenerife and were in Dec 2016, rather than 2015 as I said in an earlier post), we have been able to find the flight by searching for them with other flights (not by searching flights to book though as Fred's flights are charters just for his passengers). If you look at flights to/from Barbados and ignore those that obviously go regularly, but look for ones that only go when Braemar has a turn over day, then chances are you have found your flight(s). No guarantee of course, but we have done that a couple of times and we were right. Fred MAY be displaying the correct flight number on your documentation, which will help a lot, though last year our invoice showed the flight number from the previous year, which we recognised. That flight number showing for last year was going to Greece, so was obviously incorrect! I think the flight time changed by a small amount (about half an hour) shortly before Fred gave out the times, but we did have the correct flight number. The previous year, the flight times we had seen were correct.

 

I agree about the approx flight times given by callyuk as they are what I have always seen, though the outgoing could be a bit earlier than that. If you think about it, the planes used do Fred's flights do the Caribbean routes at other times so they will have to fit in with those other routes. That also gives decent times for the change around.

 

Fred lets people on his charters stay on the ship until their transfer is due, so is likely to serve lunch, though they still have to out of their cabins by about 8am. Others have to disembark early morning (by about 9.30am), and that is what we will need to do from Boudicca in Mauritius next November after sailing from the UK, as we have independent arrangements for a post cruise stay and return flight. I know this does not apply to you, but others may find the information useful.

Edited by tring
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  • 2 months later...

Fred usually offers Premium flights. They are usually available when you book the cruise. I have known them not be available when the cruise first goes on sale, but they come on fairly soon after. If you are looking at booking for this year and premium are not available, then they have probably sold out. Could be worth asking if they have a waitlist if you are interested though.

 

They are not cheap from what I recall - the upgrade price is a lot more than Thomson's or Thomas Cook charge for their package holiday flights, yet the planes are no better!

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I have just enquired about Premium Economy seats for Fred's charter flight to the Caribbean in January 2018, but unfortunately they are already sold out! I will know to ask well in advance if we book another fly cruise. :rolleyes:

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