Ezair confusion - still

[BucketlistJoes]

We booked the Australia-New Zealand cruise for Feb. 20, 2011 and the Ezair from Toronto to Sydney. The price was very good at $1,500US each taxes included. Fares from Toronto to Sydney usually run over $2,500 cdn. Our TA agent advised us that the air availability and price is not guaranteed until paid in full. We decided OK, good deal lets pay it. Princess wants us to also pay the full cruise price. We had till November 30th for final payment and now we have to pay the air and the cruise 6 month early. We gave a future cruise deposit on our last cruise so that we would not have to give a big deposit for the cruise.

 

Is this normal practice for Princess to have people pay the full cruise at the same time as the air? Did Princess ever increase the amount of air if the amount was not paid in full at booking or is this something new with Ezair. I hate giving them almost $9,000 almost 9 months before the cruise. What do you think? We are new to Princess with only one cruise, to Panama last March and still have alot of questions about the procedures.:confused:

[cherylandtk]

Do you have flexible or standard EzAir? Under the old Flightchoice, air price was not guaranteed until you paid your final payment, which sounds like what you are faced with now. I believe that flexible EzAir is the closest to the Flightchoice program, but your TA should be able to explain the differences.

[CruisinEars]

In a short answer "yes". To lock in the air price the booking (air and cruise) must be paid in full when using the flight choice program (sailings before 9-1-10) or the flexible option of EZAir. This has always been the practice. If you are using the restricted EZAir option, the flights will be paid for at the time of reservation, but they are nonrefundable.

[Pam in CA]

No matter which Princess air program under which you booked your cruise air, the price quote is never set in stone until it's paid in full. It's your choice whether to lock in the price... or not, and gamble that it won't change. I've used Princess air quite a few times and they have never changed the price originally quoted, even when booked a year in advance. We have Princess air, originally booked under Flightchoice and now transferred to EZ-Air, and have until final payment in June to lock in the price. As a matter of fact, when my air was transferred from Flightchoice to EZ-Air, the price went down $200, my sister's air remained the same.