Air Fare rip off !

[dundalkspur]

I live in the UK -and due to my height I prefer premium + or Club class air .Why does Princess and every other cruise line "RIP" people off if they want to upgrade their flight ? Every one knows they get it at a fraction of the price normal humans pay or would pay for an upgrade .

Come on PRINCESS(Carnival) please stop making people in the UK a rip off price for Air class upgrades !

[Colo Cruiser]

I live in the UK -and due to my height I prefer premium + or Club class air .Why does Princess and every other cruise line "RIP" people off if they want to upgrade their flight ? Every one knows they get it at a fraction of the price normal humans pay or would pay for an upgrade .

Come on PRINCESS(Carnival) please stop making people in the UK a rip off price for Air class upgrades !

 

We don't use cruise air, we book our own.

[BobT172]

Every one knows they get it at a fraction of the price normal humans pay or would pay for an upgrade .

 

Well I, for one, do not know that. I do know that business class is very expensive...

 

Do you have some facts?? Specific $$$??? What does Princess want? What is the cost available thru other sources??

[Coracii]

I live in the UK -and due to my height I prefer premium + or Club class air .Why does Princess and every other cruise line "RIP" people off if they want to upgrade their flight ? Every one knows they get it at a fraction of the price normal humans pay or would pay for an upgrade .

Come on PRINCESS(Carnival) please stop making people in the UK a rip off price for Air class upgrades !

 

Easy enough then, don't use the cruise air and book your own flights independantly. Problem solved.

[Toto2Kansas]

I live in the UK -and due to my height I prefer premium + or Club class air .Why does Princess and every other cruise line "RIP" people off if they want to upgrade their flight ? Every one knows they get it at a fraction of the price normal humans pay or would pay for an upgrade .

Come on PRINCESS(Carnival) please stop making people in the UK a rip off price for Air class upgrades !

 

Not enough details for me to agree with you. As has been requested, what is Princess charging and what could you book this flight for yourself?

I know many times when I have priced air myself (for certain areas), especially one way or open jaw flights, the princess price for business or first class is comparible to (and many times less expensive) than what I can find privately. Business and first class are VERY VERY expensive anymore. Now when pricing a round trip fare, I can usually beat Princess pricing in those classes.

 

Many of us PREFER premium + or Club class air, and only wish we could get it for a minimal cost, but it just isn't going to happen.

[caribill]

Now when pricing a round trip fare, I can usually beat Princess pricing in those classes.

 

 

Since the new EZAir just searches the airline web sites instead of being able to use Princess negotiated rates, you may no longer find Princess pricing to be less than what you could get from the same airline on your own.

[snowman]

We allways use FF miles on Delta. You can pay with a portain of FF and cash. Try booking your own ticket as Colo Cruiser does.

[Toto2Kansas]

Since the new EZAir just searches the airline web sites instead of being able to use Princess negotiated rates, you may no longer find Princess pricing to be less than what you could get from the same airline on your own.

 

Bill, my brain right now is thinking flights one way back from Tahiti, my apology. It would be impossible to beat Princess pricing for one way airfare from PPT to LAX. It doesn't even qualify for EZAir, it is still booked direct with Princess and not with the EZAir program. My price for one way economy air is around $650 per person. Booked privately for one way air it is higher than the round trip fare. (no joke, MORE than round trip flights)So, I guess it all depends now on the itineary. I think South America flights are going to be the same with this, no EZAir for many of those either. ;)

[ssbeagle]

I live in the UK -and due to my height I prefer premium + or Club class air .Why does Princess and every other cruise line "RIP" people off if they want to upgrade their flight ? Every one knows they get it at a fraction of the price normal humans pay or would pay for an upgrade .

Come on PRINCESS(Carnival) please stop making people in the UK a rip off price for Air class upgrades !

 

Try using an airline consolidator. Airfares are high no matter what or how you book, but a consolidator can save you money. When we fly to the UK that's how we book. It's a lot cheaper than the airlines and Princess a good part of the time. The last two times we've gone business class through the consolidator and we've done coach too. Just make certain they are a reputable firm.

[dundalkspur]

Since the new EZAir just searches the airline web sites instead of being able to use Princess negotiated rates, you may no longer find Princess pricing to be less than what you could get from the same airline on your own.

 

We dont have EZAir in the UK !

In answer to some people above I do usually do my own flights etc -therefore I know I can easily get the fare down -I am asking PRINCESS to pass these on to their customers!

 

The other thing which really bugs me is the fact that if you book a cruise Air they dont give you a seperate booking reference to choose seats etc -Many a time the crew always get the best seats !

[Toto2Kansas]

We dont have EZAir in the UK !

In answer to some people above I do usually do my own flights etc -therefore I know I can easily get the fare down -I am asking PRINCESS to pass these on to their customers!

 

!

 

But since you can book your own flights for less, isn't it nice that there is still a choice?

If there is no EZAir in the UK, does Princess still cover the airfare portion of the flight at no extra cost with the cruise insurance (as they did here before EZAir began)? There is usually more to things like this then meets the eye. ;)

[Loonbeam]

There's a basic misconception here. Do not assume that Princess gets all air seats at a substantial discount at all times from all carriers. Unless you are dealing with charter flights, in most cases the discount is based on the number of seats purchased in that class and fare bucket over a given time period (and the average airline has 18-20 fair buckets). So, while they may see a 20-30% commission/discount on a coach seat, if they are not selling a lot of BC, their discount may be in the 5-10% range. It also depends on how much business they do with the airline in question overall.

 

Let's say Princess on average buys 2000 seats a month on United (1800 in coach). I am making these numbers up, BTW. On British Airways, they buy 300 seats a month (250 coach or prem econ). Which airline will give better pricing? What that means is someone booking a ticket via Princess for PHL to LAX might see some good pricing, but LHR to MIA not so much.

 

It's the same reason that some cruise travel agents can offer better deals on specific lines, because they do more business with that line and thus have a better deal on their end.

[Pam in CA]

I suspect it's different for UK passengers. Depending on the cruise, we often book Princess air Biz Class and it's always a lot cheaper than booking on our own. Plus, I can choose seats and attach air miles shortly after booking. I have never experienced your complaints after many Princess air bookings. For example, my Biz Class air from LAX to LHR 8/31 and then JFK to LAX 9/17 is about $2,500. And that's the "flexible" (more expensive) EZ-Air option. I chose seats for my sister and I months ago and added our Frequent Flyer #'s.

 

A lot depends on when you book the air. The closer you are to sailing, the more expensive it will be. Our TA booked the flights as soon as they were made available to the public, probably 9 months ago. If I go on any booking site, the cost is at least double if not triple what we paid. I checked a week or so ago and the same direct flights would be over $7K if we booked independently.

[Shogun]

Hi There

 

 

All bar one cruise we have taken Princess Air reason is again almost all have been charter flights and no way could we even come cross to the Price offered by Princess.

 

When it has been by normal flights, last one we had three flights in one day we were able to see our booking months in advance

 

and book our seats 24 hrs before we flew.

 

So sorry I have no major issues with Princess air

 

 

yours Shogun

[Globaliser]

I live in the UK -and due to my height I prefer premium + or Club class air .Why does Princess and every other cruise line "RIP" people off if they want to upgrade their flight ? Every one knows they get it at a fraction of the price normal humans pay or would pay for an upgrade .

In answer to some people above I do usually do my own flights etc -therefore I know I can easily get the fare down -I am asking PRINCESS to pass these on to their customers!

It would be good to know what numbers you're considering to be a "ripoff" for flying in premium cabins.

 

Most of my cruise-related air travel is booked through another cruise line. Their supplement for flying in World Traveller Plus is perfectly normal: £200-300 pp each way.

 

Is Princess asking for unusually large amounts?

[Coral]

I can't seem to find a deal anywhere I book on business class/premium class seats.

[dundalkspur]

It would be good to know what numbers you're considering to be a "ripoff" for flying in premium cabins.

 

Most of my cruise-related air travel is booked through another cruise line. Their supplement for flying in World Traveller Plus is perfectly normal: £200-300 pp each way.

 

Is Princess asking for unusually large amounts?[

/quote]

 

 

OK -Let me clarify my point . I dont mind paying the difference in price between economy and premium econ -what ever is the actual difference between the 2 fares on line as shown on the airline website.But when I ask Princess what the price is for the upgrade they usually quote me the price of the whole premium econ -not what the difference is between econ and prem econ.This is unacceptable to most people .I recently had to pay £100 just to fly BA one way to SF in econ because I refused to go on Contenental .What annoyed me as well is that on Princess choose my seats because of their block booking !

[Pam in CA]

OK -Let me clarify my point . I dont mind paying the difference in price between economy and premium econ -what ever is the actual difference between the 2 fares on line as shown on the airline website.But when I ask Princess what the price is for the upgrade they usually quote me the price of the whole premium econ -not what the difference is between econ and prem econ.This is unacceptable to most people .I recently had to pay £100 just to fly BA one way to SF in econ because I refused to go on Contenental .What annoyed me as well is that on Princess choose my seats because of their block booking !

I think we're talking apples and oranges here. In the U.S., unless you're on a Princess charter flight, you can always choose or change your seat. If it's Biz/First Class, you can do that pretty much as soon as you book. If it's coach, you don't get the flight information until about 3 - 4 weeks before sailing. They do pick a seat for you but you can always change it based on seat availability. My TA always gives me the supplemental amount between coach and Biz/First class although the booking confirmation just has the total amount. No matter what, I'm astonished that you paid only £100 from the UK to SF one way. The way U.S. air is priced, that would get you perhaps a 50-mile flight, not one that's over 5,000 miles.

[dundalkspur]

I'm astonished that you paid only £100 from the UK to SF one way. The way U.S. air is priced, that would get you perhaps a 50-mile flight, not one that's over 5,000 miles.[/quote

]

 

 

£100 in addional to the cruise AIR flight = so it was not cheap ! You guys are lucky using a TA -we booked directly with Princess in the UK ,where their flight department is not very user friendly !

[spongerob]

/quote]

 

 

I recently had to pay £100 just to fly BA one way to SF in econ because I refused to go on Contenental .What annoyed me as well is that on Princess choose my seats because of their block booking !

We would pay about that much for air deviation...I don't think you are being ripped off.

[caber]

I agree with Shogun. We also had 3 flight (different flights) to our last cruise but we were able, via Princess UK to say what seats we wanted months before the cruise, except for the last flight which was a 37 seater, Montreal to Quebec.

[Pam in CA]

We would pay about that much for air deviation...I don't think you are being ripped off.

I agree. :(

[Toto2Kansas]

/quote]

 

 

OK -Let me clarify my point . I dont mind paying the difference in price between economy and premium econ -what ever is the actual difference between the 2 fares on line as shown on the airline website.But when I ask Princess what the price is for the upgrade they usually quote me the price of the whole premium econ -not what the difference is between econ and prem econ.This is unacceptable to most people .I recently had to pay £100 just to fly BA one way to SF in econ because I refused to go on Contenental .What annoyed me as well is that on Princess choose my seats because of their block booking !

 

Each time we have booked Princess flights, our seats have been assigned for us. All it took was a simple call to the airlines to have them changed though..............have you tried that?

[MBandJSinUK]

I agree with OP as we've had same experience. We are from UK and also like to travel premium or club (biz).

 

Some prices to illustate the OPs point - prices per person:

Typical cruise £1300 (inc flights)

Princess charge £850 extra to move flights up to premium and £2200 extra to club

 

Get Princess to do the package with premium flights

Premium - £2150

Club - £3700

 

to book seperately:

Cruise only £600

Hotel & transfer £100

Econ return LHR-MIA £650

Premium return LHR-MIA £900

Club return LHR-MIA £2400

 

So - Cruise plus book your own premium flights = £1550

Cruise plus book your own club flights = £3100

 

Hence to book the package via princess and pay them for the upgrade adds £600 each

 

Which is the same price as the value of the economy flights hence to OP saying that they charge you the full value of the flight rather than the difference in fare...

 

:confused:

[jimpod]

I enquired recently on the cost to upgrade to Premium Economy for our flight to LA with return from Miami. The price quoted came to almost £1800 for both of us. Needless to say we passed on that - could almost get another cruise for that!