Why ChoiceAir?

[sippican]

I've searched the RC site, as well as the forum and I'm still unclear as to the benefits of ChoiceAir. The prices showing for our trip are no better than those published on Kayak or the airlines' own sites. I've tried various airlines, classes of travel, etc. On top of that, CA charges a service fee. We are traveling to Europe next Sept. Can anyone tell me if I am missing a great advantage to booking through CA if it does not mean significant savings?

[greatam]

I've searched the RC site, as well as the forum and I'm still unclear as to the benefits of ChoiceAir. The prices showing for our trip are no better than those published on Kayak or the airlines' own sites. I've tried various airlines, classes of travel, etc. On top of that, CA charges a service fee. We are traveling to Europe next Sept. Can anyone tell me if I am missing a great advantage to booking through CA if it does not mean significant savings?

 

You are missing NO great advantage by booking Choice Air. What the cruise lines have done is throw the CHEAPEST CONSOLIDATOR class tickets into Choice Air and Princess EZ Air (it is JUST a computer program after all (RCCL Corp), is based on Travelocity software-but has NO relation to Travelocity). You are STILL buying CONSOLIDATOR class tickets with all the restrictions. Read the sticky in the cruise air forum about Cruise Air and Air Deviation. Same tickets, same restrictions, same crappy, crappy tickets IF you have a problem.

 

BOOK YOUR OWN AIR DIRECT from an airline.

[Ashland]

Simply put...Book your own air..!!

[betsyl]

Just wanted to say that we recently booked a TA cruise from Harwich to Boston next September. The one-way non-stop fare from DFW to London is $1300 - ridiculous. On the Delta webiste, the one-way fare from DFW to London, with a plane change in Atlanta, is $900 - still ridiculous. The one-way fare through Choice Air is $553 - and it's the same Delta flights that Delta is charging $900 for. Don't know why, and we decided not to go on this cruise for other reasons, but obviously, sometimes it makes sense to book Choice Air!

[gpnfish]

There really doesn't seem to be any patterns in the chaos that are airline ticket costs. I always pays to check around, and never just once. I've seen the same go up in price from one day the next, doen the next day, etc. Whenever you are ready to buy, just spin the wheel at all the sites like Kayak and priceline and orbitz (and don't forget to check the actual airline sites as well), and take the best deal you can find. If you buy from someone just because they said here that the deals were best at that location, it may not be the best deal you can get.

[emilygrace]

We used Choice Air for our last cruise because simply put, it was the best deal out there. I had priced one way flights from San Francisco to London and could not get anything under $1600 per person. Even the consolidators were charging over $900. I had pretty much resigned myself to paying around $800 for a round trip ticket (yes, it was WAY cheaper than one way) and just not using the return part, or saving that and using it for another trip by paying a change fee. But I checked out Choice Air and they had the EXACT same one way flight that I was looking at for $458 per person and that was including their fee. So I jumped on it. Had absolutely no problems at all.

 

If I had purchased flights on my own I'm sure I would have gone with the cheapest thing I could find and it would have been non-refundable also, so I didn't see a problem with using CA. And I would have had to pay for it at the time of booking the flights, so that wasn't an issue with using CA either (as opposed to cruise air, where you pay for your flights with your final payment, if they even have that anymore).

[Pumbaamd]

We used Choice Air for our upcoming DCA-MIA-Santiago Mariner around the Horn cruise with return to MIA-DCA from GRU Brazil. Much better price than anything else we could find, and, the same flights that AA and LAN Air advertise.

RCCL must have one heck of a deal/contract with the airlines to make this work. Thanks RCCL, we appreciate it.

Rick and Deirdra

[CruiseMore1]

We used ChoiceAir for our upcoming cruise. Maybe didn't save any $$, but chose flight times that work for us, and avoided the very real chance of having to take a red-eye flight!

 

LaDawn

[sippican]

Seems to be a simple roll of the dice. Right now CA is the same to Barcelona as the actual carriers. British Air has the price guarantee, so I'll watch a bit longer, then book with them if things don't change. Thanks for the responses.

[KAWS]

We're using Choice Air for our next cruise. Pricing from Toronto was through the roof to fly from Toronto - Orlando on March Break. Obvioius reasons....

 

Choice air was hundreds of dollars less for the same flights that we had already priced out.

 

I think you need to just do your homework re pricing first and then realize that for the more popular times you might well get a great deal, but on other slower times it most likely won't make too much difference. Also where you're flying from can make a difference. Flights from Toronto are always expensive no matter what time of year, especially if you want a direct flight.

[GarrenS]

I have used ChoiceAir twice, but only because the regular airline sites were more expensive for the same flights

 

1. One way flights to Barcelona, couldn't get anything cheaper than $1600 on Delta's site, and the consolidators were around $800. ChoiceAir, for the exact same flights (and same fare type, I checked) were $580.

2. Flights to and from on different airlines to Miami - I had some very specific times I wanted to fly and it happened to be on 2 different non-partner airlines. It was the cheapest fare on Orbitz and Expedia, but it was around $20 per person cheaper thru ChoiceAir (for the same fare class)

 

Once I booked my tickets, I received my confirmation #'s from ChoiceAir, and went online to the airline websites to select my seats, add FF #'s etc. If you have status in an airline's FF club, it is possible to get the same upgrades/special seating etc once the airline has the reservation.

 

So, you should still do your homework, but sometimes ChoiceAir is the right/cheaper alternative.

 

That's my experience anyway - there have been other trips where the ChoiceAir options were not even close to what I could book on my own, so that's what I did.

 

Garren

[mrbbb]

Using Choice air for our upcoming Constellation TA Nov 6.. One way ticket on Continental coach from DFW to Barcelona was 2100.00. Paid choice air 550.00 for the exact same flight and went online and upgraded with miles to Business Class. Cant beat it, but you have to shop.

[Galveston Cruiser]

You are missing NO great advantage by booking Choice Air. What the cruise lines have done is throw the CHEAPEST CONSOLIDATOR class tickets into Choice Air and Princess EZ Air (it is JUST a computer program after all (RCCL Corp), is based on Travelocity software-but has NO relation to Travelocity). You are STILL buying CONSOLIDATOR class tickets with all the restrictions. Read the sticky in the cruise air forum about Cruise Air and Air Deviation. Same tickets, same restrictions, same crappy, crappy tickets IF you have a problem.

 

BOOK YOUR OWN AIR DIRECT from an airline.

 

If you want no restrictions, you will pay a much higher price anywhere. Any affordable airline ticket has restrictions whether purchased through the airline direct, travelocity or any one else. That is the name of the game.

You cannot get the deep discounted one way air fares the cruise lines have access to.

One way Houston to Barcelona is over $2,300/each, paid $359/each through Choice Air on Air France, chose our own departure date and seats.

Restricted RT was much more. Unrestricted - see above!