celebrity package with indirect flights

[BillnBev]

Has anyone flown to their port of departure with celebity's booked indirect flights? What are the arrangements at the second airport for the luggage, do we have to collect the luggage from arrivals and then recheck the luggage in for the second leg of the flights to pick up our cruise?

As we are due to fly from Bristol to Amsterdam and then onto Barcelona in June.

[cruisestitch]

Are both flights same airline? No problem, just have the bags checked through to the final destination.

 

If not the same airline, are they two airlines that will do the transfer themselves (call airline #1 to make sure). If so, no problem, again have the bags checked through to final destination.

 

There are a few very low cost airlines which will not transfer luggage for you, at least in the US. If you are flying the first leg on one of these, then yes, you would have to pick up the luggage and check it again.

 

What are the two airlines involved?

[BillnBev]

Both airlines are KL - amsterdam airlines.

[cruisestitch]

There should be no reason to retrieve your suitcases in Amsterdam and check them again for the onward flight. (Be sure to confirm at your point of origin that the luggage tags are correctly made out with Barcelona as the destination point.)

[neeps]

We always have booked indirect flights through celebrity, sometimes we have 2 changes to make. We check our luggage in at Glasgow and don't see it again until our final airport. Except for one time when we didn't see it again for 3 months:)

[garycarla]

I think you meant to say "connecting" flights vs indirect. Some airlines might even call that a direct flight, even though you have to change planes. (vs nonstop). You said KL airlines - do you mean KLM?

 

Changing planes on long flights is normal, and not having to deal with bags during that change is normal. As said, check to see that your bags are checked all the way through.

 

No idea where "Bristol" is, so make sure you are always clear in your posts so people do not make assumptions.

 

Guessing you rarely travel, so word to the wise. Do NOT check valuables or important things like papers or medicine in checked bags.

[Project_gal]

No idea where "Bristol" is, so make sure you are always clear in your posts so people do not make assumptions.

 

FYI Bristol is in the UK. County boundary changes over the years probably means that it is clearer not to add further qualification!!!

 

Sue

[kasijab]

I've flown KLM many times out of the UK. All luggage is checked in and transfered through Schipol to your next flight.

A word of warning if you have never been to Schipol ..it is huge, nothing like UK regional airports, so leave plenty of time to get to your departure gate.

[welshfamily]

Hi,

We have been on several indirect flights from the U.K. to a Celebrity ship (Rome, Venice, Barcelona) and the luggage has always been transferred by the airline.

As well as giving yourselves plenty of time to get to the gate please remember the rule about liquids. We bought water and hair products from Boots in Manchester after going though customs and had it taken from us in Frankfrut when we again went though customs. Obvious We know the rules, we just didn't think. We had to buy water again as my son needed to take medication which must be mixed with water. Second time we even had a half empty bottle of water and a medical letter. Still no joy.

Strangely enough we didn't have this problem in the States as Delta made arrangements to accommodate this problem.

Have a lovely cruise ,we are going in 92 days and are just starting to get excited.

[Lotus Girl]

Both airlines are KL - amsterdam airlines.

 

 

We did this last year and the bags were checked right through to Barcelona! The biggest problem we had was getting ourselves to the gate for the second flight. There wasn't a lot of time involved and we were just about running to get there on time!

[BillnBev]

Thanks to all for the very helpful replies. We are well travelled cruisers but this is the first time to not have direct flights to port of departure. Thanks again and happy cruising:)

[BKFlowerMound]

This is one of those posts that brings to mind the old saying that the British and the Americans are separated by a common language.

 

In the US, we don't have the term "indirect flight". "Connecting flight" is the term we use. Other terms include "nonstop flight" (self explanatory) and "direct flight", which many people seem to think is the same thing as a nonstop flight. Direct flight means that the flight number doesn't change between your original and final destination. Sometimes, you have to change planes on a direct flight. Computer reservation systems list direct flights ahead of connecting flights and some airlines game that system.

 

When you get to the airport in Bristol and check-in, you'll check your luggage through to BCN. You'll get boarding passes for BOTH flights. When you get to AMS, check the video monitors to see what gate your flight is leaving from. In the US, they also make gate announcements on the plane. Also, the UK is not party to the Schengen agreement and you'll have to clear passport control in AMS before proceeding to your gate. The good news is you won't have to do that again in BCN. It's easier than this sounds.

 

In the US, most flights go through a few "hub" airports, like Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas. We're used to connecting flights. There's even a joke about after we die, whether you're going to heaven or hell, you'll have to change planes in Atlanta. :)

[MarkusToe]

most of the airlines have interlining agreements - no need to pick luggage within the EU...., exept some low cost carrier...