free airfare

[leonardray]

What are the pros and cons of free airfare?

[LHT28]

for us it sometimes is cheaper than I can get from the airlines even with the deviation fee added

You have to weigh all the options & do what works best for you

 

Not really free, just included in the price ;)

[Mura]

In O's early days we found that we could just about always count on "beating" the free fare (depending on the discount they gave you for not using their air), but in the past year or two we've found it difficult to be able to even match their fare.

 

But if you want to control the reservations, and if you want business or first class, you may be better off doing your own. It depends on the contract that O has with the airline. When we were hoping to upgrade with Delta miles we discovered that we could not because only the high volume travelers qualified.

 

We've tentatively booked a Regent cruise in March and if we do that cruise we'll probably use their air because they charge $1800 pp for business air which is much better than we can do on our own.

 

As others have said, you need to check and see what you can do for yourself in order to properly determine what is best for you.

 

One reason for using their air is that they probably won't leave without you if your flight should be delayed, although on our Panama Canal cruise with O about 8 years ago the ship DID leave our initial port without some passengers who were using O's air but were delayed by weather. To have waited would have meant losing the slot going through the Canal. But in the vast majority of situations, the ship won't leave without you ...

 

There are no such guarantees if you've booked your own air. Which is why we always go in at least a day early if we are doing so. When booking your own air be sure to have a cushion in case of delays.

 

Mura

[KirkNC]

I think the biggest downside is you will usually (not always) end up with more stops or less desirable times.

[Hawaiidan]

For the standard included air fare, your ticket is non-up gradeable, many not earn frequent flyer miles and not be on a carrier of your choice and you will have to pay for a transfer extra to get from the ship to the airport.

In ports like Dover that can cost $236pp.

 

In some cases, like we have in Hawaii, taking the air provided is such a good deal that there is no way we could beat it. example Hawaii to Maimi rt can cost $1100 pp Air credit, if we had not used it would have been $700.pp So we save $400 by taking the offered air

 

Using frequent flyer miles would have cost us $1400 pp........ a $1000 loss

 

In another case, Flying to Tahiti would cost us about anywhere between $800 and $2300 pp one way! The Oceania air value was $436 pp.. a huge savings

 

However flying from London to Hawaii would have cost us $236 transfer,

$350 to buy an upgradeable ticket, an air Devation fee of $150,to mich the airline and $500 for an upgrade to business class. and a $300 airport tax Thats $1536pp using oceaina

By using another airport Brussels, $36 transfer by ferry and train, $950 for a ticket less the- $436 credit for one way, brings it to $514. and $500 to up grade and get frequent flyer miles and free bags $1050 total cost, $500 cheaper than through oceania.

 

Dont forget that using frequent flyer miles which have a cash value of 0.035 cents are not free and when ypou spend $1400 worth of miles to get a $600 ticket... thats not good

 

Every flight and option is a different story . There is no pat answer and you must do the math and compare each and every flight...

[Tansy Mews]

Last cruise we took the money and found our own flights - it was a Baltic cruise so easy to get flights for the money they "gave" us. This time we are not doing that because we couldn't get air tickets with the money they would give us for not using their air.

 

On the other hand, we gained some control by paying for an air deviation. Don't discount its importance - for $150 each, we were able to select flights (within some parameters - airlines, for example), and we got our schedule months ahead of time.

 

BTW, the best explanation I found was this:

http://messages.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=530322

Lots of recent discussion on this topic - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=34632582

[boooomer]

 

Dont forget that using frequent flyer miles which have a cash value of 0.035 cents are not free and when ypou spend $1400 worth of miles to get a $600 ticket... thats not good

 

 

I haven't flown that much & I find airline point math - at best - confusing. I'm not sure I understand how you arrive at .035 cents per point. Is that an industry benchmark average?

 

I "spent" 100,000 points for a $4700 RT multiple destination (Miami - Stockholm; Amsterdam - Miami) business class ticket for a cruise next June. That $4700 fare was the best internet/airline price I could find for those flights. If I do the math the effective value of those points was .047 No? Or are you saying that spending 100k points should buy a $3500 flight and if you get a ticket worth $4700 minus $150 (airline fees for the point purchase) net $4550 you're $1050 ahead?

 

For purposes of comparison, the credit from O Air of $850 plus O Air's $3800 cost for upgrade to Business class virtually matched the best internet fare for the ticket. The$150 in airline fees for making the point purchase just happens to coincide with the O Air deviation fee that i would have had to spend to do our desired post cruise itinerary.

 

I think I came out ahead because I was using "Skypesos" and the 100k point cost for the ticket was close to what the lowest "cost" United & American were charging for their comparable flights. Normally Delta has much higher point "cost" for their Business class seats.

[Hawaiidan]

I haven't flown that much & I find airline point math - at best - confusing. I'm not sure I understand how you arrive at .035 cents per point. Is that an industry benchmark average?

 

I "spent" 100,000 points for a $4700 RT multiple destination (Miami - Stockholm; Amsterdam - Miami) business class ticket for a cruise next June. That $4700 fare was the best internet/airline price I could find for those flights. If I do the math the effective value of those points was .047 No? Or are you saying that spending 100k points should buy a $3500 flight and if you get a ticket worth $4700 minus $150 (airline fees for the point purchase) net $4550 you're $1050 ahead?

 

For purposes of comparison, the credit from O Air of $850 plus O Air's $3800 cost for upgrade to Business class virtually matched the best internet fare for the ticket. The$150 in airline fees for making the point purchase just happens to coincide with the O Air deviation fee that i would have had to spend to do our desired post cruise itinerary.

 

I think I came out ahead because I was using "Skypesos" and the 100k point cost for the ticket was close to what the lowest "cost" United & American were charging for their comparable flights. Normally Delta has much higher point "cost" for their Business class seats.

 

 

You saved $1050 on your Business class fare..correct

The 0.035 is derived from United, where the cheapest you can buy miles for your account is $35.00 per 1000 miles However, earning then through filght can be much more expensive. Example: flying rt to Hawaii to LA is 5000 miles and the ticket cost $480. which is 9.6 cents per mile. THat is the miles you get on that flight cost you 9.6 cents each. When you use those miles you are in fact spending 9.6 cents per mile used. That is real money. Your miles cost, they cost you real money. The idea that you get them free is a ruse the cards and airlines promote. Spending them is thus spending money from your savings account....no different.

 

Using frequent flyer miles for coach and domestic first class are a total bad deal Example: Flying Hawaii to LAX cost me $480. But if I used miles 40,000 miles that cost you $1400.... If you used miles you spent $920 more than the ticket cost. Now in another case, I am Flying rt to Buenos Aires, for 100,000 miles first class for a ticket costing$14,300 that I got for $3500 in mile value... I saved $10,800 in real money:eek:

 

Had I used the same miles for coach to to LA, I could have got 2.5 rt each worth say $600@... thats a savings of $1500, for which you spent $3500 ... you lost $2000 more than buying the tickets. But it gets worse because this deprived you of tha ability to get that international ticket so it is 3500.00 value and a loss of 2000, comes $5500 it cost you to use 2.5 "free" coach tickets.;)

 

Not all airlines charge the same... American and Delta charge the highest and have the least of available seats. Your chances of getting an award seat on Delta are about 18% However with United 56%

I am a United guy, I only fly them reguardless of price . Only one airline world wide. and have done so for 20 years, I t has paid off in spades. I may have spent over the past 10 years about $10,000, however, I have received an average of $ 9000 a year in benifits...or $90,000.00 return thats a 90% yeld/return on investment...

 

And Warren Buffet is doing 21% average yeld over the years.:rolleyes:

[cindilouwho]

Last year I booked an around the world routing YYZ-FRA-HKG SIN-ICN-LAX-YYZ

in First class --- UA, LH, SQ, Asiana. I got to spend a few hours in the First Class terminal in Frankfurt which was the most unbelievable experience I have ever had at an airport (not counting the strip search from "Helga of the esSesS" in Germany TWICE :eek::o)

 

When I priced the ticket out it came to $24,700. I paid 125,000 points and $345.00 in taxes. Now THAT'S a deal!!!

[Ontariotrekker]

When I booked my Dec. cruise with V2A, the airfare was listed for $995.CDN and after doing some research I figured out that was a heck of a deal since I had nowhere near enough air miles to get me to Thailand and back home from Bali.

 

In June as a promo, they dropped the airfare and I did get the amount taken off my cruise. My outbound flight has one stop only but sadly I've got 2 stops and an around the world trip back home again. Still, much better deal than the over $4000 it would have cost me.

[boooomer]

Last year I booked an around the world routing YYZ-FRA-HKG SIN-ICN-LAX-YYZ

in First class --- UA, LH, SQ, Asiana. I got to spend a few hours in the First Class terminal in Frankfurt which was the most unbelievable experience I have ever had at an airport (not counting the strip search from "Helga of the esSesS" in Germany TWICE :eek::o)

 

When I priced the ticket out it came to $24,700. I paid 125,000 points and $345.00 in taxes. Now THAT'S a deal!!!

 

Wow - that is a great deal. So If I "do the MATH" you can "buy" 125,000 pts (at .035) for $4375 for a $24,700 ticket. OR your points are worth .22 getting a 22% return on purchases on your credit card.

 

Either way not too shabby.

 

So based on our return flight from IST to MIA booked by O Air, I'm getting 6115 miles for each of us credited to our respective accounts. United is offering me the opportunity to purchase12,230 points for $245 for each person So I could do double that at 24,460 at $490. If I'm doing this correctly, 245.00/12,230 = .02 A better deal than .035?

[Hawaiidan]

Yes amigo....the award acelerator is the super route and your right at 2cents a mile. Whats even better is that you can use this feature even when you use an award ticket... !! That correct.. even on an award ticket.

 

I do this on every flight I can... thats why I maintain over 500,000+ miles in my account at all times

 

 

( I loose sleep when I am below 300,000) even though I average spending 150,000 miles a year:eek:.

 

So when I spent 100,000 miles for a rt first to fly 18,000 miles to Buenos Aires, I can buy 36,000 miles back for 2 cents ! meaning I only spent 64,000 miles

[boooomer]

sorry double post

[boooomer]

Yes amigo....the award acelerator is the super route and your right at 2cents a mile. Whats even better is that you can use this feature even when you use an award ticket... !! That correct.. even on an award ticket.

 

I do this on every flight I can... thats why I maintain over 500,000+ miles in my account at all times

 

 

( I loose sleep when I am below 300,000) even though I average spending 150,000 miles a year:eek:.

 

So when I spent 100,000 miles for a rt first to fly 18,000 miles to Buenos Aires, I can buy 36,000 miles back for 2 cents ! meaning I only spent 64,000 miles

 

On our O Air FLight back from IST I get 6115 points per person + a purchase of 12230 points plus if I get the United credit card - which I would need to do if I'm going to accumulate United points - I get an added 30,000 pts. Adding it all up (6115+12230) x2 +30,000 - I'm at 66,700 points. Not a bad way to start a program.:D

Now if there was only a way to transfer 1 for 1 from my Am Ex Membership Miles to United. Because my TA is affiliated with AM Ex I get double miles when I book with him & use my Am Ex gold card.

[YoHoHo]

This thread as gotten a little off topic and would be great posts on the Cruise Air board where there are many discussions of how to extract the best value for points.

What are the pros and cons of free airfare?

For me a pro that is not often mentioned is the reduced cost risk prior to final payment. Unless expensive 'cancel for any reason' insurance is purchased if you cancel before final payment you can loose a considerable amount of money depending on the class of ticket you purchase and the associated cancellation or refund policy attached to that. The more flexible the ticket the higher the cost offsetting savings of booking your own but giving you control and greater flexibility.

 

However if you have O arrange the flights you can cancel before the penalty period (note they have just been increased). Granted if you pay for a deviation the administration cost to arrange the deviation (which has gone up 100% in a couple of increases in the last few years) you will lose that if you cancel (you have paid for the service rendered.)

 

We were always booking the cruise with an air deviation and add that cost into the equation from the start. For example a $4000 pp cabin is $4150 and conversely without air, if they credit $600 pp, then comparing $3400 vs. $4150 so have $750 pp to find air fare on our own.

 

The link in a previous post to the Cruise Air post is an excellent explanation of how cruise air bookings are made by the cruise line. It is good and useful information but we have found O's Air Deviation dept terrific to work with and have always been happy with our flights.

 

btw for our own experience we have not been given worse times or more stopovers whether assigned automatically or from a deviation offer. Well not quite true. In order to offer some preferred departure times, flights with a longer layover have been offered but that is what is available from the airlines. The offers just tying to accommodate my requests have included such flights.

 

Cons:

For us one is the difficulty at times of booking/changing seats. How that is handled depends on the particular airline. I also believe it has improved. Recently I was able to pick seats on line from an airline that I could not before.

 

One example is I got a 'you can't change it because you have not booked it' and a 'not for that class of ticket' from A/C but others have said they have not had any trouble with that same airline. So bear that in mind that you might have difficulty with seat arrangements, upgrades not allowed and unable to redeem or collect points.

[ronrick1943]

And don't forget if your signed up with an airline using American Express Pl card they credit bad your tax & fee's up to $200.00 per year.

Rick