Choice Air (CA) web site oddity/defect

[pmacher61]

Celebrity web site touts CA as guaranteed lowest fare. I click on the link to CA, enter ship, sailing date, name, then click on enter "search flights" and CA screen pops up with a multicity layout. The "to" destination of 1st leg is filled in with the embarcation port airport just as the 2nd leg is filled in with disembarcation port airport in the "from" box.

 

I fill in the 2 missing boxes on the multicity form with my originating city and my final destination city (a different city than originating city). I press "search" link and up pops a flight plan which struck me as suspiciously overpriced. I search separately on a different site with different search engine, but just for the initial (transatlantic) flight - one way. It is much cheaper than CA total fare. I do the 2nd leg separately on a one way basis. The sum total of the 2 one way legs I can buy is about half the cost of the cheapest CA flight plan cost.

 

I use Orbitz to buy first transatlantic leg thinking it is a great deal (under $500 pp for a NYC to London nonstop flight with no fees for two bags on Kuwait Air). I feel good.

 

I send email to CA detailing the problem and even cut and paste the multicity format to which the CA site automatically directs the customer. After I have booked Kuwait Air, CA replies to my email asking me to call. I call and naturally the person answering the phone has no access to my email detailing the problem (or couldn't access it).

 

He does a search for CA one way transatlantic flights while we are on the phone. He comes up with a significantly cheaper fare than my Kuwait Air one way fare. I feel bad. I ask how come. He says I should not use the multicity format (the one that the CA site defaults to), but should search for two separate one way flights. I say thank you and hang up. I figure there's no sense in trying to convince the phone rep that the site is misleading/odd/defective because ordinary people would not think to disregard the multicity format that first appears on the screen with the embarcation and disembarcation port cities already filled in.

 

I contact Orbitz and cancel my Kuwait Air (thank god with no penalty). I call Allianz Ins Co and cancel my accompanying flight ins (thank god with no penalty).

 

I write CA a follow up email suggesting that an ordinarily reasonable person would not suspect that he should disregard the multicity format that pops up when one initiates a search for a flight plan using the CA website. Since the CA fares are only cheapest when purchased as 2 separate one way fares, it doesn't make sense for the CA search format to default to a multicity flight plan especially with the embarcation and disembarcation port already filled in. Who would think to override it? I am waiting for a reply.

[RickT]

Any web based airfare is limited to the programing used to calculate it. Any time I book airfare (especially multi-city) I double check it using a couple travel websites that I rely on.

 

Whenever I've found a better route/price the people at CA have been able to locate it and match (or beat) the price/route I've given them.

 

So, while I understand your concern it always pays to check and verify any price prior to booking it.

 

For a cruise I am looking at next year, the CA website doesn't even list the particular routing that I've found (which is quicker/cheaper than what shows on the website).