Princess EZ-Air, any suggestions?

[mamaboss]

We are thinking about trying the EZ Air that Princess offers. I have always booked my own. Can anyone tell me how this works and what you like and dislike about it? Plus and minuses?

[sunsetbeachgal]

We used it for our Europe cruise as Princess was offering a special promo for the air which was $500 off per person. We chose our flights from quite a selection and had absolutely no problems. Called the airline to add frequent traveler info and check on seats and no issues whatsoever. We did the flexible air and paid for it with final payment.

 

The only caveat is that if you Book EZAir and your cruise fare goes down in price before final payment, as ours did, you may not be able to get the lower price as many of the "sale" fares are not combinable with EZAir discounts. Since we had not paid for the air at that time, TA said we could only get the lower cruise price if we cancelled original booking and started over, but then losing the $500 air discount per person offset the cruise savings. I understand that most often, you can not combine discounts!

[skynight]

We used it a few times with no problems. It works well when you require one-way fares such as trans-Atlantic voyages. It works just the same as any other airline search site. Here are a few tips we found:

Princess gives you a selection of airports based on where you live. If you want to use other airports you have to ask your TA to request they be placed in your cruise personalizer. In our case the airports in the adjacent States are easier for us to use than the ones in our State.

Once you book/pay you will receive an EZAir confirmation from Princess. Call the airline and ask them to translate the EZAir reference into the airline's reference no. Then you can go into the airline site and select your seats(when available), add frequent flyer nos., and follow any changes to the flights.

[Gunner22aa]

Last time I checked it for some one way flights I needed in north america I actually saved money by booking direct with the airline (Air Canada). They do offer some deals as many have posted in the past. I just checked it yesterday for another cruise we are looking at and it would not offer me any flexable fares, only restricted so we won't be using them.

[dorisby]

Have used PrincessAir for several years, originally with FLL departures and most recently for Europe. I like being able to select the specific airline and flight. Note the fare difference between flexible and restricted and the rules for both. Also for FLL departures there was usually only a $25 price difference with my selected airline's website -- much less than flying a day earlier and having to book a hotel to better insure not missing the departure.

In talking with passengers who used PrincessAir and DID miss a sailing, they were very satisfied with Princess' handling of getting them to the ship.

[neilrr]

We are using EZ Air for the first time and so far so good.. We were really happy that with the $500 off from Princess we got a RT from MIA for $877 including a direct flight to Rome. We were not going to go because the fares were $1,600-$1,800PP.

 

When I did read about EZ Air (before booking) some people had issues if you did not pay for the trip right away. Some people were 6-12 months out and had not paid for it and some of their reservations disppeared/expired and Princess had to rebook.

 

We paid right away and called the foreign airline, as they have agreements with Delta or American, etc.. for miles. The only problem with some airlines - they give you one free bag, but one airline charges $100 for the 2nd bag :eek:; the other is charging $60. Good thing we are only going one way...:) with the first airline...

 

Good luck and have a great trip...

[partybarbie]

I think it depends on where you are going. For short flights, I book my own. On our TA cruise (Sacramento - Athens and Ft Lauderdale to Sacramento) I am using Princess air. We were able to get the air for about $750.00 per person. It also comes with next port protection, so if your flight gets delayed or cancelled, Princess will take care of it.

 

We used Princess air on our TA last year and thank goodness we did. DH lost his passport in transit from SFO to JFK, and Princess was able to re-book his flight for the following day, at no extra cost to us. They didn't have to do this, since it wasn't their fault that DH couldn't board the flight to Rome, but they did anyway.

 

The first time I booked EZair, there were a lot of problems with the website. But this year, no problems at all. Thank you Princess.:)

[tothemall&beyond]

We used it for our Europe cruise as Princess was offering a special promo for the air which was $500 off per person. We chose our flights from quite a selection and had absolutely no problems. Called the airline to add frequent traveler info and check on seats and no issues whatsoever. We did the flexible air and paid for it with final payment.

 

The only caveat is that if you Book EZAir and your cruise fare goes down in price before final payment, as ours did, you may not be able to get the lower price as many of the "sale" fares are not combinable with EZAir discounts. Since we had not paid for the air at that time, TA said we could only get the lower cruise price if we cancelled original booking and started over, but then losing the $500 air discount per person offset the cruise savings. I understand that most often, you can not combine discounts!

 

We, too, had booked a Med cruise for this year using the $500 off on EZ Air. But when Princess lowered the cruise fare by $800 pp, that's when we realized the discounted airfare was going to hamstring us on getting the best cruise fare. We did the math, and figured out that that we would do much better paying a higher EZ Air fare and the lower cruise fare. Like, you, did try to get both discounts, but they wouldn't let us do it. So we re-booked. Meanwhile, until final payment (in August), I'm still checking everyday to find better airfares with the airlines and Kayak.

[sunsetbeachgal]

We, too, had booked a Med cruise for this year using the $500 off on EZ Air. But when Princess lowered the cruise fare by $800 pp, that's when we realized the discounted airfare was going to hamstring us on getting the best cruise fare. We did the math, and figured out that that we would do much better paying a higher EZ Air fare and the lower cruise fare. Like, you, did try to get both discounts, but they wouldn't let us do it. So we re-booked. Meanwhile, until final payment (in August), I'm still checking everyday to find better airfares with the airlines and Kayak.

 

 

That worked out well for you...glad to hear that you also got the same answer as we did about EZAir with new sale prices! The big reduction in our cruise came just a couple of days before our final payment, and by then the flights available thru EZAir or kayak were very limited and very expensive, and as said, when you looked at the total price for the cruise and air, it was pretty much a push anyhow. Glad you got at least a few hundred dollars off...everything helps!

[shipsealand]

We got RT to Baltic from LA for 863 per person which incl special Princess air reduction of 400 per. Got good cruise price from TA and then when price dropped did rebooking w/ TA for lower price and still got to keep the air.

 

Air, as of mid-may when I stopped checking, is now 1960 and the cruise price dropped a few $ below our TA price.

 

Also like security of next port protection.

[tamsno]

Will definitely look into EZ Air prices for next May CapeTown to Dover. I have only used it on Celebrity where the price was 1/2 the online rate, but I only booked the cruise two months out. When is the best time to book flights? If the price goes down before final payment, do they adjust it? Thanks.

[mamaboss]

Thanks everyone! I have no clue how to book EZair. Are you saying you can look at the available flights and choose your own times?

[sunsetbeachgal]

Thanks everyone! I have no clue how to book EZair. Are you saying you can look at the available flights and choose your own times?

 

Yes, just go into the Cruise Personalizer under your booking, put in your travel dates and airport (airport may already be in there, depending on your booking...easy to change if you want to look at other departure cities), the city you are flying into and an array of flights should pop up. It will tell you if they are the Flexible air or the other non-refundable option. It really is very easy to use so go in and play with it!

[mamaboss]

Thanks Sunsetbeachgal! I never noticed that. I will go play with it!:D

[partybarbie]

Will definitely look into EZ Air prices for next May CapeTown to Dover. I have only used it on Celebrity where the price was 1/2 the online rate, but I only booked the cruise two months out. When is the best time to book flights? If the price goes down before final payment, do they adjust it? Thanks.

 

My experience has been that the closer you are to the cruise, the more expensive the flight. For example, we booked flex air from California to Sydney, with a return from New Zealand. This was about $1,000.00 per person. If you don't pay in full, the price can go up. Well I waited, and the price went up to $1,600.00 per person. We ended up cancelling the cruise.

 

If you pay in full for the air and cruise when you book it, then the air is locked in at that price. If you book the flex air, you can make changes up to 45 days in advance, without paying extra fees.

 

As far as the cruise price dropping (and you being able to get a cheaper price) it would probably depend on the promotion that you booked it under.

 

Hope that helps.

[mamaboss]

I checked out the EZair and it is 150.00 more per person than I can do on my own so guess that is out. I bet it is good for flights like partybarbie mentions above. Thank you everyone.

[partybarbie]

I checked out the EZair and it is 150.00 more per person than I can do on my own so guess that is out. I bet it is good for flights like partybarbie mentions above. Thank you everyone.

 

For short trips I usually fly for free using my credit card points. I don't know if one is allowed to promote an airline, but suffice it to say it's the one where my bags fly free too.:D I use them all the time for my west coast travel and to catch the ship in Ft. Lauderdale.

[Id rather be diving]

When you pay up front, does that mean to you have to pay for the flight and the cruise? Or can you just pay for the flight to lock it in?

[partybarbie]

When you pay up front' date=' does that mean to you have to pay for the flight and the cruise? Or can you just pay for the flight to lock it in?[/quote']

 

Unfortunately, you have to pay for both.

 

It appears there was a big jump in the air prices this morning because my flight to Athens just jumped from $763.00 to $1,027.00. If I hadn't locked it in with the credit card, I would be looking at over $500.00 more, with our two tickets.

 

I will keep checking the prices though, right up until the 45-day cutoff for changes on the flex air. If the air does go down, I will see if Princess will give me the cheaper price. I don't think that I can get cheaper than $763.00, but it doesn't hurt to keep looking.

 

I think I read somewhere on CC that if you book the non-flex air, that you can just pay for the air and not the cruise. Right now though, the non-flex prices are really high, and what if you need to make a change? I wouldn't recommend booking the non-flex air.

[neilrr]

When you pay up front' date=' does that mean to you have to pay for the flight and the cruise? Or can you just pay for the flight to lock it in?[/quote']

 

I believe that you would have to pay for everything cruise/flight in full to make the flight permanent. I think that is the reason why (as I mentioned in an earlier post) those people kept losing their EZ flight reservations (and had problems), as they were not paid in full and it was also too far in advance. It is a fatal combination...:p

 

We paid in full - and I check the Princess Cruise Personalizer every couple of days to make sure the flights are still there. :)

 

Good luck and happy flying/sailing!!!

[Id rather be diving]

Thanks for the answers. That's what I thought as I think I read somewhere that people didn't want to pay for the EZ Air because it was so far out. I get that as we usually like to book far out too. However, last year we decided only 5 weeks before departure that we were going to do a cruise to Hawaii. I had been watching the fares for almost 2 years because we were going to go in 2013, but when I saw the prices drop so much, we decided to go last year. Now, it's really hard to pay for a cruise early when I know if I just wait I can probably get a fantastic fare. It really depends on if I'm going to go with a group or just us. Easier to do if it's just us!

 

Thanks again.

[tamsno]

Thanks for all the answers. I'll put in a price drop notification with Kayak and see what happens. Still too early though. This really does become a part time job!

[Grammyluvs]

We booked EZ Air for our TA and 27 day Grand Baltic Adventure this past month. We flew from Birmingham, Al to Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale using Delta. We flew home from Copenhagen to Newark on SAS airlines (which was great). We were suppose to fly from Newark to Reagan International in DC on United and then US Air to B'ham. However, our domestic flights were cancelled due to weather. SAS booked us on the next available flts. which were the next day but everyone in t he airport were also rebooking. Our flts were already changed by SAS by the time we got to the rebooking desk. So glad. We saved $1000 by booking with EZ Aire.Our TA couldn't touch it. Would do it again in a heart beat!