Choice Air vs Internet

[sabrefan]

Just wondering if Choice Air is a better alternative to getting good air rates yourself on the internet or directly with the airlines. Planning on flying from U.S. to Australia in January 2015.

[waterbug123]

Just wondering if Choice Air is a better alternative to getting good air rates yourself on the internet or directly with the airlines. Planning on flying from U.S. to Australia in January 2015.

 

Depends on what you mean by "better." When most people say they prefer Choice Air they seem to fall into 2 categories: 1) those who want the absolute cheapest ticket and don't seem to care if the ticket potentially comes with a host of restrictions that may (or may not, but they won't know til it's too late) affect their rebooking options in the event of a severe flight delay or cancellation, and 2) those who misinterpret the verbiage on the choice air website and believe they offer guarantees to get you to the ship on time.

[jelayne]

We have used Choice Air twice for 1 way fares and they had far better fares than I found anywhere else. Recently booked a RT and saved about $200.

 

Other times when I have checked the fares are the same as I found directly on the airlines sites. Guess it depends on the itinerary and how close to sailing you are booking air.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

December and January are terrible months for flying in the US. I'm not sure where you are flying to but plan to arrive two full days before your cruise to be on the safe side. My sister missed her cruise and she was flying to the port a day early and still couldn't get there on time due to a storm that effected her connection in Dallas.

 

In January the same sister was stranded again due to another snow storm.

 

I wouldn't come as far as you are an have something like that happen.

[Gonzo70]

I agree with Waterbug; while sometimes Choice Air can be significantly cheaper (especially on one-way flights out of the country) these are generally bulk/specially negotiated tickets and they often come with significant restrictions. If you do not encounter a major delay or flight cancellation they will work just like tickets you purchased directly from the airline; if however you miss a connection or have your flight cancelled you may find it far more difficult to be accommodated than had you purchased a less restrictive but more expensive ticket from the airline. It seems like Choice Air has at times done a nice job assisting people when things went awry, but others have reported receiving little or no help. Personally if the savings is great I would risk using Choice Air, but would make sure I had ample wiggle room for any connections and was arriving at least two days before my cruise to ensure I had adequate wiggle room to stand a good chance to be able to navigate issues that arise (and I am a seasoned traveler so would be able to assert myself and be proactive if issues arose).

[Biker19]

I would also add that you should check out other days than what you want - for a one way ticket to Rome, one day made a $1800! difference.

[Lsimon]

WE always include Choice Air in our airfare shopping. I never rely on only one source. I shop around.

 

You won't know if it is a better or worse alternative for a given flight until you check cruise air, the airline's sites, and other internet sources and compare the results.

 

In most cases we've done better, or just as well, directly on the airline's site. But there have been a couple times when Choice Air was the best option for us.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Lsimon

[grandgeezer]

I've found that choiceair.com is only good for one way to/from Europe. They can't be touched by the airlines themselves or discount travel agents. Last year from Phoenix to Southhampton, England was $396 p.p., flying on Delta. When I went to Delta's web site to change seats, there price was about $1800. We are going to Barcelona, again from Phoenix, in October on Air Canada (not cheapest but best flight times), for $519 p.p. Air Canada's rate shows at $3,000+. According to my online travel agent, who I trust completely and been doing it for many years, there is little to no risk using choiceair.com.

For Continental U.S., you can do better through a travel agent or the airlines themselves.

[ptrpanpens]

I've found that choiceair.com is only good for one way to/from Europe. They can't be touched by the airlines themselves or discount travel agents. Last year from Phoenix to Southhampton, England was $396 p.p., flying on Delta. When I went to Delta's web site to change seats, there price was about $1800. We are going to Barcelona, again from Phoenix, in October on Air Canada (not cheapest but best flight times), for $519 p.p. Air Canada's rate shows at $3,000+. According to my online travel agent, who I trust completely and been doing it for many years, there is little to no risk using choiceair.com.

For Continental U.S., you can do better through a travel agent or the airlines themselves.

 

I totally agree with you. The cheapest rate through the airlines for a one way flight Rome to Lax in May (unless you want to fly Aeroflot:eek:) is almost 2,000. The comparable one way through choice air on the same airline is $564.

 

You are correct that the big differences are usually one way back or forth to Europe, however, sometimes you can find better fares one way within the US or even cheaper business or premium economy RT. The differences usually are not nearly as large as one way to Europe. last year I got a one way fare from FCO to JFK Business class for $830. When I called lufthansa I was told the fare was one of the same classes they use to classify fares and the rules would be the same as if I had booked through the airlines. I also got mileage for the flight and had no problems. So sometimes the deals on choice air can be amazing.

 

I always go several days before a cruise so haven't had to face that problem!

[Hlitner]

We look at all options (Choice Air vs several internet booking engines). Keep in mind that Choice Air only uses certain airlines...and there are sometimes better options available by booking with other airlines like Southwest (we love this ariline), JetBlue, or some others.

 

Hank

[TomTN]

You might want to post your question in the "Cruise Air" section of Cruise Critic.

There some very knowledgeable people who post there.

[Gonzo70]

For the people discussing the one way international fares that are MUCH less than what the airline is selling, please be aware that these are the tickets that are very, very likely to be bulk/specially negotiated tickets. If nothing goes awry they will look and work just like regular tickets you would purchase from the airlines, but if you miss a connection, have a flight cancelled or incur a delay so lengthy that it would cause you to miss the ship these tickets can really throw a giant monkey wrench into your vacation as you likely would be at the end of the line for stand-by status on other flights and be restricted as to what other flights you'd even be eligible to take. Yes, the price savings can be tremendous but please realize you are taking on extra risk - I am not saying not to use Choice Air (I have used them myself before), but one needs to be aware of the risk of these cheap tickets and plan accordingly to minimize missing a connection or a having insufficient wiggle room for delays/cancellations.

[grandgeezer]

For the people discussing the one way international fares that are MUCH less than what the airline is selling, please be aware that these are the tickets that are very, very likely to be bulk/specially negotiated tickets. If nothing goes awry they will look and work just like regular tickets you would purchase from the airlines, but if you miss a connection, have a flight cancelled or incur a delay so lengthy that it would cause you to miss the ship these tickets can really throw a giant monkey wrench into your vacation as you likely would be at the end of the line for stand-by status on other flights and be restricted as to what other flights you'd even be eligible to take. Yes, the price savings can be tremendous but please realize you are taking on extra risk - I am not saying not to use Choice Air (I have used them myself before), but one needs to be aware of the risk of these cheap tickets and plan accordingly to minimize missing a connection or a having insufficient wiggle room for delays/cancellations.

 

As soon as you get out of bed, everything you do involves some sort of risk. Cutting the grass, home repair, or getting in your car and going somewhere, you have to weigh the risk versus reward and do what your heart tells you to do. There might be a slight chance that something might happen, but there's a 100% chance I'm going to save several thousand dollars on air fare if it doesn't . I've done this three times before with 0 problems.

I doubt very seriously that Royal Carribean Cruise Lines and many travel agents would support this and recommend it if it was very much of a risk. My travel agent supports this 100% to all her clients. If you don't trust the cruise line and your travel agent, maybe it's time to move on.

[Gonzo70]

If you prefer to ignore the truth, that is your prerogative. Caveat Emptor.

 

As I said, I have used Choice Air and am not advising against using them if they save a lot of dough; I am advising people to take extra precautions when purchasing deeply discounted tickets from Choice Air as tight connections and same day arrival as one's cruise is significantly more risky with these tickets than the higher priced tickets sold by the airline.

 

Of course RCCL wants you to use Choice Air, it is a money maker for them! Your travel agent is misinformed if he/she thinks that a deeply discounted bulk/specially negotiated ticket provides the same protections as ticket purchased directly from the airline in case of irregular operations. Has nothing to do with trust; has everything to do with facts and making informed, sound decisions as to what is best.

[Br00klyn102]

I have now booked 2 trips to Europe through Choice Air, the first time around the prices were unbeatable but we also booked them on 3 months away from departure. This time we booked well in advance (about 8 months) and at the time the prices were comparable to all the other airlines listings, Expedia, Travelocity etc. etc. however Choice Air offered better itineraries. Now those same flights are about $200 cheaper, but alas.. It is what it is. I have had good experiences thus far, and you can never tell what the future will bring. I paid what I was comfortable with.

[Bababooey Land]

I used Choice Air for our trip to europe in July. I paid $18 p/p MORE using choice air vs website, because they were refundable tickets (with a small cancellation penalty). I dropped alot on the tickets 9 months out (5 people), i liked the comfort in knowing i could cash out if i needed to. I did read that my ff miles earned on Delta will be only about 25% of actual miles flown because this is a discounted ticket. (not something the choice air agent told me, i read the fine print)

 

this is my first time using choice air, so i dont have any feedback. having said that, i always prefer to book directly with the airline, hotel or cruise company. I have found going thru 3rd party (travel agents) sometimes can be a hassle. as some posters have mentioned above about missing a flight, etc. i know some people love booking through travel agents. its just a personal preference.

 

my opinion, if you are saving alot of money thru Choice Air , i would use them. if the price is the same, book directly with the airline.

 

good luck!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Rome to Toronto may 5

British air website $3680

Same flights with choice air $504

With choice air price I can do the the cruise

[Bababooey Land]

Rome to Toronto may 5

British air website $3680

Same flights with choice air $504

With choice air price I can do the the cruise

 

this is exactly the reason choice air exists. they need to sell the cruise!!!

[ptrpanpens]

If you prefer to ignore the truth, that is your prerogative. Caveat Emptor.

 

As I said, I have used Choice Air and am not advising against using them if they save a lot of dough; I am advising people to take extra precautions when purchasing deeply discounted tickets from Choice Air as tight connections and same day arrival as one's cruise is significantly more risky with these tickets than the higher priced tickets sold by the airline.

 

Of course RCCL wants you to use Choice Air, it is a money maker for them! Your travel agent is misinformed if he/she thinks that a deeply discounted bulk/specially negotiated ticket provides the same protections as ticket purchased directly from the airline in case of irregular operations. Has nothing to do with trust; has everything to do with facts and making informed, sound decisions as to what is best.

 

Just curious..do you have any specific examples of problems with choice air? I am always very careful about the connections and book flights with more time in between connections, or that are non stop. So far everything has been fine with choice air, but I do know that adage "if it seems too good to be true...". Still at the savings I have had I figure the chance is worth it. But would like to know if you have specific examples of problems...

[grandgeezer]

If you prefer to ignore the truth, that is your prerogative. Caveat Emptor.

 

As I said, I have used Choice Air and am not advising against using them if they save a lot of dough; I am advising people to take extra precautions when purchasing deeply discounted tickets from Choice Air as tight connections and same day arrival as one's cruise is significantly more risky with these tickets than the higher priced tickets sold by the airline.

 

Of course RCCL wants you to use Choice Air, it is a money maker for them! Your travel agent is misinformed if he/she thinks that a deeply discounted bulk/specially negotiated ticket provides the same protections as ticket purchased directly from the airline in case of irregular operations. Has nothing to do with trust; has everything to do with facts and making informed, sound decisions as to what is best.

 

How do you know what kind of tickets they sell? I have a travel agent who has been in the business for 15 years and is a top producer for one of the biggest internet producer and then there's someone online that has no known air booking expertise. Pardon me if I choose to think of the glass is half full rather than worrying about what might or might not ever happen.

I hope I never get as insecure that I don't trust professionals.

[Gonzo70]

I hope I never get as insecure that I don't trust professionals.

 

LOL. Not insecure in the least. I am just wise enough to know that a ticket sold by Choice Air for pennies on the dollar versus what the airlines is selling it for is not the same ticket - it is a bulk/specially negotiated ticket that is all good if the flight goes off as planned, but can be a disaster if irregular operations occur. Most of the time these cheap tickets work out fine, but when a flight is cancelled or one misses a connection their ugly side materializes. It all comes down to knowing the pros & cons of Choice Air and then making an informed decision if the benefit of saving money outweighs the risk of having tickets that will likely create hardships if something goes wrong on the day of travel. I also am wise enough to know that online TA's are not always informed about everything travel related and that they do not always have my best interests at heart.

 

Hopefully you never suffer a flight cancellation or missed connection when flying on these cheap deeply discounted tickets, but if you have the misfortune of it occurring you will experience first hand what I am speaking about. I have absolutely nothing against Choice Air and I as I stated previously I have used them before. I just want people to know that deeply discounted tickets sold by Choice Air or consolidators are NOT the same as the higher priced tickets they purchase from the airlines and if irregular operations occur these differences materialize; as such one needs to be aware of this and plan accordingly so they can incur a major delay and not miss their cruise.

[waterbug123]

As soon as you get out of bed, everything you do involves some sort of risk. Cutting the grass, home repair, or getting in your car and going somewhere, you have to weigh the risk versus reward

 

I doubt very seriously that Royal Carribean Cruise Lines and many travel agents would support this and recommend it if it was very much of a risk. My travel agent supports this 100% to all her clients. If you don't trust the cruise line and your travel agent, maybe it's time to move on.

 

You're right- there's risk in everything. At issue is that most people seem to not understand the potential risk associated with discounted tickets. As long as you're fully aware of the risk then you can weigh the risk against the reward and decide if it's worth it. But if you assume the discounted ticket you get with Choice Air is exactly the same as any other ticket, then you're not fully aware of the risk.

 

Just curious..do you have any specific examples of problems with choice air?

 

Best example was a thread a year or two ago. A lady bought Choice Air tickets. I don't remember all the details, but there was a flight disruption and she missed her connection. She still could have made the ship if the airline had rerouted her through another connecting city, but her restricted tickets were non-rerouteable. That meant she had to wait until a seat was available on the exact route she had booked. I don't recall the specific cities involved in that case, but here's an example: Say I'm taking a cruise out of Boston. Choice Air books me on Delta, CHS-BOS. But there's a problem and that flight gets cancelled the day of my trip. Unfortunately there is only one daily CHS-BOS, but I do a quick search and I see that DL offers a CHS-ATL-BOS itinerary. Oops! Unbeknownst to me, my discounted ticket is non-rerouteable, so I cannot fly CHS-ATL-BOS. I HAVE to go directly from CHS to BOS...which means I have to wait til the next day. But again....oops! that flight is sold out and I have to wait til the day after that. Meanwhile, my friend who bought her ticket directly from Delta, is already on the CHS-ATL flight reading Sky magazine and having a Bloody Mary and thinking about how lonely she'll be on the cruise by herself.

Now, in the actual case I referred to the lady's problem was further compounded by the fact that to catch the ship at the next port she would have to fly to another country in the Caribbean, which she couldn't do because she didn't have a passport. End result: She missed her whole cruise, primarily because the restrictions on her ticket prevented her from being rerouted to an itinerary that would have gotten her to the ship in time.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

So thousand on tickets sold and you can only bring up one example a year or two ago, and someone is leaving the country and does not have a passport:eek:

 

Not a good example :rolleyes:

[sassy12]

Has anyone had experience using Choice Air flying from Tokyo to the US after a cruise as we will be doing in September?

[waterbug123]

So thousand on tickets sold and you can only bring up one example a year or two ago, and someone is leaving the country and does not have a passport:eek:

 

Not a good example :rolleyes:

 

You wanted to know if anyone had ever had a problem with Choice Air. The answer is yes and I gave you an example. If you wanted an example within a more recent time frame, why didn't you say so? As for the passport problem, re-read my post. The INITIAL PROBLEM was that her CA tickets restricted her from re-routed and caused her to miss the ship. The passport issue is simply what kept her from being able to buy a new ticket outright (on her own, with no help from CA) on the day she was traveling. It was secondary problem, as the damage was already done. (I'll see your :rolleyes: and raise you one :rolleyes::rolleyes:)