Choice Air Or Directly Through The Airline??

[Dave4120]

Thanks Dan for the tip. I never thought of what you described either.

[LHT28]

You can always book another cruise for the spring & use the return portion to get to Europe ;)

 

All this figuring out flights could drive you mad :eek:

[DanJ]

You can always book another cruise for the spring & use the return portion to get to Europe ;)

 

All this figuring out flights could drive you mad :eek:

 

That's what I have seen other people post about in the past as well. One advantage of booking the return way out in the calendar was the possible ability to pay a change fee to have a suitable flight for a second cruise. Depends on fare basis and change rules of course.

[Dave4120]

Thanks for the info, however, bare with me, but if I'm understanding correctly about a return flight might work if I plan another cruise, that would only work if I planned another cruise right after my cruise at the end of next April, correct??

 

If I cruise each year at the same time, the way the window is for buying tickets, that would not apply???

 

I know I'm I bit on a low IQ with my understanding.

[BEAV]

Thanks for the info, however, bare with me, but if I'm understanding correctly about a return flight might work if I plan another cruise, that would only work if I planned another cruise right after my cruise at the end of next April, correct??

 

If I cruise each year at the same time, the way the window is for buying tickets, that would not apply???

 

I know I'm I bit on a low IQ with my understanding.

 

Some people do an Eastbound Transatlantic crossing in Spring, then a Westbound one in the Fall and buy a round trip ticket (Europe-US-Europe) to coordinate with both cruises. In your case that wouldn't work if you're looking to buy your ticket soon because airline inventory isn't yet open for a return trip to Europe in the Fall of 2016. Hypothetically speaking, if you were going to do both a Spring and Fall Transatlantic in 2016, and bought your airline ticket in January 2016, then you could coordinate your flights with both sailings.

[LHT28]

I am not sure how far out you can book the return trip

but say you can book it for Sep or Oct

you could book a Med cruise for those months so do SYR to FCO or VCE

 

But then you are back to finding a one way home & the cycle begins again ;)

 

You could always do Cunard crossing

Book the return ticket portion SYR to LHR get the ship in Southampton back to NYC

 

all sorts of options to make you crazy :D:D

 

Maybe just stick with the OW on Choice air ;)

Edited July 26, 2015 by LHT28

[Gardyloo]

I am not sure how far out you can book the return trip

but say you can book it for Sep or Oct

you could book a Med cruise for those months so do SYR to FCO or VCE

 

But then you are back to finding a one way home & the cycle begins again ;)

 

You could always do Cunard crossing

Book the return ticket portion SYR to LHR get the ship in Southampton back to NYC

 

all sorts of options to make you crazy :D:D

 

Maybe just stick with the OW on Choice air ;)

Actually, you'll find that most tickets have very specific rules on validity. By trying to exchange a ticket with, say, a 30-day return for one with a return ten or eleven months out, you'll be put into another fare category with a MUCH higher ticket price, often quite close to the cost of two one-way tickets. In addition, of course, you'll have to pay a $150 or $200 change fee on top of the additional fare.

 

If you're buying a throw-away ticket (the term for not using the return portion) just live with the wasted ticket and don't try to make lemonade out of it. And in fact, if you get into the habit of throw-away ticketing, be aware that the airlines' computers never sleep, and those same ticket rules can also be used by the airline to get you to pay the difference between the round trip and the one-way fares. They seldom do it, but if you make a practice of it, they can and will.

 

One other tactic for less expensive one-way tickets is to buy enough frequent flyer miles from an airline for a one-way redemption. For example, right now American Airlines is having a bonus offer on purchased miles - buy, say, 75,000 miles for around $1700, and get another 25,000 added as a bonus. You can then turn around and redeem those 100,000 miles for two one-way trips between Europe and North America in business class (50K miles one way) for an out-of-pocket cost of around $850 each, not bad. Of course you have to be sure that there are award seats available on your dates, which can be easy or hard depending on the city pairs and the time of year. But it's definitely doable; have done it myself when I needed a one-way ticket across the pond (or in my case, to Japan.)

[LHT28]

Actually, you'll find that most tickets have very specific rules on validity. By trying to exchange a ticket with, say, a 30-day return for one with a return ten or eleven months out, you'll be put into another fare category with a MUCH higher ticket price, often quite close to the cost of two one-way tickets. In addition, of course, you'll have to pay a $150 or $200 change fee on top of the additional fare.

 

Sorry was not suggesting they change the ticket but to use the throw away originally planned to fly to Europe later in the year for another cruise or even a land trip

 

Back in the old days before the internet throwing away the return portion of a R/T ticket was charged back to the travel agency with the o/w pricing

[Gardyloo]

Sorry was not suggesting they change the ticket but to use the throw away originally planned to fly to Europe later in the year for another cruise or even a land trip

Right, but then the return date on the original ticket would have to be so far out that they wouldn't get the cheap fare they're seeking in the first place.

[LHT28]

Right, but then the return date on the original ticket would have to be so far out that they wouldn't get the cheap fare they're seeking in the first place.

Maybe

they would have to read the rules governing the fares they chose ;)

Edited July 26, 2015 by LHT28

[Dave4120]

So much information information...thank-you very much. Because of our work schedules, we cruise every year between April and May. As I had mentioned earlier, we hardly fly because most of the cruises we've done have been out of Cape Liberty or Baltimore, where we've taken the bus or train to the port, so, this past April's flight to Europe for the cruise we just completed, was the first time we've flown in about 20+ years i hate to say.

 

All of the comments all of you have provided me for next April's cruise, where we fly back back from Rome, Italy on May 16th has been very helpful. I'll be checking the airlines directly and Choice Air, along with one way, round trip and different, multi-city options.

[waterbug123]

I also understand now about the airlines not liking if you buy a roundtrip and only use one leg of that roundtrip.

 

IMO the buy RT for one way is only a problem if you are a frequent flier on that airline (with a number accumulating mile) and are doing it regularly. They know who you are and track you. What can happen is they close your account and you lose your miles.

 

Just to clarify something, for the benefit of anyone else who might be considering buying a RT but only using half.... I don't recommend doing it, but if you do, it has to be the return half that you throw away, not the outbound half. If you don't show up for the outbound half, and just assume you'll use the return on the designated day, you'll arrive at the airport to find out that when you were a no-show for the outbound leg, the rest of your ticket was cancelled and you no long have a ticket to get home.

[Dave4120]

Thanks Meg for the information. I was thinking that might be the case. Even though the one way at the moment is only $100 more per person than buying a roundtrip, and, only using half of it, I think I might be leaning toward just buying the one way. Not sure if i want to take a chance on using only half of the round trip, then, having something backfire.

 

Dave

[Dave4120]

Wow...Awful tempting where a multi-citi round trip on American from Rome, Italy to Syracuse NY on May 16th, with a return from JFK to IST, Turkey on May 26th which half I wouldn't use, just dropped to $587 per person. This is directly through American and not Choice Air.

 

One way on Choice Air is $715 each.

[BEAV]

Wow...Awful tempting where a multi-citi round trip on American from Rome, Italy to Syracuse NY on May 16th, with a return from JFK to IST, Turkey on May 26th which half I wouldn't use, just dropped to $587 per person. This is directly through American and not Choice Air.

 

One way on Choice Air is $715 each.

 

And did you notice that the carrier on the "throw away" return JFK-IST you're seeing on AA's website is British Airways? The flight numbers are AA codeshare numbers, but the actual airline flying is BA.

 

So a question to those who warn of the remote possibility of any repercussions of throwing away the return ticket; Is the ticketing airline any less inclined to "go after" someone with a throw away ticket if it's on a different airline vs. their own flights?

[Dave4120]

Hi Beav...what repercussions, if any, are there, if the second part of the flight is BA and not American if we didn't plan on using it?

 

Thanks

[BEAV]

Hi Beav...what repercussions, if any, are there, if the second part of the flight is BA and not American if we didn't plan on using it?

 

Thanks

 

I don't know. That's why I posed the question to those who don't encourage doing the "throw away" ticket idea to see if they have any different opinion if the return ticket happens to be on a different carrier.

[LHT28]

another question for the experts

What if you book the return portion of the R/T for a few months later then decide to cancel the ticket

you call the airline saying something came up & you cannot use it

will the airline refund you anything or re-fare you as a one way???

 

Anyone??

[Dave4120]

Or if you take out travel insurance with air cancellation coverage or cancel for any reason. Can you get that unused portion of your airfare back?

[LHT28]

Or if you take out travel insurance with air cancellation coverage or cancel for any reason. Can you get that unused portion of your airfare back?

 

I do not think so

We recently had to leave a cruise early & the insurance did not pay the inbound portion of the air

They did pay for a new flight home though

[waterbug123]

another question for the experts

What if you book the return portion of the R/T for a few months later then decide to cancel the ticket

you call the airline saying something came up & you cannot use it

will the airline refund you anything or re-fare you as a one way???

 

Anyone??

 

In that situation, you'd probably be better off just not using it rather than calling the airline to cancel and request a refund for the unused portion. Here's why:

You aren't really cancelling the outbound portion. What you are doing is actually just changing the itinerary. And typically a change in itinerary means paying the fare difference and a change fee. The price of the now one-way fare that you flew may well be more than the round trip price, and a change fee for an international flight is probably $250-300 per person. So, not only is it unlikely that you'd actually be due any refund, you may well owe the airline even more money. And if you're on the phone with them, as opposed to simply being a no-show? You're practically begging them to charge you.

[LHT28]

In that situation, you'd probably be better off just not using it rather than calling the airline to cancel and request a refund for the unused portion. Here's why:

You aren't really cancelling the outbound portion. What you are doing is actually just changing the itinerary. And typically a change in itinerary means paying the fare difference and a change fee. The price of the now one-way fare that you flew may well be more than the round trip price, and a change fee for an international flight is probably $250-300 per person. So, not only is it unlikely that you'd actually be due any refund, you may well owe the airline even more money. And if you're on the phone with them, as opposed to simply being a no-show? You're practically begging them to charge you.

Thanks that was what I thought

 

Some OW fares are not too bad to some destinations

[Dave4120]

Thanks for all of the useful information. Not being a frequent flyer, I've been amazed at all of the information and rules, etc. It seems like you need to be an attorney to understand everything about ticket purchasing, fares, cancellations, restrictions, penalties, etc.

 

Dave

[Dave4120]

Just an update on my air arrangements.

 

We are planning to stay 3 nights post cruise and fly back home on May 16th.

 

But, as Pam indicated, starting on a that Monday, May 16th, the air fares jump like crazy, for, whatever reason.

 

Choice Air is $300 per person less from FCO to SYR if we flew back May 13, 14, or 15 versus May 16.

 

Not saying I'm going to change plans but leaving on May 16 would be $1000 more than staying the additional night at the hotel, plus the additional $600 in air fare versus flying back home on May 15.

 

Wow...just one day's difference is that much more!! Oh well. Just another thing to think about and keep my mind from falling asleep.

 

Dave

[kenish]

Not saying I'm going to change plans but leaving on May 16 would be $1000 more than staying the additional night at the hotel, plus the additional $600 in air fare versus flying back home on May 15.

 

Wow...just one day's difference is that much more!! Oh well. Just another thing to think about and keep my mind from falling asleep.

 

Whitsunday is May 15, 2016. Someone else can respond on the travel patterns that result.

 

Also, Commencement at most American universities on the semester system is either May 15 or a week later. If my smallish family is typical, my son's graduation and his flight home meant 12 people flying around the Monday after his Commencement. Multiply that by maybe 50,000 graduates, multiplied by their friends/family and there's a big imbalance of demand vs. supply.

Edited July 30, 2015 by kenish