Cruise line air?

[tooalto]

We have an Alaskan cruise currently booked with an online TA. As a former TA, I always do our own air and fully realize HAL can't do anything with our booking. But...I was wondering if I might call and just get HAL's quote for air on our cruise since it will be an open jaw ? We are combining our cruise out of Vancouver with a stay of several days prior in Portland, OR for a mini family reunion. Since we are 3* (and about 3/4 of the way to 4*, such a tough job!), we don't have to pay for a deviation but I'm not sure if our online TA would do their air through HAL or on their own.

Edited September 4, 2015 by tooalto

[blizzardboy]

I've never seen them save me money on air, hotels before or after cruise, ground transportation, or any similar stuff.

[dakrewser]

One of the problems with what we call "on-line" TAs (really, self-service orgs) is that its next to impossible to change anything in a booking. And, AFAIK, HAL won't book your air for a cruise you booked thru a TA.

 

In any case, since you want an open jaw, you'll most likely do much better booking it yourself.

[tooalto]

That's kind of what I thought but I wasn't sure. I know we always do well on our own. Actually, I've been very pleased with our online TA and they have been accommodating about making changes. Maybe it helps that we have currently have 3 cruises booked with them right now and I had no problem adding Explore4 to our middle cruise. I have some time before I can book our air.

[RuthC]

Especially since it's an open jaw flight, I would ask the TA to get a HAL quote before making a decision. A quote doesn't mean you have to take the HAL air, just that you have a basis of comparison when you look on your own.

[Bowie MeMe]

I've never seen them save me money on air, hotels before or after cruise, ground transportation, or any similar stuff.

 

I Agree! I find that if I study the possible routes/rates/and consider more than one way to get there (non-stop or through a connection or visiting another city before the cruise then going to departure point) use ITA matrix and the cruise air advice here on CC -- I have always done better. Your experience may be different but when I book my own air and hotels I get what I want or at least the nearest to that goal that I can find. A booking agent hits a few keys and gives you what comes up. So little to nothing in pay for the travel agents to book (air pays no commission) it does not warrant much time from their profit view.

 

Plus I happen to think that planning is some of the greatest fun of a trip -- keeps me busy for months since I can not afford to live on cruise ships on a daily basis. Planning costs nothing and everything is possible (until the real plan and journey is set!)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done quite a few open jaw flights and I book them myself. This way I get the times I want.

I would hate to see how many connections HAL would come up with to get us from one city to another.

[iancal]

In the past fifteen years or so, perhaps 20 cruises, we have only purchased cruise air twice. Both one way fares.

 

The first was booked on line through the cruise line web site for a small saving of five percent. The second was last year. Cruise air booked through our on line TA for a very nice 30 percent saving and great connections from Barcelona.

 

All other times they have either been more expensive, connections not to our preferences, or both.

 

We always check though just in case.

Edited September 4, 2015 by iancal

[swin26]

We booked our flights through HAL for upcoming cruise. We are flying into one city and out from another. The HAL price was $200 pp less than what I was able to find on our own. I worked with my PCC and he offered a number of options for flights. The one we booked was what I would have chosen if I was booking myself, only cheaper.

[Daisyloo]

I have to ask. What is "open jaw" flight?

[blizzardboy]

I'm probably jaded being in a smaller airline market where there's little price competition among the major players. With only one major carrier flying to Ft. Lauderdale, other than the cattle-car airlines I refuse to fly, HAL has never been lower. I would imagine if we were talking international connections, I might get a different result.

[jtl513]

We have an Alaskan cruise currently booked with an online TA. As a former TA, I always do our own air and fully realize HAL can't do anything with our booking. But...I was wondering if I might call and just get HAL's quote for air on our cruise since it will be an open jaw ? ... Since we are 3* (and about 3/4 of the way to 4*, such a tough job!), we don't have to pay for a deviation but I'm not sure if our online TA would do their air through HAL or on their own.

We've used HAL air for three re-positioning cruises (2 T-A and one FL-AK) because in all cases the HAL price was significantly less than any one-way or open-jaw that I could find myself. BTW "deviations" are a thing of the past with the new-ish FlightEase.

 

And, AFAIK, HAL won't book your air for a cruise you booked thru a TA.

I don't know about on-line TAs, but our local TA did it all three times for us, and got our first or 2nd flight choices every time ... no more than one plane change.

In any case, since you want an open jaw, you'll most likely do much better booking it yourself.

Again, not in my recent experience.

I would hate to see how many connections HAL would come up with to get us from one city to another.

Every time you say something like this I keep telling you that bad routings are no longer the case with FlightEase, but you continue to ignore me. Twice our TA was able to get our first choice of flights, and once our second choice. Maybe I'm on your ignore list and you don't even see my posts?

I have to ask. What is "open jaw" flight?

Your return flight is not from the same city that your outbound flight arrived at - a situation most often encountered on repo cruises. In our case, for example, from Orlando to Copenhagen outbound but NYC to Orlando return ... like the "open jaw" of a dog. :) Edited September 4, 2015 by jtl513

[jtl513]

Your return flight is not from the same city that your outbound flight arrived at - a situation most often encountered on repo cruises. In our case, for example, from Orlando to Copenhagen outbound but NYC to Orlando return ... like the "open jaw" of a dog. :)

Another type of "open jaw" is when your return flight is to a different city than you departed from ... say Orlando to Paris to NYC.

[Globaliser]

Your return flight is not from the same city that your outbound flight arrived at - a situation most often encountered on repo cruises. In our case, for example, from Orlando to Copenhagen outbound but NYC to Orlando return ...

Another type of "open jaw" is when your return flight is to a different city than you departed from ... say Orlando to Paris to NYC.

And to complete the set, there is also the "double open jaw", where there are open jaws at both ends. For example, Miami to Amsterdam outbound; Barcelona to New York inbound.

[jtl513]

And to complete the set, there is also the "double open jaw", where there are open jaws at both ends. For example, Miami to Amsterdam outbound; Barcelona to New York inbound.

That sounds like a broken jaw! :D

[Bowie MeMe]

I open those jaws willingly because you can stop in a city and explore it before you go on to the city of embarkation. My last open jaw flight (award ticket on United) was Washington, DC to San Francisco stayed overnight then to Taipei Taiwan (stayed 3 nights) then down to Bali Indonesia where the cruise started (we added in a roundtrip flight to Yogyakarta Indonesia as a separate ticket as part of the 10 day pre cruise land trip) The cruise was from Bali to Osaka Japan where we took the high speed train to Tokyo for a nonstop flight back to Washington DC. :D Makes my travel $ go as far as possible.

 

I doubt if the cruise line could have made this itinerary work to make a dream trip possible. I also don't think that they would allow as much time as we spend on either end of a cruise for touring and exploring the embarkation and disembarkation cities and areas. As long as you are in the neighborhood. Even cruises to and from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami I want lots of extra time -- granddaughter lives there.

Edited September 5, 2015 by Bowie MeMe

[senorjim]

We saved a significant amount on open jaw business class flights with HAL. Example: Last year Winnipeg to Singapore then Kobe to Winnipeg. Saved almost $1500 per person over Air Canada's online booking and we got the exact flights we requested. All booked through our TA.

[Ricktan]

I booked our upcoming flights thru HAL because they offered us great options for almost 350.00 per person LESS than anything I could find online. So I would think that it would always be a good idea to at least explore all your options before making a decision.

[sherilyn70]

The last time they offered me better prices since it was a Quebec to Boston cruise. I decided to use them again this time because they were very flexible in finding the flights that worked best for us at the same prices I was finding but still give us that assurance that they will do their best to get us to the ship should something happen.

[wander]

I have always found that HAL can match or usually beat airfares for Open Jaw INTERNATIONAL flights, including one for this October, usually in the 5 - 10% range. Domestic flights or International Round Trip (same cities on both ends), no savings. I ways find out which airline HAL would use from my TA, research what I can get myself, and then make a decision. Using HAL air, I have first found what flight(s) they would propose and then make requests for a change. For example, for October a connection is necessary and I did not like the one they picked, so I was able to have them change it at no additional cost. For October, I also requested getting to the port city 5 days early and staying there for a week afterwards - again, no problem and no extra cost. I do all this through my TA.

 

I do get a bit upset with folks who say - it is always less expensive to do your air yourself. Maybe it usually is - I do not know, but I do know I have saved hundreds of dollars over the years on open jaw international flights through HAL. If people believe you - you may be costing them unnecessary expense. I do believe one should simply check out all their options before making such decisions.

[chefestelle]

What I didn't like about booking through HAL was not getting seat assignments. If I have to go through the work of going online to get my seat assignments anyway, I might as well book it myself from the start. However, my flights were return. Three different airlines, for a total of six legs but all interconnected. That's easy and I'm happy to do that on my own in most cases. I usually leave anything more complicated to my TA. Less room for my mistakes and the best deal.

[chefestelle]

We saved a significant amount on open jaw business class flights with HAL. Example: Last year Winnipeg to Singapore then Kobe to Winnipeg. Saved almost $1500 per person over Air Canada's online booking and we got the exact flights we requested. All booked through our TA.

 

 

That's a great deal. My trip to San Diego through them was actually a few dollars per person more than I could have got booking on my own but not enough to change my mind about the convenience of linking everything to HAL. Then I discovered the no seat assignment issue and so won't go that route unless I can get a deal like you and other posters have mentioned. I suspect the deals are better the further you go. Vancouver to anywhere on the U.S. Pacific coast is really just a little flight!

[Sue from Canada]

Another type of "open jaw" is when your return flight is to a different city than you departed from ... say Orlando to Paris to NYC.

 

"Open jaw." That's a new term for me:D The only time I booked with HAL was for air to Anchorage and air to Barcelona. They beat anything I could find on-line. We don't get as many choices and bargains up here in Canada.

[iancal]

We have only ever booked two less expensive cruise air flights. Both were one ways. One was to Costa Rica from FLL after a cruise. It had a very small saving-about five percent. The second was a one way home to Canada from Barcelona. We saved about thirty percent.

 

We always check however cruise air for us has seldom held any price advantage or routing advantage. Most of our flights are either open jaw with the same carrier or one ways.

Edited September 5, 2015 by iancal

[CZEE]

And, AFAIK, HAL won't book your air for a cruise you booked thru a TA.

 

In any case, since you want an open jaw, you'll most likely do much better booking it yourself.

 

I've booked a cruise for 2016. My TA is booking my air through HAL. . .or at least getting a quote.

 

We're taking a Princess cruise this year. Booked with the same TA. Did our own air with eZAir. At least on Princess, once you've booked, you can book your air. We could not do as well ourselves in the South Pacific. There are drawbacks to using cruiseair, though.