Columbus Ohio To San Juan Help!!!

[momofslg]

I booked my cruise thru a TA and included the airfare from the cruise line. Did I make a mistake? Can anyone help me get a better deal than the cruise lines($589.00 pp). We live in Columbus Ohio(cmh) and our cruise is the AOS(out of San Juan) on October 8, 2006.. I don't want to waste any money that I could be spending on vacation.

Thanks for your help

[jcanino]

I booked my cruise thru a TA and included the airfare from the cruise line. Did I make a mistake? Can anyone help me get a better deal than the cruise lines($589.00 pp). We live in Columbus Ohio(cmh) and our cruise is the AOS(out of San Juan) on October 8, 2006.. I don't want to waste any money that I could be spending on vacation.

Thanks for your help

 

Hold on to you air with the cruise line for now. Airfare can only be booked 330 days in advance so you cannot book your own air for an October 8, 2006 cruise. Somewhere around November 17, you will be able to price your flights and you can get an idea of what the fare is. You will rarely see any special kinds of pricing 11 months in advance. Have your TA keep an eye on the fares for when they go down.

[Loves_Dogs]

Hi momofslg -

I had been watching airfare prices from Columbus Ohio to San Juan for my Destiny cruise next June for awhile. I finally saw United Airlines offering $438 per ticket TOTAL and jumped on it. It was more than I wanted to spend, but the times were good and $438 was lower than what I had been seeing. I just checked and today US Air is offering $416 total. Oh well... I am just glad to have the airline portion of the planning out of the way.

[kimcruiser]

I have a Spirit alert air deals that goes to my email. It is giving prices from detroit ( which has been the highest priced air I have seen and I have looked at all airports I can drive to, living in toledo) at "special" $99 one way for november. Otherwise the prices have been in the $400-$500 range for november air.

[Coolmama_1]

When we went to SJU, I also looked at specials out of FLL. We flew SWA to FLL and AA into SJU last summer. Airfare was running about 550+ from Nashville at the time. By doing that, I was able to get airfare down to around 300. The disadvantage to using SWA is their short flight schedule, but don't give up yet. You have lots of time.

[Ken1]

We are flying from RIchmond to San Juan September 17 2006, and I am also looking at airfare. But like somebody said it is still to early to get flight times and prices. I have to wait till next sunday to get times and prices. Carnival charges $580.00 and I have seen if I go thru Jet Blue and go on a Saturday I can save about $416 dollars, but I then still have to get a hotel for the night and still get transfer to the port. It is also still to early for Jet Blue to post there price and times but I used a sample of there other flights out as a starting off point. If you fly down on Sunday it is almost impossible to do because you flight get into San Juan at 7 and if there is any delays then you might miss your cruise. They only have 2 flights out on Sunday so that might make it hard to do.

 

The best I can say is keep looking and if a better deal comes along then you might want to jump on it. I might even consider booking Carnival because then they have to worry about getting me there and getting me home and transfer, but the one thing is I would like to get home early on that Sunday and not late at night.

[travelndad13]

Be patient. I am cruising the Destiny in three weeks out of San Juan. I kept waiting and looking eventually finding air out of Boston to SJU for $227.00 including all taxes. Just keep looking and be patient.

[laceyjane]

I am going on the Royal Carribean Empress 11 night cruise on March 13, 2006 out of San Juan. I just booked a flight for $370.00 per person round trip on Travelocity. Going down I fly from Pittsburgh PA non stop to San juan then coming home I fly from from San Juan to Philadelphia PA --30 minute layover in Philadelphia-- then fly from Philadelphia home to Pittsburgh PA I was really happy to find the $370.00 per person round trip cost especially when flying down is a non-stop flight!!

 

When the time comes you need to really watch all the travel sights (especially late at night), they can also send you notification emails when your flight reaches around the price you are interested in. Our local Pittsburgh PA travel agent told us when we see a flight around $375.00 round trip to San Juan book it

[greatam]

I am going on the Royal Carribean Empress 11 night cruise on March 13, 2006 out of San Juan. I just booked a flight for $370.00 per person round trip on Travelocity. Going down I fly from Pittsburgh PA non stop to San juan then coming home I fly from from San Juan to Philadelphia PA --30 minute layover in Philadelphia-- then fly from Philadelphia home to Pittsburgh PA I was really happy to find the $370.00 per person round trip cost especially when flying down is a non-stop flight!!

 

A word of caution should be noted on your flights. I don't want to alarm you, but a 30 minute layover, and I would assume plane change, is an "illegal" connection. If there is no plane change, you are OK. The airline may not allow this routing, even though Travelocity sold it to you, if a plane change is involved.

 

Airlines do not allow these tight connections, with a plane change, for the following reason: If the plane is late from San Juan, there is a ripple effect for anyone with a tight connection. Also, if the schedule for the San Juan flight changes between now and March, you may not make your connection at all. The airlines DO NOT want to be responsible for lots of missed flights, which adds a lot to their cost of doing business.

 

It also appears that your flights are on US Air. I could be wrong, but the routing looks like a US routing. Be prepared for lost luggage in Philly. US Air, Philly, is notorious for lost and misplaced luggage, especially when connecting on a tight schedule. Out of 64 flights I have flown this year, and 5 in the last three weeks on very small, foreign airlines, connecting to larger international airlines, only twice has my baggage been misplaced-both in Philly and both on US Air.

[jcanino]

A word of caution should be noted on your flights. I don't want to alarm you, but a 30 minute layover, and I would assume plane change, is an "illegal" connection. If there is no plane change, you are OK. The airline may not allow this routing, even though Travelocity sold it to you, if a plane change is involved.

 

The 30 minute layover is a valid connection as US offers at least one flight from SJU to PIT with that layover in PHL. What you may not know is that the time between connections is what they need to transfer your luggage not transfer you. Any agency that sells connecting flights without a valid connect time is subject to a fine.

 

I have had many 30 minute connect times in PHL coming and going back to BDL on flight through the US and the Caribbean.

[greatam]

The 30 minute layover is a valid connection as US offers at least one flight from SJU to PIT with that layover in PHL. What you may not know is that the time between connections is what they need to transfer your luggage not transfer you. Any agency that sells connecting flights without a valid connect time is subject to a fine.

 

I have had many 30 minute connect times in PHL coming and going back to BDL on flight through the US and the Caribbean.

 

Since the merger, at least to my knowledge, there will be no less than 38 minutes layover, ON ANY flight. I had critical freight held last week on US/America West, due to the rule. My office called to inquire why our freight was still on the ground in PHL, and was told that the rule has ALWAYS been in effect for America West and was instituted immediately with the merger for all flights.

 

Obviously, YOU need to transfer. But as I pointed out, luggage in PHL is a continuing problem on US Air.

 

You are a travel agent. Why would you even recommend and post that a 30 minute connect time, in this day and age, is even acceptable?

 

Lots of people on these boards are not frequent flyers. In fact, most probably only fly 1 or two times a year. Let's agree to give everyone the benefit of carefree traveling, as least as far as possible in today's world. No short connection times and no flights home from cruises before noon. Sure, its all "doable", BUT.

[jcanino]

You are a travel agent. Why would you even recommend and post that a 30 minute connect time, in this day and age, is even acceptable?

 

Because IT IS a valid connect time with US. Yes, PHL has problems with baggage and I myself have been the victim flying through there, but you shouldn't tell people that 30 something minutes is an illegal connection.

[greatam]

Because IT IS a valid connect time with US. Yes, PHL has problems with baggage and I myself have been the victim flying through there, but you shouldn't tell people that 30 something minutes is an illegal connection.

 

It is NO LONGER a valid connection.

[jcanino]

It is NO LONGER a valid connection.

 

Here are flights for the day the person is flying home from SJU.......Note the 34 minute connect time!

 

Flight:

US Airways flight 1024

Aircraft:

Airbus Industrie 330 Jet

Depart:

San Juan,Puerto Rico (SJU)

Fri., Mar. 24

3:35pm

Arrive:

Philadelphia, PA (PHL)

Fri., Mar. 24

6:26pm

Travel Time:

3 hours 51 minutes

Dependability:

New Flight - Dependability rating not yet established

Mileage:

1580

Meal:

No Meal Served

Flight:

US Airways flight 249

Aircraft:

Boeing 737-400

Depart:

Philadelphia, PA (PHL)

Fri., Mar. 24

7:00pm

Arrive:

Pittsburgh, PA (PIT)

Fri., Mar. 24

8:23pm

Travel Time:

1 hours 23 minutes

Dependability:

Flight arrives on time 70-79.9% of the time

Mileage:

268

[greatam]

I don't want to argue about this. I have no idea when your schedule was made, but if it was post-merger, it is incorrect, according to the new rules.

 

It also appears that this is a new flight, per your post. So US could very easily have made it a 34 minute connection, not fully complying with the new rules. Or making the schedule about the same time as the merger, which would account for the 34 minute connect.

 

There will be a lot of sorting out to do with the merger. But America West is being very firm about the longer connection times, ESPECIALLY in PHL, where they KNOW they have problems. Doug Parker has done an excellent job at America West and has his work cut out for him dealing with the PHL problems. But he is headed in the right direction. The new airline will not be shabbily run, as US Air has been for years.

 

If you would like a copy of the fax I received directly from the office in Tempe, with the new connection time rules, please email me at greatam@earthlink.net.

[jcanino]

I don't want to argue about this. I have no idea when your schedule was made, but if it was post-merger, it is incorrect, according to the new rules.

 

It came off of USAirways web site this morning!

[juliew]

It came off of USAirways web site this morning!

 

I would never (repeat NEVER) book a 30 minute connect in Philly - too much can (and DOES) go wrong. I don't care what they website says - it's too risky- the luggage will not get there even if you do.

[laceyjane]

Here are flights for the day the person is flying home from SJU.......Note the 34 minute connect time!

 

Flight:

US Airways flight 1024

Aircraft:

Airbus Industrie 330 Jet

Depart:

San Juan,Puerto Rico (SJU)

Fri., Mar. 24

3:35pm

Arrive:

Philadelphia, PA (PHL)

Fri., Mar. 24

6:26pm

Travel Time:

3 hours 51 minutes

Dependability:

New Flight - Dependability rating not yet established

Mileage:

1580

Meal:

No Meal Served

http://reservations2.usairways.com/a...sa_connect.gif

http://reservations2.usairways.com/a.../ag_uslogo.GIF Flight:

US Airways flight 249

Aircraft:

Boeing 737-400

Depart:

Philadelphia, PA (PHL)

Fri., Mar. 24

7:00pm

Arrive:

Pittsburgh, PA (PIT)

Fri., Mar. 24

8:23pm

Travel Time:

1 hours 23 minutes

Dependability:

Flight arrives on time 70-79.9% of the time

Mileage:

268

 

The above is the exact flights that we have booked through Travelocity for our cruise. After reading all these posts I am now very nervous as it was my idea to book this flight for the group of us (4 of us traveling together). I just happened to find it on Travelocity and thought it was a great price with good times.

 

Should I call US Air and travelocity etc. and make sure everything is ok with our flight? We have flown home from San Juan only a few times and we have never had a problem going through Philadelphia (we never lost luggage yet or had trouble making a short connection time so I wasn't to worried about the 34 minutes we had to change planes )

 

I am not an experienced flyer , if they lose our luggage while flying home from our vacation do they most of the time end up finding it and returning it to our home? Since our 34 minute connection time is from one US Airways plane to another should we have enough time to make our connecting US Airways #249 flight?

 

I sure hope something I thought would be so great (good price, non-stop flight down, only a 34 minute layover coming home ) doesn't turn out to be a real nightmare for us.

[greatam]

It came off of USAirways web site this morning!

 

Off the web??? Scheduling is not done on the web-it is posted TO the web. Schedule probably was made some months ago.

 

That is the problem I was trying to expound on. There will be a LOT of shuffling to get all the new "rules" to interact correctly with scheduled flights. Flights will change to comply with the "rules".

[greatam]

The above is the exact flights that we have booked through Travelocity for our cruise. After reading all these posts I am now very nervous as it was my idea to book this flight for the group of us (4 of us traveling together). I just happened to find it on Travelocity and thought it was a great price with good times.

 

Should I call US Air and travelocity etc. and make sure everything is ok with our flight? We have flown home from San Juan only a few times and we have never had a problem going through Philadelphia (we never lost luggage yet or had trouble making a short connection time so I wasn't to worried about the 34 minutes we had to change planes )

 

I am not an experienced flyer , if they lose our luggage while flying home from our vacation do they most of the time end up finding it and returning it to our home? Since our 34 minute connection time is from one US Airways plane to another should we have enough time to make our connecting US Airways #249 flight?

 

I sure hope something I thought would be so great (good price, non-stop flight down, only a 34 minute layover coming home ) doesn't turn out to be a real nightmare for us.

 

Please don't worry so much. The connection will be tight, but it is doable. A lot of the previous discussion was too technical for the average cruiser. Sorry for worrying you.

 

No need to call anyone at this point. You still have six months till flight time. There will probably be changes to your flights. Wait and see until 1-2 weeks before. If any of the changes are unacceptable to you (like too early to make it from the ship), then call, explain the situation, and go from there. Who knows, in six months, you may have an hour layover, just due to all the schedule shuffling that is prevalent on ALL airlines.

 

IF you make the flight off the ship and the plane is on time, YOU will have more than sufficient time to make the plane. Your luggage may not. US Air will definitely get your luggage to you, usually by the next day. Do not put anything you really value in your checked luggage. Take it with you on the plane. IF your luggage gets lost (actually misplaced or truth be told, some of the ramp people in PHL are the laziest in the country), it will be handled by quite a few people-ramp personnel, lost baggage people, and the delivery courier, as well as PIT baggage personnel. No sense giving anyone a chance to take off with your valuables.

 

You did a good thing and got a good price. Go with the flow, be prepared with Plan B and ENJOY YOUR CRUISE!!!!

[Strawberry]

I do not trust USAir to be dependable. I always fly in for a cruise 2 days early and allowed two days to get down to Florida on USAir for a cruise. There were all kinds of problems with the flight from Philadelphia and we ended up spending the night in DC then flying back up to Philadelphia the next morning for a direct flight to Miami. At first USAir told us that they would not be able to get us to Miami for several days because it was Mrch and their planes were all full. However, we got into Miami at 4PM and just barely made it to the ship. NONE of my luggage NEVER made it -- not for the whole ENTIRE one week trip! The last night of the cruise the Purser's office told me that my luggage had been found and would be at the end of the gangway when I got off the plane in Miami. It was there. No apologies from USAir -- when I complained to them they said that they do not compensate for "inconveniences!" Finally they did give me some $ credit toward a future trip. I will never take USAir again if I have any other choice. This was not our first problem with them -- fortunately, we now have Southwest competing with USAir in Philadelphia.

[Strawberry]

I do not trust USAir to be dependable. I always fly in for a cruise 2 days early and allowed two days to get down to Florida on USAir for a cruise. There were all kinds of problems with the flight from Philadelphia and we ended up spending the night in DC then flying back up to Philadelphia the next morning for a direct flight to Miami. At first USAir told us that they would not be able to get us to Miami for several days because it was Mrch and their planes were all full. However, we got into Miami at 4PM and just barely made it to the ship. NONE of my luggage EVER made it -- not for the whole ENTIRE one week trip! The last night of the cruise the Purser's office told me that my luggage had been found and would be at the end of the gangway when I got off the plane in Miami. It was there. No apologies from USAir -- when I complained to them they said that they do not compensate for "inconveniences!" Finally they did give me some $ credit toward a future trip. I had purchased insurance from Princess and was able to buy a few things to wear from the shops on the ship until I got to a port. I will never take USAir again if I have any other choice. This was not our first problem with them -- fortunately, we now have Southwest competing with USAir in Philadelphia.

Also, this was air purchased with our cruise from Princess and when we were almost stranded in DC we found that it was our problem to solve and that contrary to what everyone thinks -- the cruise line doesn't do anything to help even though they handled the original air arrangements.

[jcanino]

Off the web??? Scheduling is not done on the web-it is posted TO the web. Schedule probably was made some months ago.

 

That is the problem I was trying to expound on. There will be a LOT of shuffling to get all the new "rules" to interact correctly with scheduled flights. Flights will change to comply with the "rules".

 

No, scheduling is done in an office. Those same flights are available on any GDS. My point is that the connection is valid per USAirways and NOT illegal as you say.

[juliew]

No, scheduling is done in an office. Those same flights are available on any GDS. My point is that the connection is valid per USAirways and NOT illegal as you say.

 

Sometimes when the airlines load them they load them wrong. When you pull up minimum connect time for Philadelphia airport it says 40 minutes (even that is pushing it).

 

I made a 20 minute connection in ATL once running from one end to the next - it was one that was listed as "valid" but reality is that you need more than that in ATL. My luggage did not make it.

 

Philadelphia is known for problems with connections and lost luggage. If all goes well, they may do okay. If there is a snag, there will be problems.