Royal Caribbean AIR2SEA

[cindysuz]

Is anyone able to tell me exactly what the Royal Caribbean AIR2SEA is? My cousin booked an airline flight through AIR2SEA. She was bumped off her flight and missed the cruise. Royal Caribbean told her there was nothing they could do. Luckily she had travel insurance but now I wonder what the benefits of AIR2SEA are?

[bethco]

It is my understanding that if you do not make your cruise as a result of problems with a flight booked through Air2Sea they will get you to a destination where you can meet your ship - like its first port of call - and put you up in a hotel until the day the ship arrives. Perhaps it is Air2Sea who should be contacted to make this happen. If that is the case, the person they spoke with at Royal Caribbean should have told them to contact Air2Sea to have alternative arrangements made. I hate that this happened to your cousin.

Edited July 3, 2016 by bethco

[Beachin2]

From the RCI web site:

 

Air Travel

 

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Q: What protection is provided when I purchase a Air2Sea ticket? A: Guest purchasing airline tickets through Air2Sea will receive Vacation Recovery Assistance should there be a disruption to their scheduled airline service. While we monitor your flights, guests should first check with the airline to request re-accomodation and then call the Guest Flight Operations Desk if the new flights will not enable the guest to meet the ship. We will work with the guest to find a seat on the next available flight on a regularly scheduled airline and also in the same class of service. If there are no viable options, for 48 hours, we will work with our airline partners to accomodate the guest on a flight to the next avaialble port where the guest may legally join the ship.

[cindysuz]

My cousin had her boarding pass and was in line to board the plane when they pulled her aside and bumped her. She didn't have any advance notice. I don't think there was another flight that would have arrived in time to make the ship but could be wrong. I suspect there is a reason they weren't able to help her. I'd like to know what it is as she doesn't seem to be able to tell me. What also irritates me is that they did not offer her a refund or any type of compensation. It was just a sorry, we can't help you, bye. That's what she got after ten (?) months of planning for a family reunion/Alaska cruise.

[hapster85]

Is anyone able to tell me exactly what the Royal Caribbean AIR2SEA is? My cousin booked an airline flight through AIR2SEA. She was bumped off her flight and missed the cruise. Royal Caribbean told her there was nothing they could do. Luckily she had travel insurance but now I wonder what the benefits of AIR2SEA are?

What was the circumstance that bumped her from the flight?

[cindysuz]

That's the only part of the entire situation I do understand. The airline overbooked the flight.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

My cousin had her boarding pass and was in line to board the plane when they pulled her aside and bumped her. She didn't have any advance notice. I don't think there was another flight that would have arrived in time to make the ship but could be wrong. I suspect there is a reason they weren't able to help her. I'd like to know what it is as she doesn't seem to be able to tell me. What also irritates me is that they did not offer her a refund or any type of compensation. It was just a sorry, we can't help you, bye. That's what she got after ten (?) months of planning for a family reunion/Alaska cruise.

 

We are not getting the full story here......so no need to speculate!:rolleyes:

[KJL53]

You don't usually get bumped at the gate unless you are late to the gate.

[robandlil]

I have never seen anyone bumped involuntarily from a flight who already had boarding pass in hand. Oversold flights make announcements requesting volunteers who want to be bumped. since the compensation is very good, my husband and I do it all the time and we have to rush up to the desk as so many people are usually eager to be bumped.

We usually get $300 to $500 in vouchers depending on whether it was international. Involuntary bumpers would get double that. They also have to then put you on the next possible flight and if the next flight isn't until the following day, they give you taxi, hotel, and meal vouchers.

So I think there is a lot of missing or just misinformed information.

 

Perhaps they were put off the flight for another reason? The airline can deny boarding due to behavior or safety reasons with no compensation.

[Coralc]

I would imagine that it is very difficult to re-accommodate passengers on an Alaskan cruise. The vast majority of the ports are US, and passengers wouldn't be allowed to board at any of them. Victoria or Vancouver are the only non-US ports, and they only stop there very late in the cruise, or at the end, or not at all.

 

That is a really rotten thing that happened to your cousin.

[bethco]

If there are not enough bump volunteers people will be bumped involuntarily. The who is based on things like frequent flier status and how far in advance of the flight you did the online check in.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

My cousin had her boarding pass and was in line to board the plane when they pulled her aside and bumped her. She didn't have any advance notice. I don't think there was another flight that would have arrived in time to make the ship but could be wrong. I suspect there is a reason they weren't able to help her. I'd like to know what it is as she doesn't seem to be able to tell me. What also irritates me is that they did not offer her a refund or any type of compensation. It was just a sorry, we can't help you, bye. That's what she got after ten (?) months of planning for a family reunion/Alaska cruise.

 

On your cousins Air2Sea flight paperwork it says "If you arrive at the airport and experience a service issue with your carrier concerning airlines tickets, please contact our Emergency Travel Team at 800 256-6649 or 305 539-4107." Did you cousin call the Emergency Travel Team right after she was bumped? They are the ones who would assist her. If not, who did she call and when?

 

Sorry this happened to your cousin. I think there's more to the story and hope you can fine out what it is

 

I've also posted this on the other thread you started.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=50400368&posted=1#post50400368

Edited July 3, 2016 by suzyluvs2cruise

[MCC retired]

Got bumped once with a valid boarding pass in hand.

They had to reduce weight by reducing the # of passengers.

They involuntary bumped the last few passengers who booked the flight .

Gave me next flight , first class and meal voucher.

Nowadays they are required to give big bucks whether volunteer or

non volunteer .

Last week I was on a flight that had to reduce # of passengers and kept increasing the offer starting $500 then finally up to $800 to get 5 volunteers ( this was for a 200 mile domestic flight on Delta.

 

Back to the cousins plight , something is missing from the story that

the cousin hasn't told the OP?

[iSailor]

My cousin had her boarding pass and was in line to board the plane when they pulled her aside and bumped her. She didn't have any advance notice. I don't think there was another flight that would have arrived in time to make the ship but could be wrong. I suspect there is a reason they weren't able to help her. I'd like to know what it is as she doesn't seem to be able to tell me. What also irritates me is that they did not offer her a refund or any type of compensation. It was just a sorry, we can't help you, bye. That's what she got after ten (?) months of planning for a family reunion/Alaska cruise.

 

If she doesn't seem to tell you something that means she is hiding something from you.Probably she is on the NO Flight List.

Even Royal Caribbean said there is nothing that they can do.

Edited July 3, 2016 by iSailor

[cindysuz]

I understand what happened now. My cousin made her plane reservation in early January. She arrived for her flight an hour early, possibly the last to check in. The airline asked for volunteers to be bumped and one person did volunteer. When my cousin had her boarding pass scanned to board the plane, she was told that she was being bumped. She called the air2sea people and was told there was nothing they could do. I expect they could not get her on a flight that would get her into Vancouver on time. The airline did send her the $1,350 compensation.

 

The lesson to be learned is to plan to arrive early just in case. My cousin was upset while this was happening and not thinking clearly. If I was Royal Caribbean, I think I would have made sure she understood what the problem was, maybe even a follow up phone call or email. When she told me what happened, the Passenger Services Act never entered my mind. After someone mentioned it, I thought that might sound vaguely familiar. I had to look it up

[suzyluvs2cruise]

I understand what happened now. My cousin made her plane reservation in early January. She arrived for her flight an hour early, possibly the last to check in. The airline asked for volunteers to be bumped and one person did volunteer. When my cousin had her boarding pass scanned to board the plane, she was told that she was being bumped. She called the air2sea people and was told there was nothing they could do. I expect they could not get her on a flight that would get her into Vancouver on time. The airline did send her the $1,350 compensation.

 

The lesson to be learned is to plan to arrive early just in case. My cousin was upset while this was happening and not thinking clearly. If I was Royal Caribbean, I think I would have made sure she understood what the problem was, maybe even a follow up phone call or email. When she told me what happened, the Passenger Services Act never entered my mind. After someone mentioned it, I thought that might sound vaguely familiar. I had to look it up

 

On the other thread you said there were 2 cousins and 1 cousin was bumped and the other opted not to go. Have the cousins followed up with Royal Caribbean and/or Air2Sea?

 

What airline were they flying? Something else that came to mind. If they were flying in the day of the cruise there would be fewer options to get on a flight that would get them there on time.

Edited July 4, 2016 by suzyluvs2cruise