Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Questions about flying

trucker den

By trucker den,
in Celebrity Cruises

 Share

Recommended Posts

trucker den

trucker den

Posted
Posted

My wife and I have a cruise booked out of San Juan next year. We have only flown once before for our honeymoon 18 years ago. And everything was taken care of for us as a wedding present. So naturally I have a lot to learn about booking flights. How far in advance should I book to get the best price? What is the difference between economy, premium economy, and business class? Is baggage included in any of the classes? What are some websites I should be checking to get the best price? Is there anything else I should know? Any and all help will be appreciated. TIA

Link to comment
Share on other sites
2theship

2theship

Posted
Posted

A lot depends on where you are flying from. If you are in a city serviced by Southwest, you will get two free bags each. I'm a big fan of Southwest and fly them often but we also check fares on other airlines because the price is sometimes better even with paying the luggage fee. Also, Southwest has its own unique check-in and boarding system that, while not particularly complicated, can be confusing to a first-timer.

 

Most other airlines only offer free luggage to business class or higher. If you're flying domestically, it's probably not worth the extra cost. If you're coming from Europe, it might be worth it to have the extra comfortable seat.

 

Be sure to check out "Flights by Celebrity" (formerly Choice Air) to see what they offer. You can look to see what your flight options without making any financial commitment. That will give you an idea of which airlines best service your home airport and SJU and some ballpark pricing. Then, you can go to the various airlines' websites and check out the cost of booking directly. If you do happen to be in a Southwest market, note that the only way to book them is to do it directly with the airline.

 

Remember, planning is half the fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mousefansmom

mousefansmom

Posted
Posted
A lot depends on where you are flying from. If you are in a city serviced by Southwest, you will get two free bags each. I'm a big fan of Southwest and fly them often but we also check fares on other airlines because the price is sometimes better even with paying the luggage fee. Also, Southwest has its own unique check-in and boarding system that, while not particularly complicated, can be confusing to a first-timer.

 

Most other airlines only offer free luggage to business class or higher. If you're flying domestically, it's probably not worth the extra cost. If you're coming from Europe, it might be worth it to have the extra comfortable seat.

 

Be sure to check out "Flights by Celebrity" (formerly Choice Air) to see what they offer. You can look to see what your flight options without making any financial commitment. That will give you an idea of which airlines best service your home airport and SJU and some ballpark pricing. Then, you can go to the various airlines' websites and check out the cost of booking directly. If you do happen to be in a Southwest market, note that the only way to book them is to do it directly with the airline.

 

Remember, planning is half the fun!

Excellent advice! Just wanted to add that hopper and Google flights are good places to check. Also sometimes it is cheaper to fly on certain days of the week, so for example, flying out on Wednesday night vs. Thursday might be 100s of dollars cheaper (with a hotel night cost so keep that in mind). Finally, Celebrity Air for some reason is frequently cheaper if you book two, one way flights instead of a round trip. We frequently will check one-way flights on all airlines- it isn't unusual for us to fly out in one airline and back on another. Good luck!

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gerelmx

gerelmx

Posted
Posted

Each company has its baggage policies, and they vary depending on where the flight originates and ends, I suggest you check the details on the page of the different aviation companies.

 

AA here at MTY charges $25 for the first documented bag, up to 23 Kg and limited measures. and free you can carry your hand luggage. To fly to San Juan there are no non-stop flights from town, so we use as a stopover city, Miami or Dallas.

 

I you fly in business or premier class the documented baggage is free

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Keith1010 "Live from...." Rare

Keith1010

Posted
Posted

No one can know for sure whether the price will go up or down.

 

Much of it comes down to supply and demand.

 

I check prices for a period of time and then finally book it.

 

I don't wait till the last minute because I want to be able to have options in terms of seat selection and certain times of the year the flights fill up sooner rather then later.

 

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gerelmx

gerelmx

Posted
Posted

I don't wait till the last minute because I want to be able to have options in terms of seat selection and certain times of the year the flights fill up sooner rather then later.

Keith

Agree. When there is only one direct flight to your destination, it is best to buy them as soon as possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RetiredCruiser2015

RetiredCruiser2015

Posted
Posted

Another thing to consider is flying the day before the cruise departs, especially if you are booking yourself and not through CruiseAir with Celebrity. That way if your flight has issue, you will have a day of cushion.

Also like the recommendation to talk with a travel agent. Navigating various airlines and options can be confusing if you are not used to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Nachosdelux

Nachosdelux

Posted
Posted
Another thing to consider is flying the day before the cruise departs, especially if you are booking yourself and not through CruiseAir with Celebrity. That way if your flight has issue, you will have a day of cushion.

Also like the recommendation to talk with a travel agent. Navigating various airlines and options can be confusing if you are not used to it.

 

 

This is the best advice given. Absolutely do this if your schedule allows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Nachosdelux

Nachosdelux

Posted
Posted

Check Southwest Airlines prices on their website (the only place to find/book their flights)

 

Check the other airlines on Google Flights.

 

When ready to book, do so DIRECTLY on the respective airline's website. Be careful of "links" purporting to take you there. Often they make take you to a 3rd party site. Do not book on a 3rd party site (Expedia etc).

 

Alternately use a travel agent.

 

Do not book more than 1 connection (not worth the savings vs the risk of problems/misconnection)

 

I do not know your budget, but for your itinerary I would save $$ and book economy. You can always pay more for extra legroom seats.

 

There are websites that can tell you historic fares, so you can get a good idea of what to expect. Generally best fares are 2-4 months out but that varies considerably, so if you find a decent fare, book it.

 

Some nice things about Southwest:

2 free checked bags (per person)

decent legroom in all seats (compared to economy on other airlines)

if you make a change to the flight, there are no additional fees.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Silkroad

Silkroad

Posted
Posted

You’ve received a lot of great advice, but I’ll add my 2 cents worth. You asked about the different airline classes. They differ between airlines, but premium economy or economy plus typically give 3 inches more legroom than an economy or coach seat. I myself fly coach for short flights like yours, but economy plus for long flights (East coast to UK or Hawaii for example). Be sure you check your airline baggage restrictions (including bag dimensions). Using United as an example, for our first cruise in 2006, we were allowed one checked bag weighing up to 70lbs per person. Fast forward to last year, when United limited us to only one 50lb checked bag per person. The airlines have gotten stricter about bag dimensions too, even for carry on bags.

 

I use sites others have mentioned, as well as Expedia, to compare prices with those shown on airline or ChoiceAir sites, but I typically book directly with the airline. I’ve only used ChoiceAir once, for airfare for a TA. Also, Seatguru is a great place to check when deciding on seats (especially useful for long flights). Some people prefer travel agents and booking sites, but I prefer dealing directly with airlines and hotels.

 

Most of all, I hope you and your wife have a fantastic cruise! Cheers:cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Doctor G

Doctor G

Posted
Posted

I use ITA software, airfare search to look at all the possible flights and prices. Sorry I can't tell you the web address; I have it bookmarked and can't remember how I got there; it's the aging mind :D. I also love seatguru.com. You can view the seats on every airplane and get a description of the seat including dimensions. You do need to know either a flight number or what type of plane you will be on to get to the specific information. Have a wonderful cruise.

 

Carolyn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...