What Exactly is Meant by "Custom Air"?

[JaneStarr]

"Custom Air" question

We usually book our own flights unless the prices are significantly higher than that through "Custom Air" or flight availability is limited (as was the case for our 23Dec05 Brilliance cruise)

 

I know that we recently paid a $75/person "Custom Air" fee to RCCL for our BOS-LHR airfares for 1July06 Jewel OTS Scandanavia/Russia Sailing (w/ 3 night London pre-stay). I believe this is how our GREAT travel agent was able to hand-pick our direct, nonstop flights from the city of our choosing.

 

Exactly what does "Custom Air" mean? Is this an option above just having Cruise fare include air transportation? My understanding is that this allows us to choose from a selection of available flights

 

I tried to research this on http://www.RCCL.com, but have been having "time out" computer issues with them.

 

I'm sure that it is usually less expensive to book flights yourself, but I prefer to keep everything together under a travel agent, when reasonable to do so.

 

Jane

[glgolfer]

Custom air allows you to pick what flights and times you want. There is always some fee associated with this on all (most) cruise lines until you reach a certain number of cruises with that line. With

RCI, after 5 completed cruises (Platinum Member) custom air is free on cruises of 7 nights or longer.

 

It's always best to get custom air as all cruise lines get the best deal they can. That means sometimes you will have some strange connections and times depending on where you are flying from. There have also been instances where family members are not seated together. I also think I saw once that a family group booked together and ended up on different flights.

 

Not a major cruise line, but we went on a GCT river cruise last month and we (as part of a group of 17) were routed from Tampa to Chicago to Frankfort to Nurnberg. We assume this was the best deal for GCT as there were flights available from Tampa to D.C. then to Nurnberg in the same time frame.

 

You take your chances if you let the vendor choose your flights.

[negc]

Check out which airfare is cheaper- what you can find on your own, or what the cruiseline is offering. In those instances (open-jaw itineraries for example, or one ways) where the cruiseline is offering a better deal, consider using custom air and pick the best flight schedule you can find. We have done this (with no fee because we are Diamond plus) on several occasions and it has worked out well. There may be some occasions where you may have to pay the difference between what the cruiseline air is costing, and the specific flights you have requested, but that has not been the case when we have used it. RCI's custom air allowed us to get a morning flight between Boston and London last August for much less than we would have paid had we booked that flight on our own through the airline.:)

When comparing prices, also consider the value of the transfers that may be included if you book through the cruiseline.

[JaneStarr]

Thanks for the clear explanation. That is exactly what I thought they meant by "custom air", but I never saw it defined. We got it for free on our Celebrity Millennium Mediterranean cruise last summer, and it worked out well.

Most of the time, I seem to find much cheaper fares on my own, but for overseas and holiday cruise it isn't always the case. The cruiselines seem to scoop up blocks of holiday seats.

 

This year, I had a tough time finding reasonable connections between BDL (Hartford) and either MIA or FLL for our return trip on 1/2/06. We actually asked online (discount) travel agy to add air to our booking before final deposit, but it somehow got overlooked...Family member handling itinerary for party of 18 in 7 cabins overlooked this omission...fun, fun, fun! (Yes, I know about RCCL 'No discount" policy, but this 23 Dec 06 cruise was actually booked the day before that policy took effect.)

Long story made short: debarked ship at 7:30 a.m Mon., 1/2 and didn't pull into my own driveway until 5:00 a.m Tuesday!...one of our bags is still touring the country with Delta as of 1/12/06!

 

Do you happen to know if RCCL offers "group" discounts for holiday cruises for booking a certain # of cabins? I was considering this for Christmas/NY's 2007-08, if the number isn't much more than say 8 cabins.

 

Jane

[glgolfer]

Jane - Can't help on group bookings. You'll have to check with RCI or a TA.

 

 

Paul

[sas80]

Q: What Exactly is Meant by "Custom Air"?

A: "Rip-Off" :D

 

A: a direct flight that costs from $100 to $200 more that you could have booked cheaper on your own...... :rolleyes:

[negc]

Q: What Exactly is Meant by "Custom Air"?

A: "Rip-Off" :D

 

A: a direct flight that costs from $100 to $200 more that you could have booked cheaper on your own...... :rolleyes:

 

In such instances you would be foolish to book through the cruiseline. However, in many instances custom air is actually cheaper even before adding in the value of included transfers.

Don't let your opinions color the facts and don't summarily dismiss options without investigation. You should also be careful when using terms such as "direct flight" which isn't the same as "non-stop flight".:)

[sas80]

In such instances you would be foolish to book through the cruiseline. However, in many instances custom air is actually cheaper even before adding in the value of included transfers. Don't let your opinions color the facts and don't summarily dismiss options without investigation.

I do check with the cruiseline, always.

 

LOL, I dont think I cruise enough to consider myself in the above mentioned "many instances" situation. :D

 

You should also be careful when using terms such as "direct flight" which isn't the same as "non-stop flight".:)

 

I must be the only person on this board who reads/uses the phrase "direct flight" and assumes that it's implication is "non stop".

 

As one definition of the word "direct" is :

To cause to move in or follow a straight course

that is always my meaning.....

 

You cant "To cause to move in or follow a straight course" from point A to point B if you are stopping somewhere.....

 

In this situation "straight course" can be interpreted as any non stop route from point A to point B.

:D

[negc]

I must be the only person on this board who reads/uses the phrase "direct flight" and assumes that it's implication is "non stop". )

 

You just might be. LOL Unfortunately you are making a faulty assumption.

In airline terminology, a direct flight can make one or more stops enroute, sometimes even while traveling in a straight line, but you will not have to change planes. A non-stop flight goes from point A to point B without stopping, while a connecting flight goes from your originating airport to your final destination but makes one or more stops enroute and requires you to change planes.

The differences may be a bit subtle but are important to understand. Sort of like tour brochures which require careful reading in order to determine whether the tour actually stops at particular points of interest or just drives by them. :

[Shmobo]

I just book Air with Cruiseline when I make my booking and cancel Air before final payment if I found the flights that I want and is cheaper.

 

I have to agree when cruising from European ports like Harwich, have to take into account for the transfers...not like Florida ports where one can get a cab ride for $15.

[wrp96]

From my area, custom air through the cruise line is usually less than booking on my own. There are very non-stop flights, or even direct flights, from my area to places where cruises sail from. Take the cruise out of Miami at the end of February that I just switched to. For flights that can get me to the cruise on time, cruise air is running about $150 less than booking on my own. For the flights I wanted, custom air was about $350 less than booking on my own. And none of that is taking into account the fact that when I book though the cruise line my transfers are taken care of.

 

I never assume that one is less than the other and continue to look around until final payment is due. If by the time final payment is due I haven't found less expensive air, then I call and do the custom air and choose my flights. If I do find less expensive air, then I call and cancel the cruise air.