Air Travel? Day early or same day

[momofmab]

Depends on the time of year.  I would never chance it in the winter if I'm flying from or through a snowy city, and never if I have to connect.  In May, from Philly, you should be fine with an early flight should you decide to change your Disney plans.

 

Lost/left behind baggage is always a risk - my friend flew in day of for a cruise we took out of NYC.  Her flight was delayed because of mechanical issues and she had to make a choice of whether to leave her bags behind and make the ship or wait for her bags and miss it.  She left her bags and was the last person onboard.  She made due with her carry-on and borrowing stuff from the rest of us, and her insurance gave her a daily stipend to purchase what she needed.  She is now the proud owner of "Carnival" underwear!

[waterbug123]

17 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Are you sure it will not cost anything?  Even mileage tickets can have change fees.  Or the new booking requires more miles.

 

Also, if you have a ticket on miles, you are a non-rev passenger and one of the first to be bumped, and the last to get a new flight booked in case of trouble.  If you are an elite level FF, that will help though.

 

True, mileage tickets can have change fees or require more miles if changed, although those increases/fees would generally be waived if the change if the airline has an issue within their control (short staffed, mechanical, etc.) or the airline has issued a weather waiver.

As for non-rev passengers, in airline speak that term does not apply to those on mileage tickets, as they HAVE paid for their tickets, they just used an alternate currency.  The term applies to airline staff who can fly standby as a perk of their employment, and/or their friends/family traveling on a buddy pass. 

 

16 hours ago, dwayneb236 said:

The answer to why is obvious. Not everyone has the luxury of taking an extra day off. I am envious of those that can but at this time it's not us. Good for all those who get to do this. Some of us are lucky to get to cruise at all. Try not to make us feel like idiots because we fly in same day, We know it's a risk and we just have to take it. 

 

At the same time, everything is a choice.   You can take a shorter cruise that allows you to fly in the day before, you just choose not to.   It's your choice and that's ok.  🙂

 

49 minutes ago, momofmab said:

Depends on the time of year.  I would never chance it in the winter if I'm flying from or through a snowy city, and never if I have to connect. 

 

Just keep in mind that weather anywhere in the country can affect flights anywhere else in the country.  You might be flying nonstop from Houston to Miami and the weather in both is sunny and warm, but your aircraft or crew is coming from Chicago where there's a blizzard.

 

[dcgrumpy]

I'm so paranoid about missing the ship I try to book a flight that gives me enough time to get in the car and drive to Florida if the flight ends up being canceled. 

 

 

[ldubs]

11 hours ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

 

No one woke up Sat Jan 7, 2017 expecting to die in that shooting at FLL airport that morning, let alone miss a flight into/out of FLL as everything was shut down. I watched ships leaving out of the channel at 10:30pm as they waited as long as possible for late comers. My understanding is that all the ships, including Allure, sailed away several hundreds less than what they were supposed to. IIRC those hundreds had to catch up with the ship a couple of days later in St Marten.

 

I was lucky... I was flying there the day before to get on Harmony Sun, Jan 8. and was able to re-route by purchasing two of the last 4 tickets left on an American flight that was going to Miami airport. Harmony left late on the Sunday as well as many people missed the ship anyways.... the airports, both MIA and FLL, were in chaos from the day before, and likely any flight at all flying in/out was at full capacity already. A few cruisers who had flights cancelled the day before couldn't even make it to their cruise on Sunday.

 

No one could have possibly expected this. If I had told this story a month before, everyone on CC would be posting "that's cray and unrealistic", "it'll never happen","what are the chances?"... including me!

 

That is correct and you can make an argument that going in multiple days early is better.  No one expects volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, civil wars, terrorist attacks, etc.  Bad things can and do happen.  Personally, I am very comfortable doing same morning arrivals under certain circumstances.   I don't preach arriving same morning, but I do share my experiences.   

[LuckyStar]

On 11/29/2018 at 9:52 AM, dwayneb236 said:

Would love to go early for the peace of mind. But can't, so we just book the first flight out day of and go with the flow. And buy good insurance. 

 

This.  I will only fly out the day of if I get the first flight of the day and it is non stop.