Free/Reduced Air Fare Question?

[roger001]

For those of you that have used it so far, questions.    Are the flights always scheduled for cruise departure day arrival, same day?   What does the transfer fee charged provide you..from airport to cruise port and back again?   What about the airline baggage fees, are they included in this one price?  If day before arrival, any offer of hotels?   Want to find out before I book.  Even a good price offered by NCL could be pushed past a SWA price I could book myself if hit with high baggage fees.  Thanks.   

 

Oh yea. One more thing.  If you don't take the free/reduced air fare offer, how much will NCL reduce the cost of the cruise?   

Edited January 22, 2019 by roger001

[bktok]

I'm curious about this too.

I'd feel more comfortable arriving a day early.  Hopefully they will have that option.

 

From what I understand, the price of the cruise itself will not be discounted if you don't choose the airfare perk.

[hallux]

In my case - airfare was not reduced at all, I booked for less through my TA. My TA quoted what NCL wanted to charge for booking my airfare, I can't test it online as they can't find flights for my home airport but if I pick JFK there's a $700 additional cost (I booked flights through my TA for under $500) if I'm reading the site correctly on this mock booking.  It's possible my sailing doesn't include the free airfare, but they shouldn't offer it at this stage if it's not offered for the trip.

 

My TA found there are actually 2 tiers on the transfer fee.  As my trip is a one-way, it's less than the $35 (don't quote me) it usually is.  By this reasoning, that $35 (or whatever it is at your embarkation point) may be for both directions, though that does seem cheap.

 

No, the cost of the cruise would not be discounted if you don't pick airfare, you would just pick a different perk in its place (there are 4 besides airfare offered right now)

[davy jones]

 In my observations, airfares to MIA/FLL on weekends are inflated by the airlines because of cruise passengers.

 

It appears that NCLs "free or reduced" can vary greatly by sailing and departure city.  I recommend doing a dummy booking first.

 

I don't know where you are coming from, but people are reporting free air from Newark.  The flights are day of departure.

[bkrickles1]

I just booked the Encore for 1/19/20 and got all the free at sea offers, including the free air. A really good deal.

There's 3 of us flying r/t from NY to Miami.

My wife and I are free and my daughter is $390.

So for a simple mind like mine it comes to $130 pp r/t and I'm pretty pleased with that.

 

[iloveislands24]

We booked a cruise out of NYC in early March and got free air from Columbus, OH to NYC. There is one charge they automatically add, even if your airfare is free, which is the cost of round trip transfers to and from the airport.  From LGA to the port this is $70 per person, $140 total for my husband and I.  I booked last week and within 2 days got my flight information because we were within 60 days of the cruise and were able to check in right after booking.  Our outbound flight goes out the morning of the cruise departure date, which is what we wanted for this cruise.  I was pleasantly surprised to find both flights were direct with Delta, I was afraid free airfare would mean they were using flights with layovers - but I'm sure this can vary, and OH to NYC isn't a long flight.  I did just get an email this weekend with a change in flight time on the day back, which surprisingly went from a late flight at 6pm to an earlier flight leaving around 2pm.

 

For us this was a great deal, and I feel confident that the amount we paid to get a room with both the beverage package and free air was well worth it.

[ddlb]

I booked the reduced air for the first time.  It was $99 roundtrip from Birmingham to Miami.  The transfer fee to/from the airport was $32.  So for the two of us it cost $230!  Such a deal - American Airlines - got my reward points - got to pick our seats.  The flight was non-stop both ways decent.  However, I was told I would get an email with flight info - never did.  My TA told me I would find out 3 weeks before departure the flight info - I found out  around 19 days after I kept trying to print the edocs which wouldn't print until the flight information was recorded.  A bit frustrating.  But I do know you can call and switch flights to different days.  It was economy class so it will cost for luggage (wish it was Southwest - oh well) it was also part of 6 free.  Also when I tried to book reduced or free air out of Birmingham for a New Orleans cruise I could not do it and was told my quote would would be reduced $200.  Not sure why.

[bktok]

I chatted with someone on the NCL site and while she was not agent, she stated that the per the terms, a hotel would have to be booked through NCL in order to get an earlier flight date.

 

Still trying to confirm this.

[allaboardwhosgoingaboard]

Have a Dec 2019 New Orleans cruise booked for a few weeks prior to seeing our city in the options for free airfare. Just kept checking specials etc.. and did a mock booking late last week to include airfare as our city was in there. Called the NCL rep on the # on our reservation and told him that we were coming in a day early and leaving a day late to spend time in NOLA and he specifically told me "people do that all the time" - no worries. Just call this # for the flight part of NCL and talk to someone there. ........  Nope. No can do - as for flights a day early/day late. I asked the abrupt/blunt lady, who was obviously having a bad day and loved pointing out the policy to me, to return me back to the reservation area and did confirm that with another much more pleasant gal who answered. Love it when you get one NCL rep telling you one thing and another, another. Please... just get your stories straight. I tried for airfare, but I'm still going on vacay with or without.. just help a lady out here please! A moment of "ALRIGHT!!" to "meh... well, back to planning my still amazing, if not a little more costly, vacation!" 

As for ddlb getting different flight days, I cannot speak to that. Maybe it depends WHERE you are going??? I don't know why that would matter, but it could be the only logical answer. I would call an NCL rep or chat online and ask. They'd be the ones that would really know. 

 

Oh, and NCL will not reduce your cruise for any amount of $ if you choose not to take airfare. LOL Kinda... your loss, but.. does it work for you??   

[bktok]

The PCC I just spoke with also confirmed that since my booking has the current airfare perk, the only way to deviate from the current flight itinerary would be to book a hotel through NCL.

 

This is a  bummer as it makes me nervous to fly in the day of the cruise but the airfare is such a great deal, I may just have to live with it.

[Sailing12Away]

I've got a cruise coming up next month with free airfare, JFK - MIA, completely free plus $32/pp for transfers. So it's costing us $64 total for 2 people to fly into Miami, get to the boat, get from the boat back to the airport, then fly home to NY. Can't beat that.

 

In July we've got a different cruise on POA. Discounted price for us from JFK to Oahu is $600/pp plus $50/pp for transfers. My sister who is joining us from Chicago is paying $500 for her flights plus the same $50/pp for transfers. Pricing the flights on my own we found a low price of $1000 for the NY passengers and $850 for Chicago, so again, a good deal for us. 

 

You have no say in which airline you are booked with (would have preferred Delta as I have priority status with them), no say in which flight you are on, and some have experienced difficulty in picking seats together. I had no issue for the February flight, although we will be charged baggage fees. Too early for my Hawaii flight info to be available yet.

 

So the value and true final costs will vary greatly based on where you're coming/going, as will the transfer fees. $32 each way to not have to deal with taxis or Uber in Miami is fine with me. You're allowed to decline the included transfers if you want to do it on your own if you think you can do it easier/cheaper.

[roger001]

Thanks.  i just checked a NYC sailing and the transfer fee is $70  pp but don't know which airport.   How much are usual baggage fees?  I've only flown SWA for the past many years.  

[Sailing12Away]

9 hours ago, roger001 said:

Thanks.  i just checked a NYC sailing and the transfer fee is $70  pp but don't know which airport.   How much are usual baggage fees?  I've only flown SWA for the past many years.  

That's not too bad for NYC. It's a flat rate with a taxi from JFK to Manhattan of $52 + tolls, not sure what the port would cost. And that price is for one way.

 

Baggage fees vary by carrier, but I've seen them range from $25-50 per person for one bag. Second bag for a single person would be even higher. Once you know your carrier, check their website for more info. Sometimes we've found it cheaper and easier to use one large suitcase for the both of us than to check 2 smaller ones. That way one person has both arms free for holding paperwork and opening doors and stuff. If you're able to pack super light and use a carry on, most airlines will let you check it at the gate for free - but it has to be a small carry on sized luggage.

[roger001]

1 hour ago, Sailing12Away said:

That's not too bad for NYC. It's a flat rate with a taxi from JFK to Manhattan of $52 + tolls, not sure what the port would cost. And that price is for one way.

 

Baggage fees vary by carrier, but I've seen them range from $25-50 per person for one bag. Second bag for a single person would be even higher. Once you know your carrier, check their website for more info. Sometimes we've found it cheaper and easier to use one large suitcase for the both of us than to check 2 smaller ones. That way one person has both arms free for holding paperwork and opening doors and stuff. If you're able to pack super light and use a carry on, most airlines will let you check it at the gate for free - but it has to be a small carry on sized luggage.

Thanks.   

[broncofan99]

Also have free/reduced air from Colorado Springs to LAX for $99 plus $40 in transport.   Coming in same day as cruise which scares me. Was told I could come in day before if I booked a hotel.  Listed at $145 on NCL web, NCL representative quoted $155 EACH.  Nobody charges each!   Ridiculous, this will add another $400 to cruise with food.  Really struggling to justify peace of mind. As of now still coming in day of cruise.  I missed my very first cruise in 1992 due to fog in.  

[bktok]

11 minutes ago, broncofan99 said:

Also have free/reduced air from Colorado Springs to LAX for $99 plus $40 in transport.   Coming in same day as cruise which scares me. Was told I could come in day before if I booked a hotel.  Listed at $145 on NCL web, NCL representative quoted $155 EACH.  Nobody charges each!   Ridiculous, this will add another $400 to cruise with food.  Really struggling to justify peace of mind. As of now still coming in day of cruise.  I missed my very first cruise in 1992 due to fog in.  

 

Charging each is ridiculous.

 

I have 3 people on my reservation and I guarantee we aren't going to pay per person if the room can accommodate 3-4 guests.

 

I've asked my TA to look into how much a room in Miami would cost.  I'm hoping it's just a flat rate and not per person.

[broncofan99]

Bktok I hope you win this battle.  The add on expenses just keep on adding up.  With NCL you had to book hotel through them.   I could have booked the same hotel for two of us for $145.00 on my own   Maybe you will have more luck with a TA.  

[bktok]

On ‎1‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 11:32 AM, broncofan99 said:

Bktok I hope you win this battle.  The add on expenses just keep on adding up.  With NCL you had to book hotel through them.   I could have booked the same hotel for two of us for $145.00 on my own   Maybe you will have more luck with a TA.  

Well, my TA just got back with me and confirmed that the hotel pricing is per person.  He even said that was way too pricey.

Guess I will have to live with coming into Miami the day of the cruise as the airfare being offered by NCL is way better than I can get out of Oklahoma City.  I just hope I have some flexibility for that departure day.