Booking with Air Fare Promo

[Smitheroo]

I'm sure this has been covered here there and everywhere but can I have it in one place?     I am booked on a TA from Cape Canaveral to Italy in April 2024. I took the air fare promo for return only.  I requested a two day deviation. I was told that was the limit, more than that I would have to book a hotel through NCL and that would be expensive. So I agreed to a two day deviation.

 

The air fare quoted to me is $322.  (plus $75 ground transporation)  This seems almost too good to be true (some might remember a thread I started a few weeks ago complaining about the price of air fare)  My question is what can I expect with this fare ?  Would a non stop flight be just wishful thinking?  Or maybe there will be a 15 hour layover in Lisbon, Portugal?  Will baggage fees and seat choice be only up to the airline that NCL chooses?    I feel like this is a gamble but I'm fairly flexible in terms of layovers and even seat choice. Just get me home from Italy to Boston without it costing me a lot of extra money that I  wont know about until close to departure.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Smitheroo said:

I'm sure this has been covered here there and everywhere but can I have it in one place?     I am booked on a TA from Cape Canaveral to Italy in April 2024. I took the air fare promo for return only.  I requested a two day deviation. I was told that was the limit, more than that I would have to book a hotel through NCL and that would be expensive. So I agreed to a two day deviation.

 

The air fare quoted to me is $322.  (plus $75 ground transporation)  This seems almost too good to be true (some might remember a thread I started a few weeks ago complaining about the price of air fare)  My question is what can I expect with this fare ?  Would a non stop flight be just wishful thinking?  Or maybe there will be a 15 hour layover in Lisbon, Portugal?  Will baggage fees and seat choice be only up to the airline that NCL chooses?    I feel like this is a gamble but I'm fairly flexible in terms of layovers and even seat choice. Just get me home from Italy to Boston without it costing me a lot of extra money that I  wont know about until close to departure.

Non-stop---maybe, maybe not. Baggage fees and seat choices will be up to the airline chosen, but in general there are not baggage fees for trans-Atlantic flights at least for the first bag

[hallux]

4 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

Would a non stop flight be just wishful thinking?

Probably.

 

This kind of question is addressed in the T&C's - https://www.ncl.com/about/terms-and-conditions/promotions

 

Specifically this: 

• For International flights, Norwegian Cruise Line will book guests' airfare with a maximum of two connections when possible; air schedules permitting.

Does that mean this is going to happen?

4 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

Or maybe there will be a 15 hour layover in Lisbon, Portugal?

Possibly.

 

4 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

Will baggage fees and seat choice be only up to the airline that NCL chooses?

Also covered in the T&C's

• Airline-imposed personal charges such as baggage fees are not included and are paid directly to the airline.

Sometimes it pays to be informed and read the terms of offers you agree to...

[Russiamomm]

4 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

I'm sure this has been covered here there and everywhere but can I have it in one place?     I am booked on a TA from Cape Canaveral to Italy in April 2024. I took the air fare promo for return only.  I requested a two day deviation. I was told that was the limit, more than that I would have to book a hotel through NCL and that would be expensive. So I agreed to a two day deviation.

 

The air fare quoted to me is $322.  (plus $75 ground transporation)  This seems almost too good to be true (some might remember a thread I started a few weeks ago complaining about the price of air fare)  My question is what can I expect with this fare ?  Would a non stop flight be just wishful thinking?  Or maybe there will be a 15 hour layover in Lisbon, Portugal?  Will baggage fees and seat choice be only up to the airline that NCL chooses?    I feel like this is a gamble but I'm fairly flexible in terms of layovers and even seat choice. Just get me home from Italy to Boston without it costing me a lot of extra money that I  wont know about until close to departure.

We used NCL air for our TA from NYC to Rome last Spring with a two day deviation at the end - similar to your itinerary. Despite flying back into a major international airport with direct flights from Rome, they put us on a Lufthansa flight through Munich.  I would not count on a direct flight, but the connections will not be outrageous.  Just be prepared for a connection and possibly inconvenient schedules.  You are right - you will not beat the fare.  But you have more control if you book your own flights. 
 

Also, it’s my understanding that they actually give you a $25 per person credit if you do a deviation, but they do not provide transportation, so that $75 you quoted should not apply.  It may be different if you book the hotel through NCL, but generally if you have a deviation you are on your own to get to the airport/port.

 

Edited to add info about baggage and seats.  It really depends on the airline NCL puts you on.  Baggage fees are a given.  NCL will not cover them.  But as has been said, most airlines allow at least one free for an international flight.  Seat assignments are a different story.  I’ve used NCL when they put me on AA or Delta.  I was able to log into the airline’s site and chose/upgrade a seat.  With Lufthansa I couldn’t do that.  Couldn’t chose a seat until you checked in 24 hours before departure.  

Edited November 5, 2023 by Russiamomm

[Smitheroo]

31 minutes ago, hallux said:

Probably.

 

This kind of question is addressed in the T&C's - https://www.ncl.com/about/terms-and-conditions/promotions

 

Specifically this: 

• For International flights, Norwegian Cruise Line will book guests' airfare with a maximum of two connections when possible; air schedules permitting.

Does that mean this is going to happen?

Possibly.

 

Also covered in the T&C's

• Airline-imposed personal charges such as baggage fees are not included and are paid directly to the airline.

Sometimes it pays to be informed and read the terms of offers you agree to...

The way I see it, if so many people take this option (the Air Promo) it must work  and since I dont think I'm so special , or have unusual circumstances, then it will work for me.   I was looking for an answer from people's personal experiences especially since NCL seems to say one thing many different ways. So, yes, reading the Terms and Conditions is good, asking people for their personal experience can often be better. That is what I was looking for "reading the T & C"  was not helpful, thank you.

[Smitheroo]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Non-stop---maybe, maybe not. Baggage fees and seat choices will be up to the airline chosen, but in general there are not baggage fees for trans-Atlantic flights at least for the first bag

thank you for your helpful answer

[Smitheroo]

16 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

We used NCL air for our TA from NYC to Rome last Spring with a two day deviation at the end - similar to your itinerary. Despite flying back into a major international airport with direct flights from Rome, they put us on a Lufthansa flight through Munich.  I would not count on a direct flight, but the connections will not be outrageous.  Just be prepared for a connection and possibly inconvenient schedules.  You are right - you will not beat the fare.  But you have more control if you book your own flights. 
 

Also, it’s my understanding that they actually give you a $25 per person credit if you do a deviation, but they do not provide transportation, so that $75 you quoted should not apply.  It may be different if you book the hotel through NCL, but generally if you have a deviation you are on your own to get to the airport/port.

 

Edited to add info about baggage and seats.  It really depends on the airline NCL puts you on.  Baggage fees are a given.  NCL will not cover them.  But as has been said, most airlines allow at least one free for an international flight.  Seat assignments are a different story.  I’ve used NCL when they put me on AA or Delta.  I was able to log into the airline’s site and chose/upgrade a seat.  With Lufthansa I couldn’t do that.  Couldn’t chose a seat until you checked in 24 hours before departure.  

Hmmm, the $75 is on the reservation.  I will have to check into this more, although I did ask questions on the phone. The woman was pleasant and helpful. Now, if I can rely on the fact that she is accurate will be another thing.  It makes sense if you take a 2 day deviation that NCL would not be getting you to the airport (thus the ground transporation charge) becausse they have no idea where you will be as a result of the 2 day deviation. 

[Russiamomm]

1 minute ago, Smitheroo said:

Hmmm, the $75 is on the reservation.  I will have to check into this more, although I did ask questions on the phone. The woman was pleasant and helpful. Now, if I can rely on the fact that she is accurate will be another thing.  It makes sense if you take a 2 day deviation that NCL would not be getting you to the airport (thus the ground transporation charge) becausse they have no idea where you will be as a result of the 2 day deviation. 

Yes, I would ask.  It shouldn’t be there.  😃

[Smitheroo]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Non-stop---maybe, maybe not. Baggage fees and seat choices will be up to the airline chosen, but in general there are not baggage fees for trans-Atlantic flights at least for the first bag

I went through the baggage fee discussion on the thread I started a few weeks ago and there was no agreement.Yes, people paid then, or airlines usually allowed one bag free.  I realize I wont know that until I know what airline the flight is for.  What I saw as a result of my internet research was worrisome.  Looked like bag fees could be anywhere form $0-100.  $100 bag fee would not be a good thing. People insisted on the thread that they were never charged $100 (which I can believe as that is outrageously expensive)  but there it was on the screen.  I dont know why I asked about bag fees this time because I know that the answer is that it will depend on which airline.

 

 

[Russiamomm]

2 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

I went through the baggage fee discussion on the thread I started a few weeks ago and there was no agreement.Yes, people paid then, or airlines usually allowed one bag free.  I realize I wont know that until I know what airline the flight is for.  What I saw as a result of my internet research was worrisome.  Looked like bag fees could be anywhere form $0-100.  $100 bag fee would not be a good thing. People insisted on the thread that they were never charged $100 (which I can believe as that is outrageously expensive)  but there it was on the screen.  I dont know why I asked about bag fees this time because I know that the answer is that it will depend on which airline.

 

 

Most major (non-budget) Airlines do not charge for baggage on an international flight.  NCL will be using a major carrier (AA, Delta, Lufthansa , BA, etc.). While it’s possible they could put you on a carrier with a fee, I think it’s highly unlikely.  And less likely that it will be $100.  But you never know,

[Smitheroo]

A non stop flight is not an absolute requirement for me but I was curious about where people actually were sent to on their flight. Rome to Munich to NYC is not outrageous .  Being sent to Lisbon with a 15 hour layover would not be good.  

[hallux]

15 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

So, yes, reading the Terms and Conditions is good, asking people for their personal experience can often be better. That is what I was looking for "reading the T & C"  was not helpful, thank you.

Except you can ask 10 people and get 10 different answers.  It all depends on the fares NCL can get for a particular route on a particular date.  If non-stop met their financial expectations for one sailing it may not have for another.  What you can expect as a worst-case scenario is the least-desirable option from the T&C's, if you get something better then you made out well...

[Russiamomm]

2 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

A non stop flight is not an absolute requirement for me but I was curious about where people actually were sent to on their flight. Rome to Munich to NYC is not outrageous .  Being sent to Lisbon with a 15 hour layover would not be good.  

I don’t think that would happen,  but even if it did I’d welcome a 15 hour layover in Lisbon.  Fantastic city!  With 15 hours I wouldn’t hang out at the airport.  😆

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, Russiamomm said:

 

Also, it’s my understanding that they actually give you a $25 per person credit if you do a deviation, but they do not provide transportation, so that $75 you quoted should not apply.  It may be different if you book the hotel through NCL, but generally if you have a deviation you are on your own to get to the airport/port.

 

.  

There is a $25 credit for the first person, but not the second as that fare is considered "free".

 

The $75 for the transfer was included for us even though we had a one day deviation. We left it as we stayed at a hotel by the airport instead of going to London.  We were going to do that anyway as we did not want to drag our bags to London. Note the transfer is only good from the airport even with the deviation. There may be a difference on that if you book one of their hotels.

 

For our trip back from Reykjavik, DW said we are not staying hours at the airport, so she booked an excursion for us back to the airport. We were told the $75 BOGO fee would come off automatically, but it did not, and I had to go to guest services to get it removed.

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

thank you for your helpful answer

You are welcome.

 

As an example of what they do, here is what we ended up with. We flew to London with one stop in Montreal with Air Canada. I wish there had been more time between flights as our first flight was delayed and then sat at the airport in Montreal waiting for a parking space. By the time we got to our second flight's gate, they were already boarding. We flew back direct from Reykjavik on Iceland Air. We paid no baggage fees on any of our flights.

 

I should not that there were a few complaints on our roll call from cruisers who not only had stops on the way back, but also did not have flights until the night or the next day. We had an overnight in Reykjavik. but they would not assign anyone an early flight on the day of disembarkation even though they were available for those passengers who had the complaints.

[jules181]

Also worth noting, just because someone transits on a direct flight to your home city doesn't necessarily mean you will fly direct. 

 

We had several on my last cruise going through Toronto to get to Boston on AC yet people terminating in Toronto were put on Delta flights through Detroit. 

 

They juggle all the routings to minimize connections for everyone. 

[Smitheroo]

1 hour ago, jules181 said:

Also worth noting, just because someone transits on a direct flight to your home city doesn't necessarily mean you will fly direct. 

 

We had several on my last cruise going through Toronto to get to Boston on AC yet people terminating in Toronto were put on Delta flights through Detroit. 

 

They juggle all the routings to minimize connections for everyone. 

All of this is fine.  I would not be happy if my connecting flight was the next day though (unless I arrived on my first flight just before midnight)  Of course I would prefer a direct fly but at the savings I think I have gotten I can be flexible. 

[schmoopie17]

Obviously, the best choice is to use airline miles and book your own flights (assuming you have the miles). Leaving your flight choices to NCL is a risky proposition, at best.

 

We had originally signed up for the BOGO for our Med Cruise next fall, knowing we could always cancel before final payment if we found better flights using miles.

 

That's exactly what we did. The flights for next September recently came out and we were able to snag nonstop flights both ways for practically nothing (and certainly much less than the $1300 NCL was charging). The flight times are perfect, we upgraded our seats to bulkhead for a small increase, free drinks included. A quick call to our PCC to cancel and it's done. Couldn't be happier.

[9tee2Sea]

17 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

I'm sure this has been covered here there and everywhere but can I have it in one place?     I am booked on a TA from Cape Canaveral to Italy in April 2024. I took the air fare promo for return only.  I requested a two day deviation. I was told that was the limit, more than that I would have to book a hotel through NCL and that would be expensive. So I agreed to a two day deviation.

 

The air fare quoted to me is $322.  (plus $75 ground transporation)  This seems almost too good to be true (some might remember a thread I started a few weeks ago complaining about the price of air fare)  My question is what can I expect with this fare ?  Would a non stop flight be just wishful thinking?  Or maybe there will be a 15 hour layover in Lisbon, Portugal?  Will baggage fees and seat choice be only up to the airline that NCL chooses?    I feel like this is a gamble but I'm fairly flexible in terms of layovers and even seat choice. Just get me home from Italy to Boston without it costing me a lot of extra money that I  wont know about until close to departure.

I would suggest looking at travel sites to see what flights and schedules are available for the itinerary back home.  If any of the times and layovers work for you, then go with the air promo.  Please keep in mind, that some airlines, besides check-in baggage fee, you also have a carry one baggage fee. AND some airlines are very strict on the personal item size, and it MUST fit under the seat ( cant put it in overhead).  I had  very good experience using NCL BOGO air.  Cruise was early this year from Dubai-Athens ( two day deviations on each end).  Flew from Los Angeles ( home airport) to Dubai, non-stop.  Athens back to Los Angeles ( 1 stop in London,long enough to have a beer and dinner, then non-stop).  Sometimes the price will make up for any inconvenience in layovers.  Once you get your seat confirmation, then you go to the airlines website to purchase seat upgrades ( if allowed) and any other options you may want.

[Russiamomm]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

There is a $25 credit for the first person, but not the second as that fare is considered "free".

 

The $75 for the transfer was included for us even though we had a one day deviation. We left it as we stayed at a hotel by the airport instead of going to London.  We were going to do that anyway as we did not want to drag our bags to London. Note the transfer is only good from the airport even with the deviation. There may be a difference on that if you book one of their hotels.

 

For our trip back from Reykjavik, DW said we are not staying hours at the airport, so she booked an excursion for us back to the airport. We were told the $75 BOGO fee would come off automatically, but it did not, and I had to go to guest services to get it removed.

Thanks for the clarification.  We’ve never used NCL transfers.  I did look back on the invoice for our trip to Rome last year where we used NCL Air and had a two day deviation at the end.  The invoice showed a $50 credit for me as the first passenger and no credit for my travel mate.  Maybe $25 each leg?  We also flew to NY with a one day deviation.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Russiamomm

[schmoopie17]

6 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

  The invoice showed a $50 credit for me as the first passenger and no credit for my travel mate.  Maybe $25 each leg?  .

On our just-canceled BOGO, originally we had a $25 deviation credit (total). This was for round-trip flights. When we canceled, the revised invoice shows -$25...reversing the credit.

 

 

Edited November 5, 2023 by schmoopie17

[Russiamomm]

1 minute ago, schmoopie17 said:

On our just-canceled BOGO, we had a $25 deviation (total). This was for round-trip flights. When we canceled, the revised invoice shows -$25.

 

Did you have a deviation on both ends?  I think it’s $25 for each leg.  But I could be wrong.  Who knows.  All I know is I had a $50 credit.  LOL.

[schmoopie17]

1 minute ago, Russiamomm said:

Did you have a deviation on both ends?  I think it’s $25 for each leg.  But I could be wrong.  Who knows.  All I know is I had a $50 credit.  LOL.

No, we only had a two day deviation before the cruise. That may indeed be the difference.

[Russiamomm]

Just now, schmoopie17 said:

No, we only had a two day deviation before the cruise. That may indeed be the difference.

I think we figured out the puzzle!  😂

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, Russiamomm said:

Thanks for the clarification.  We’ve never used NCL transfers.  I did look back on the invoice for our trip to Rome last year where we used NCL Air and had a two day deviation at the end.  The invoice showed a $50 credit for me as the first passenger and no credit for my travel mate.  Maybe $25 each leg?  We also flew to NY with a one day deviation.

You're welcome.