NCL New Customize your air flights

[alanb666]

How does the new NCL customize your air flights work?  Just got an email from NCL.

 

We’re looking forward to welcoming you on board Norwegian Prima! As we strive to be your cruise line of choice, we’re always looking for ways to give you even more freedom and flexibility. We know flights are a big part of your trip, so we want to provide you the opportunity to change from your current promotional air program to a new air program, giving you the ability to select and customize flights for you and everyone on your reservation for your upcoming cruise. Hurry, this opportunity is available for a limited-time!

 

 

[julig22]

So far, no details.

 

[RaiderFaninNM]

Nice, please keep us UTD on whatever 411 you find out.

I also took the Bogo air and looking forward to what you experience...

[K_S]

We are booked for the Joy during spring break.  We got the BOGO airfare as part of our package.  They emailed us about two weeks ago and asked for a date and time to call and go over the new promotion. 

 

When they called, a very nice woman explained that this promotion allows passengers to choose their own flights rather than let NCL choose them.  In the program, the cost for four BOGO passengers to fly from our Midwestern airport to Miami would cost an additional $2K.  This was above our BOGO fare which worked out to be about $800 per passenger, averaged.  I was a little confused since this is our first NCL cruise and second overall--ever.

 

Yes, I understand BOGO travelers fly at the mercy of whichever flights are available approximately 3 weeks before our cruise.  I also understand the flight arrangements and airlines (and fares) are chosen to best benefit NCL, but why would I pay $2k more?  Her response was that some people want to be able to choose their own flights, carriers and points programs.

 

Hmm, but an additional $2k is a steep price for this accommodation.  It felt a bit like a bait and switch.  That said, she didn't try to pressure me into a sale.  She just said, "hakuna matata" (literally) and that she fully understood, thanking me for choosing NCL and wished us a great trip.

[sanger727]

I'm curious if this program can be used after your flights are assigned. The only rationale I can see for someone choosing this over booking their own flights is that 1. they already bought an air promo rate and 2. the flights are horrendous. 

[ggTexasGal]

11 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

I'm curious if this program can be used after your flights are assigned. The only rationale I can see for someone choosing this over booking their own flights is that 1. they already bought an air promo rate and 2. the flights are horrendous. 

Once flights are assigned, it's too late for NCL to grant changes.

[aggie311]

Sounds like people would still just be better off arranging their own flights on their own instead of arranging their own flights via NCL. 

[cruiser2015]

7 hours ago, K_S said:

We are booked for the Joy during spring break.  We got the BOGO airfare as part of our package.  They emailed us about two weeks ago and asked for a date and time to call and go over the new promotion. 

 

When they called, a very nice woman explained that this promotion allows passengers to choose their own flights rather than let NCL choose them.  In the program, the cost for four BOGO passengers to fly from our Midwestern airport to Miami would cost an additional $2K.  This was above our BOGO fare which worked out to be about $800 per passenger, averaged.  I was a little confused since this is our first NCL cruise and second overall--ever.

 

Yes, I understand BOGO travelers fly at the mercy of whichever flights are available approximately 3 weeks before our cruise.  I also understand the flight arrangements and airlines (and fares) are chosen to best benefit NCL, but why would I pay $2k more?  Her response was that some people want to be able to choose their own flights, carriers and points programs.

 

Hmm, but an additional $2k is a steep price for this accommodation.  It felt a bit like a bait and switch.  That said, she didn't try to pressure me into a sale.  She just said, "hakuna matata" (literally) and that she fully understood, thanking me for choosing NCL and wished us a great trip.

I don't know whether you're location is on a main transport route, but even if it is not, I would think that a R/T fare to MIA in the summer would cost but a fraction of $800 (if that amount is the all-in cost).

[K_S]

14 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

I don't know whether you're location is on a main transport route, but even if it is not, I would think that a R/T fare to MIA in the summer would cost but a fraction of $800 (if that amount is the all-in cost).

 

A quick update since I actually received our air reservations tonight.  Our flights were booked on two non-stop flights (in-out) to Miami.  They could have used connections, but didn't and I am happy.  Our seats for a family of four were not together, but isle/isle behind and isle/isle behind on opposite side (if that makes sense).  The flight times were 5:10am on embarkation date and 9:15pm on debarkation date.  That's 12H in the airport on the way home.  😕

 

I checked the fares today from our midwestern airport (not a hub, but certainly an international airport) and the fare to Miami for the same flight in coach was $1200 round trip per person today.  It seems like we saved about $1600 using BOGO. 

 

With that said, the only difference in using the new promo (or bought our own tix) is we probably would have chosen an earlier outbound flight on debarkation.  I'm not really upset and in this case, it really looks like we would have lost a significant amount of money with the new promo or if we had bought our own tickets.

[cruiser2015]

6 hours ago, K_S said:

 

A quick update since I actually received our air reservations tonight.  Our flights were booked on two non-stop flights (in-out) to Miami.  They could have used connections, but didn't and I am happy.  Our seats for a family of four were not together, but isle/isle behind and isle/isle behind on opposite side (if that makes sense).  The flight times were 5:10am on embarkation date and 9:15pm on debarkation date.  That's 12H in the airport on the way home.  😕

 

I checked the fares today from our midwestern airport (not a hub, but certainly an international airport) and the fare to Miami for the same flight in coach was $1200 round trip per person today.  It seems like we saved about $1600 using BOGO. 

 

With that said, the only difference in using the new promo (or bought our own tix) is we probably would have chosen an earlier outbound flight on debarkation.  I'm not really upset and in this case, it really looks like we would have lost a significant amount of money with the new promo or if we had bought our own tickets.

I'm happy for you, that you got a rally great deal.

I did not catch when I read your post the first time (in the wee hours) that you are travelling during spring break. Still - OUCH! Those fares seem so outrageous for a single leg flight of under 2000 miles.

I fly out of JFK in NY, so I don't generally survey pricing for other cities' travel. Maybe I'm just unaware.

[K_S]

On 11/23/2023 at 7:02 AM, cruiser2015 said:

I'm happy for you, that you got a rally great deal.

I did not catch when I read your post the first time (in the wee hours) that you are travelling during spring break. Still - OUCH! Those fares seem so outrageous for a single leg flight of under 2000 miles.

I fly out of JFK in NY, so I don't generally survey pricing for other cities' travel. Maybe I'm just unaware.

 

Yeah, the price bump for spring break was excessive and a bit astonishing. 

[cruiser2015]

7 hours ago, K_S said:

 

Yeah, the price bump for spring break was excessive and a bit astonishing. 

Greedy little airlines.

😒

[European_CruiseGirl]

On 11/23/2023 at 8:40 AM, K_S said:

 

A quick update since I actually received our air reservations tonight.  Our flights were booked on two non-stop flights (in-out) to Miami.  They could have used connections, but didn't and I am happy.  Our seats for a family of four were not together, but isle/isle behind and isle/isle behind on opposite side (if that makes sense).  The flight times were 5:10am on embarkation date and 9:15pm on debarkation date.  That's 12H in the airport on the way home.  😕

 

I checked the fares today from our midwestern airport (not a hub, but certainly an international airport) and the fare to Miami for the same flight in coach was $1200 round trip per person today.  It seems like we saved about $1600 using BOGO. 

 

With that said, the only difference in using the new promo (or bought our own tix) is we probably would have chosen an earlier outbound flight on debarkation.  I'm not really upset and in this case, it really looks like we would have lost a significant amount of money with the new promo or if we had bought our own tickets.

Although the problem with that price comparison is that if you had booked those exact same flights 1-2 months ago you’d most likely had seen a price significantly lower (less then half) of what you are seeing now. 

[Frogger22]

On 11/25/2023 at 9:01 AM, European_CruiseGirl said:

Although the problem with that price comparison is that if you had booked those exact same flights 1-2 months ago you’d most likely had seen a price significantly lower (less then half) of what you are seeing now. 

Not necessarily, for San Juan, I looked as soon as Delta opened our date (about 11 months before cruise) and flights were over $1000 each. About 6 months out $1600 so I added NCL air for the first time. Crossing fingers. 

[MyTMo777]

On 11/26/2023 at 7:28 AM, Frogger22 said:

Not necessarily, for San Juan, I looked as soon as Delta opened our date (about 11 months before cruise) and flights were over $1000 each. About 6 months out $1600 so I added NCL air for the first time. Crossing fingers. 

How long after booking your cruise do you have to add NCL flights if you didn't book the when you booked your cruise?

[julig22]

31 minutes ago, MyTMo777 said:

How long after booking your cruise do you have to add NCL flights if you didn't book the when you booked your cruise?

I believe it is currently 110 days prior to your cruise.