Advice on using Seabourn Flightease Programme please

[FlyerTalker]

48 minutes ago, CLOU said:

Another FlightEase issue to be aware of that is new.  If you book through FlightEase you wll not get credit for the miles in the airline's frequent flier program. 

 

Incorrect.

 

It completely depends on both the airline and the specific fare basis of the ticket.  You cannot make a blanket statement about miles, either that you always will or always won't.

 

 

49 minutes ago, CLOU said:

We discovered this for our upcoming flights on United to Lisbon and home from Amsterdam.

 

You discovered this for YOUR tickets.

 

 

[CLOU]

My statement was too blanket but I did state that it appears to be the case for my United tickets in June, business class, and American has announced that it is initiating this policy, although I believe some travel agencies will be approved and tickets issued by those agencies will qualify for miles. Still, it is something to keep in mind when booking. This has never been an issue before when we have booked through Seabourn, always on United or United partners.

[SDuckers]

We have always booked our own flights, because when we did price comparisons FlightEase never seemed to be particularly competitive.  But we have booked a cruise out of Dubrovnik in the fall of 2025, and looking at the difficulty of getting there from Houston, along with concerns about the possibility of this cruise changing departure point, has lead us to conclude using FlightEase makes more sense.

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, SDuckers said:

But we have booked a cruise out of Dubrovnik in the fall of 2025, and looking at the difficulty of getting there from Houston, along with concerns about the possibility of this cruise changing departure point, has lead us to conclude using FlightEase makes more sense.

 

Just how does using FlightEase make the "difficulty of getting there from Houston" any easier?  In fact, it has the potential of making things even more difficult, as FE may have fewer options to get to DBV than buying directly from the airlines.

 

And why do you think that the cruise will change its itinerary?  Do you know something we don't?

 

 

[sfvoyage]

Flight Ease has fewer options.  They only have contracted rates with selected airlines and on specific routes, and more often than not their rates are higher.  I have only found good options through them 20% of the time at most.

[jdk-atlga]

All: My FE thoughts are to compare and check frequently and often for options/pricing from FE to airline direct. As has been said before, with FE there are only a number of available seats on certain routes and when they are gone, they are gone. I find that it is best to get FE booking as early as possible, monitor it for better rates and continually compare - you can always cancel (within bounds) if you find another option more suitable than what you have with FE. I do not recommend a set/forget process with FE.

Best, jdk

[SDuckers]

15 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Just how does using FlightEase make the "difficulty of getting there from Houston" any easier?  In fact, it has the potential of making things even more difficult, as FE may have fewer options to get to DBV than buying directly from the airlines.

 

And why do you think that the cruise will change its itinerary?  Do you know something we don't?

 

 

I think FlightEase might be able to parse the various airlines and connections issues easier than us doing it.  I don't have any particular info re: a change in itinerary, but back in 2017 we had booked a Seabourn cruise specifically because we wanted to go to Istanbul and Ephesus, but Seabourn pulled out of Istanbul and deleted Ephesus as a stop.  We ended up going with a completely different itinerary after that.  Given the known instability in the region, it's not far-fetched to have it happen again.  I'd rather have Seabourn and FlightEase deal with changing our flights if that occurs.

[EbonyJ]

Hi Everyone

 

Thank you all for your input and response to my original question.  I checked our preliminary documentation yesterday as suggested by @johng75370 and the updated information is:=

 

MONTREAL Montreal Ship to Montreal Airport Group Transfer: You will be transferred from the ship to the airport. If you have a Seabourn-booked flight departing after 3:00 PM you will be brought to an interim location to wait for your flight. If you have a Seabourn-booked flight departing between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM you will receive a meal voucher for use at a restaurant or hotel. If you have a Seabourn-booked flight departing after 6:00 PM you will receive hospitality accommodations. You will be provided with further details when you receive your disembarkation information while on board the ship. 

 

I guess we will wait and see!  FWIW our flights were approx £2,000 less using FE and for our October cruise approx £3,000 less.  I will however continue checking them. 

 

 

 

[EbonyJ]

I thought I would update this thread with what actually happened with our first experience of using the Flight Ease programme via Seabourn.  Just to recap, our trip ended in Montreal, and our flight back to Edinburgh via Paris, with Air France was at 23:00 with a layover of a little over 3 hours in Paris.  It had started with a flight from Edinburgh to London Heathrow and a transfer to Greenwich (tender port) to embark the Seabourn Quest.  We actually spotted the ship on the Thames from the plane which was really exciting!  

 

Embarkation -14 July  Arrival at London Heathrow Terminal 5 just after 9 am, collected our luggage and were met at arrivals by a Seabourn Representative.  She walked us the short distance to the Sofitel, where there were approximately 30 people waiting in a lounge for the transfer to Greenwich pier.  The incoming coach had been delayed by some road closures around London.  Although there had been a breakfast spread laid on for other guests who had arrived on earlier flights, this had finished, however we were served coffee whilst we waited for approximately 30 minutes.  Our coach arrived and transported us to Greenwich.  The driver explained that due to road closures we had to go a different route.  The journey was pleasant and we got to see some interesting places in London during our journey which took just under 2 hours.  We had to take our cases from the coach to a section at the side of the road, where we checked our luggage in and handed it over to porters then went to the port side to wait for a tender.  That part was a little chaotic, there were no signs and very few people to guide us, but we got there in the end!  

 

Disembarkation  19 August - 3 days before Montreal we received our disembarkation and luggage tags.  Our letter advised us that we would e transferred to Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel where we would have use of a day room from 10 am to 6 pm and our transfer to the airport was scheduled for 7:30 pm.  I thought this might have been an error, but when I checked with the Destination Services desk I was advised that we had to check out at 6pm.  When I asked if there was any other options available for us, we were told we would "have to sit in the hotel lobby".to wait on our transfer. I was disappointed in the response, and in particular being told to "raise a complaint when we got home".  I mention this only because people with flights earlier than us (around 9 pm) were given a meal voucher for lunch in the hotel.  Not wanting this to be a reflection on what was otherwise a great trip, we did not pursue the matter.  When we checked in at the hotel, we had to provide a credit card.  The room was really nice, and the hotel just a block away from the HOHO bus terminal.  By 11 am we were on the HOHO bus but as the weather was awful, we did the full circuit and did not hop off until the end.  By this time, it was 1 pm so headed to get some lunch.  Back in the hotel at 3pm, we had a "power nap", showered and re-organised our 3 large suitcases and 2 carry-ons then headed down to check out just before 6pm.  The hotel was super busy and we had to sit on a bench in the lobby.  Luckily our car (we were the last 2 for transfer) arrived about 7.20 pm and we were dropped off around 7.45 pm.    

 

Arriving home on 20 August, I noticed a pending transaction for Sheraton of $345.49 CAD (£196.12 GBP).  A couple of days later..... yes, you have guessed, it became a full charge.  I tried to contact the Sheraton in Montreal, but no email address.  I contacted my TA and Seabourn, who asked me to send an email, which I did.  Due to security, I was unable to screenshot the transaction, but I also contacted my Credit Card provider who advised that I would have to initially take this up with the service provider.  I explained to them that this was a prepaid service etc.  On 26 August my Credit Card provider advised me that they could now see a pending transaction coming through, but due to a different exchange rate this was for £194.16.  As a gesture of goodwill, they would also give me a credit for the difference, but to allow 5 to 7 days for this to filter through. Seabourn have now come back and asked me for an invoice (which I don't have) for the charge, and although technically the situation has been sorted out via my Credit Card company, I would rather not have had it happen at all, or that they had to credit me the difference.  I have asked Seabourn to get an explanation from Sheraton and an apology.  I do not know if this will happen, but nice money if you can get it, even for a few days ..........   

 

So, to summarise, I thought the Flight Ease programme was good, but to cut the hotel day room short by 1 and a half hours devalued the product.  If I get a response from Seabourn, I will post this too.   Hopefully this is helpful if you are hoping to use Flight Ease in the future.  

 

 

[skybluewaters]

1 hour ago, EbonyJ said:

Hopefully this is helpful if you are hoping to use Flight Ease in the future.  

 

Very helpful, thank you for taking the time to inform us