air with princess

[ashleytera]

we have booked our air through princess. has anyone had any experience with this?

[greatam]

we have booked our air through princess. has anyone had any experience with this?

 

Be prepared for very early flights, weird routings, and stress. You will NOT know what flights you have until about 30 days pre cruise.

 

Cruise air is NOT the cruise lines primary business. The air portion is done as a convenience for cruise customers. Cruiselines generally book the cheapest, some flights with VERY weird routings. Sometimes you will get a nonstop, but NOT often. Nonstops are usually more expensive.

 

If you have booked cruise air and are NOT past final payment, start looking for your own air at times convenient to you on an airline of your choice. We will all be glad to help IF:

 

1. you post dates you need flights

2. IF you can go to alternate airports

3. If you can fly on alternate days (one day before or one day after)

4. Are you looking for strictly for price or convenience?

5. Where you are flying from and to

[ashleytera]

We have done our own air before. This time we chose to do it with Princess. The cheapest we can find is with Southwest, the others are higher than what Princess does. I just do not want to be stuck in FLL for hours waiting. Do they typically get the passengers with their air off early for departure or late afternoon flights? Our final payment is due the 24th, so I have some time. Also is 12:55 too early for a departure flight?

[iancal]

It seems to me that the cruise lines buy the cheapest, poorest routings and then sell that at a price well above market. Every time we get an air inclusive price we are always surprise by how high the air portion is. We always buy air seperately. We know there is a slight risk, hence we typically fly a day or two early. Upside is that the savings we get from doing this pays for the extra day or two that we spend pre cruise AND (just as important) we get to select our own airline/routing. Same for cruise line pre cruise hotels. Avoid them, you will get a much better price, often less than 1/2, by making your own hotel arrangements. We never buy their insurance either...our private carrier is just as comprehensive at a much more competitive cost. One thing I am told (no personal experience) is that the cruise lines do offer excellent deals on air such as going into Venice and out of Barcelona, and on some of the South Pacific routes. We use points for this type of travel.

[wasup254]

We are using the Princess air as this is a Europe(Rome) to Miami and we coudlnot come close to Princess one way even if we did it RT. So yes, we used the air and we got a Rome to Frankfurt and themn Frankfurt to Miami NS..

 

Marlene

 

We have been able to beat the air on all other cruises offered by the cruiseline

[janetz]

You have until final payment to cancell your air with Princess. Start looking and fly in a day before. :p

[chapdaddy]

We used Princess Air the first time and it was the same times and routes that we would booked had we done it ourselves. We always go in a day early. We usually book our own airfare when we travel. With the exception of the cruise during Hurricane season. During Hurricane season if you are out on a ship and have to be re-routed to another port, or are delyed or cut short, Princess takes care of their air. You are on your own with self purchased air. One other thing...I requested an early flight both times I used Princess Air and got exactly what I wanted. Maybe I was lucky? I still prefer to book my own when traveling outside of the Hurricane season.

[soymilkisgood]

It is better to purchase your own air accommodations.

I went to the travel agency to book our cruise on the Sapphire Princess for May 20th. My TA wanted to sell me an air package that would have been $800.00 each for us to fly from ATL to YVR and ANC to ATL.

I looked on my own and I found a flight for $487.00 for each of us to fly for destinations. That’s a difference of over $800.00. They purchase the air in bulk and mark it up for us. My advice books your own air. Check these sites.

www.sidestep.com

www.travelocity.com

www.orbitz.com

www.expedia.com

www.clarkhoward.com

Stay plugged by your computer and check for deals constantly.

Sometimes the airlines have their own private sales and you can check individual websites. And when other airlines put their fares on sale, the others most likely will try to match the other.

Two weeks ago I watched my flight from ATL to YVR go to $210.00 one way. I called my travel agent to see if I purchased the right flight and he told me he had never seen the price so low.

It’s your money so you have to protect how much you want to spend. Remember you and only you can’t prevent from paying too much!