? about Princess air

[betmust]

We are booked for an Alaskan cruise in Aug. 2008 on the Diamond. I did book my air with Princess. I will be traveling from Logan airport in Boston with a final destination of Anchorage.

I was wondering if anyone here ever traveled from Boston to Anchorage with Princess air and if your flight times were really bad. I have heard pros and cons for other areas. Where we are so far away, I am curious what it will be like.

Also we are a party of 7 and asked to travel together. They said it could be marked but there was no guarantees. Has anyone booked in a group and did they keep you together or book your flights for separate parties?

 

Thanks for any help

 

 

Bette

[greatam]

Could be any airline, any connections and any flight times. It will NOT be a non stop flight. May have more than one connection (most likely two). There could be VERY short connection times. And your entire party may be on different flights. Absolutely NO guarantees for anything with cruise air

[greatam]

If I had to make an educated guess, you will leave BOS VERY early (between 5:30 and 7:00AM), arrive ANC sometime before 4:00PM, 2 hour drive to Whittier with the tunnel, luggage loading and unloading. Ship leaves late IIRC. LONG, LONG day.

[Pam in CA]

We did this several years ago and the flights were essentially the same ones as I would have booked myself only it was cheaper using Princess air.

 

We left BOS early in the morning, flew directly to Seattle. Had a 3-hr wait in Seattle and flew to Anchorage. We flew on to Fairbanks from Anchorage. Coming home from Vancouver, we had a direct flight to BOS. 5 1/2 hours -- couldn't have been better.

 

No matter how you do it, it's going to be a long day. There are NO direct flights from BOS to Anchorage. As always, I would recommend flying in the day before and staying over in Anchorage. You'll start your cruise after a night's sleep and IMHO, be a much better start to the cruise.

[betmust]

Actually, we will be staying in Anchorage that night and then doing a 3 day land tour thru Princess.

I know you can get anything from them-I was just wondering about actual experiences.

Pam, where in MA are you?? We are in Burlington - about 15 miles North of Boston

 

Thanks

Bette

[Pam in CA]

Actually, we will be staying in Anchorage that night and then doing a 3 day land tour thru Princess.

I know you can get anything from them-I was just wondering about actual experiences.

Pam, where in MA are you?? We are in Burlington - about 15 miles North of Boston

Bette, I still recommend that you spend an extra night in Anchorage. The reason being that you'll have a very long travel day and you'll then be up VERY early in the morning to start your tour. Chances are that you won't be as alert as you would be if you gave yourself an extra day.

 

I used to live in Salem, MA (right near you) and moved to CA in June. It never (almost never) rains in sunny California. :)

[fti]

My gut feeling is that if you begin looking now you will be able to to beat Princess' price for air. That is just my guess but I have been looking at airfares (AK included but not just) for 20+ years now. Just recently there was a $400 round trip fare from New York to Anchorage. Not sure how much it would have cost to add Boston-New York but that was a really good fare. So much so that I booked it since I need to be on the east coast in January and the fare allowed free stops in Minneapolis. So for little more than a round trip between Minneapolis and NY I am adding Anchorage :D

 

John

[TCB2006]

Hi John. You have so many knoweldgable posts regarding flights and air arrangements. This is definitely not my strong suit. I guess I just don't understand the method to the madness of researching air fares. Do you just keep checking the online travel sites and each airline over and over (daily?) until you find what you are looking for?

 

I know that part of the problem is that we are still more than 329 days out for our return flight (multi-city), but Princess is quoting $939 pp and I haven't been able to touch that. Is there a way to see exactly what airlines fly into Anchorage and at what time of day? I'm wondering if it would be easier to work backwards (i.e., find the flight that gets to Anchorage at a time that works and then find the connecting flight).

[TCB2006]

Princess is quoting $939 pp and I haven't been able to touch that.

 

Oops. :o I see what I did wrong . . . Yes, there are quite a few fares that are better than $939 per person. Thank goodness.:)

 

Still, so confusing . . .

[Pam in CA]

Hi John. You have so many knoweldgable posts regarding flights and air arrangements. This is definitely not my strong suit. I guess I just don't understand the method to the madness of researching air fares. Do you just keep checking the online travel sites and each airline over and over (daily?) until you find what you are looking for?

 

I know that part of the problem is that we are still more than 329 days out for our return flight (multi-city), but Princess is quoting $939 pp and I haven't been able to touch that. Is there a way to see exactly what airlines fly into Anchorage and at what time of day? I'm wondering if it would be easier to work backwards (i.e., find the flight that gets to Anchorage at a time that works and then find the connecting flight).

First, there's no way I'd want to fly to NY, wait for a connection and then fly West. :( Even though it's just a short flight, that'll add 3 - 4 hours to your trip. Not worth it IMHO.

 

I did a search on kayak dot com and came up with fares around $700 - $750. Check Kayak and Sidestep dot com for fares. These are search engines that look for the best prices. You can modify the search for just one stopover, nearby airports (heck, check out Manchester).

[Coral]

Hi,

 

I would strongly recommend you contact your agent and ask for a flight deviation and fly in the day before (like Pam mentioned).

 

With a flight deviation, you can pick your flights and your flights will be confirmed (so you know you will be traveling together). This will cost extra but it would be worth it IMO.

[drakes2]

On our upcoming cruise, I had originally added Princess air to our cruise cost. Then I found a direct non stop flight to Puerto Rico at a great price which Princess would never have been able to get for me even paying the $50 deviation fee as the flight is now sold out and our final payment is not due until the end of October. I believe you can always get a better bargain booking your own flights as opposed to Princess air.

My gut feeling is that if you begin looking now you will be able to to beat Princess' price for air. That is just my guess but I have been looking at airfares (AK included but not just) for 20+ years now. Just recently there was a $400 round trip fare from New York to Anchorage. Not sure how much it would have cost to add Boston-New York but that was a really good fare. So much so that I booked it since I need to be on the east coast in January and the fare allowed free stops in Minneapolis. So for little more than a round trip between Minneapolis and NY I am adding Anchorage :D

 

John

[Coral]

I believe you can always get a better bargain booking your own flights as opposed to Princess air.

 

This isn't always true. I live 8-9 hours (4 from a somewhat large airport) from a large airport so I usually fly out of the smaller airports. Princess's air can be cheaper for some of us who use small airports and have little (if any) competition at their airport. For example - we only have 2 airlines flying out of the airport I am closest to.

 

So while it may always be true for you, it is not always true for others flying out of other places.

[Pam in CA]

I believe you can always get a better bargain booking your own flights as opposed to Princess air.

As a "blanket" statement, that's not true. For some departure cities and destinations, it's probably true but for others, it may or may not be true. For instance, if you're flying from BOS to FLL, yes, you can probably do better on your own. But, if you're flying to Athens and returning from Venice to LAX, it may or may not be true. Alaska is another example. There are times when it's less-expensive (and just as convenient) to use Princess air as it is to book your own.

 

The point is to do your research. I often add Princess air to my booking and then look to see if I can find a better rate / schedule on my own before final payment. But then I rarely depart a cruise from a U.S. port.

[fti]

Hi John. You have so many knoweldgable posts regarding flights and air arrangements. This is definitely not my strong suit. I guess I just don't understand the method to the madness of researching air fares. Do you just keep checking the online travel sites and each airline over and over (daily?) until you find what you are looking for?

 

I know that part of the problem is that we are still more than 329 days out for our return flight (multi-city), but Princess is quoting $939 pp and I haven't been able to touch that. Is there a way to see exactly what airlines fly into Anchorage and at what time of day? I'm wondering if it would be easier to work backwards (i.e., find the flight that gets to Anchorage at a time that works and then find the connecting flight).

 

Many of my comments are made for general reading and not specifically for one person in the thread. So when I mentioned the NY to Anchorage fare, I didn't mean for you to fly from OK to NY just to take adavantage of that fare. And I am not flying MN to NY to Anchorage - I am going to NY anyway and just combining that with the NY to Anchorage fare.

 

If you are arriving the same day you leave on a cruise or if you really don't want to arrive after a certain time, working backwards might be good. But generally I just start with my originating city and check which options there are for departure/arrival.

 

Using various websites to check fares is good. Personally I like the idea of setting up a fare watcher through farecompare.com. That way you will receive an EMail before the fares are even bookable on any website. The EMails generally come 1-3 hours before they are bookable.

 

Check the fare comparison sites too that were mentioned like kayak.

 

Try departing from other cities if that is convenient - Oklahoma City? Dallas?

 

Personally I find $939 very steep but I don't know your exact dates and if you are coming back from Anchorage or Vancouver, etc.

 

But by starting now and being proactive, you will find a good deal.

 

I don't check fares daily. I know I want to travel on or around certain dates and I wait for a fare alert to warn me of good fares. For example, I need to get from Minneapolis to Atlanta on 3 or 4 April in order to connect to a flight to San Jose Costa Rica that I bought months ago. I just wait until Fare Compare emails me a great fare to Atlanta then I jump on it.

 

I just purchased a ticket from Oslo to Hong Kong one way for next August. Not positive I will use it but for $375 one way in business class it is tempting. But I am really wanting to get to Beijing. My other option was to use literally hundreds of thousands of miles for two tickets to Beijing. But if I can find a good deal for August 08 to Oslo and then back from Beijing or Hong Kong to the US, this might be worth it and save my miles for something else.

 

It takes a lot of work honestly. But I have been booking flights for myself and others for 20 years so I know quite a few of the ins and outs.

 

If you want to see which airlines fly to Anchorage, you can look in various places. Perhaps the airport's website shows that (many do). Perhaps something like OAG (Oficial Airline Guide) will give it to you but you might need a subscription to access it.

 

John

[fti]

As a "blanket" statement, that's not true....

 

if you're flying to Athens and returning from Venice to LAX, it may or may not be true.

 

The point is to do your research. I often add Princess air to my booking and then look to see if I can find a better rate / schedule on my own before final payment. But then I rarely depart a cruise from a U.S. port.

 

I agree with Pam, except that it is almost always possible to get a decent fare from the US to Athens and returning from Venice to the US (in fact from any one point in the US to a certain city in Europe, return from a different city in Europe to the same point in the US). This is called a "single open jaw" and is allowed by pretty much all airlines. You pay half the fare to each city.

 

What is generally not allowed is a double open jaw. For example, fly from LAX to Athens, return from Venice to San Francisco. That will usually cost a fortune.

 

Now whether booking a single open jaw on your own or through the cruiseline is cheaper, one needs to compare. But I often book single open jaws to Europe - it saves having to backtrack back to the original city so I can see more and save transit time.

 

John

[betmust]

Thanks for your thoughts on the flights.

 

My price from Princess is 759. My TA said when she did this cruise, she couldn't get it cheaper. Maybe I will watch to see. I need to get the flight to Anchorage, I know it won't be direct and then home to Boston from Vancouver. With any connections, etc., it may not be cheaper to do myself.

[TCB2006]

Using various websites to check fares is good. Personally I like the idea of setting up a fare watcher through farecompare.com.

 

Thanks John!! I noticed that you recommended farecompare.com on another thread. I hadn't heard of that one before, so I signed up for alerts on the two flights I will need (Tulsa to Anchorage, and then Vancouver to Tulsa). I think I will also include Seattle to Tulsa to the list. You are the second person who suggested trying Dallas, including sym1966 (who is from Oklahoma), so I'm watching that option. I appreciate all the tips in your post.

 

Pam--thanks for the info on sidestep and kayak. I will definitely include them in my research lists as soon as my return flight is available. The schedules don't go out that far yet---I want to leave a few days before the cruise (8/28/08) and our return flight is 9/6/08.

 

P.S. I have never been to NY, so I wouldn't necessarily pass up the opportunity!! :D

[fti]

Thanks John!! I noticed that you recommended farecompare.com on another thread. I hadn't heard of that one before, so I signed up for alerts on the two flights I will need (Tulsa to Anchorage, and then Vancouver to Tulsa). I think I will also include Seattle to Tulsa to the list. You are the second person who suggested trying Dallas, including sym1966 (who is from Oklahoma), so I'm watching that option. I appreciate all the tips in your post.

 

Pam--thanks for the info on sidestep and kayak. I will definitely include them in my research lists as soon as my return flight is available. The schedules don't go out that far yet---I want to leave a few days before the cruise (8/28/08) and our return flight is 9/6/08.

 

P.S. I have never been to NY, so I wouldn't necessarily pass up the opportunity!! :D

 

Be sure to set up the fare watcher for Tulsa to Vancouver, not Vancouver to Tulsa. Generally for flights within the US, the price from one city to the other or in the opposite direction are the same. But not necessarily to/from Canada. "open jaw" tickets as what you need is called, usually take half the Tulsa to Anchorage fare and half the Tulsa to Vancouver fare. So you want Tulsa to Vancouver and Tulsa to Anchorage :) .

 

The main reason I like fare compare (though I get several EMails each day that I usually just delete since I set it up for fares to anywhere from Minneapolis) is that they send me the fare info before it is even bookable. That is a HUGE advantage. If you are not at a computer when other sites EMail you, you could lose out on the fare since they only EMail once the fare is bookable. With fare compare, you get a "warning" of an hour or two or three.

 

I grew up in/near New York City. Great place to visit but I would not want to live there again! However, since my sister and niece still live there, I get to stay near NY for free and can head into the city for activities. Plus, that NY to Anchorage fare that I saw is allowing me to get to Alaska next May for next to nothing in airfare cost.

 

John

[greatam]

Thanks for your thoughts on the flights.

 

My price from Princess is 759. My TA said when she did this cruise, she couldn't get it cheaper. Maybe I will watch to see. I need to get the flight to Anchorage, I know it won't be direct and then home to Boston from Vancouver. With any connections, etc., it may not be cheaper to do myself.

 

Keep your eyes on fares this month. Alaska Airlines started their sales yesterday to coincide with the release of Alaska residents Permanent Dividend checks (the oil money). The other airlines are starting to match.

 

Fares are available this morning for August 2008 for $609.00 from BOS into ANC, return from YVR. Of course, with Princess, you get transfers included, but you can book them separately through the cruise line OR take one of the MANY ways to get to Whittier (the train is really special).

 

By booking your own air, you KNOW what time you are leaving, what connections you have and are in control. Your TA could not book flights or see any prices earlier than now, as the flights for August 2008 have just become available.

[FLACRUISER99]

By booking your own air, you KNOW what time you are leaving, what connections you have and are in control. Your TA could not book flights or see any prices earlier than now, as the flights for August 2008 have just become available.

Also not true, the airlines can change times, change aircraft, change you from nonstop to 1 or even 2 stop at anytime.

[greatam]

Also not true, the airlines can change times, change aircraft, change you from nonstop to 1 or even 2 stop at anytime.

 

ALL air, whether self booked or cruise line booked, can have airline induced changes. However, IF the change impacts your arrival time for your cruise (day of cruise arrival) or is changed by MORE than 90 minutes, the airline is OBLIGATED to either refund your money in full with NO penalities or place you on flights very close to your original flights.

 

VERY often, changes are beneficial. Example: You MAY end up on the nonstop (which was much more expensive originally). You MAY end up with better connecting times. You MAY end up on a partner airline with better schedule or service.

[TCB2006]

Be sure to set up the fare watcher for Tulsa to Vancouver, not Vancouver to Tulsa. Generally for flights within the US, the price from one city to the other or in the opposite direction are the same. But not necessarily to/from Canada. "open jaw" tickets as what you need is called, usually take half the Tulsa to Anchorage fare and half the Tulsa to Vancouver fare. So you want Tulsa to Vancouver and Tulsa to Anchorage :) .

 

I'm not sure I understood this part, but I have changed my "alert" to "Tulsa to Vancouver." :) If by some chance there is a fare from Tulsa to Vancouver that is lower than the fare from Vancouver to Tulsa, how do I make that work on an open jaw flight?:confused: Or is it something that will come out in the wash when I book?

[TCB2006]

Keep your eyes on fares this month. Alaska Airlines started their sales yesterday to coincide with the release of Alaska residents Permanent Dividend checks (the oil money). The other airlines are starting to match.

 

Someone told me to watch Alaska Airlines in mid-October. Guess this is why!! Thanks!!

 

Since you can't see flight options unless the date is less than 329 days out, what do we do if there is a good deal on an 8/28/08 flight before the 9/6/08 flights are available? Does that make sense?