Celebrity Air screw up again

[Fblack]

I booked Constellation back to back cruises departing from Ft. Lauderdale and returning from Heathrow in June of last year. I set up the flights with their air deviation department over 9 months ago. Since then Delta Airlines has changed flight numbers, times and equipment 4 or 5 times. They finally made the last changes in February.

 

I am flying from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale Thursday. My flight goes to Atlanta where I change planes and take a second flight from Atlanta to Ft. Lauderdale. Today I learned that the first plane makes a stop in Atlanta and then continues on to Ft. Lauderdale. Had Celebrity used their brains they would have figured out that there was no reason for me to change planes at all.

 

So my TA and I called them and they could not explain their logic or change my flight. They said flight changes had to be outside a 7 day departure window. I contacted Delta who said seats were available but they could do nothing without Celebrity.

[ocngypz]

Why blame Celebrity or any other cruiseline when the AIRLINES change their schedules?

 

The way the airlines operate, if there is a change to a current booking, they most of the time send an advisory to the cruiseline. I say most, because they don't always.

 

Now, if I am reading your post correctly, you are complaining that Celebrity showed the flight to FLL as connecting service through ATL, when it is jet-through?

[FinelyCruising]

Sounds like a good question as to why to me too. Sounds like you are on two flights like it or not.

 

I hope that everything else goes really well from here on in!!

[Fblack]

The reason I blame Celebrity is that there were 5 or 6 flights that were available when the final arrangements were set in early February for an April 10th flight. They made the choice. I was never asked.

 

One flight was a direct flight with a short stopover. The others all required a change of planes in Atlanta.

 

It just seems to me that when they have a department that does nothing but match passengers with flights they should be smarter. And with seats still available on the direct flight, I fail to see why they would not correct an obvious slip up.

[SusieV]

Isn't the whole idea of Celebrity air that you take what they give you, unless you request (and pay for) a deviation?

 

Why would they ask you about your flights if you didn't request custom air? They're going to give you whatever is cheapest.

[greatam]

The reason I blame Celebrity is that there were 5 or 6 flights that were available when the final arrangements were set in early February for an April 10th flight. They made the choice. I was never asked.

 

One flight was a direct flight with a short stopover. The others all required a change of planes in Atlanta.

 

It just seems to me that when they have a department that does nothing but match passengers with flights they should be smarter. And with seats still available on the direct flight, I fail to see why they would not correct an obvious slip up.

 

You have a totally incorrect view of how cruise air works. Please read the first part of this thread. It will shine a whole new light on cruise air.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=530322

 

PS: If you are looking at the seat map-"seats still available on the direct flight", you are mistaken. Airline seat maps are one of the MOST inaccurate ways to tell if a flight is full. Tour groups, cruise lines and lots of business pax DO NOT pick seats. The flight you are looking at MAY be completely sold out.

[Cruise Arizona]

The more I read about cruise air the less likely I am to use it. When we booked our recent Trans Atlantic cruise I researched the cost of the "multi city" ticket: Home to Barcelona then San Juan to Home.

 

While the best route, which is changing planes just once in Atlanta is not available at a decent price, there are tickets available through Houston and New Jersey at $400 less than the cruise air price. We have decided to use the "savings" and fly into Barcelona three days early. That way if there are any delays we should have no trouble making the cruise. Plus we'll have three days to see many of the attractions in Barcelona.

[TMaine]

I still prefer to book my air through the Celebrity. The insurance covers us if there are delays for whatever reason and the price in the past has been very comparable to anything I can book on my own. As Captain Club members, we also get to review our flights and make changes as necessary. Last year we knew a family that booked their own air with JetBlue when they cancelled all the flights; they all missed the cruise and were out $20,000 because they could not meet up with the ship anywhere. That is too much to lose in my opinion so I will put up with any minor inconveniences (though I have not experienced any yet).

[Deeliteful]

I must say I have always booked my airline tickets separately from the cruise.

 

When I enquired with RCL about including my flight for my T/A last year I could not believe the route they were trying to take me - something like Manchester(UK) to Heathrow - Chicago to Dallas to Tampa (the cities are not necessarily correct but you get the idea!) and wanted to charge me about $500 more than the flight I booked myself from Manchester direct to Tampa.

 

With the savings I can then have one or two nights in the port before I cruise.

 

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[hcat]

You have to get the custom air to avoid the silly routes they select--that's a given... & also compare the going rates versus cruise line rates--comparison shopping--& pick what's best at the time you are booking it...

[Fblack]

I have 40 cruises under my belt. I am Elite on Celebrity. I DID use their air deviation and starting over 8 months ago. I use air deviation on every cruise no matter what the cruise line when they provide the flights.

 

We jointly selected seats and flights some time ago. Celebrity never informed me ever of any flight change, equipment change or seat change. The final flight number and seats was changed by Celebrity on February 5th. That's 9 weeks before the flight.

 

It just seems to me that if a passenger is using Celebrity's air deviation department, they should inform the passenger of flight changes and give them a chance to approve things.

[FinelyCruising]

I agree with you there. You paid the upcharge for that right.

[greatam]

 

We jointly selected seats and flights some time ago. Celebrity never informed me ever of any flight change, equipment change or seat change. The final flight number and seats was changed by Celebrity on February 5th. That's 9 weeks before the flight.

 

 

AGAIN-X didn't change the flights, the airline did. X may not even KNOW about the flight change. Once you have purchased the ticket from a cruise line, you now become the airline's responsibility. READ the fine print in a cruise contract-they all have wording to the effect: "we offer hotels, shore excursions, transport AND air as a CONVENIENCE to passengers. We have NO liability for third party vendors". The cruise line DOES NOT have to notify you of anything. To repeat, once the ticket is sold, you become the airline's responsibility.

 

X (and all cruise lines) buys blocks of seats from various airlines. They are contract priced-XXX airline sells YYY tickets to ZZZ cruise line at a FIXED price. Airline could care less how much the cruise line sells the tickets for.

 

HOWEVER, these tickets are issued in CONSOLIDATOR CLASS-VERY high change fees (if a change is allowed at all) and they have NO VALUE to another airline. So if you have a problem with air-doesn't matter what it is-mechanical, crew, weather, airport security delay-the ticket can ONLY be used on the originating carrier. There is NO tit for tat exchanging seats as is so common on PAID, published tariff tickets. The originating airline has to pay another airline IN CASH to get a seat on another carrier. Most likely NOT going to happen in today's airline environment.

 

And to SPECIFICALLY answer your question WHY you are on a connecting flight and NOT the direct flight: When the cruise line purchased their block of tickets (usually a year pre cruise), they DID NOT contract for the DIRECT flight (or it may not even have been available). They contracted for the connecting flight. IF you did not pay additional for your cruise air tickets, you have to fly on what the cruise line contracted for. IF you want the direct flight (stop, but no plane change), you will have to pay an upcharge. And the direct flight MAY NOT be available to the cruise line at any price.

 

Think about it logically-why should airlines sell a bunch of "cheap seats" to the cruise line when they can sell those same seats to the general public for more money? One BIG reason airlines restrict cruise lines to XXX tickets at YYY price. Once the cruise air tickets are gone, they're gone. And not every flight is under contract with the cruise line. The airlines aren't THAT stupid.

[greatam]

I agree with you there. You paid the upcharge for that right.

 

Upcharge is NOT the same as air deviation fee. And the OP, with 40 cruises, is probably exempt from the air deviation fee.

[FinelyCruising]

Upcharge is NOT the same as air deviation fee. And the OP, with 40 cruises, is probably exempt from the air deviation fee.

 

There is a charge for air deviation. I called it an upcharge.

[FinelyCruising]

AGAIN-X didn't change the flights, the airline did. X may not even KNOW about the flight change. Once you have purchased the ticket from a cruise line, you now become the airline's responsibility. READ the fine print in a cruise contract-they all have wording to the effect: "we offer hotels, shore excursions, transport AND air as a CONVENIENCE to passengers. We have NO liability for third party vendors". The cruise line DOES NOT have to notify you of anything. To repeat, once the ticket is sold, you become the airline's responsibility.

 

X (and all cruise lines) buys blocks of seats from various airlines. They are contract priced-XXX airline sells YYY tickets to ZZZ cruise line at a FIXED price. Airline could care less how much the cruise line sells the tickets for.

 

HOWEVER, these tickets are issued in CONSOLIDATOR CLASS-VERY high change fees (if a change is allowed at all) and they have NO VALUE to another airline. So if you have a problem with air-doesn't matter what it is-mechanical, crew, weather, airport security delay-the ticket can ONLY be used on the originating carrier. There is NO tit for tat exchanging seats as is so common on PAID, published tariff tickets. The originating airline has to pay another airline IN CASH to get a seat on another carrier. Most likely NOT going to happen in today's airline environment.

 

And to SPECIFICALLY answer your question WHY you are on a connecting flight and NOT the direct flight: When the cruise line purchased their block of tickets (usually a year pre cruise), they DID NOT contract for the DIRECT flight (or it may not even have been available). They contracted for the connecting flight. IF you did not pay additional for your cruise air tickets, you have to fly on what the cruise line contracted for. IF you want the direct flight (stop, but no plane change), you will have to pay an upcharge. And the direct flight MAY NOT be available to the cruise line at any price.

 

Think about it logically-why should airlines sell a bunch of "cheap seats" to the cruise line when they can sell those same seats to the general public for more money? One BIG reason airlines restrict cruise lines to XXX tickets at YYY price. Once the cruise air tickets are gone, they're gone. And not every flight is under contract with the cruise line. The airlines aren't THAT stupid.

 

This poster said that everything was settled. While the cruiseline has no direct control over the airlines changing flights, times, and things of that sort, I can tell you anytime I book my own flight and they change the flight number or the time, they tell me what they have done and ask me to confirm, so I am not of the mind set some for of communication did not occur to the contracted party. For sure if I book a direct flight, and have paid for that to be a direct flight, I am not going to sit back and say OK now its not.

 

At the moment this guy just got screwed.

[greatam]

 

At the moment this guy just got screwed.

 

I truly believe the OP paid for the connecting flight almost a year ago. THEN learned that the ORIGINAL connecting flight BECAME a direct flight. The direct flight MAY not have been on the schedule a year ago. X contracted for the connecting flight. OP got the connecting flight. He wants X to put him on the direct flight, which is NOT what the OP originally got or X contracted for.

 

Here is the OP's original post:

 

 

"My flight goes to Atlanta where I change planes and take a second flight from Atlanta to Ft. Lauderdale. Today I learned that the first plane makes a stop in Atlanta and then continues on to Ft. Lauderdale. Had Celebrity used their brains they would have figured out that there was no reason for me to change planes at all."

[FinelyCruising]

I truly believe the OP paid for the connecting flight almost a year ago. THEN learned that the ORIGINAL connecting flight BECAME a direct flight. The direct flight MAY not have been on the schedule a year ago. X contracted for the connecting flight. OP got the connecting flight. He wants X to put him on the direct flight, which is NOT what the OP originally got or X contracted for.

 

Here is the OP's original post:

 

 

"My flight goes to Atlanta where I change planes and take a second flight from Atlanta to Ft. Lauderdale. Today I learned that the first plane makes a stop in Atlanta and then continues on to Ft. Lauderdale. Had Celebrity used their brains they would have figured out that there was no reason for me to change planes at all."

 

OK I am following....he had one flight with a stop in Atlanta. That was the deal he made? I'm not entirely sure...THEN, someone changed that and said hey you, you need to get off that plane and take a differnt plane to get you to the same place in the end.

 

He's right, they were not smart. He might not be screwed as bad as I thought. But I am sure this is going to be a big PITA for him.

[greatam]

OK I am following....he had one flight with a stop in Atlanta. That was the deal he made? I'm not entirely sure...THEN, someone changed that and said hey you, you need to get off that plane and take a differnt plane to get you to the same place in the end.

 

He's right, they were not smart. He might not be screwed as bad as I thought. But I am sure this is going to be a big PITA for him.

 

If I am reading this correctly, he ORIGINALLY had a connecting flight (change of planes) in Atlanta. THEN he found out the plane he was flying INTO Atlanta continued to FLL (which made that flight a DIRECT flght). He still has to change planes-connecting flight he ORIGINALLY booked. He wants to stay on the same plane. As I posted, the direct flight MAY NOT have even been on the schedule when X contracted for the tickets and he booked (almost a year ago). If I read the OP correctly, he is getting what he paid for and has had booked for a year. He is in no worse position than he was when he booked.

[mgg42]

The OP's been on over FORTY cruises??? I've been on like THREE! Sorry, no sympathy for having to change planes from me! :p(J/K, pure jealousy!)

[keela1eva2]

I had origionally taken X Air when I booked my NZ OZ cruise for November.

For this I had to fly Leeds/Bradford to Heathrow to Singapore to Sydney to Auckland i.e.3 changes.

I found out that Singapore Airlines fly direct from Manchester to Singapore and then direct from Singapore to Auckland.

 

Due to this I decided to book my own flights for this I have to pay and ad min fee to X and will also lose 6% discount as my TA will now only give me 5%.

 

The Air fare is £335 less with Singapore Airlines so this means that I am not losing money. My other problem is getting X to remove the £140 Deviation fee they were charging me to fly Sydney to Perth.

 

I am holding the flights meantime and if they won't sort out how much I really need to pay them then I most certainly will cancel. My TA told me 4 different people gave her 4 different prices. When she called them after I raised the query about their costing there was no one there who could do the sums. She said she will speak to them again tomorrow.

 

If this does not work out I am going to book another cruise and simply go to Australia for a 4 week holiday. X say they can't get these flights as they have no contract with SA.

 

Sue