Charter Flights

[flatwallet]

Does HAL routinely use charter flights to transport pax to/from originating/destinating ports?

[doone]

I haven't used the cruise line air in years, but when I did, we flew major carriers, Delta, Continental, Northwest, etc.

[Krazy Kruizers]

There have been times when we had to use the cruise lines because our cruise began in port and ended in a different port. We always pay the air deviation and tell the cruise lin what we want.

[sail7seas]

I think what 'flatwallet' meant was.....IF you use HAL air, would you be on regularly scheduled flights or does HAL charter flights that would be comprised solely of cruise pax?


Please correct me if I am wrong.

The answer to your question, if that is what you meant, is No. They book pax on regularly scheduled flights.

[ryansmemom]

HAL did charter our flights for our Millenium cruise. That may have been just for that one time because of the special circumstances of the Millenium. All passengers met on regular flights at Houston airport and then were flown by charter air to Alcapulco where our cruise began. We were doing a full transit of the Panama Canal on the Ryndam. For the flight, the entire airplane was considered "first class", with full meals and complimentary alcoholic beverages. Unfortunatly, the seats were not all first class. It was a nice way to start the cruise.

HAL chartered a regular Continental airplane for the flight.


Linda

[TedC]

Last October, on the Oosterdam in the Med, our tablemates used HAL air and were on charter flights. I don't know if only HAL pax were on the charter flights or not, but I suspect that could have been the case.

Charter flights generally have a bad reputation. But there could be a bright side: The charter will probably be direct to near the port you are sailing from.

I have never been on a charter but have read reports of very cramped seating.

[sail7seas]

HAL did charter our flights for our Millenium cruise. That may have been just for that one time because of the special circumstances of the Millenium. All passengers met on regular flights at Houston airport and then were flown by charter air to Alcapulco where our cruise began. We were doing a full transit of the Panama Canal on the Ryndam. For the flight, the entire airplane was considered "first class", with full meals and complimentary alcoholic beverages. Unfortunatly, the seats were not all first class. It was a nice way to start the cruise.

HAL chartered a regular Continental airplane for the flight.


Linda






We were on Rotterdam back-to-back for the Christmas Cruise and stayed aboard for the Millenium New Years Cruise. (They were incredible BTW). We flew on regular flights to FLL....American Airlines.
(First Class.)

[ekerr19]

We had a charter flight for our Panama Cruise on the Amsterdam. We flew Miami Air from Miami to the middle of the jungle in Costa Rica, then took a 3-hour bus ride (a nice way to see the country!) to the ship.

There were four planes departing from Miami - they all contained Amsterdam pax.

It was not the best flight we've ever been on, it was vert cramped - but it didn't take long, thankfully.

[flatwallet]

My reason for this question is that we booked all the way with HAL (air, everything) for our European Cruise destinating in Athens, Greece. We went over from Atlanta to London via Delta but our return was via a chartered flight from Athens airport. To say overcrowded was a slight underestimation. The plane held approx. 400 pax and it was full. It was scheduled to leave at 8:30 AM and we had not started boarding by nearly 9 and then it was CHAOS. The charter company did not call by row numbers..they just started letting pax board at their leisure and of course people trying to load overhead bins without any order whatever was maddening. They were still loading luggage aboard the plane at 11:00. Then 10 hours flying tramping carryon totes under the seat in front of us.
Before all this transpired we had to wake up about 1:30, go to Lido and have a Continental breakfast, board the busses for the airport at 3:00AM and then gather luggage piled up in a parking lot at the airport...What a mess!
We finally left Athens about 11:15 Athens time for a 10 hour flight to Baltimore.

[ekerr19]

flatwallet-

Our charter to Costa Rica was late boarding too. We waited a couple of hours in the airport - then we waited on the runway - we were the last charter plane to leave Miami, about 4 hours behind schedule.

We always book our own air now. We thought it would be easier because we were embarking from Costa Rica and disembarking from FLL... we were wrong. :)

[bookworm0911]

How common is it for HAL to use charters? I would never book air through HAL if I thought it would be a charter. Do they tell you it will be a charter when you are booking so you have the opportunity to say No Thanks?

sail7seas- Did you book through HAL and was yours a charter that happened to be on American Airlines planes?

[sail7seas]

It was not a charter. It was a regularly scheduled AA flight. There were all sorts of pax on board...... not just HAL cruisers.

[Krazy Kruizers]

One way to avoid the charter flights is to go to the port of embarkation a day or two early. And stay over a day or two at the end of the cruise. This way there is little chance of a huge crowd going or coming at the same time who are on the ship with you. Especially for European and South American cruises.

We do that all the time - this is why we pay the air deviation and select oor own flights.

[sail7seas]

I'm curious KK why you use HAL air at all even though you do the deviation? Why do you not have your TA book your own flights?

[lknick]

For the most part, HAL uses bulk passage on common carriers. The exceptions are where common carriers do not service the inbound airport [Costa Rica] or there are many passengers with insufficient airline capacity.

[Krazy Kruizers]

For Euopean Cruises we use the cruise line air because we don't get on and off the ship in the same port. For us to book air own one way fares to one port and then book one way fares from another are way higher than what we can get through the cruise lines even when we pay for the air deviation. Try to do one way fares to Istanbul and than one way fares from Barcelona.

The air devaition saves us lots of money and before husband had heart attack we didn't mind flying coach class in those days.

Same thing when we flew down to Rio and back home from Ft Lauderdale.

[Krazy Kruizers]

lknick

One of these - and probably very soon - we will soon have a major problem flying out of Pittsburgh.

We may soon be faced with flying very small regional jets to a larger airport with more planes to "anywhere" and then we will have a luggage problem as the smaller aircraft have weight restrictions and we don't go on just 1 week cruises.

Dreading the future of air travel from Pittsburgh.

[TedC]

KK,

We did our own "open jaw" flights for last Oct. Med cruise on the Oosterdam and the price wasn't much if any higher than a regular round trip.

We flew into Rome and home from Lisbon on United and their Star Alliance code shares.

Granted, if the cities are too far apart it can get pricey. Compare HAL air prices with what you or your TA can get and you may find it isn't that much more or possibly, even less. HAL air includes transfers, but on your own a cab often isn't all that much and can be quicker and more comfortable than the bus HAL provides. The bus always has to wait for the last passenger to get his or her bags and often has to wait for a latter flight.

[Krazy Kruizers]

But our problem is going to be in the future - if US Airways does declare bankruptcy for a 2nd time at the end of September, we will be left with very few flights to anywhere. Us Airways has already drop all European flights - United doesn't go there from here.

The only airline that goes to Europe from here right now is Continental - and we have done them - via a couple of transfers - not very good. And at an older age we aren't able to run from gate to gate to catch flights - especially when one flight starts late.

[sail7seas]

Everyone knows what works best for them and no one else needs to understand. I'm sorry I asked the question, KK. I should not have. You do not need to explain yourself or your choices to anyone, least of all me.


I apologize. I should not have asked.

[ekerr19]

KK,

We did our own "open jaw" flights for last Oct. Med cruise on the Oosterdam and the price wasn't much if any higher than a regular round trip.

We flew into Rome and home from Lisbon on United and their Star Alliance code shares.

Granted, if the cities are too far apart it can get pricey. Compare HAL air prices with what you or your TA can get and you may find it isn't that much more or possibly, even less. HAL air includes transfers, but on your own a cab often isn't all that much and can be quicker and more comfortable than the bus HAL provides. The bus always has to wait for the last passenger to get his or her bags and often has to wait for a latter flight.
I'm curious - We booked our own, Denver to Rome and Lisbon back to Denver, We got them for $526 RT on Bristish Air - HAL's price was $1199 per person.

Why does HAL charge so much for bulk air? We ALWAYS seem to get a better price than HAL - I know there are benefits to booking through HAL, but the flights we've gotten are always lousy... especially the charter to Costa Rica - we paid almost $1000 per person, you'd think it'd be better than it was...

KK - It sounds like you do really well with HAL air. Do they allow you to upgrade to 1st class?

[Krazy Kruizers]

No, we do not get to upgrade to 1st class when we do air deviations through HAL.

We used to love to go business class to Europe when we had British Airways. But they have been gone for sometime from our airport.

The news agency reported the other day that the only reason our airport will retain its "International" status after Nov 1, is because we still have Air Canada that goes to Toronto and a few other flights that go to Mexico.

Other than that, after Nov 1 - nothing decent going anywhere.

Guess we will have to move to a city where they have a decent airport.

[sail7seas]

Five or so years ago when we were still booking our air through HAL we always flew first class. We would pay an air deviation fee in order to book the flight we wanted and we would pay additional money to fly first class. We almost never used their transfers unless we were flying to someplace like Athens where the airport is a distance from the city; Rome and Madrid the same.

They would quote us the price for first class air through them and we would compare to what it cost independently, and, in those days it often was a decent price.

[flatwallet]

Wow..thanks. I just learned something else about cruising and it's called Air Deviation Fees.
If only I had known about this on the cruise to Greece but as they say, Live and Learn.
Let me get this straight and please correct any assumptions:
You pay XX number of dollars per person to the cruise line for the air deviation.
The cruise line (more or less) allows you to select your flight to and from the originating and destinating ports.
You get the transfers.
The cruise line assumes responsiblity for the airline as if it had made the arrangements.
Is there more?

[Krazy Kruizers]

flatwallet

You are getting it right. Then the transfers are included.

And to be certain that HAL ( or any cruise line for that matter) still doesn't put you on a charter, go over 1 or 2 days early and stay 1 or 2 days after. That's the best way to avoid the charter flights.

[TedC]

I understand that after you pay the deviation fee, you might have to pay extra if HAL's costs increase when they book the airline and routing you request.