cheap air to Europe

Check out Icelandic Air. Their prices were very low.

Not sure WHO this reply was posted for...

But

If someone is looking for airfare to link up to a Celebrity Cruise (doesn't have to be same day... You can choose dates that suit your needs) I suggest checking out Choice Air, Celebrity's affiliate.

You can pick your own Airline, Itinerary / Flight and Choice Air will meet or beat it !!

We've been really impressed with them in the past

Hope this helps,

Cheers!

Not sure WHO this reply was posted for...

 

But

 

If someone is looking for airfare to link up to a Celebrity Cruise (doesn't have to be same day... You can choose dates that suit your needs) I suggest checking out Choice Air, Celebrity's affiliate.

 

You can pick your own Airline, Itinerary / Flight and Choice Air will meet or beat it !!

 

We've been really impressed with them in the past

 

Hope this helps,

 

Cheers!

Yes..choice air often has found some otherwise not easy to find excellent combinations. However, their search engine does have a few flaws. So does the Google engine. All I wish to point out is that the mathematical science of choosing the Best flight combinations is not always as clear cut as some would have us believe. If the research challenges the capacity or resources of finding the best choice, which can sometimes be improved on with a later choice, then one accepts less than perfection with an acceptable cost.

One limitation today was choice air did not consider Icelandic air that had an under $900 fare one way compared to a $2500 fare. For budgeteers, that's a find!

They should buy my own optimization engine.

Forget the Computer...

Call Celebrity / Choice Air.

Tell them rate you found / want... Airline, Itinerary, Fight... They will then tell you if they will match it (usually do in our experience).

They get the same deal or better from the Airline cause they are buying by volume (acting essentially as a Travel Agent on your behalf)

Hope this helps,

Cheers!

Check out Icelandic Air. Their prices were very low.

We didn't know ChoiceAir would attempt to match another price quote - good to know.

We are booked on an Icelandic Air flight to Paris from JFK, in Icelandic's business class (they don't have a first class). Better food, better luggage allowance, access to private waiting areas, better seats for our old bones. All at a price several hundreds under the cabin class of bigger airlines. Just have to hope one of their volcanoes doesn't decide to erupt!

We will be transiting the Atlantic to the west on a Celebrity ship.

We flew Icelandic back to the US a couple of years ago in regular cabin class into Boston, which seemed to have a little more leg room than some other airlines. The customs/TSA people in Iceland were nicer too. (You're leaving the European Union when you change planes in Iceland) They don't have planes leaving every hour to Europe (maybe just one a day from only a limited number of airports), so advance planning is essential.

Where we ran into problems was at Logan which was under re-construction and we were mis-directed to our connecting flight -sent on a wild, long goose chase - by an unhelpful employee - nearly missing the plane. :mad::eek:

If I ever book a flight to Europe on IcelandAir, I will try to arrange a day long layover. All their flights stop in Keflavik, very close to Blue Lagoon spa.

I love Iceland. I suppose you could just do a several hour layover & visit Blue Lagoon if you like. My plan of staying over a day & booking hotel could wipe out much or all of the savings - but worth it to me for a stop over there.

Same in the UK. If your flying to the States from the UK and take a budget flight to Iceland, Holland or Portugal, then change and fly from there you will save hundreds.

When we flew from the US to Paris on Icelandic air several years ago, they allowed a stopover in Reykjavik for as many days as you chose for an additional $50. Don't know whether that was a promo or is a regular thing. We stopped over for 5 days, rented a car and had a blast.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Our plan is to take advantage of Icelandair's stopover for several nights enroute to boarding the Eclipse out of Southampton for a Fjords only cruise. The Eclipse cruise that visits Iceland & the Fjords was not workable for our budget and timeline, so this way we get to experience Iceland after all, and in more depth than via cruising.

I like the choice of European airports offered by Icelandair. We will fly into Gatwick from Reykjavik for the ease of taking the train to Southampton. Post-cruise we'll be traveling around England and will likely fly back from Manchester.

I've seen fares dip into the 700s in the past!

Yes..choice air often has found some otherwise not easy to find excellent combinations. However, their search engine does have a few flaws. So does the Google engine. All I wish to point out is that the mathematical science of choosing the Best flight combinations is not always as clear cut as some would have us believe. If the research challenges the capacity or resources of finding the best choice, which can sometimes be improved on with a later choice, then one accepts less than perfection with an acceptable cost.

 

One limitation today was choice air did not consider Icelandic air that had an under $900 fare one way compared to a $2500 fare. For budgeteers, that's a find!

 

They should buy my own optimization engine.

I am flying LAX to Istanbul in October for under $400 one way on KLM/delta through choice air. Return fare from FCO on AA is a little over $500. Most one way fares I have found to europe on choice air from Los Angeles are in the $500-600 range. So not sure where the $2,500 fare comes from but my fares have always been much lower than the $900 icelandic fare you mentioned.

I guess it depends on when and where you fly but $900 economy one way for one person seems high to me compared to choice air fares I usually see on American, BA, KLM, Delta and United. Last year I even got a OW business class fare on Lufthansa from FCO to JFK for $830 on choice air. A fantastic deal. This year, there are premium economy fares one way from FCO to LAX for a little under $900.

In my experience, choice air always has the lowest one way fares to europe on as long as you use their contracted airlines.

Usually better to call them after you have studied the website for more options.

for my flight from sna (orange county) to fco (rome) for the sil on Nov 1 2014

transatlantic....Choice by computer and phone is quoting about $3000.00

PER HEAD! coach class....guess extra for bathroom priveleges....

am I nuts?????

must be a my computer has an error

for my flight from sna (orange county) to fco (rome) for the sil on Nov 1 2014

 

transatlantic....Choice by computer and phone is quoting about $3000.00

 

PER HEAD! coach class....guess extra for bathroom priveleges....

 

am I nuts?????

 

must be a my computer has an error

I priced out LAX to FCO on october 30, just as an example as you will probably fly in early? Price on choice air starts at 567.00, goes to $650 or so depending on airline. I don't know if your problem is flying out of SNA but it would be cheaper to fly from LAX and probably much better connections. Maybe choice air does not have contracts from SNA so that is why it was so expensive.

I would even stay overnight the night before at LAX and go from there. 3,000 versus 567? A no brainer. You would think choice air would know about the Lax fare being cheaper but I guess you cant depend on them to tell you.

Please post here after you get it sorted out. Would love to know why sna is so expensive.

Please post here after you get it sorted out. Would love to know why sna is so expensive.

Supply and demand. Econ 101. Pretty simple at a fundamental level.

Yes..choice air often has found some otherwise not easy to find excellent combinations. However, their search engine does have a few flaws. So does the Google engine. All I wish to point out is that the mathematical science of choosing the Best flight combinations is not always as clear cut as some would have us believe. If the research challenges the capacity or resources of finding the best choice, which can sometimes be improved on with a later choice, then one accepts less than perfection with an acceptable cost.

 

One limitation today was choice air did not consider Icelandic air that had an under $900 fare one way compared to a $2500 fare. For budgeteers, that's a find!

 

They should buy my own optimization engine.

I'm not going into a long, drawn out explanation but purchasing through Choice Air DOES NOT generally get you the SAME ticket with all the benefits of an airline direct purchased ticket.

Very, very often the Choice Air tickets are bulk purchased, contract purchased, consolidator, call it what you want. There are some serious pitfalls to the tickets IF you have a glitch in your travels. And the two biggest are NON REROUTABLE (means you have to fly the same route as the original ticket, can't deviate even if another routing is the ONLY way to get you to your cruise on time) and NON ENDORSABLE (means you cannot use the ticket on another airline again even if that other airline is the ONLY way to get you to your cruise on time.) And because you CANNOT read the ENTIRE fare rules of a Choice Air ticket, you truly have no idea what you are buying, what restrictions are on the tickets or whether the airline will protect you in case of a glitch.

For those who buy strictly on price, PLEASE know what you are buying. So many do not and then find themselves in deep doo doo if irrops happen on their flight.

Please read the sticky at the top of this forum. I wrote it a long time ago but it is as relevant today as it was when I wrote it. ONLY difference-YOU do the work the cruise line used to do. YOU use a website to pick from the same "sitting on the shelf" tickets that the land/sea dept matched up years ago to get someone to their cruise. YOU saved the cruise line a LOT of money by doing their work for them. SAME HEAVILY restricted tickets as a general rule that were sold as "cruise air" years ago.

In my experience, choice air always has the lowest one way fares to europe on as long as you use their contracted airlines.

 

As long as you understand that just because the flight is the same, the ticket you bought may NOT be the same as what the airline would have sold you. See Greatam's reply below.

As long as you understand that just because the flight is the same, the ticket you bought may NOT be the same as what the airline would have sold you. See Greatam's reply below.

I understand and have read the threads on this problem. I only use choice air for one way TA flights to or from Europe, not for RT or multi destinations to europe, and not for domestic flights. Also, I always fly in several days before the cruise, and make sure the connection is more than enough time just in case. If the difference is only a couple of hundred dollars, I always book through the airlines if I can for this reason. However, often the difference between one way fare of the airlines and one way choice air is up to 6 times as much, so the savings can easily be over $2,000. I figure it is worth taking the chance for that amount. Choice air has some guarantee that they will work it out for you if the flight is delayed but I cannot say first hand if is is true or not.

I have not been burned yet by choice air in many trips however, I try to minimize the risk and always have a back up plan. I know this has been often discussed but it would be interesting if people could post of their experiences with getting burned by booking choice air, or vv(good experience with choice air coming though for them).

Choice air has some guarantee that they will work it out for you if the flight is delayed but I cannot say first hand if is is true or not.

Read the actual legal words in the Terms and Conditions, not the weasel marketing words in the promotional text. And even then, the marketing words have a ton of wiggle room built into them.

As for having people post about being burned....thought question: How many people will voluntarily admit that they ignored information about cruiseline air and bought because it was the cheapest? That price overwhelmed all else and that "I never thought it would happen to me".

Read the actual legal words in the Terms and Conditions, not the weasel marketing words in the promotional text. And even then, the marketing words have a ton of wiggle room built into them.

 

As for having people post about being burned....thought question: How many people will voluntarily admit that they ignored information about cruiseline air and bought because it was the cheapest? That price overwhelmed all else and that "I never thought it would happen to me".

As I said, I am aware of the risks and definitely take them into consideration. I know that any contract has all kinds of wiggle words and take nothing for granted. Whether the risk is worth the reward is what I consider before acting. Sometimes no amount of savings is worth the risk, sometimes it is, IMO of course. Everyone needs to make their own assessment before they decide and act with their eyes open.

As far as people posting whether they have been burned, well, that happens all the time in forums, whether or not they are ashamed to admit it. I have done it myself to save others from being burned in the same way.

The true odds say, you are more likely than not, to get burned, when using Choice Air. I'm certainly in no position to recommend one way or another as to whether or not you or anyone else should use them.

I would ask that you honestly let everyone know of your next experience, positive or negative. I think that would help people in the future make an intelligent choice as to what they might want to consider.

Dave

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Choice air has some guarantee that they will work it out for you if the flight is delayed but I cannot say first hand if is is true or not.

 

No, they don't. What they have is some verbiage that makes it sound like they make guarantees, but if you really read what it says and not what it "sounds like" they are saying, it becomes quite apparent that there are no guarantees.

Read again and make note of the phrases like "we will try," and "when feasible."

 

I have not been burned yet by choice air in many trips however, I try to minimize the risk and always have a back up plan. I know this has been often discussed but it would be interesting if people could post of their experiences with getting burned by booking choice air, or vv(good experience with choice air coming though for them).

This is probably the BEST (worst???) example of someone getting royally burned with a Choice Air flight. Everything that could go wrong did and the majority of the problems were caused by the severe restrictions on the Choice Air tickets.

Other people on the same plane with airline direct purchased tickets made it to Florida the same day only about two hours later than originally scheduled on another airline. NOT allowed with the Choice Air tickets. This poor family was at the bottom of the line for rebooking, again due to the heavily restricted nature of the tickets. They ABSOLUTELY HAD to fly the same route through PHL even though there were other planes NOT routing through PHL that could have gotten them to FLL in time. ANOTHER Choice Air restriction.

When they finally arrived Florida, the ship had gone. They needed passports to get to the next port. Only two of them had passports. But that shouldn't matter in relation to the type of tickets purchased. Most on the same plane got to their destination because the airline worked with them.

The airline has absolutely no incentive to work with those who got bargain basement restricted tickets. The minute money transfers from the cruise line to the airline, the airline wipes their hands of any responsibility. With Choice Air tickets, you are not even the customer of the airline. You are the customer of Choice Air. THEY own the tickets, not the airline.

There have been many, many stories of people missing their cruise due to the restrictions and nature of the Choice Air tickets. Quite a few to Alaska (out of YVR generally) and with the PVSA restrictions, very often there is simply NO CRUISE because of the PVSA. One couple ended up with a cruise that consisted of overnight in YVR, 3 days on land in Juneau and the last day and 1/2 on the ship. That was with HAL air and not Choice Air. Not much of a cruise, IMHO.

I've said my peace. But it is truly rare that you cannot find an airline ticket, even a one way to/from Europe, that is not price competitive with a Choice Air ticket. But you won't find cheap one way tickets on US carriers to Europe. You must look outside the box.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1398770&highlight=choice+air+omaha

Very we'll explained GreatAM...as I have stated on some previous responses, when my wife and I fly to Barcelona for our very first cruise to Europe, I made sure of booking with Delta direct. I did check choice air, and yes, it was $60 cheaper round trip, but after reading so many comments, it made sense in our minds to book directly through Delta.

This is just my opinion, but if it's going to cost over $7,000 for this 13-night cruise when you factor everything in, including shore excursions, why would I even be concerned about saving $60 to $200 by taking a chance with Choice Air?

$200 means nothing in the scheme of things when comparing with the thousands it costing us. If the entire trip was under $2,000, maybe saving $200 would be something to take into consideration a bit more.

I'm sure many have had smooth sailing with Choice Air, but we'd rather not take a chance.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app