FlyerTalker

They were part of an initial "ranking" of various cruise features that you started off the survey with. Later questions with them being an important variable serve as a check-value to measure the internal consistency of participants answers. Further, surveys often include irrelevant questions to test the validity of the overall responses. This survey was a combination of ranking and A/B questions. Running a number of A/B questions can be used to develop preference matrices, which can be cross-tabbed with the ranking results.

Not silly. I've been involved with a number of survey/group sessions where non-disclosure agreements were part of the package. They obviously didn't want to have wide dissemination of what they were asking, and yet when their "loyal" customers ignore the company's wishes, it isn't far fetched for the reciprocal feeling to be "who needs these people that can't respect our wishes". IMO, there were a number of well-placed red herrings in these scenarios. Some were put in to test for response consistency, some to measure against the initial "ranking" of features. Anyone who believes that all were being seriously considered is unlikely to have ever been on the drafting/evaluating side of customer research.

And someone at HQ will likely say "See, they won't keep a confidence. Why bother running options past them."

You get the Flybus+ service to your hotel. Or, a taxi if you wish. All explained at their website. Research. Which we all should do before every trip we take. Not at all difficult with internet resources at hand.

In January, it's almost always pitch dark. 😀 Some hotels are continuations of the bus from the airport. And I have always been able to find someone who will help with luggage if needed.

It seemed to me that they were floating ideas that seems to reflect approaches that Regent, Viking and Oceania use. Since they requested that we not discuss the substance and specifics of the questions, I will honor their wishes and say no more.

99.99% that you will be flying through Hamburg (HAM). There is no commercial airport in Kiel.

KEF is super easy for getting to town. Almost everyone uses the Flybus or Flybus+ service. Private transfers at KEF are mostly used by folks who enjoy setting Benjamins on fire. (Meaning you'll pay about 10x the Flybus) With both the SS transfer or the Flybus, you'll be on a nice bus for a comfortable ride. One nice thing about Flybus is that they run pretty much continuously, plus they have excellent wifi onboard.

And just how does the involvement of a cruiseline make a difference with a separate supplier picking up and delivering bags? Cruiselines sell airline tickets. Doesn't do a thing to make sure your flight is on time. I'm firmly against shipping luggage. If a problem arises, I'm right there to be involved in the situation, at baggage claim. Directly with the company that will correct the situation. Remember that all of these luggage companies are merely freight forwarders - they aren't the people actually moving your bags from A to B. So one more layer in the process. And if you don't want to handle the bags yourself, there are plenty of porters at airports and hotels and cruiseports. For those arguing "peace of mind" -- I just check my airline app and see that the bags have been scanned onto my flight.

Yes. When, all things considered it is the best alternative. And that would likely be when it's being given to me at no cost. Remember that Viking uses "free air" as a method to discount cruises without actually discounting the cruise itself. I would need to know what is included in such offer, what are my options regarding travel on different dates, with different carriers and/or routings. Also what kind availability and cost for moving to either premium economy or business (depending on the flights). I'd only fly in day of cruise if there was an easy set of "next few ports". As for standard "cruise air" -- I have rarely found it to be a better deal overall FOR ME. I can usually get a better "value" from my own choices. And note, I didn't say better "price". Big difference. Now, a few caveats due to my personal situation, so folks will know where I am coming from. I have no worries about getting an airline credit if situations change. I will somehow use them. Even credits on foreign carriers -- due to code shares and alliances, one could use foreign airline credits to buy flights on USA carriers for USA domestic routes. Next, my financial situation is such that I don't need to worry about deferring air ticket payments until cruise payments are due. Somewhat ties in with the first part -- it's just moving it from cash to a future flight or flight credit. I am also particular about the carrier and aircraft configuration I'm going to be flying. To me, it is NOT a commodity purchase. There are great differences in product and I want what I want. I also prefer some airports over others. Finally, my airline status on various carriers and on different alliances, and thus the benefits accrued, have a significant factor. Now, for others, they may have different priorities. And that is completely fine. Just so that folks know what they are buying, and understand why they are making the choice they make. So, to sum up for the original question: There is no one blanket answer, either for myself or for others. Which makes the process both fascinating and frustrating. 😀

They are charging this because it's reflective of the price that THEY are having to pay for the ticket. And there is no "usual" when it comes to contract air. Not unreasonable. You are flying from a secondary USA airport (BWI) to a major SkyTeam hub (DTW) where you will get a transatlantic non-stop to a hub (CDG) that has numerous flights to Lyon (LYS). Now, you want to know the likely reason you are NOT on BA to Lyon: There is one flight a day from BWI to LHR, and it arrives around 9:30am. Trouble is that BA usually only has two flights a day from LHR to LYS. And the first leaves around 7:45am. Oops...can't make that one. And the next one leaves between 4:30 and 6:30pm. So you would be sitting around the airport for 7 to 9 hours. Do you want to do that? Or did you just assume that there would be plenty of flights after you land at LHR? Contrast with the 8 non-stops from CDG to LYS. Just why is air travel "in turmoil"? Is it because you are paying more for your tickets than before? If so, that's a funny definition in my book. Trust me....there isn't turmoil. There is merely Econ 101 in action.

No disrespect, but what are you smoking? An uber from PHL to New York will be at least $200 dollars. For that, you could just fly from Miami. Is there some other factor at play here? Why you would want to use miles for use a low cost trip is beyond me, unless you just want to get rid of them. What kind of value are you getting from them? Remember, this is NOT a free trip, as many think. Miles/points are a form of alternative currency, given to you as a rebate for purchases. So, are you getting an effective "exchange rate" for your miles? Would you spend 12,000 miles for a ticket that costs only $90? That's getting less than a penny of value back. Yes, you can redeposit miles. Then you need to have inventory available to book a new flight with miles in your account. The redeposit usually happens within 48 hours, but you must have cancelled the trip more than 60 days before date of travel. Otherwise, you are going through a manual process with an agent, and results may vary. Airlines want you to waste your mileage redemptions on low-value transactions. Get value.

In general, you can only hold one Sapphire product, either the Reserve or Preferred. And you are limited on the new card bonus if you have already received it for the first Sapphire card.

This may be correct if you are expecting a refund back in cash to your form of payment. But for most USA airlines, you can get a full refund in the form of an airline credit. Which us travelers can likely use without trouble. And not clear what that has to do with "itinerary changes". If talking cruise itineraries, you can usually make a change in your flights to fit the new ports. And you would have zero control over what Seabourn would now give you. Check the actual T&C.

IIRC, that's the address for Serenity. For Symphony, it's "syweb01" rather than "seweb01". Not near my travel laptop to check what I had saved.