Do youi book with airfare or without for domestic USA flights??

Just wondering about flights??

Princess EZ Air is a good deal because you book the flight you want but don't need to pay until final payment and you can cancel any time before that.

Wondering about Oceania paying for flights with cruise fair??

I am usually a do it myself person.

We take the air credit and book our own air. But your situation may be different. Run the numbers, check air fare and flight schedules, then compare.

You can take the air credit at final payment.

We have taken the air credit for all of our cruises and also never use their transfers or hotels. After a while the savings mount up.

We aren't like Orchestrapal in terms of ALWAYS doing our own, but we have done so 90% of the time. These days we want biz air and that is very expensive with O's air. On a couple of occasions -- that's one round trip -- we took O's Premium Economy option, which was fine (NY-CPH, LHR-NY). We have access to the NYC airports so don't have the problem that people living further west do.

We've never taken an O transfer. It's far cheaper to do it on our own, and you don't have to wait for other passengers to show up.

Mura

We are generally quite independent travelers so I'd never take a cruise company transfer to a port.

Not sure how to take "air credit" and then book your own air??

They give 2 prices . One is with air and one is without air so not sure it is a "credit " that you can use???

I also have points to use for air so we'll see as time gets closer.

We are looking at Nov. 2019 so have plenty of time!

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Not sure how to take "air credit" and then book your own air??

They give 2 prices . One is with air and one is without air so not sure it is a "credit " that you can use???

I also have points to use for air so we'll see as time gets closer.

When you compare the price with to without air, that is your “air credit”. If you can buy your own ticket for same or less then take the fare without air and buy your own. If your air is a lot more than your “credit” (usually the case for international flights) then take the fare with air.

BTW, I would never use miles for domestic flights. Unless you have tons of miles, I would save it for those expensive international flights in business :)

JMO

Thanks for explaining the "credit' part. We also like to have control of which flights we take. Often there are few(if any) non stops from our home airport(SAN) and we prefer them and don't mind paying more if we have to in order to get them. I am not used to allowing a cruise line to book itineraries for me without my input so hoping to be able to fly in the day before on a flight we would like as opposed to whatever the cruise line would arrange.

As you can tell I am used to making my own arrangements so giving up that control does not come easily to me.

If you want to come in 1 day early, that's a deviation and costs $175. per person. That cost alone usually makes doing your own air for domestic flights a no brainier.

Thanks for that information about coming in a day early.

You are correct that adding $175 to the price for a day early flight makes it clear that I will be booking flights separately from my cruise booking!!

Thanks again for all your help.

Thanks for that information about coming in a day early.

You are correct that adding $175 to the price for a day early flight makes it clear that I will be booking flights separately from my cruise booking!!

Thanks again for all your help.

Better to not make that generality to always do your own vs. allowing the cruise line to book for you. There are times when letting the cruise line book for you or do the $175 deviation is a better and lower cost option. Many people and I agree each time may be different so do your homework and calculate the best deal for you for that specific instance.

Also, remember, you are booking non-refundable flights where you have to pay a fee to the airline to be allowed to use the balance of your ticket or redeposit your FF miles while if using the cruise line air a cancellation is the same with our without air as to the amount you pay. Also, if the cruise line books the air and there is an itinerary or date change, they have to rebook your air at no cost to you while again in you book your own fare you have to do the leg work and pay for the change in flights.

Oftentime the air credit or difference between included and not included air is so low it would come close to paying for your personally bought flights. Good luck and do your homework before making a final decision. It will pay off in the long run.

To the OP, just a heads up, the price you're looking at on the Oceania website for Cruise only also pulls out the Olife promo. If you don't want that great, but if you do then you need to select the option on the left with the Olife and air, and in the second page of the dummy booking tell it you don't need air. Then the price will adjust, that will tell you the true air credit.

Or if you're using a travel agent they can easily tell you the price of the cruise with the Olife but without air.

The OP’s question was specifically about domestic US flights, not long haul international flights where business class seating might be preferred.

In the big scheme of things the pricing is typically not far apart, usually within a couple hundred bucks either way. The larger issues are two items:

1. Do you like controlling the process of early airline, flight, and seat selection, and;

2. What are the odds of wanting and/or needing to cancel the cruise at a later date nearer to sailing.

Both of these issues weigh more heavily in the decision than $200 give or take either way for most people.

When you compare the price with to without air, that is your “air credit”. If you can buy your own ticket for same or less then take the fare without air and buy your own. If your air is a lot more than your “credit” (usually the case for international flights) then take the fare with air.

BTW, I would never use miles for domestic flights. Unless you have tons of miles, I would save it for those expensive international flights in business :)

JMO

Once again the genius of Paulchili shines.... I agree 1001% Simply see what the fare is and what the air credit is ( easy to do with the cruise only option)

I echo his advice NEVER EVER use FF miles for ANY domestic air at ANYTIME. Use the miles for international business the value there is huge !!! as an example , 100,000 miles will get me a rt business class domestic seat to NY or Boston from So Cal. (About a $1800 -2500 ticket value rt) The seat has4 more inches of recline and 6 more inches of leg space (38" vs 32" than a coach seat...

By using slightly more miles 140,000 one can get an international business seat ( About $5000 to 9600 ticket value) in a seat that makes into a 6'.6" bed, big pillows and comfy duvet, Amenities kit, Pre boarding waiting lounge with a buffet and open free bar, And on arrival the same lounge with showers and food. 2 wonderful meals served on china, excellent wine list.... Any resemblance of a Domestic business class to an International Business is that both are on the airplane...

If you use FF miles for domestic , whether in coach or Business/First, you have just been taken for a ride.

Thanks for your help. Your pricing for round trip Business class tickets is way off in my experience so I'll take it one trip at a time and decide for each one.

No worries! I know the value of my FF points and only use them when the price of actually paying for the ticket with cash doesn't make sense.

To add to the complexity, you may also use O’s air for one direction and take the credit for the other. We’ve done this and it worked great.

Hmm? Now that last idea is one I hadn't thought about.

Thanks for mentioning it.

Thanks for your help. Your pricing for round trip Business class tickets is way off in my experience so I'll take it one trip at a time and decide for each one.

No worries! I know the value of my FF points and only use them when the price of actually paying for the ticket with cash doesn't make sense.

Your correct FF miles are worth between ,02 and .025 for UAL My price on Business class is last week, Lufthansa LAX to CDG business $4632 UAL lax-CDG Business $9630.00 A tip you can book star alliance carriers directly using their website rather than UAL web site, 50% cheaper.

Yes you can take 1/2 the air credit FF one way and Air Credit the other I do this for Tahiti and any US ending or departing cruise to Europe.

We compare cost of O flights to what I can book on my own and decide on a case by case basis.

In October, flying Chicago to Miami and San Diego to Chicago, the air credit was $300 and I could book non-stop flights for $186.

For the French Polynesian cruise we got off this morning, the air credit was significantly less than what it would cost me to book flights on my own.

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Thanks for all the advice so far. I found the Oceania web site to be a bit confusing with the different possibilities in pricing.

The cruise we are taking is not until 2019 so no exact air schedules are out yet but generally speaking there is no flight from here in California that would get us to Miami in time to fly in on the day of the cruise. We would have to go the day before so I cannot see how the cruise line could charge us extra for trying to come on time to get onto the ship.

I will certainly check into that further but booking a non stop flight on our own the day before and then letting the cruise line book us something to get home(no non stops back until late at night on the day of debarkation) might be a good possibility. Lots to think about.

Thanks for all the advice so far. I found the Oceania web site to be a bit confusing with the different possibilities in pricing.

The cruise we are taking is not until 2019 so no exact air schedules are out yet but generally speaking there is no flight from here in California that would get us to Miami in time to fly in on the day of the cruise. We would have to go the day before so I cannot see how the cruise line could charge us extra for trying to come on time to get onto the ship.

I will certainly check into that further but booking a non stop flight on our own the day before and then letting the cruise line book us something to get home(no non stops back until late at night on the day of debarkation) might be a good possibility. Lots to think about.

Am assuming you are only looking at non-stops. Am sure there are many connections that would get you to Miami and back to San Diego. There also is the possibility that Oceania would book you on a red eye possibly even with a connection getting you to Miami in the early morning.

Yes, non-stops and non-red eyes might be an issue but, they would not hesitate to book you on a red eye and often times they will book connections in various cities which are for sure available. So, yes there are many considerations but, O will get you there and back home per their T's and C's but, not always via non-stops nor without using red eyes or late flights the day of return to your home airport.

The possibilities are endless thus why people deviate to get flights at better times or to arrive Miami the day before. Good luck.

Actually there is only 1 non stop +1 non stop red eye from SAN to MIA.

There are many connecting flights but none that get into MIA before late afternoon. It is way to early to consider these flights but DH would hate the red eye so I am sure that I will book that direction myself.

Am assuming you are only looking at non-stops. Am sure there are many connections that would get you to Miami and back to San Diego. There also is the possibility that Oceania would book you on a red eye possibly even with a connection getting you to Miami in the early morning.

 

Yes, non-stops and non-red eyes might be an issue but, they would not hesitate to book you on a red eye and often times they will book connections in various cities which are for sure available. So, yes there are many considerations but, O will get you there and back home per their T's and C's but, not always via non-stops nor without using red eyes or late flights the day of return to your home airport.

 

The possibilities are endless thus why people deviate to get flights at better times or to arrive Miami the day before. Good luck.

I have had a time or two taking Oceania's air that they sent us in the day before without a deviation fee as it was the only option from the airport we were coming from(Tulsa on that trip) We booked it pretty last minute and it was a fully upgradable fare, which I've rarely seen on my Oceania flights.

I think I read somewhere that they used to pay for your hotel in these situations, but not anymore.

We compare cost of O flights to what I can book on my own and decide on a case by case basis.

In October, flying Chicago to Miami and San Diego to Chicago, the air credit was $300 and I could book non-stop flights for $186.

For the French Polynesian cruise we got off this morning, the air credit was significantly less than what it would cost me to book flights on my own.

 

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Slightly off topic but addressing air credit or not from or 2 Tahiti. I was offered 1100 pp air credit, for a cruise leaving LA to Tahiti. Didn't need the RT the cost to up grade to Business was about 700. and was on a red eye leaving at 11pm. with Tahiti Nui. Delaying departure 3 days would have cost another $175 So thats $1975 !!

For the $1890 I was able to book Air France leaving at 8 am arriving LAX at 4 pm!!! wonderful flight and meals. To get the Low Business class ( regular 3840 1 way) I booked a Business class to lax and a super economy fare from LAX to Tahiti. This brought the RT fare down to $1890 and I just threw away the lax/Tahiti ticket..

Many ways to fly..... AND just this week I looked at consolidators for Business and coach and was shocked to see I could get rt tickets for under 500 coach, non stop and 2100 rt Business to Paris or Lyon or Munich....!!! More on that later........

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