No more Custom Air

[Clarea]

I have standard cruise air booked for a transatlantic cruise next year. I wanted to customize the flights in order to arrive in Barcelona a few days early. I called the Custom Air number and was told they no longer offer customization of cruise air. My only option is to arrive day of cruise. In fact, the rep said that standard cruise air is going away next year.

 

Apologies if this has been covered here already.

 

Bob

[thelion]

For domestic sailings, standard air is already gone (June 1). As of November 1, Standard Air will not be offered at all. This includes Custom Air. Choice Air will be the only option for booking "with" the cruise line.

[Clarea]

I had noticed that standard air was gone for domestic travel, but I thought they were keeping it around for international travel. The big advantage (I thought) for us was the fact that we didn't have to pay non-refundable airfare up front. This particular cruise is over a year away and I'm not 100% sure our schedule will allow us to take the cruise.

[cruisenfever]

I had noticed that standard air was gone for domestic travel, but I thought they were keeping it around for international travel. The big advantage (I thought) for us was the fact that we didn't have to pay non-refundable airfare up front. This particular cruise is over a year away and I'm not 100% sure our schedule will allow us to take the cruise.

Bob, remember that your booking window is 330 days from cruising. It might be too early to book R/T air since the itineraries have yet to be published.

 

Did you see this on the RCI website Air Travel Programs

 

I was told that they will still waive the fee for P/D/D+ Members.

[mpbmark]

For domestic sailings, standard air is already gone (June 1). As of November 1, Standard Air will not be offered at all. This includes Custom Air. Choice Air will be the only option for booking "with" the cruise line.

 

Can you post a source for this information?

[Clarea]

Bob, remember that your booking window is 330 days from cruising. It might be too early to book R/T air since the itineraries have yet to be published.

 

Did you see this on the RCI website Air Travel Programs

 

I was told that they will still waive the fee for P/D/D+ Members.

Thanks for the link Patti, I was hoping to get your input. You have so much experience with international travel. This will be our first cruise starting overseas.

 

Another poster in our roll call mentioned ChoiceAir Plus. I'm not sure what this is, but it sounds like it's a "full service" ChoiceAir. I'll have to call them and find out.

 

Here's another question for you ... When I call Royal to remove the cruise air, will they lower my price to what it was what it without cruise air at the time I booked, or will they make me pay what the price is now? The price has gone up $50pp since I booked.

 

Bob

[Clarea]

Can you post a source for this information?

I haven't seen this in writing, but it matches what I was told on the phone tonight. I've also noticed that cruise air has not been an option on the website for domestic travel for some time now. I've always checked the price of cruise air just to be sure it wasn't a better deal than I could get elsewhere. For the last few months, that option has been grayed out on the website.

[cruisenfever]

Thanks for the link Patti, I was hoping to get your input. You have so much experience with international travel. This will be our first cruise starting overseas.

 

Another poster in our roll call mentioned ChoiceAir Plus. I'm not sure what this is, but it sounds like it's a "full service" ChoiceAir. I'll have to call them and find out.

 

Here's another question for you ... When I call Royal to remove the cruise air, will they lower my price to what it was what it without cruise air at the time I booked, or will they make me pay what the price is now? The price has gone up $50pp since I booked.

 

Bob

That's it Choice Air Plus........same as Custom Air.:D And the air deviation fee will be waived just as before like with Custom Air. I was discussing Choice Air with the C&A rep that was on our Jewel TA and that's what she told me, but I couldn't remember the name. Thanks for refreshing my memory.

 

When you remove air from your reservation the cruise fare should reflect what it was when you booked as you are supposed to be locked in.

 

If you have an invoice from when you originally booked, just subtract the air and then ask for another Confirmation Invoice and compare.

[Clarea]

That's it Choice Air Plus........same as Custom Air.:D And the air deviation fee will be waived just as before like with Custom Air. I was discussing Choice Air with the C&A rep that was on our Jewel TA and that's what she told me, but I couldn't remember the name. Thanks for refreshing my memory.

 

When you remove air from your reservation the cruise fare should reflect what it was when you booked as you are supposed to be locked in.

 

If you have an invoice from when you originally booked, just subtract the air and then ask for another Confirmation Invoice and compare.

I'll call and remove the air today and hopefully have no problem with getting the stateroom price I originally booked. The reason I asked about the price was that I remember reading here about people who had been booked with cruise air, and saw their stateroom price decline. When they called to get the price drop, they were told that while the stateroom price did decline, the air price had gone up, so they would be hit with a net increase in cost. I realize my situation is different, but I did recall something about being booked with air that was not good with regard to price drops.

 

Thanks again for the information. I cannot count the number of your posts that have been incredibly useful for me.

 

Bob

[cruisenfever]

I'll call and remove the air today and hopefully have no problem with getting the stateroom price I originally booked. The reason I asked about the price was that I remember reading here about people who had been booked with cruise air, and saw their stateroom price decline. When they called to get the price drop, they were told that while the stateroom price did decline, the air price had gone up, so they would be hit with a net increase in cost. I realize my situation is different, but I did recall something about being booked with air that was not good with regard to price drops.

 

Thanks again for the information. I cannot count the number of your posts that have been incredibly useful for me.

 

Bob

When you get your new Confirmation Invoice, let us know if the price changed or not.

 

Thanks for the compliment.........I really enjoy helping folks out. Maybe in my next life I'll be a TA!!

[mpbmark]

I'll call and remove the air today and hopefully have no problem with getting the stateroom price I originally booked. The reason I asked about the price was that I remember reading here about people who had been booked with cruise air, and saw their stateroom price decline. When they called to get the price drop, they were told that while the stateroom price did decline, the air price had gone up, so they would be hit with a net increase in cost. I realize my situation is different, but I did recall something about being booked with air that was not good with regard to price drops.

 

Thanks again for the information. I cannot count the number of your posts that have been incredibly useful for me.

 

Bob

 

I ran into this cruise/air problem last year. I booked a cabin with cruise air as it was way cheaper than air I could get on my own. When the cabin price decreased, I tried to get the lower price but was told the cabin and air were "linked" and I couldn't get the lower cabin price without basically canceling the cruise and re-booking. Of course, the air rate had increased so the net difference was not worth making the change.

 

What made it more frustrating was the fact that I had transferred the booking to a TA and everything had to go thru the agent as RCCL would not talk to me directly. The TA issue was my own fault as I usually wait to transfer until I am sure I will not be making any changes, but this time I broke my own rule and went thru a lot of aggravation.

 

Interestingly, RCCL has changed the rules again and all TA transfers have to be completed within 60 days of the cabin booking. See here. Now, if you want to keep control of your booking beyond the 60 days, you give up any TA OBC, but you can continue to make changes, including airfare, directly with RCCL. You just have to choose which is more inportant to you, OBC or control of your booking.

[marci22]

Interestingly, RCCL has changed the rules again and all TA transfers have to be completed within 60 days of the cabin booking. See here. Now, if you want to keep control of your booking beyond the 60 days, you give up any TA OBC, but you can continue to make changes, including airfare, directly with RCCL. You just have to choose which is more inportant to you, OBC or control of your booking.

 

That is annoying.

[luvscruising2007]

We booked Cruise Air for our TA in 2009. We had a cabin discount but could not benefit because they the air fare would be included at the going rate at that time. They were considered a packaged deal. However, we were able to benefit from cruise rate decrease without affecting the air fare because the air had not changed. Hope that makes sense.

So if you drop the cruise air it may affect your cruise fare. I would ask the rep before you do it so you know ahead of time.

[Clarea]

When you get your new Confirmation Invoice, let us know if the price changed or not.

 

Thanks for the compliment.........I really enjoy helping folks out. Maybe in my next life I'll be a TA!!

Not intending to violate CC rules, but I'd be glad to be one of your customers in your next life!

 

I did call Royal and get the air removed. As you said, they simply removed the air and left the stateroom price alone. Another bonus was that there was over $60pp of taxes due to cruise air, lumped into the taxes and fees line, so I ended up getting the price lowered by about $850pp.

 

By the way, we will be taking a quick 4 day in December (all we can work in these days) on your favorite ship, Radiance. Looking forward to this as we've never been on her, and it might be the last chance we get to sail her out of Tampa.

 

Bob

[Clarea]

I ran into this cruise/air problem last year. I booked a cabin with cruise air as it was way cheaper than air I could get on my own. When the cabin price decreased, I tried to get the lower price but was told the cabin and air were "linked" and I couldn't get the lower cabin price without basically canceling the cruise and re-booking. Of course, the air rate had increased so the net difference was not worth making the change.

 

What made it more frustrating was the fact that I had transferred the booking to a TA and everything had to go thru the agent as RCCL would not talk to me directly. The TA issue was my own fault as I usually wait to transfer until I am sure I will not be making any changes, but this time I broke my own rule and went thru a lot of aggravation.

 

Interestingly, RCCL has changed the rules again and all TA transfers have to be completed within 60 days of the cabin booking. See here. Now, if you want to keep control of your booking beyond the 60 days, you give up any TA OBC, but you can continue to make changes, including airfare, directly with RCCL. You just have to choose which is more inportant to you, OBC or control of your booking.

Royal was nice to me today and just removed the cruise air without changing the stateroom price, even though the stateroom had gone up $50pp.

 

Regarding the change in policy regarding TA transfers, I used to do the same thing you decribed, transfer to the TA right before final payment. The main reason I did this was to minimize the time the TA had the booking. My TA works out of her home, but is associated with an agency. The booking is owned by the agency, not the TA. So if she changed agencies (which she had done once before), my booking would stay with her previous agency, not follow her to the new agency.

 

With the change in Royal's policy, I'll transfer all my outstanding bookings to the TA now. I've got one that is well older than 60 days, but she says I can still transfer it because the new policy applies to bookings created after the effective date of the policy change, something like Oct 18.

 

Bob

[cruisenfever]

Interestingly, RCCL has changed the rules again and all TA transfers have to be completed within 60 days of the cabin booking. See here. Now, if you want to keep control of your booking beyond the 60 days, you give up any TA OBC, but you can continue to make changes, including airfare, directly with RCCL. You just have to choose which is more inportant to you, OBC or control of your booking.

I guess ya just gotta ask yourself what's more important........perks from a TA or being in complete control of your booking from the start to finish.;)

[mpbmark]

Royal was nice to me today and just removed the cruise air without changing the stateroom price, even though the stateroom had gone up $50pp.

 

That's what they should do. It's strange we think that is something special.

 

Regarding the change in policy regarding TA transfers, I used to do the same thing you decribed, transfer to the TA right before final payment. The main reason I did this was to minimize the time the TA had the booking. My TA works out of her home, but is associated with an agency. The booking is owned by the agency, not the TA. So if she changed agencies (which she had done once before), my booking would stay with her previous agency, not follow her to the new agency.

I hope he/she appreciates your loyalty.

 

With the change in Royal's policy, I'll transfer all my outstanding bookings to the TA now. I've got one that is well older than 60 days, but she says I can still transfer it because the new policy applies to bookings created after the effective date of the policy change, something like Oct 18. Bob

That's what I was told. It doesn't apply to booking before 10/18, but with RCCL, it will depend on who you talk to. If you don't get the response you want, hang up and call back, asking for a supervisor.

 

I guess ya just gotta ask yourself what's more important........perks from a TA or being in complete control of your booking from the start to finish.;)

 

Yeah, I know. I'm struggling with that issue right now. I have a cruise booked for 4/12. Booking made on board about 9/25. I believe the change won't apply to me, or so I was told, but still, this is a big issue. With a cruise so far in advance, many things can happen which would affect my booking so I would like to remain in control so as to maintain flexibility. Still, the OBC for a cruise that costs this much is considerable.

 

Fortunately, I believe I can keep the booking and transfer later next year as the new rules will not apply to me. But in the future, the issue becomes much more problematic.