Choice Air: Helpful Information

[iSailor]

Hi I need help,

Are there any time restriction to fly to destination with Choiceair from the embarkation day?

Two weeks or just one day before embarkation?

I would like to spend 2 weeks in Europe before taking the westbound TA.

[dzcruisers]

Hi I need help,

Are there any time restriction to fly to destination with Choiceair from the embarkation day?

Two weeks or just one day before embarkation?

I would like to spend 2 weeks in Europe before taking the westbound TA.

Shouldn't be a problem.

You put your sailing date in when you are signing in and change the date when you are booking your flights.

[iSailor]

Shouldn't be a problem.

You put your sailing date in when you are signing in and change the date when you are booking your flights.

 

Thanks a lot.

You mean they set up the flight for a day before embarkation and change that to 2 weeks from embarkation?

[SFCAcruiser]

Thanks a lot.

You mean they set up the flight for a day before embarkation and change that to 2 weeks from embarkation?

That seems to be the way it works. Follow dzcruisers' suggestion. I've never tried two weeks, but I have done 3-4 days in advance. I would imagine that two weeks would work for you. There is no harm in trying.

[iSailor]

That seems to be the way it works. Follow dzcruisers' suggestion. I've never tried two weeks, but I have done 3-4 days in advance. I would imagine that two weeks would work for you. There is no harm in trying.

 

Thank you all

[Andy]

Hi I need help,

Are there any time restriction to fly to destination with Choiceair from the embarkation day?

Two weeks or just one day before embarkation?

I would like to spend 2 weeks in Europe before taking the westbound TA.

 

Hi Everyone !

 

Here is Troy's response :

 

Flights to arrive days or weeks prior to the sailing date? Sure, you can book as far ahead of the cruise or as long after the cruise as you like. ChoiceAir makes booking less complicated by ensuring flights meet the minimum parameters to ensure on time arrival to the ship on the day of embarkation, and return flights that allow time for disembarkation, immigration, and retrieval of your bags prior to flying home.

[smtcan]

Hi I need help,

Are there any time restriction to fly to destination with Choiceair from the embarkation day?

Two weeks or just one day before embarkation?

I would like to spend 2 weeks in Europe before taking the westbound TA.

 

We wanted to do exactly that for our November TA from Barcelona. We spoke to Choiceair and they gave us an excellent price Toronto to Barcelona via Heathrow two weeks before our cruise. We had to confirm dates with relatives in UK so said we would call back. When we called back later the same day, we were told that if we wanted to have a stopover in UK, it had to be treated as two separate flights, so the cost was higher. We ended up booking with AirTransat because we could fly into Manchester, which gave us less driving, for the same price. The Choiceair flight was with BA, and was about a third of the rate quoted by that airline for a one way flight (although BA would have let us stay in UK for the two weeks then continue our journey to Barcelona).

Sheila

[iSailor]

Hi Everyone !

 

Here is Troy's response :

 

Flights to arrive days or weeks prior to the sailing date? Sure, you can book as far ahead of the cruise or as long after the cruise as you like. ChoiceAir makes booking less complicated by ensuring flights meet the minimum parameters to ensure on time arrival to the ship on the day of embarkation, and return flights that allow time for disembarkation, immigration, and retrieval of your bags prior to flying home.

 

Andy,

Thank you for the helpful information.

[RichYak]

This thread is changing a lot of misconceptions I had about ChoiceAir. I have a southbound Alaska cruise booked for next year and will absolutely look into this.

 

Can airline miles be used to upgrade to business class?

[Andy]

Andy,

Thank you for the helpful information.

 

My pleasure Sailkeylargo. I hope we were of assistance.

[ghstudio]

We are doing the Equinox TA next spring and we weren't sure if we wanted to stay in Rome or take the next Eastern Med cruise on the Equinox. We booked flights so that we had the option of taking the next cruise. No problem at all....and the one way flight home is about $600 vs the $2500+ that American wants for a one-way ticket on the same flights.

[KAWS]

We used Choice Air for our last cruise and save hundreds of $$ just flying Toronto - Ft. Lauderdale. (We sailed March break so the prices were nuts.) We got to choose what we wanted, airline we wanted, and when we wanted. No problems whatsoever. I would never hesitate to book Choice again. Our next cruise, we're using airline points, but for the one that we have booked after, we're sailing Celebrity, and we'll be using Choice Air again.

 

Certainly never hurts to price it out ahead and then check Choice to see if there's a difference. I know for sure that if it's a long haul flight Choice is a lot cheaper. Now I guess that means I need to find another cruise......:p

[dmp223]

Andy, thank you so much for starting this informative thread and to all of you who have weighed in with your thoughts and additional questions.

 

I plan on using Choice Air for our flight to BCN for the TA. Question for Andy or anyone else.. seating, are you able to confirm your seats at the time of purchase? If not, have you gone direct to the airline to select your seating and were you successful at obtaining seat assignments?

 

TIA

[TelecasterPlayer]

Andy, thank you so much for starting this informative thread and to all of you who have weighed in with your thoughts and additional questions.

 

I plan on using Choice Air for our flight to BCN for the TA. Question for Andy or anyone else.. seating, are you able to confirm your seats at the time of purchase? If not, have you gone direct to the airline to select your seating and were you successful at obtaining seat assignments?

 

TIA

 

We recently purchased a one way flight to BCN for our TA in November. We purchased the tickets through ChoiceAir (at a terrific savings) then booked our seats directly through the Continental website with our confirmation number. It was easy and we were able to choose the exact seats we wanted for each leg of the flight.

[Andy]

Andy, thank you so much for starting this informative thread and to all of you who have weighed in with your thoughts and additional questions.

 

I plan on using Choice Air for our flight to BCN for the TA. Question for Andy or anyone else.. seating, are you able to confirm your seats at the time of purchase? If not, have you gone direct to the airline to select your seating and were you successful at obtaining seat assignments?

 

TIA

 

Hi Dawn !

 

Glad you are enjoying the ChoiceAir thread. Here is Troy's response :

 

Dawn, the seat assignment module has had some technical limitations for certain carriers, and is scheduled for re-launch by the end of this month. In the interim, you can certainly log on to the carriers' websites and assign seats, update frequent traveller information, etc. Thanks for asking.

[bakcd]

We had considered cancelling our TA until we looked at what Choice Air had to offer. The rates we were looking at were in th $2500 range. Choice Air was under $600 and non-stop as well.

[dmp223]

We recently purchased a one way flight to BCN for our TA in November. We purchased the tickets through ChoiceAir (at a terrific savings) then booked our seats directly through the Continental website with our confirmation number. It was easy and we were able to choose the exact seats we wanted for each leg of the flight.

 

Wonderful! This is exactly what I was hoping to hear. Hope it will translate for whichever carrier we end up on. Thank you for the quick reply.

[dmp223]

Hi Dawn !

 

Glad you are enjoying the ChoiceAir thread. Here is Troy's response :

 

Dawn, the seat assignment module has had some technical limitations for certain carriers, and is scheduled for re-launch by the end of this month. In the interim, you can certainly log on to the carriers' websites and assign seats, update frequent traveller information, etc. Thanks for asking.

 

Thanks Andy!

 

I agree with others who suggested making this thread a sticky.. valuable information here!

[luv2sail7]

Hi Andy - great thread. Thank you for the information! I saw an earlier question regarding upgrading - "Can airline miles be used to upgrade to business class?"

[Andy]

Hi Andy - great thread. Thank you for the information! I saw an earlier question regarding upgrading - "Can airline miles be used to upgrade to business class?"

 

Hi Luv2sail !

 

Glad you are enjoying the thread. Here is Troy's response :

 

While in most cases, you can upgrade, some airlines do have specific criteria for upgrade eligibility, including limitations on some published and contract fares. To be safe, always review your frequent traveler program rules carefully, and click on the fare rules when booking in ChoiceAir. If you have any doubts about the your upgrade eligibility, check with your reward program provider. If you have questions about the fare fules, feel free to call us, and our ChoiceAir Support agents will be glad to look at the rules with you.

[black forest]

Andy, we are booked on the Eclipse in February 2013 - what do you think - will we be able to use this programm from Germany/Europe to USA then? Thanks for your information. Very much appreciated. :-)

[Fisherlady48]

I recently booked a one way with a stopover for the cruise thru choice air for Mom and me. We will be in Aruba on vacation then going to SanJuan for our cruise, then returning to our home airport, Dulles.

 

Flights are good, and price was right.

 

I tried doing this one on my own and prices were higher than they were able to find for me.

 

K

[Andy]

Andy, we are booked on the Eclipse in February 2013 - what do you think - will we be able to use this programm from Germany/Europe to USA then? Thanks for your information. Very much appreciated. :-)

 

Hi Black Forest !

 

Here is Troy's response :

 

In checking with my colleagues in Germany, I understand that ChoiceAir enhancements that are currently underway for European Travelers, should enable us to have ChoiceAir available in our Frankfurt Reservations Centre in the first part of 2012, and hopefully in German Travel Agencies by the end of the year. The plan will be to launch to German consumers shortly after that, assuming the earlier releases are well received.

[black forest]

Hello Andy,

 

thank you for your reply and your support. It is very much appreciated!

 

That is great news. I will check that next year for my cruise in Februar 2013.

 

Regards,

Elke

[Baseball fan]

Recently there was a post on Choice Air and a schedule change. Yes, I know the airlines make the changes not Choice Air. But I have a question on this....if you book with Choice Air and the airlines do a schedule change, do the same rules not apply? Meaning, depending on the change, can I request a move to another carrier, time, etc? I've never booked with ChoiceAir as I've always done it on my own but I was thinking of it for my next cruise.

 

I am assuming booking thru Choice Air is similar to an agency as far as responsibility but I want to understand before I go this route.

 

Thanks