Choice Air: Helpful Information

[larka]

We used Choice Air last year when sailing out of San Juan Puerto Rico. It is well worth the extra $15. Just consider if your flight is delayed and you miss the ship in San Juan. It means paying to fly to the ships next port. If your first day is a sea day, that means a night or two in a hotel and meals before you join your cruise. The small service charge is well worth the peace of mind and the cost savings if the flights are overbooked or delayed. I'd use Choice Air every time.

[eel]

I have a question. We are sailing out of San Juan in March 2013. How far in advance should we start checking for flights through Choice Air. Typically this is about 12 months in advance when booking direct with the airlines. Just wondering if it is different with Choice Air.

[Andy]

I have a question. We are sailing out of San Juan in March 2013. How far in advance should we start checking for flights through Choice Air. Typically this is about 12 months in advance when booking direct with the airlines. Just wondering if it is different with Choice Air.

 

Hi Eel !

 

Here is Troy's response :

 

Typically, airlines open availability 330 days in advance, and some low cost carriers about 6 months in advance. Flights are available in ChoiceAir at the same time as airline and consumer sites.

[petesweet]

Great news for upcoming Panama Canal cruise. Thanks, Andy, for the good job you are doing as middle man.

 

Two questions:

 

1. Must I book the air at the same time I put the deposit on the cruise?

 

2. Can I get air from my city's airport (GSP) or only from larger nearby airports (e.g., Charlotte or Atlanta)?

 

Many thanks.

 

Kathy

[Andy]

Great news for upcoming Panama Canal cruise. Thanks, Andy, for the good job you are doing as middle man.

 

Two questions:

 

1. Must I book the air at the same time I put the deposit on the cruise?

 

2. Can I get air from my city's airport (GSP) or only from larger nearby airports (e.g., Charlotte or Atlanta)?

 

Many thanks.

 

Kathy

 

Hi Kathy !

 

Thank you for your kind comments. Here is Troy's response :

 

No, you may book air at anytime after putting deposit on cruise, from 330 days up until 3 days prior to sailing. Air is available from all airports with regular scheduled commercial airline service, including Greenville/Spartanburg.

[Rjbobalou]

Thanks Andy for all the great info on Choice Air

 

 

Bob

[Virtopia]

This is a great thread!

 

I have a question to inquire about. I'll be traveling to Fort Lauderdale in February for my cruise and have begun looking for flight options from Buffalo (I live in Toronto, but I figured this would be cheaper.)

 

Do all flights have a fareflex option? I saw a flight that I really liked but when I got to the payment page, it was asking for the full amount.

 

Thanks in advance!

[pspercy]

I recently took advantage of a big price drop & booked the cruise and ChoiceAir about fifty days out. The airfare was great (one way to Europe), around $600pp.

 

Question re baggage, altho' airlines usually try hard to reunite passengers with lost/delayed baggage will Choice Air ride herd on the airlines due to the unique situation with pax joining a cruise ? How should lost baggage be reported to Choice ?

[Andy]

This is a great thread!

 

I have a question to inquire about. I'll be traveling to Fort Lauderdale in February for my cruise and have begun looking for flight options from Buffalo (I live in Toronto, but I figured this would be cheaper.)

 

Do all flights have a fareflex option? I saw a flight that I really liked but when I got to the payment page, it was asking for the full amount.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Hello Virtopia !

 

Here is Troy's response :

 

Not all flights are available with FlexFares. On the first preference screen, change the default fare type to "FlexFare" to see what is available.

[123kitties]

Andy,

 

Thank you for this great info. Could you tell me if transfers are included or cheaper if you use Choice AIr???

 

Rhonda

[CptSticky]

Hi Andy. I have a question that I didn't see ask. I often pay for flights with a "co-branded" credit card that accumulates extra miles when used to book with the branded airline. It also provides first bag free for myself and my wife. Will this still work with Choice Air?

[Studebaker59]

Does using Choice Air increase the CruiseCare premium so if we need to cancel, it will be covered along with the cruise fare?

[Arrow Fan]

I've tried several times to use Choice Air but I keep getting the "Your reservation is unavailable because it is already being viewed" message. I've tried to do it after logging out and still no dice . How does one get around this?

[pspercy]

I've tried several times to use Choice Air but I keep getting the "Your reservation is unavailable because it is already being viewed" message. I've tried to do it after logging out and still no dice . How does one get around this?

 

Had the same on occasion, maybe you have to sign out of RCCI's site and allow time for that to ripple thru' to Choice. Alternatively try logging on directly to choiceair.com without logging in to RCCI at all.

[StarTrkGeek]

I've tried several times to use Choice Air but I keep getting the "Your reservation is unavailable because it is already being viewed" message. I've tried to do it after logging out and still no dice . How does one get around this?

After signing out, you have to make sure the cookie that RCCL places on your computer are cleared out, or it will remember what you entered on the RCCL website. You can set up your browser to clear all cookies when you close it, or you can manually delete all cookies while leaving your browser open. After clearing out your cookies, you need to wait 30 minutes before trying to log back in.

Alan

[Arrow Fan]

Thanks for the input. I tried all that and still no go. Oh well, I've still got lots of time to figure it out. Any other advice would be gratefully received however.

[chasinraynbowz]

Thanks for the input. I tried all that and still no go. Oh well, I've still got lots of time to figure it out. Any other advice would be gratefully received however.

 

 

 

I was told by RCCL if that happened, you are going to have to wait a while. I don't remember the exact time (sorry), but... I gave up and waited until the next day. I HATE that about their website. Unless you "back" out correctly, your reservation is tied up for a while.

[Clarea]

I was told by RCCL if that happened, you are going to have to wait a while. I don't remember the exact time (sorry), but... I gave up and waited until the next day. I HATE that about their website. Unless you "back" out correctly, your reservation is tied up for a while.

I always click on the "My Cruises" link at the top of the page to exit the reservation. You should get a pop up box that asks you to confirm you are exiting the reservation. If you don't exit the reservation properly, you have to wait for your reservation lock to timeout, something like 15 minutes.

 

Bob

[Andy]

Andy,

 

Thank you for this great info. Could you tell me if transfers are included or cheaper if you use Choice AIr???

 

Rhonda

 

Hi Rhonda !

 

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

 

Transfers are offered as an option with ChoiceAir at the standard RCCL pricing.

[Andy]

I recently took advantage of a big price drop & booked the cruise and ChoiceAir about fifty days out. The airfare was great (one way to Europe), around $600pp.

 

Question re baggage, altho' airlines usually try hard to reunite passengers with lost/delayed baggage will Choice Air ride herd on the airlines due to the unique situation with pax joining a cruise ? How should lost baggage be reported to Choice ?

 

Hi Pspercy !

 

Here is Troy's response :

When an airline loses a guest's baggage, it is usually resolved between the guest and the airline. It is not uncommon for our shipboard Guest Relations team and our Emergency Travel Team to be involved, when bags will need to meet the ship at a down-line port. When appropriate, we will follow up with the airline on the guest's behalf, especially when there are extenuating circumstances where we can apply some leverage. Guests always need to claim their bags, and file a claim for lost bags with the airline before leaving the airport.

 

[jillyfish]

Using Flex allowed us to lock in fares, but not have to pay until 75 days before the cruise. For those who are not 100% sure that their schedule will allow them to take a trip a year in advance, Flex gives the ability to cancel entirely, losing only the $25 per person Choice Air booking fee.

 

Andy-

Is it true that you can cancel a Flexfare entirely with only losing your Choice Air booking fee?

 

Also, can a do-it-yourselfer view the Choice Air Specials? Or does Choice Air/Royal Caribbean need to be contacted for this information?

Do you need to book Choice Air at the same time as booking a cruise in order to receive a Choice Air Special?

[cruisenfever]

Hi Andy, and thanks for this great thread.

 

My question is, we are doing a consecutive cruise on Jewel next August, first to the Baltic's and then staying on board for the TA back to Boston.

 

We need flights from CLE to LHR and then BOS back to CLE. My question for Troy is, since our reservations are linked, right now I can only do a quick flight search and not an actual booking. I do realize there is a 330 day window for fight information to become available. Do the bookings have to be unlinked to book Choice Air and then relinked when flights have been booked?

 

Thanks so much.

[jillyfish]

Hi Clarea !

 

Here is Troy's response :

 

Thank you for mentioning FlexFares. This option is ideal for guests that value the flexibility to cancel without penalties, but want the security of knowing they have flights booked - especially when booking their holiday many months in advance. It is another "peace of mind" component of ChoiceAir. While there are many carriers and schedules represented, not every scheduled flight offers a Flexfare option - and as you mentioned, the rates may be a little higher.

 

Andy-

Is it true that you can cancel a Flexfare entirely with only losing your Choice Air booking fee?

 

Also, can a do-it-yourselfer view the Choice Air Specials? Or does Choice Air/Royal Caribbean need to be contacted for this information?

Do you need to book Choice Air at the same time as booking a cruise in order to receive a Choice Air Special?

 

Hi Again Andy!

Reading through the posts once again this morning. I did find the answer to my Flexfare/cancellation question. Unfortunately, my Flexfare for my particular domestic flight is around $450 higher pp than regular air :eek:

 

Looking forward to the answers on the second half of my post.

~thanks!! :)

[eguiney]

Below is says to call the emergency travel team which is available 24/7. Where is that number. The only phone number I see on the web site is 8am to 8pm.

I ask becasue I am thinknig ahead. We are booked on the Seranade out of San Juan Sunday 9/11 flying in from Houston. The National Huricane Center is showing what will become hurricane Maria on top of San Juan Sunday so I am feeling very uneasy on our odds of getting to the ship assuming it even gets to the port.

 

 

Hi Shak !

 

Here is Troy's response :

 

Shak, Here are the details of how our Assured Arrival Service works:

 

If we are aware of flight disruptions ahead of time, we will attempt to contact the guest prior to them arriving at the airport to discuss alternatives. Often, the delay or cancellation happens while the guest is at the airport, or enroute. In this case, the guest needs to first check-in with their scheduled airline agent, advising that they are a Royal Caribbean guest and providing the required arrival time when asking to be re-accommodated to the ship. If the airline is unable to route the guest to the ship on time, we ask that the guest call our Emergency Travel Team, which is available 24x7 to address these situations. The team will evaluate all scheduled commercial airline service to get the guest to the ship at the original embarkation port - or next feasible port of call. In nearly all cases, we have been able to successfully get the guest to the ship to enjoy all - or most- of their cruise vacation. We typically will look for options as far as two days out, and we cover the cost (if any) of the airline ticket, hotel stays (if needed), and ground transportation. It is best for the guest to call us directly, rather than having their Travel Agent call on their behalf, since the situation is urgent - often quite dynamic - and decisions may need to be made on the spot. As other members have noted, Assured Arrival is a great service that does provide an element of "peace of mind", but it is not a substitute for Travel Insurance that also covers situations like trip cancellation, sickness, etc.

 

Also, as other members have suggested, if you can add another day to your vacation, it's a great idea for even more peace of mind, and the opportunity to spend time in your embarkation city. While our primary mission is to fix these situations - and we have a team that works very hard at making it happen - there are occasionally incidents where we are regrettably unable to do so.

[Andy]

Below is says to call the emergency travel team which is available 24/7. Where is that number. The only phone number I see on the web site is 8am to 8pm.

I ask becasue I am thinknig ahead. We are booked on the Seranade out of San Juan Sunday 9/11 flying in from Houston. The National Huricane Center is showing what will become hurricane Maria on top of San Juan Sunday so I am feeling very uneasy on our odds of getting to the ship assuming it even gets to the port.

 

Hi Equiney,

 

My understanding is, the 24/7 emergency number is listed in the documents. As your situation is time sensitive, I suggest calling Choice Air during their normal business hours at 800-533-7803 Mon-Fri 8AM to 8PM EST (Sat & Sun 9AM - 8PM EST), and they will assist you.

 

I hope the weather situation improves, and I wish you a wonderful Cruise on Serenade of the Seas.