Choice Air-good idea?

[Karynanne]

This is good to hear as I just booked return from Rome on a TA. I received confirmation but no flight number yet and was wondering when that would be sent. The price was 435 with a layover in Frankfurt.

 

Did you choose your own airline and flight number?

 

I booked a flight on Virgin Atlantic, using CA, and within 24 hours, had my confirmation...locator number, and was able to log-on to Virgin Atlantic and by using the locator number, choose my seating arrangements.

 

We've used CA many times, but for INTERNATIONAL flights only. We have found that by using a consolidator (in this case CA), the prices are substantially lower, and we are able to get exactly the dates, airline and routes and want.

[grandgeezer]

If you received the confirmation from Choice Air, the flight numbers are on the sheet. They are about half way down the page. It shows the airlines (Delta), The number next to the cabin class is the flight number. It should show each flight. Just above that, you'll see, in dark print, "Total Choice Air Amount collected", that's what you paid. Next line is "Choice Air Conformation number", that is the code to use on delta.com to change seats or buy and upgrade. Mine is four capital letters, a number, and one more capital letter. I don't know which class seat you chose, but if it's standard economy, I would recommend that you consider economy comfort, at least for the leg across the Atlantic. I don't remember if the seats are any wider, but it has 4-6" more legroom. From Phoenix to Amsterdam, it was $128 p.p. Since we're flying all night, it makes it easier to get a little better nap.

[PRH]

We used CA last year for our cruise departing from SJ because my husband wanted the guarantee tacitly offered because we were flying down the same day as cruise departure. They made the arrangements and when we questioned whether 30 minutes was enough time to make a connection in PHL (from Portland, ME) in the winter (in addition, there are no other flights to SJ from PHL than that one) we were assured that there would be no problem. "Plenty of time. Don't worry." We asked why PHL when other airports offered multiple flights to SJ but they were firm that this was our connection.

 

We called two days before our flight because of a storm moving in but were assured again that there would be no problem (there were open seats on flights the day before--they refused to even check). We checked in with them again at the airport when we found out our flight was delayed 45 minutes due to mechanical problems (remember, we only had a 30 minute window!) and were told they couldn't help us until we actually missed our flight in PHL to SJ. Furthermore, we were told that they couldn't get us to the ship if we missed sail away except on "cooperating airlines" so no guarantee when we would actually make the ship. Calling their customer service number was very frustrating as we weren't being given a whole lot of information--talk about stressful, and no absolutely no willingness to help us find out if there were other alternatives.

 

When we arrived in PHL, if our flight to SJ hadn't been at the very next gate, we would have spent the night in PHL as there were no flights to SJ from PHL until the next afternoon. They literally shut the doors after us and the plane headed out to the runway. [unfortunately our luggage never caught up with us so all we had was our carry-on for the duration of the cruise. When we checked with the airline, they told us they couldn't guarantee baggage transfer for less than 30 minutes at PHL so we were already in trouble at ticketing.]

 

After our experience, not only will we not use CA again (once you read the fine print you realize that there isn't much of a "guarantee" for the premium we paid them over what our tickets would have cost directly) but we now also arrive at least one day early for a cruise.

[kborth]

I had a wide choice of airlines and times,found an afternoon flight . Last year I booked Air Transat and liked it but there was no Sunday flights and I thought I would try CA. Also I figured I am cutting it close as I need flight in late April. I had been lurking on the CA site for a couple of months and saw better deals early on. We'll see how it plays out but I always book airfare online and generally have no issues. Only thing with this flight was I was unable to get seat selection on AC from Frankfurt and I am not friends with flying and need seats together.

[kborth]

This great info and thanks to all who responded.

[Christine Frances]

We used CA last year for our cruise departing from SJ because my husband wanted the guarantee tacitly offered because we were flying down the same day as cruise departure. They made the arrangements and when we questioned whether 30 minutes was enough time to make a connection in PHL (from Portland, ME) in the winter (in addition, there are no other flights to SJ from PHL than that one) we were assured that there would be no problem. "Plenty of time. Don't worry." We asked why PHL when other airports offered multiple flights to SJ but they were firm that this was our connection.

 

We called two days before our flight because of a storm moving in but were assured again that there would be no problem (there were open seats on flights the day before--they refused to even check). We checked in with them again at the airport when we found out our flight was delayed 45 minutes due to mechanical problems (remember, we only had a 30 minute window!) and were told they couldn't help us until we actually missed our flight in PHL to SJ. Furthermore, we were told that they couldn't get us to the ship if we missed sail away except on "cooperating airlines" so no guarantee when we would actually make the ship. Calling their customer service number was very frustrating as we weren't being given a whole lot of information--talk about stressful, and no absolutely no willingness to help us find out if there were other alternatives.

 

When we arrived in PHL, if our flight to SJ hadn't been at the very next gate, we would have spent the night in PHL as there were no flights to SJ from PHL until the next afternoon. They literally shut the doors after us and the plane headed out to the runway. [unfortunately our luggage never caught up with us so all we had was our carry-on for the duration of the cruise. When we checked with the airline, they told us they couldn't guarantee baggage transfer for less than 30 minutes at PHL so we were already in trouble at ticketing.]

 

After our experience, not only will we not use CA again (once you read the fine print you realize that there isn't much of a "guarantee" for the premium we paid them over what our tickets would have cost directly) but we now also arrive at least one day early for a cruise.

 

I think the problem is that 1) you flew down the day of the cruise. Did it once and never again -way too much stress. You very easily could have run into the same issues if you had booked it yourself as mechanical/weather issues cause missed cruises time and time again. 2) Did you go on the CA website (or any other website) to see what flights were available? I don't care who I am booking with, we always pick our own flights plus an alternative just in case. If there were cheaper flights at the time of booking, just tell CA and they could have booked them for you. Even though 30 min was a legal connection time I would not have accepted it.

[kborth]

Does chocie air allow you ,for a fee of course, to book flights that are a couple of days before the cruise and a couple of days after a cruise when flying to Europe?

 

I booked 4 days after cruise so we could spend time in Rome and take some day trips.

[navybankerteacher]

I think the problem is that 1) you flew down the day of the cruise. Did it once and never again -way too much stress. You very easily could have run into the same issues if you had booked it yourself as mechanical/weather issues cause missed cruises time and time again. 2) Did you go on the CA website (or any other website) to see what flights were available? I don't care who I am booking with, we always pick our own flights plus an alternative just in case. If there were cheaper flights at the time of booking, just tell CA and they could have booked them for you. Even though 30 min was a legal connection time I would not have accepted it.

 

I think you have hit the nail on the head. First of all, anyone flying in on embarkation date, in winter, on a connecting flight deserves whatever happens to him. Additionally, I think people are too willing to let some travel agent or cruise line consultant book the flight for them and not follow up.

 

In October 2012 we had booked through CA our American flight to Rome for a Monday, several days before embarkation on a Celebrity T/A. Sunday morning we got a call from American Airlines advising us that our flight would be cancelled due to the oncoming Hurricane Sandy. I asked what they could do for us, and they said if we could get to JFK that evening they could put us on an Iberia flight connecting in Madrid. We were on one of the last flights out of JFK for several days, which got us to Rome a day earlier than planned. American Airlines treated me as well as they would have a passenger who had booked on their site and payed three time what our CA tickets cost us. Claims that you are on your own if problems come up strike me as so much ignorant BS.

 

I regularly insist at the time of booking the cruise for details on all available flights - there have regularly been many - over many days, allowing several days in port before or after - then I go to the site of the airline I have chosen and select seats on the particular flight. I then keep track of my flight by periodically checking.

[waterbug123]

It's fine to listen to tales of woe about supposed problems which MIGHT arise if you book through CA.

 

Have you, personally, experienced problems?

No, I don't use CA because I've read enough examples of people who had issues with them and I don't care to risk that.

 

I have, personally, used CA, and comparable cruise line related facilities, five times in connection with T/A repositionings -- with no problems.

That's wonderful.

 

Yes, once the flight was booked I selected seats using Delta's locater code - and, as I do with all flights, however booked, I will periodically check to verify that flight time and seat assignments remain as selected.

Are you saying that because you got a locator code and could select seats that you think had the same ticket you would have gotten from Delta? Maybe you did and maybe you didn't.

 

Just curious, Waterbug123? Is your mother Momofmeg who posts here occasionally?

No. My mother wouldn't have a clue how to post on a message board, LOL.

 

So I guess I'll just blissfully ignore the risks I am taking and keep booking these incredibly cheap flights. . .

As long as you know there are risks and you are making an informed decision when you decide assume those risks. ;)

[waterbug123]

Be careful on the use of the word "they".

 

CA didn't do anything to your flights. CA just purchases a ticket with an airline on your behalf. You get an actual airline confirmation number that you can then use just like you purchased directly with the airline. The airlines changed flight schedules.

 

You have no way of knowing that. Yes, airlines change flight schedules, but this wasn't a case of a flight time being changed by an hour. The poster's itinerary was changed to an entirely different one, and that is seldom the result of the airline changing a schedule. Very possibly what happened is the poster thought they had a ticket but actually they just had a reservation through CA. CA then, for whatever reason, had to assign them to a different itinerary. So, it may very well have been CA who initiated the change, not the airline. (There are some folks on the cruise air forum who can explain that whole situation better than I can, but hopefully you get the idea.)

 

I think the problem is that 1) you flew down the day of the cruise.

 

That was compounded by the fact that CA offered virtually no assistance, even in the face of an almost certain misconnect. So much for their "guarantee" to be proactive in taking care of any problems. :D

[CathyCruises]

We used CA last year for our cruise departing from SJ because my husband wanted the guarantee tacitly offered because we were flying down the same day as cruise departure. They made the arrangements and when we questioned whether 30 minutes was enough time to make a connection in PHL (from Portland, ME) in the winter (in addition, there are no other flights to SJ from PHL than that one) we were assured that there would be no problem. "Plenty of time. Don't worry." We asked why PHL when other airports offered multiple flights to SJ but they were firm that this was our connection.QUOTE]

 

This story really confuses me. I don't feel like we are talking about the same things. Who is 'they' who 'made the arrangements'?? When I book choice air, I go on their website, look at all the available flights and airlines, and pick the one I want. I find the best connections or book nonstop. I pay for it with a credit card and I immediately get a confirmation. I would NEVER book a flight such as the one you chose, and I cannot figure out why you booked it or who booked it for you?? Are you talking about Cruise Air that the cruiseline includes in a package deal? Because what you have described doesn't sound a thing like Choice Air. 'Choice' air means you get your Choice!

 

And for Waterbug123, it seems odd to me that you would post so many times on this thread about how risky choiceair is when you have never booked it yourself and can only talk about things you've read. There are a lot of firsthand reports here from people who have been very happy, do you not take those into consideration along with the naysayers?

Edited March 4, 2015 by CathyCruises

[Karynanne]

We used CA last year for our cruise departing from SJ because my husband wanted the guarantee tacitly offered because we were flying down the same day as cruise departure. They made the arrangements and when we questioned whether 30 minutes was enough time to make a connection in PHL (from Portland, ME) in the winter (in addition, there are no other flights to SJ from PHL than that one) we were assured that there would be no problem. "Plenty of time. Don't worry." We asked why PHL when other airports offered multiple flights to SJ but they were firm that this was our connection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUOTE]

 

 

 

This story really confuses me. I don't feel like we are talking about the same things. Who is 'they' who 'made the arrangements'?? When I book choice air, I go on their website, look at all the available flights and airlines, and pick the one I want. I find the best connections or book nonstop. I pay for it with a credit card and I immediately get a confirmation. I would NEVER book a flight such as the one you chose, and I cannot figure out why you booked it or who booked it for you?? Are you talking about Cruise Air that the cruiseline includes in a package deal? Because what you have described doesn't sound a thing like Choice Air. 'Choice" air means you get your Choice!

 

 

 

And for Waterbug23, it seems odd to me that you would post so many times on this thread about how risky choiceair is when you have never booked it yourself and can only talk about things you've read. There are a lot of firsthand reports here from people who have been very happy, do you not take those into consideration along with the naysayers?

 

 

Well said, Cathy. "Choice Air" means you have a choice when you book.

 

I have only booked online, and always have had the airline and flights that we have wanted.

[sasset]

Like I posted earlier but maybe not so clearly. I look at what Choice Air has. If I don't like what I see I go, in our case, to the American Airlines site and find what I like. Then I call Choice Air and they book what I found on AAdotCOM for about 1/3 what AA listed. It's called 'Choice' for a reason.

[waterbug123]

And for Waterbug123, it seems odd to me that you would post so many times on this thread about how risky choiceair is when you have never booked it yourself and can only talk about things you've read. There are a lot of firsthand reports here from people who have been very happy, do you not take those into consideration along with the naysayers?

 

Yes, there are lots of reports of great service. There are also reports of horrible service or no service at all. I simply try to make sure people realize that isn't necessarily all rainbows and unicorns with CA. From some of the posts I threads/posts I read, there ARE people out there who see only the upside to CA and have no idea of the potential downsides or additional risks. They believe CA makes guarantees that they clearly do not, and truly believe that the massive savings come with no additional risk, so I try to clarify some of those things.

I have also said repeatedly that if you have no flight issues on travel day, you'll never know how different your CA ticket may have been, and you'll have saved a ton of money. That's the upside. I recognize it and I don't dispute it. I just try to get across that there are also some potential downsides that some people are either completely unaware of or refuse to believe. :)

[dodger1964]

Yes, there are lots of reports of great service. There are also reports of horrible service or no service at all. I simply try to make sure people realize that isn't necessarily all rainbows and unicorns with CA. From some of the posts I threads/posts I read, there ARE people out there who see only the upside to CA and have no idea of the potential downsides or additional risks. They believe CA makes guarantees that they clearly do not, and truly believe that the massive savings come with no additional risk, so I try to clarify some of those things.

I have also said repeatedly that if you have no flight issues on travel day, you'll never know how different your CA ticket may have been, and you'll have saved a ton of money. That's the upside. I recognize it and I don't dispute it. I just try to get across that there are also some potential downsides that some people are either completely unaware of or refuse to believe. :)

 

How do you respond to the idea that CA WILL get you to the ship...It might not be at the initial embarkation point, but they will eventually get you there...an airline WILL get you to the embarkation city (at some time), but the ship might be long gone and you will be on your own.

 

The way we have done CA is by finding the EXACT flights we want using the airlines individual websites to get the times/cities we want and then using the CA website to book the exact same flights, or by calling CA (if we can't get it to work on their website) and having them book the flights that WE have chosen.

 

I don't know how the mysterious "unpaid..just a reservation that got changed" situation works, but I would think if I had an actual airline confirmation number via CA from the airline, that there is an actual "paid for" ticket with the airline.

[Ma Bell]

Yes, there are lots of reports of great service. There are also reports of horrible service or no service at all. I simply try to make sure people realize that isn't necessarily all rainbows and unicorns with CA. From some of the posts I threads/posts I read, there ARE people out there who see only the upside to CA and have no idea of the potential downsides or additional risks. They believe CA makes guarantees that they clearly do not, and truly believe that the massive savings come with no additional risk, so I try to clarify some of those things.

I have also said repeatedly that if you have no flight issues on travel day, you'll never know how different your CA ticket may have been, and you'll have saved a ton of money. That's the upside. I recognize it and I don't dispute it. I just try to get across that there are also some potential downsides that some people are either completely unaware of or refuse to believe. :)

 

The same goes for any ticket you buy from the airline.

[sasset]

The same goes for any ticket you buy from the airline.

 

Well said.

[navybankerteacher]

Yes, there are lots of reports of great service. There are also reports of horrible service or no service at all. I simply try to make sure people realize that isn't necessarily all rainbows and unicorns with CA. From some of the posts I threads/posts I read, there ARE people out there who see only the upside to CA and have no idea of the potential downsides or additional risks. They believe CA makes guarantees that they clearly do not, and truly believe that the massive savings come with no additional risk, so I try to clarify some of those things.

I have also said repeatedly that if you have no flight issues on travel day, you'll never know how different your CA ticket may have been, and you'll have saved a ton of money. That's the upside. I recognize it and I don't dispute it. I just try to get across that there are also some potential downsides that some people are either completely unaware of or refuse to believe. :)

 

I can only suggest you try CA before continuing to spin second-hand rumors of problems. It does help to know something about what you want so fervently to discuss.

 

My wife and I have flown CA five times to Europe - saving at least $1,000 each on every trip - that is over $10,000 to date, and we look forward to similar savings this October. Even if your dreaded scenario plays out and I have to book last minute at $2,500 each (say) with no help or reimbursement -- I will still be $5,000 ahead of the game. I am not really a gambler, but I do prefer my odds to betting against myself by paying any attention to your dire (and, to all appearances, unfounded) warnings.

[Rob the Cruiser]

I can only suggest you try CA before continuing to spin second-hand rumors of problems. It does help to know something about what you want so fervently to discuss.

 

My wife and I have flown CA five times to Europe - saving at least $1,000 each on every trip - that is over $10,000 to date, and we look forward to similar savings this October. Even if your dreaded scenario plays out and I have to book last minute at $2,500 each (say) with no help or reimbursement -- I will still be $5,000 ahead of the game. I am not really a gambler, but I do prefer my odds to betting against myself by paying any attention to your dire (and, to all appearances, unfounded) warnings.

 

I'm with you.

 

Here are the numbers for our upcoming Transatlantic in Apr/May:

 

Denver-Fort Lauderdale coach:

Booked with CA $418pp. AA website $409pp

 

Rome - Denver business class international/first class domestic connection first class. CA $1,732pp. AA website $4,766pp

 

(I know the split on prices because I booked DEN-FLL a few weeks before I booked the FCO-DEN.)

 

CA did not select the itinerary. I did the homework and told them what to book.

 

Similar numbers last year on Barcelona Transatlantic

 

I'm not a gambler either but there's no ignoring those savings.

[Karynanne]

Here is another example of comparing Choice Air booking with direct airline bookings.

 

Booking directly with Virgin Atlantic:

 

First Class from San Francisco to London in Oct. 2015. $6984.80

 

Choice Air:

 

First Class from San Francisco to London in Oct. 2015. $1642.00

 

 

Same airline...same flight...same class of booking.

 

A $5300.00 savings by using Choice Air.

 

We are flying into London 4 days before our cruise out of Southampton, so we aren't too concerned with possible flight changes.

 

And we'll monitor (on Virgin Atlantic's site) flight schedules, in case of future changes.

 

All in all...we feel that Choice Air is the best choice for International travel.

[teecee60]

I'm with you.

 

Here are the numbers for our upcoming Transatlantic in Apr/May:

 

Denver-Fort Lauderdale coach: Booked with CA $418pp. AA website $409pp

 

CA did not select the itinerary. I did the homework and told them what to book.

 

I'm not a gambler either but there's no ignoring those savings.

 

 

Rob... I am also headed to FLL this April, but taking Silhouette and flying back from Amsterdam. This will be my 7th transatlantic in 4 years and I have used Choice Air for 6 of the trips, with never so much as a minor hiccup. :cool:

 

I'd like to offer a suggestion for even MORE savings, for you to consider in the future. Book only the long, transatlantic portion through Choice Air like you did. (from Rome) But book the short domestic hop to FLL through Travelocity, or Orbitz. I have found it is almost always significantly less expensive. My Frontier flight from Fargo, N.D. to FLL, connecting through Denver was only $131pp! :eek:

 

For westbound T/As, I again use Choice Air for the long one way TO Europe, but book the short domestic return from MIA or FLL on my own. Check it out and see if it works for you.

 

 

For the general discussion...

 

NO ONE is "forcing" anyone to book through choice air, if you don't want to, DON'T. :rolleyes:

 

Just don't whine about expensive air fares. :o

[navybankerteacher]

Rob... I am also headed to FLL this April, but taking Silhouette and flying back from Amsterdam. This will be my 7th transatlantic in 4 years and I have used Choice Air for 6 of the trips, with never so much as a minor hiccup. :cool:

 

I'd like to offer a suggestion for even MORE savings, for you to consider in the future. Book only the long, transatlantic portion through Choice Air like you did. (from Rome) But book the short domestic hop to FLL through Travelocity, or Orbitz. I have found it is almost always significantly less expensive. My Frontier flight from Fargo, N.D. to FLL, connecting through Denver was only $131pp! :eek:

 

For westbound T/As, I again use Choice Air for the long one way TO Europe, but book the short domestic return from MIA or FLL on my own. Check it out and see if it works for you.

 

 

For the general discussion...

 

NO ONE is "forcing" anyone to book through choice air, if you don't want to, DON'T. :rolleyes:

 

Just don't whine about expensive air fares. :o

 

Exactly - for some reason Choice Air is as expensive - or more than - on domestic flights booked through something like travelocity or with the airline direct ( which is what I do after finding fare options on travelocity) - no one recommended CA for domestic flights.

[Karynanne]

Exactly - for some reason Choice Air is as expensive - or more than - on domestic flights booked through something like travelocity or with the airline direct ( which is what I do after finding fare options on travelocity) - no one recommended CA for domestic flights.

 

 

I agree. We book domestic flights through different sources, or directly with the airline if we're using miles.

[Gonzo70]

Nobody is disputing Choice Air can save a lot of money - especially regarding one way international flights. However it is NAIVE to believe that these deeply discounted tickets do not often carry some risk that is above-and-beyond the typical risk associated with tickets purchased directly from the airline. That is what Waterbug is kindly trying to warn people about so they can make INFORMED decisions. Nobody is saying not to purchase Choice Air, but to be informed of the PROS and CONS before making the purchase!

 

I have used Choice Air a couple of times now to take advantage of massive savings, but I was cognizant that if irregular operations were to occur (i.e. a massive delay, flight cancellation, missed connection) that it might very well be much more difficult for me to be accommodated on a different flight than had I purchased the tickets directly from the airline (i.e. I likely would be towards the bottom of the priority to be accommodated standby on later flights versus those who purchased higher priced tickets from the airline AND/OR may be restricted in being rerouted to my destination through different cities AND/OR be restricted from having my ticket endorsed to a different airline with available seats).

 

As such I made sure that when using Choice Air that I was arriving to the destination where the cruise was originating at least 48 hours before boarding time (to allow additional wiggle room than normal). I focused on non-stop flights, even if it meant paying more. Had a layover been the only option, I would have selected one with several hours between flights - with deeply discounted tickets I would much rather have to incur an unpleasantly long wait between legs than risk a misconnection and having trouble being accommodated on an alternative flight that would get me to my destination in time for the cruise. I also am extra vigilant checking and rechecking my reservation since several members have also reported substantial changes to their reservation when booking with Choice Air beyond typical airline initiated changes (i.e. not a flight time moving up or down a couple hours, but being routed through a different city during a connection or even the day of travel being changed by a day).

 

I am also a savvy traveler and would know how to navigate the situation without Choice Air's assistance if they were unhelpful (as several people on Cruise Critic in various threads have reported - though others have reported receiving good assistance, so whether or not one receives adequate assistance from Choice Air is inconsistent and cannot be counted on). I would have more faith in receiving assistance directly from the airline (one of us waiting in line at the ticket counter while the other calls the airline on the phone) than relying upon Choice Air for help.

 

Whenever I fly for a cruise I carry sufficient travel insurance that would reimburse me for all/most expenses incurred if I need to pay for a change fee to fly to a different city to "catch" the ship (were I to incur a delay that resulted in missing embarkation). I also try to fly airlines where I have some status, so I am more likely to receive priority accommodation above and beyond my ticket class. This holds true regardless if I am using Choice Air or booking direct with the airline.

 

I will continue to opt for Choice Air if it will save me a lot of money, but take the above precautions. I am willing to pay a somewhat higher fare than Choice Air if it enables me to book directly with the airline, as that provides me with more protection should events go awry.

Edited March 4, 2015 by Gonzo70

[Rob the Cruiser]

 

I'd like to offer a suggestion for even MORE savings, for you to consider in the future. Book only the long, transatlantic portion through Choice Air like you did. (from Rome) But book the short domestic hop to FLL through Travelocity, or Orbitz. I have found it is almost always significantly less expensive. My Frontier flight from Fargo, N.D. to FLL, connecting through Denver was only $131pp! :eek:

 

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a try next time.