FlightEase Checking for Better Flights

[BashfulBeki]

I have booked our flights through FlightEase but early enough that I can still change them.  I would like to keep searching for flights but keep my current selection while I look.  How do you do that? One option is to check the ‘change flights’ button, but I am afraid that will release my current booking. Will it? If so, how do you search for other flights?

My PPC has been dodging me lately so no help there.

Thank you for your assistance.

[VMax1700]

You can use the 'Change Flights' button to search for alternative flights or booking classes.

When the alternative flights appear, just stay away from the 'Select' button.

You still have the option to 'View Current Flights' when the alternative flights page is open.

 

[Florida_gal_50]

I know at one time there was an issue of it canceling your flights.  I’m too nervous to try.  Usually I’ll look on another booking site which can’t be named to see if prices have changed.  Mine are sky high for premium economy but I suspect they won’t be going down.

Edited April 30, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[rodndonna]

I was able to do this without an issues for our Dec 2021 cruise.

 

This  thread was a reminder to check our current overpriced flights for an upcoming cruise. In the unlikely scenario things have changed  lately and I would lose the flight, I had no fear of as they are just so overpriced.

 

Alas, after checking the new options are "more overpriced" and I have successfully just kept the "original overpriced" 😗

 

 

[VMax1700]

21 minutes ago, rodndonna said:

Alas, after checking the new options are "more overpriced" and I have successfully just kept the "original overpriced" 😗

 

Totally agree.   I have been checking (when Flightease website permits 🙄) prices for our transAtlantic to Fort Lauderdale in November this year.  Currently Economy seats are priced more expensive than the Premium Economy that I have already booked.  I just do not see prices reducing this year.  Just seems like the only way is up!

[waiting2retire]

Definitely not a problem to click on the Change Flights button. It won’t change your flights until you confirm the flights you want to change to, so if you don’t find anything you prefer, just back out. 
 

I booked my flights a few months out when I booked the cruise, then checked somewhat obsessively until I found flights that not only saved me $$ but with airlines and timing I preferred. 
 

[BashfulBeki]

Thank you all for your reassurance.

I checked a different airport and found a faster trip but am worried about 1 hr 18 min layover in Atlanta. Any insights?

Waiting2Retire,

Does that truly happen? FlightEase states that if I don’t deposit or pay now, the price could go up but I don’t need to pay until June. But if it should go up, I want to lock in now. If more options will open, I may want to wait.  I am @ 150 days out.
I am not a gambler but am frugal. 

[waiting2retire]

I have only used FlightEase twice now, so not  on of experience, but in neither case did the fare I chose ever go up prior to final payment. In fact, the first time I used it was just prior to the Covid pause and got R/T flights from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale for $24.00. Still not sure how that happened, but it did. 
 

This time, our flights from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale , then return to Toronto from Amsterdam after a transatlantic cruise, came in at less than $600 pp, much better than any flights I found on my own. 
 

As I said, I am obsessive about it, checking the FlightEase fares at least once, sometimes twice a day. They can change quickly and once the seats are gone, the fare is gone. 
 

 

[Sharon in AZ]

It just all depends.  Sometimes I look on my favorite airline website for different routes/schedules and then once in Flight Ease I have a clearer picture.  On Flight Ease you can select the airline you prefer and also the class.  I usually do this before I venture back to Flight Ease to change flights.

 

Also, don't worry about the change flights button because you don't need to accept the change.  But, again, I always research my options before doing that.

 

All that said.....  Recently had a huge problem after final payment and some of the flights I had previously selected changed planes and one even changed routes.  (It was a transatlantic.)  Our seats weren't together and I was in panic mode for weeks until I found an agent that changed our seats.  Now I'm happy ...... but, I guess I'm still crazy, I still search occasionally for different options.

[Florida_gal_50]

I’ve used flight ease extensively.  The flights have never gone up even though they say they can.

[petepie]

I thought FlightEase was down for the last several weeks but then realized that the website is very temperamental- you can get through if you keep refreshing your browser and reloading.it must be capacity restricted.

 

As an alternative, a great tip I got from this board is that Princess uses same flight booking and you don’t have to create a reservation to see rates. You can go to the Princess homepage, click find a cruise, pick one with roughly same dates and region as the HALctuise you’re looking at, click on it, and the look in the black banner on the cruise page for the flight quote. Put in your dates and airports. Note this will show regular pricing, not including the Hal $500 off for some dates and cruises.

[ColonyGirl2]

6 hours ago, petepie said:

As an alternative, a great tip I got from this board is that Princess uses same flight booking and you don’t have to create a reservation to see rates. 

Unbelievable.

I can't get into Flight Ease with a booked cruise, 90% of the time, but I go on Princess and can get in without even booking a cruise.  What's wrong with picture?  How can HAL continue to have such a useless website.  I would like to think they monitor this forum and would look into it ......  But this has been going on so long, I am deluding myself.

[Florida_gal_50]

2 hours ago, ColonyGirl2 said:

Unbelievable.

I can't get into Flight Ease with a booked cruise, 90% of the time, but I go on Princess and can get in without even booking a cruise.  What's wrong with picture?  How can HAL continue to have such a useless website.  I would like to think they monitor this forum and would look into it ......  But this has been going on so long, I am deluding myself.

The Princess site is great for that.  The hal site needs to grow up and be like Princess.  You can even get a taste for some shore excursions if that is of interest.  All this without booking a cruise.

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Checking prices on Princess for flights-how do you do that? I was curious and just went to their website and when I tried all I got was a notice to log into my personalizer. What's the secret? Thanks.

[ski ww]

Final payment is tomorrow and our TA told us that our flights were cancelled by HAL & we were using FlightEase. Our TA could not get through to HAL to find out what is going on, she's on hold for hours. She also said HAL's FlightEase is a mess, & told us to try booking our own. Not a happy cruiser. 

[Florida_gal_50]

7 hours ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

Checking prices on Princess for flights-how do you do that? I was curious and just went to their website and when I tried all I got was a notice to log into my personalizer. What's the secret? Thanks.

You need to find a like cruise from the same embarkation port and close to the same length and dates.  When you get into the body of the of the cruise there will be various tabs such as itinerary, shore excursions and flight quotes.  Go into the flight quote.

[petepie]

You can pick any princess cruise in the same general region and pick a specific airport. E.g a Princess cruise leaving from Barcelona will let you estimate air to and from other European cities. The cruise dates need to be close - Princess won’t let you put in a departure date after their cruise starts or return date before their cruise ends.

[Markolodeon]

First-time cruiser question.  If I use Flightease to book airfare, it defaults and only allows flying in the first day of the cruise.  Everything I’ve read is it’s much better to fly in the night before.  But then I also heard it’s better to book airfare through HAL, in case of missed connections.  Which is better?  The airline I plan to use has only one direct flight to FLL on the day-of.

[Laminator]

42 minutes ago, Markolodeon said:

First-time cruiser question.  If I use Flightease to book airfare, it defaults and only allows flying in the first day of the cruise.  Everything I’ve read is it’s much better to fly in the night before.  But then I also heard it’s better to book airfare through HAL, in case of missed connections.  Which is better?  The airline I plan to use has only one direct flight to FLL on the day-of.

I had no problem choosing flying in 2 days early and leaving 2 days after the cruise.

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, Markolodeon said:

it defaults

Yes it does default, but you can change both arrival and departure dates.  You can also change airport ie. Miami instead of FLL

[Markolodeon]

^ Sorry about the misquote above, still learning the boards here.

 

Thank you!  I think the main difference is that it’s on me to get from the hotel to the ship.  Whereas if I fly in on day-of HAL will cover transportation.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Markolodeon

[ski ww]

2 hours ago, Markolodeon said:

^ Sorry about the misquote above, still learning the boards here.

 

Thank you!  I think the main difference is that it’s on me to get from the hotel to the ship.  Whereas if I fly in on day-of HAL will cover transportation.

In our experience HAL will only cover the cost of transport if you book the transport & pay for it, it wasn't free. 

[Florida_gal_50]

6 hours ago, petepie said:

You can pick any princess cruise in the same general region and pick a specific airport. E.g a Princess cruise leaving from Barcelona will let you estimate air to and from other European cities. The cruise dates need to be close - Princess won’t let you put in a departure date after their cruise starts or return date before their cruise ends.

Maybe that works for Europe but if I'm taking a cruise out of San Diego if not going to work to well if I get a princess cruise starting in LA.  I can fly to LA much cheap than San Diego.  For sure it won't let you pick dates after the cruise leaves or before it ends.  It is giving you the fare for that particular cruise, not others that you may be researching. 

Edited May 2, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[gigianne]

11 hours ago, ski ww said:

Final payment is tomorrow and our TA told us that our flights were cancelled by HAL & we were using FlightEase. Our TA could not get through to HAL to find out what is going on, she's on hold for hours. She also said HAL's FlightEase is a mess, & told us to try booking our own. Not a happy cruiser. 

Did you get your flights straightened out?

 

[ChinaShrek]

Does anyone know if I can still book a flight after I have made final payment? I want to use miles (and hope something open up) but if not I'll book a paid flight to Amsterdam a week or two before the cruise.