YVR to Honolulu NCL Air Dilemma

[Cruise Junky]

Does anyone have any experience with NCL Air from Vancouver to Hawaii? I have a couple of alternatives and just not sure which route to go.

I normally avoid cruise alr like the plague, but this looks like a good deal.

 

Cruise Air is around $450 per person. Booking it by myself from Vancouver would be around $800 on Northwest with a stop, or $850 on Air Canada direct. Another alternative is driving to Seattle (3 hours each way) and taking a direct Northwest flight for $360 Cdn. But it's the red eye coming back and do we really feel like driving three hours after a red eye flight? Plus it's a 5:00 pm flight on Friday night so rush hour getting down there could be nuts.

 

Third alternative.... I have points and aren't afraid to use some up, I travel a lot... I could give up 40,000 points for one flight on Air Canada and pay for the other. But the cruise air just seems like such a good deal. Any suggestions. comments?

[CruisinMK]

Well I sure wouldn't drive to seattle and back, or pay $800.

Guess that leaves cruiseline airfare for $450 or frequent flier miles.

 

I think the $450 is too cheap to make the frequent flier mile use appealing.

So I suggest cruiseline airfare.

Using them leaves them on the hook if there is a screwup with your cruise or flights too, nice plus.

[wtoms]

Cruise air for 450 sounds like a great deal, we have researched like crazy and decided on using air canada and points because of connections to the okanagan, and even at that they switched our times around at the last minute. No question, go for the 450 if you can get it! have a great trip, we leave in three weeks, hardly wait !!!

[Warbird]

Last August we flew from Portland, OR to Hawaii direct on Hawaian Airlines. We had a morning flight and got on the ship for lunch.:) Coming home we had an early afternoon flight and got home at a reasonable time. I would guess the key is if you can fly direct from Vancouver. If you have to fly to Seattle from Vancouver and then to Hawaii, I would have no clue.

 

John

[Vectorboy]

Have you checked with Harmony? I just booked Vancouver to Honolulu and back in December for under CAN$500 all taxes in.

[Cruise Junky]

Have you checked with Harmony? I just booked Vancouver to Honolulu and back in December for under CAN$500 all taxes in.

 

Harmony for April is coming in the same as Air Canada. I thought they'd be cheaper too. Nice flight times as well and highly recommended from friends of mine. At least if I use Air Canada, I get points, we get one free air and I can use the lounges

[DanJ]

For what it's worth, rumours are going around that Harmony isn't a long term safe booking option. It's one guy that owns them, and he's getting killed by AC and Westjet. But they do have a very good reputation, especially if you get their business class seats.

 

Westjet is another option, although they don't have a very good schedule, with the redeyes. But you may find some reasonable fares.

 

With Air Canada, have you actually called to see about FF seats for April? They have a new program where supposedly "every seat is available", but when the usual FF allotment is booked (usually as soon as bookings open 353 days out), the mileage surcharge is ridiculous, from 50% to over 100% extra miles for a seat.

[Cruise Junky]

For what it's worth, rumours are going around that Harmony isn't a long term safe booking option. It's one guy that owns them, and he's getting killed by AC and Westjet. But they do have a very good reputation, especially if you get their business class seats.

 

Westjet is another option, although they don't have a very good schedule, with the redeyes. But you may find some reasonable fares.

 

With Air Canada, have you actually called to see about FF seats for April? They have a new program where supposedly "every seat is available", but when the usual FF allotment is booked (usually as soon as bookings open 353 days out), the mileage surcharge is ridiculous, from 50% to over 100% extra miles for a seat.

 

Yeah, I phoned them. Regardless of the amount of points they want, I wouldn't have enough. I only have enough for one person left (We booked Europe on points last month.)

 

What I've ended up doing is booking one ticket on points and I'll be buying the other on Air Canada today. Direct going and through LA coming back, but day flights, not the redeye. This works out to the same $$$ as cruise air, but I'm giving up 40,000 points. By paying for me, I'll be earning 8,000 for this trip, so it's really only giving up 32,000. Knowing myself as the control freak that I am :) There's no way I could wait until 3 weeks before cruiseing to know what my flights are and this way, we can go in a day early and stay a day late. I realize I could do all of this by custom air, but Air Canada just seemed easier.

[Globaliser]

For what it's worth, rumours are going around that Harmony isn't a long term safe booking option.

FWIW, Harmony has announced that it is ceasing scheduled flights from 9 April 2007. Story here from the Toronto Globe and Mail:-

Harmony Airways to halt its flights

 

'Restructuring' firm could resurface

 

WENDY STUECK

 

VANCOUVER -- Four years after launching his own airline in response to being stranded in an airport while on vacation with his daughter, Vancouver entrepreneur David Ho has thrown in the towel: Harmony Airways Inc. will end scheduled flights April 9.

 

The airline could resurface as a charter carrier or use some other business model, a company spokesman said at a press conference to announce what the company called a "restructuring."

 

But Mr. Ho's vision of a niche airline that offered superior customer service and flights to destinations such as Honolulu and New York, and that had its eye on China, appears to have disappeared, doomed by high operating costs and tough competition.

 

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