Airline Help Please

[ozcaz]

Hi everyone,

 

We have just had our flight cancelled to fly down to Miami the day of the cruise. We can get a flight out at 6 am but that is so early! So we are looking at changing airlines and going on south west either the day of the cruise or a day earlier.

 

If we go in the day of the cruise it arrives at 11:30 into fort Lauderdale and then we have to get to the port in Miami. I believe it takes an hour to get their and I am worried if we have a delay we could be in trouble. What do you think! Should we be okay?? I have heard some airlines overbook do southwest do this and are we likely to get bumped.

 

Many thanks

 

Caz

[lcds1]

Go down a day earlier-book a hotel via priceline.com (inexpensive that way!)

and save yourself a lot of worry!

[billybob123]

You won't get bumped from Southwest (which overbooks) or any other airline if you show up at the airport ON TIME (i.e. at least 2 hours before your flight). Nowadays, you can even check in online the night before your flight with the majority of the airlines -- that way you definetly won't get bumped. The way airlines bump passengers is written into law - they first have to ask for volunteers then they generally bump based on when you showed up to check in - i.e. the later you are, the better the chance. Plus the VAST majority of flights result in no bumps anyway.

 

Don't let overbooking scare you, there's EASY ways around it. I would choose the 6 am flight, yeah it's early, but at least you have a ton of time to protect you in case of some sort of accident on the highway into Miami, or your flight being cancelled, etc. You'll be able to board early and relax!

 

Enjoy your cruise

-bb123

[MandyGirl]

We always book the day before due to the many possible things that could happen that nobody can predict (weather, security breach at airport terminal, inflight medical emergency of passenger that causes a landing at closest airport, etc). It is worth the peace of mind and a few extra Priceline (or Hotwire) bucks to arrive the night before.All airlines overbook to a certain extent (those stats are available online) but the good thing about Southwest is that there are so many other flight options available (at least in the markets I normally fly to). But like the previous poster said, arrive on time for your flight (2 hours early for ticket counter checkin) and you have no worries. The last flight I was bumped from was an American flight to Vegas - and I was a volunteer when they started asking (so I was a "voluntary deny boarding"). Nice way to earn a few extra hundred bucks towards a future flight...:)

[Bill S]

You should strongly consider going a day early. So many things can happen: airport shutdown for security breach, mechanical or weather delays, luggage not showing up, getting bumped, etc. If you are booking your own air, and it sounds like you are, if you are late arriving to the ship, ie, after it's scheduled departure time, it will not wait for you.

 

Last year we flew into Vancouver a day early and lucky we did, as our luggage was held up in Seattle due to the plane being loaded up to it's maximum allowable weight. We did not get our bags until 4am the following morning. If we had flown in the day of sailing, we would have been in a real mess. I learned from that experience to take our toothbrushes a change of undies and an electric razor in our carry-ons! :eek:

[Orcrone]

Just chiming in to say I agree with Mandy and Bill S. You're stressing out about it already. I don't know when you're travelling, but you can run into delays, for whatever reason, anytime of year. If the day you're travelling it's snowing somewhere (winter) or severe thunderstorms (summer) somewhere else, do you want to be sitting in the terminal watching the departure time move out?

 

The odds are you won't miss your cruise, but why take the chance?

[ozcaz]

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks heaps for all help!

 

After going around and around in circles trying to work out how to get down to Miami. Bus, Drive ourselves or fly. We have decided to fly.

 

Taken your advice and are going down a day early. So we will spend New Years Eve in Miami!!!! Decided as you advised to many things that could go wrong!

 

 

Many thanks

 

Caz