Is a Decent Flight Possible?

[Coadysmom]

We are cruising Australia/New Zealand next January. We are flying out of DFW and want to arrive in Australia 1 day before our cruise. After looking at a lot of airline web sites, we saw that the airfare for our cruise is running around $2500 pp. The airfare through our cruise lines is $1400 pp.

We have decided to go with the cruise air, but we are worried about whether or not we'll be able to go in a day earlier, or get decent flights (single layover in LA or SFO), decent amount of time between flights without having to pay a significant amount of deviation fees. Having read the sticky notes on this board, we think that our best opportunity for flights lies in early booking with the custom air department of our Cruise Lines, but are still confused whether there is anything else we can do at this point to try to get the flights that we want.

Thanks for your help

[commonsense2]

anything is possible ;)

 

seriously though, you're on the right track by working with the cruiseair department. since you want to fly in early you're going to have to pay a deviation fee anyway.

[greatam]

We are cruising Australia/New Zealand next January. We are flying out of DFW and want to arrive in Australia 1 day before our cruise. After looking at a lot of airline web sites, we saw that the airfare for our cruise is running around $2500 pp. The airfare through our cruise lines is $1400 pp.

We have decided to go with the cruise air, but we are worried about whether or not we'll be able to go in a day earlier, or get decent flights (single layover in LA or SFO), decent amount of time between flights without having to pay a significant amount of deviation fees. Having read the sticky notes on this board, we think that our best opportunity for flights lies in early booking with the custom air department of our Cruise Lines, but are still confused whether there is anything else we can do at this point to try to get the flights that we want.

Thanks for your help

 

No way possible to find out what prices will be in January 2009. You need to wait another month or so. But when dates are available, you may want to look into the possibility of flying one of the LCC's to Los Angeles, then the best price you can find over the water. Air Pacific often has sales-good service, free booze in coach, free headphones-one stop in Fiji at 5AM, but you have a few hours (4) to check out Nadi Fiji. Air NewZealand also has sales out of LAX. Once in a while, even Qantas has sales out of LAX.

 

If you fly anything other than AA/Qantas from DFW, you will have to change terminals at LAX. ALLOW PLENTY of time.

 

Another poster, fti, posted this list of airline consolidators that are travel agents who buy discount tickets based on volume. He posted this link-may be worth checking out for discount tickets. But again, you will not be able to see any availability for another month.

 

http://www.usaca.com/airline-consolidators.cfm

[paul929207]

Once the flights open up for sale (about 330 days in advance), call the cruise air folks and ask about the cost. Generally, there is a deviation fee of $50 or $75/person. In addition, the charge any increase in the cost of the tickets over their normal cost. They waive the deviation fee if you book your hotel stay thru them.

[JackWP]

We just completed our flight arrangements with Celebrity for a cruise from Honolulu to Auckland. Our status with Celebrity gives us custom air waiver of charges. We requested to pick from the available no up charge flights. Our agent came back with a very good choice with an additional charge of less than $10.00 per person. The next day we were able to call the airlines and select our seats and note our special needs. We are flying United out, CVG, ORD, HNL, and Qantas and Delta back, AKL, LAX, CVG. Each leg has one layover of about two hours. Celebrity claims that custom air can be selected 11 months in advance.

[Karynanne]

We booked Air New Zealand, last March, for a flight tomorrow, from San Francisco to Sydney (via Auckland). We booked online and paid $669/pp. The price went up considerably thereafter. If you book online, book ASAP.

[wrp96]

JackWP, just a note if I'm reading your itinerary correctly, you do not have enough time at LAX to connect between Qantas and Delta, if you've only got a 2 hour connection. Your Qantas flight from Auckland will arrive at Terminal 4. Your Delta flight will depart from Terminal 5. After you've landed, gone through immigration, retrieved your bags, and gone through customs, you are going to have to change terminals and go back through security. And this is all assuming that you will be able to through check your bags when you check-in in Auckland. If Qantas isn't able to check you in for your Delta flight, then you will also have to stand in line to check in once you get to LAX.

[Globaliser]

JackWP, just a note if I'm reading your itinerary correctly, you do not have enough time at LAX to connect between Qantas and Delta, if you've only got a 2 hour connection. ... And this is all assuming that you will be able to through check your bags when you check-in in Auckland. If Qantas isn't able to check you in for your Delta flight, then you will also have to stand in line to check in once you get to LAX.

If it's on a single ticket, it's a legal connection. In the current season, this is as follows:-

 

QF25 AKL(I) 1840-1030 LAX(4)

Minimum connecting time: 120 minutes

Scheduled connecting time: 140 minutes

DL 1194 LAX(5) 1250-2009 CVG(3)

 

And there is a same-day backup if the connecting flight is missed: I see another DL flight to CVG leaving at 2350.

 

So I would have thought that this connection is actually pretty good, if it's written on a single ticket (in which case QF will through-tag the bag to CVG, although it will still have to be collected and cleared through customs at LAX). A US citizen should have a very low chance of missing this connection.

[wrp96]

Globaliser, I don't doubt it's a LEGAL connection, but legal doesn't actually mean it's a good connection.

[Globaliser]

Globaliser, I don't doubt it's a LEGAL connection, but legal doesn't actually mean it's a good connection.

True. But in this case I think it's both legal and not bad, and definitely worth trying - particularly given how poor the alternatives are (at least 6-7 hours longer overall travel time), and the existence of a backup.

[Jsipes]

We are cruising Australia/New Zealand next January. We are flying out of DFW and want to arrive in Australia 1 day before our cruise. After looking at a lot of airline web sites, we saw that the airfare for our cruise is running around $2500 pp. The airfare through our cruise lines is $1400 pp.

 

We have decided to go with the cruise air, but we are worried about whether or not we'll be able to go in a day earlier, or get decent flights (single layover in LA or SFO), decent amount of time between flights without having to pay a significant amount of deviation fees. Having read the sticky notes on this board, we think that our best opportunity for flights lies in early booking with the custom air department of our Cruise Lines, but are still confused whether there is anything else we can do at this point to try to get the flights that we want.

 

Thanks for your help

 

The Lines agents can book you a day early with zero charge providing it is a slow travel day..

[Coadysmom]

Well.. Here's to hoping that 1 Jan is a slow day;)

[greatam]

The Lines agents can book you a day early with zero charge providing it is a slow travel day..

 

Please don't post incorrect info. Your entire statement is patently false. There may or may not be tickets available a day earlier. There may or may not be an additional charge for airfare. You may have to pay an air deviation fee. And being a "slow travel day" is NOT one of the reasons why you may get tickets a day early.

[greatam]

Well.. Here's to hoping that 1 Jan is a slow day;)

 

The previous poster is incorrect.

[fbgd]

Globaliser, I don't doubt it's a LEGAL connection, but legal doesn't actually mean it's a good connection.

 

I'm with Globaliser, that sounds like a fine connection to me.

[fbgd]

Globaliser, I don't doubt it's a LEGAL connection, but legal doesn't actually mean it's a good connection.

 

I'm with Globaliser, that sounds like a fine connection to me.