Messed Up Air, Courtesy Of Hal

[HomeLover]

This will be short because it has not been resolved. I am leaving on the Prinsendam on 10/30 (leaving the states on the 29) and I they changed the flights that I paid an air deviation fee to get. Their reason.....the flight gets in at 1PM and their policy is that all flights must be scheduled to arrive by noon,. (The port is Athens). Funny part, the new flights arrive at 1PM!

They cannot find any flights that will get me in earlier, so they want me to go in a day early, with the hotel to be at my expense!

Couldn't they have known this when I booked in January?

[JimVrhovac]

Good luck and hope everything works out for you

 

Ruth & Jim

[gregdude]

If you read the HAL Air carefully, you will note that they specifically say that they may require a day early in some cases. Trying to meet a ship in Athens when arriving the day of departure is probably only 50% possible. Every flight I have taken to Europe in recent years has been at least an hour late departing the US.

 

That extra day in Athens is well worth the hotel bill compared to the emotional stress of will we make it or won't we? If you miss the ship the cost to you will be considerably higher. Read some of the recent posts concerning people who have had this experience and found that the cruise insurance does not cover delays caused by airlines.

 

Pay the hotel bill and enjoy a relaxed cruise.

[kalliekae]

When you booked last January, the airlines were not cancelling as many flights like they are now. Airline travel is just not reliable these days so pay the extra day and relax. It will be well worth your peace of mind. :)

[Copper10-8]

Any extra day prior to your cruise will be worth it! Believe me, (Sorry, Rita!;) ) arriving that one day earlier in Athens with a major case of jetlag and spending a night in a hotel will make you feel one heck of a lot better than arriving on the day of Prinsendam's departure and trying to keep your eye balls open. Enjoy your cruise! Great itinerary and great ship!

[sail7seas]

DO IT and do it happily. That peace of mind is worth tons!

 

We all have heard about all the scheduling changes and cancellations all airlines have made. HAL cannot control what flights have time changes and get cancelled.

 

 

Couldn't they have known this when I booked in January?

 

 

 

No....... they may not have been able to know 9 months ago they cannot get you a flight that arrives by noon. We hear on the news just about daily about so many flight changes.

 

This, IMO, is not a case that HAL messed up.

[Thrifty]

Homelover: Check Holland America Nightmare, another thread to which someone replied as recently as yesterday.

[HomeLover]

Sorry guys, you missed my point. THEY set up the flights. They should have said that it was too close to embarkation. I am not a novice cruiser. This will be my 19th cruise, my 6th to Europe and I have always flown in on day of departure. My point was that they rebooked flights that still got me in at the same time as my original flights and my original flights are still operating, they have not been cancelled.

Jim and Ruth thank you for your good wishes.

[Boytjie]

Sorry guys, you missed my point. THEY set up the flights. They should have said that it was too close to embarkation. I am not a novice cruiser. This will be my 19th cruise, my 6th to Europe and I have always flown in on day of departure. My point was that they rebooked flights that still got me in at the same time as my original flights and my original flights are still operating, they have not been cancelled.

Jim and Ruth thank you for your good wishes.

 

What was the deviation that you paid extra for?

[sail7seas]

Sorry guys, you missed my point. THEY set up the flights. They should have said that it was too close to embarkation. I am not a novice cruiser. This will be my 19th cruise, my 6th to Europe and I have always flown in on day of departure. My point was that they rebooked flights that still got me in at the same time as my original flights and my original flights are still operating, they have not been cancelled.

Jim and Ruth thank you for your good wishes.

 

 

Upon your request (and presumably their refusal) to switch you back to the flights for which you originally paid the deviation fee, did they refund the deviation fee you paid?

[HomeLover]

Peter, it was a waste of money. My request was to be on a Star Alliance airline. With further research, it was the only flight via my home city and to change my return flight.

Sail 7......no, but as I said, this has not been resolved yet.

[cccole]

Homelover - I understand that HAL booked your flight in January to arrive in Athens at 1:00 and now they say that is too late. Is there a reason why you cannot go a day earlier? It would be so much more fun to pay for a hotel the night before, enjoy a leisurely morning/afternoon and then go to the port. If you are early risers in that time zone you might even be able to do a bit of sightseeing. And from what I understand Athens is beautiful at night.....so you could enjoy that the night you arrive.

 

I personally would consider this a bonus if there is not a horrendous charge now for going a day early. I'm sooooo jealous, have a great time. Cherie

[HomeLover]

Cherie,

I have been to Athens, and it was nice, but not a place I would really have any interest in doing anyh more sightseeing.

No, since I already paid for an air deviation fee, there would be no additional expense there, just the hotel, which is very expensive, and transfers to the hotel and transfers to the ship.

 

The other thing that most people have overlooked is that the "new" flights get me in at the same time as my original flights.

[sail7seas]

I'm not overlooking the fact the flights arrive at the same time.

 

I still strongly suggest you go the day before.

 

All too often we hear of people stressing because their flights are delayed/cancelled and some people actually miss the ship.

 

I cannot imagine flying to Athens from North America with a flight scheduled to arrive at 1 P.M. I think that a hugely risky thing to do. Not a chance in the world we would ever make those travel arrangements.

 

Book a moderate priced hotel, enjoy a fantastic dinner in the Platka and look at the Acropolis while you eat. You can find many moderately priced very delicious places to have a delightful evening.

 

Have some fabulous Greek Yogurt for breakfast and go to the ship after having enjoyed a wonderful evening and restful morning.

 

JMHO........

 

 

If you choose to fly same day, I sincerely hope you are not back here telling us your sad tale of terrible travel delays.

 

Have a GREAT cruise.

 

 

[cccole]

Cherie,

I have been to Athens, and it was nice, but not a place I would really have any interest in doing anyh more sightseeing.

No, since I already paid for an air deviation fee, there would be no additional expense there, just the hotel, which is very expensive, and transfers to the hotel and transfers to the ship.

 

The other thing that most people have overlooked is that the "new" flights get me in at the same time as my original flights.

 

I'm not sure that everyone has overlooked that but they are asking if that is the only flight you can get and you have to go early why not? Yes the hotel is an additional expense, and yes HAL should have known when they booked your flight in January that 1:00 p.m. was too late to arrive the day of departure. Maybe because of the circumstances they will help you with transfers. I am assuming that you would have incurred the expense of a transfer from the airport to the cruise. I don't think anyone is saying that you shouldn't be upset but at this point if there is not a flight that gets in before 1:00 you may need to go the day before. Have you checked other airlines to see if there is a flight they can put you on that gets in earlier. Sorry....I'm just trying to help.

 

Cherie

[HomeLover]

Cherie,

I appreciate your point of view. You seem to comprehend the situation. I just don't understand why they suddenly changed my flights because of arrival time and it is the same as my original flights. And I forgot to say earlier, I had my TA double check with them when I received my flights from them and they told my TA, it was no problem, they use this flight combo from the East Coast all the time.

[cccole]

I don't understand why they booked you on the flight they did either, but at this point it may be a matter of making lemonade out of lemons (if that's the proper quote.) I would be upset because of all of the planning and then to find out the person doing the air had made a mistake. From what I have read on this site HAL may very well take responsibility for their mistake and do something nice for you. Again, I am sooooo jealous, and hope you have a fantastic cruise!!!! Cherie

[Boytjie]

I would say fly in a day earlier. What if the 1 pm flight (either the one you chose or the one they changed it to) gets in late? Either way you may miss the ship. The most important thing is to get on the ship in time. Missing it may cost you more than flying in a day early. Even if you don't sight see for a few hours, you can get some sleep and be more rested when you board.

[gregdude]

Ok, now I see a TA was involved between you and HAL. I wonder how truthful your TA is being about all of this??? My experience has been to deal directly with HAL and not use a TA. Sure the cost may be a little higher, but I have had nothing but exceptional results including making flight and seat arrangements months in advance. I suspect your TA may be at the bottom of your problem.

 

If you arrive at 1:00 PM and lets say your flight is 30 minutes late, you can expect to exit the airport at around 2:30 PM. The port in Athens is about 45 minutes away. If all goes well that puts you in the port at around 3:00-3:30 PM. I would never get to a departing cruise that close to departure. Your TA should have advised you that this was a mistake to start with. HAL is not the bad guy here I think it's your TA, bad advice and possibly not telling the complete truth.

[Thrifty]

Homelover: You have been remarkably patient with people who tell you that you should be happy to be required to go a day earlier than you chose to go. It seems to me that the fact that they would have preferred to go earlier has nothing to do with the merits of your case.

[HomeLover]

Cherie, I wish you were on this cruise. I think we would have fun. Our group has grown to about 50 people from cc

Gregdude, don't speak of what you know nothing. This TA I would trust with my life. She has been my TA for 24 years, I used to work with her when I was a TA. AND I was on the extension when she spoke to HAL, so I am well aware of what was said on each end.

Thanks, Thrifty. See you on board.

[Boytjie]

Homelover: You have been remarkably patient with people who tell you that you should be happy to be required to go a day earlier than you chose to go. It seems to me that the fact that they would have preferred to go earlier has nothing to do with the merits of your case.

 

Excuse me? Who said the OP should 'be happy to be required to go a day early'?

 

Many of us have suggested that going a day early would be better because it would reduce the chance of missing the ship's departure, being more rested and less stressed out. The 1 pm flight is just too risky, whether selected by the OP, the TA or HAL. What good is it to blame the TA, HAL, the airline, the traffic in Athens etc if the ship sails without you?

[Copper10-8]

Homelover: You have been remarkably patient with people who tell you that you should be happy to be required to go a day earlier than you chose to go. It seems to me that the fact that they would have preferred to go earlier has nothing to do with the merits of your case.

 

Remarkably patient?:eek: With that logic, I guess we should all be lucky here that the OP hasn't gone postal with these subpar suggestions

I, for one, wish the OP all the best with his dilemma as well as a great cruise on a very nice ship

Btw, I have been thinking about this for a while now so maybe you can help me out: If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

[Jade13]

This will be short because it has not been resolved. I am leaving on the Prinsendam on 10/30 (leaving the states on the 29) and I they changed the flights that I paid an air deviation fee to get. Their reason.....the flight gets in at 1PM and their policy is that all flights must be scheduled to arrive by noon,. (The port is Athens). Funny part, the new flights arrive at 1PM!

They cannot find any flights that will get me in earlier, so they want me to go in a day early, with the hotel to be at my expense!

Couldn't they have known this when I booked in January?

 

Will they book it if you are not using nor paying for HAL's transfer to the ship?

 

Either way, I would not be on a flight that was scheduled to get in at 1:00pm for a 5:00pm or so departure. Let them book you a day early but have them refund the air deviation (since you paid to pick your flight which you can no longer use etc) and find your own hotel as I am sure you will do better. That is the best way to resolve this issue.

 

HAL will not pay for your hotel.

 

Also, even if your flight arrives on time, if you had to switch aircraft your luggage may not. After never having a problem in 30 years of flying, we went to Rome on Lufthansa this summer and our luggage was on a later flight. We arrived on time. The luggage was delivered to our hotel sometime between 11:00pm and 5:00am the next morning. Thankfully we did not fly in the same day as our cruise.

[WeLoveCruising]

HomeLover,

You seem like an experienced traveler, so please forgive me if I ask something you already considered. Regarding flying in the day before - I know you have little interest in visiting Athens, but have you considered just needing the time there to have your body clock adjust to the new time zone?

 

The Prinsendam is a beautiful ship, and I'm sure you paid good money to sail. For my first few cruises to Europe, I flew there on sailing day, and learned quickly that I didnt like it because I would spend the first one or two cruise days sleeping in the cabin. So even though you have no interest in Athens, have you thought that it might be worth it simply to better enjoy every day of your cruise?

 

Also, I understand what you're saying about the 1pm arrival times being the same as your other flight. Are there any other differences, for example, is the new one direct and the other connecting? Also, could it be that the new one has other ship passengers so the airport transfers work better? Just a thought.

 

Anyway, I hope this gets resolved in a way that makes you happy, and you enjoy your cruise.