Cruiseline Air or do it yourself?

[lightsleeper]

We are considering the full transit of the canal. Wondering if it is less expensive to use the cruiseline (Princess) airfare or purchase the tickets yourself. As I understand it, purchasing the tickets by oneself would entail two one-way tickets ( one to embarkation and one from debarkation). Would like to hear your opinion(s)

thanks in advance

[scottjeanne]

Personally, I would always book it on your own. It is usually cheaper and you then have control. We are leaving Fort Lauderdale for the transit and returning from Vancouver. Both to and from Chicago. The two one way, nonstop (a key feature for us) on two different airlines is less than $300 per person for both flights. I decide when we leave, when we arrive and how many stops (none) are comfortable for us. And you can get frequent flier miles and choose your seats. Much more control. Just my opinion.

[tmitchell82]

I would check both and see which is cheaper if you want to go solely on price. The big difference is the control. Booking your own allows you to choose your times, airlines, and route. With princess, I have generally found that the quote for the air is usually much higher than what I can find on my own. Also, the quote princess gives you is not final till after final payment so it can change. My parents once used princess to book their air from Chicago to FLL. They ended up having to go through DFW on AA which is odd considering AA had direct flights from Chicago to FLL.

[6rugrats]

We are considering the full transit of the canal. Wondering if it is less expensive to use the cruiseline (Princess) airfare or purchase the tickets yourself. As I understand it, purchasing the tickets by oneself would entail two one-way tickets ( one to embarkation and one from debarkation). Would like to hear your opinion(s)

thanks in advance

 

Read the sticky at the top of this forum that will explain cruise air to you.

 

Why would you have to book two one way tickets? Couldn't you book an open jaw (look at muti-city itineraries on airline webpages).

[FlyerTalker]

Why would you have to book two one way tickets? Couldn't you book an open jaw (look at muti-city itineraries on airline webpages).

Assuming a FLL-LAX transit, open jaw pricing would be unlikely. Remember, the unflown leg of the trip must be the shortest for it to be an open-jaw. Just because you are only flying 2 of three sides of the triangle doesn't mean you have an "open jaw".

 

It may still be a "multi-city", but OJ is a specific term of art in the business.

[ab0si]

Read the sticky at the top of this forum that will explain cruise air to you.

 

Why would you have to book two one way tickets? Couldn't you book an open jaw (look at muti-city itineraries on airline webpages).

 

Open Jaw is a term of art in the airline industry. To qualify, the non-flown portion of the trip needs to be the shortest distance.

 

For example: let's say:

a) Home -> embarkation city is 1000 miles

b) Debarkation city -> home is 1200 miles

c) Embarkation to debarkation city is 1100 miles

 

Open Jaw does not apply. The flights will be priced as two one-way flights.

Switch distances b and c and it would be priced as an Open Jaw ticket.

 

Open Jaw does not apply. The flights will

[6rugrats]

I understand what an OJ booking is, but had no idea of specific routing (airports) for OP.

[CFD130]

you can also go to the travel sites (Not the airline sites) and click on mutil city-you can then put in your departure airport and your two other airports and it will give you a price. A friend just did it-Portland Maine to San Fransico-spent a couple of days in SF then on to Hawaii- Then Hawaii back to Vegas for a couple of days then back to Portland- Only paid a few dollars more than a round trip Portland to Honalulu