Airline Booking Vs Cruise Air Booking
Airline Booking Strategies for Your Cruise
Domestic Strategies: Cruise lines buy a huge number of airline seats each year, and with this volume, it seems logical that they could negotiate discounts for their passengers. But when it comes to airlines, you can throw logic out the window. Due to the scarcity of timely flights into departure ports, cruise lines need the airlines more than airlines need the cruise lines – giving airlines the upper hand..
So the fare codes which cruise lines use to block airline seats is generally higher than promotional fares available to individual travelers. In a nutshell, a little internet searching for flights on your own (and don’t forget to look at discount airlines that may not be included on the large search engines such as Travelocity, or Orbitz) may save you hundreds of dollars. See the end of this article for a list of discount airlines.
Timing: Start your search off early if possible, as air prices available to the general public increase as the departure date approaches, while the prices offered through cruise lines tend to stay the same. For last minute bookings (within 60 days of departure), you may find that the cruise line's air prices are just as good, or even better, than going directly to the airline.
Tip: several airlines will send an alert to your computer when a special fares from your gateway city become available. If you’re booking far enough in advance, you may be well served by subscribing to these alerts. Don’t count on this for too long though, as you don’t want to get shut out of the best general pricing because you’re hoping for a super special.
Long Haul & International Flights: Booking international, long-haul or “open jaw” flights requires an entirely different set of strategies . Cruise line air is usually competitive with--or cheaper than--what you can find on your own for travel to Europe and exotic destinations such as Tahiti, Asia,
Schedules: Possible the greatest advantage to booking your flight directly through the airlines is the control you gain over your schedule and itinerary--you decide which airline you fly and when. Booking your air through the cruise line can be a stab in the dark. In most cases you will have to wait until 30 days prior to departure to find out which airline and which flights you will be on, and there is no guarantee of non-stop routing or even best-available routing. By this point you can also give up on the likelihood of getting the best seats. For an additional "air deviation fee”, many cruise lines will make an effort to book you on your choice of flights, but again, you could probably book those flights yourself without the air deviation fee (generally around $50 per person.). Should you choose to pay the air deviation fee to obtain your preferred flights you have to make the request at time of booking, not after you have received airline tickets with an unsatisfactory itinerary.
The Exception That Proves the Rule: The unexpected can occur; a flight may be cancelled or delayed causing a passenger to miss a ship's departure, or a ship's schedule could be changed or a sailing cancelled. Cruise lines are more likely to step in to aid passengers who purchased their air from the cruise line in these situations. During winter months when many flights can be delayed by bad weather up north, the cruise lines will try to delay their sailing to wait for flights on which they have a block of passengers - they will not hold the ship for individual passengers who have booked their own flights.
Bottom Line:
- Do the homework, if you can, to get the best flights for the best prices.
- Ask your agent about alternatives to booking your air through the cruise line – agents may have even more tricks up their sleeves to save you money.
- Check the discount airlines.
- If the cruise line’s air pricing is about the same as what you can get on your own, go with the cruise line's air (several of them include transfers between the airport and the embarkation port at no extra charge).
- Ask your agent about travel insurance, it pays for itself in terms of worry-free travel – and if you do wind up needing it you’ll be forever thankful you made the investment..
- To eliminate concerns about missing your sailing, arrive a day or two before the sailing date, especially if you are flying a long distance to your port of departure. This also gives you an opportunity to do some local sightseeing and rest up to be ready to enjoy every moment of your cruise.
- Book your seats as soon as possible to get the best choice (and to keep families and friends together). Check your flights with the airline 30 days prior to your trip to ensure no flights have been cancelled or re-scheduled.
- Make sure your flight home doesn’t depart too close to planned disembarkation time (a good rule of thumb is not to book flights that depart prior to noon on the final day of your trip). Disembarkation can be delayed by Customs and Immigration Authorities, causing you to miss your flight home.
Following is a list of US and Canadian discount airlines. Check their websites for routes and timetables.
United States
- AirTran Airways
- Allegiant Air
- ATA Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
- go!
- JetBlue Airways
- Primaris Airlines
- Skybus Airlines
- SkyValue
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- Sun Country Airlines
- USA 3000 Airlines
- Virgin America
