Travel is a beautiful and magical experience. But air travel isn't the vacation, it's just a means to GET to your vacation!
Air travel is fickle, and lately it's been worse than usual. Prices are higher and there are still staffing shortages and baggage issues as well. I always like to make things as hassle-free for clients as possible, so in that spirit, I wanted to share some insights on both the booking side and the travel side of air travel.
Booking:
When it comes to booking airfares, prices are VERY fluid! They change on a dime, and yes it's incredibly frustrating.
You have a few options when it comes to booking airfare:
- You can book on your own (if you do this, please book directly with the airline , NOT through something like Expedia!),
- You can use the cruise line or package-provider's air department, or
- We can use one of our Air Consolidator partners
The difference between the options tends to come down to a trade-off between price and flexibility.
Flexibility:
The most flexible and direct way to book airfare is directly through the airline. Unless you book Basic Economy (which I never recommend!), the airlines tend to have pretty decent change/cancel policies. While the airfare may be non-refundable, you can typically change or cancel up until the day of travel with no fees (though you'll have to pay the difference in price if your new itinerary is more expensive). If you cancel and don't rebook right away, they typically issue a credit that's good for about a year.
A necessary disclaimer though: please be sure to always check with the airline you're using as to what their cancellation/change fee policy is!
An important note on points, miles, or credits - If you have airline credits, status with an airline that gives you certain perks, or points or miles with a certain airline, it will be best for you to book with that airline directly! Fares through the cruise lines and most consolidators aren't able to earn or use points/miles/credits.
Cruise Line or Tour Provider Air Departments - Some Good, Some Not-so-good:
The good: Some cruise line's have air departments that offer a different type of flexibility, and that is the ability to add airfare onto your cruise reservation at a certain price, and not actually have to pay for it until the final payment date for your cruise. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Princess offer this, and perhaps a few others. I like that it can hold space and pricing for you while also giving you the option to book directly if you find something you like better.
With these fares, if you cancel after the flights have been paid for and ticketed, some will be non-refundable and some can be cancelled for a certain per-person cancellation fee with the rest of the airfare getting refunded.
Sometimes the prices through the cruise line or package provider are better than the airline's. And sometimes they're not. it depends on the contracts they have in place.
The Not-so-good: Other cruise lines have less flexible options. I really discourage using Norwegian's "free" or "buy one get one" airfare promotions for example. You lose essentially ALL control over when your flights are and won't even find out the flight details until within about 60 days of sailing.
Some lines also have fees for changes - flying a few days earlier or later than the cruise dates, choosing the specific flight, etc. The cruise lines often have only certain air contracts, and this can limit your options and be the reason behind fees to do something outside of what they would automatically assign.
Some cruise line air departments also take a long time to go back and forth with, and since pricing changes so very quickly, this can be frustrating to have pricing change while in the middle of going back and forth.
For package or tour providers, doing a bundled package with airfare can sometimes change their overall cancellation or change policy from what it would have been as a land-only reservation. Some package providers are helpful when it comes to making air changes or managing airfares, and others aren't. It comes back to a decreased flexibility with the bundled or special fares. You may save a little bit upfront, but it could be cancelled out by change or cancel fees, or harsher overall cancellation fees down the road.
Consolidators:
I have a few air-specific vendors that we work with who can sometimes provide better pricing or special fares that you can't find directly. I find that they have a better likelihood of having discounted rates with premium economy, business, or first class airfares than they do with regular economy.
These consolidators sometimes have their own change or cancellation fees, and the special fares can also have change or cancel fees that you wouldn't see with the airlines directly. Depending on the pricing, sometimes the trade-off of these fees is something you'd be okay with, but it's something to look out for.
Bottom Line on Booking:
If you want the best flexibility in terms of changes, cancellations, selecting your specific flights, and using credits, miles, or points, I encourage you to book directly with your preferred airline. If you're comfortable with less flexible change and cancellation rules (in most cases), then I'm happy to check into cruise line or consolidator airfares for you as well.
Other tips when booking flights:
- Be sure to use your name as it appears on your passport. TSA is NOT flexible when names on the ID and ticket don't match.
- Please do not fly to your cruise departure port on the same day as the cruise!! I always recommend flying out to a cruise at least a full day ahead of when you need to be there, as changes, delays, and cancellations are still frequent issues.
- Layovers: I always recommend a layover of at least 2-3 hours. There are some super-short layovers that I'm shocked are actually legal, since the likelihood of missing the connecting flight is really high for a layover less than an hour or even an hour and a half in many cases. You might end up sitting in the airport a while longer than you'd like if all goes smoothly. But more often than not this helps to avoid the hassle of missing your next flight!
- Post-cruise timing: When booking a flight home after a cruise, be sure to give yourself plenty of time for the ship to clear customs, for YOU to clear customs after disembarking, and to get to the airport. A good rule of thumb is to never book a return flight from a cruise that departs before noon. Just be sure to factor in transportation time to the airport (some are farther than others!), being at the airport 2-3 hours before the flight (domestic vs international), and that you can't always get off the ship as early as you'd like to.
When Traveling:
Here are some tips to help make the hassle of flying to your destination a little bit less stressful when it comes to the actual flying part!
- Check details EARLY! Use your Record Locator (also called a PNR or Confirmation code) to check your flight details periodically between booking and traveling.
- Double and triple check that your name and DOB are correct and match your passport.
- Passport, TSA Pre-Check, and Global Entry (if applicable) must be entered at least 72 hours prior to departure to be honored. It's best to enter them when booking.
- Upgrades and seat selections should be done as early as possible so that availability doesn’t cause a problem for you.
- Be prepared for changes: Flight times are subject to change at any time. It is important to double check your flight times within 24 hours of departure!
- Specific seating is subject to change depending on aircraft and airline adjustments, even if you’ve selected and paid for seats! Please ensure that you have selected the seating that you prefer, but be aware that the airline can change it at their discretion, so re-check periodically.
- Be EARLY to the airport! Lines are long and staffing issues have been causing additional delays. Give yourself more time than you think you need, at least 3 hours for international flights, and 2 hours for domestic.
- Get the app: Use your airline’s app so that you have access to real-time notifications of delays or updates. It is also an easy way to check-in and gives you the option of a mobile boarding pass.
- Work with the Gate Agent for issues: Once a traveler is checked into their airline booking, the airline is in control of the reservation no matter how it was booked. In the event of delays or cancellations, please work directly with the gate agent and customer service for assistance. This is most efficiently handled in person by the guest.
- Carry-ons are KEY! With so many recent baggage loss and delay issues, it’s becoming more important than ever to make good use of your carry on. Pack 1-2 extra outfits, mini toiletries, medications, valuables, chargers, and anything you can’t be without for more than 24 hours in your carry-on bag. Some clients even like to pack half of each person’s things in each other’s suitcases, so if one bag is lost, at least you’ll both have some clothes!
