Horrible Princess Air Reservation

[ComingAboard]

Princess has made the worst air reservation I have ever seen!

We get to Seward, AK on Sat. morning Sept. 13 and leave the ship by 9:00 am. Bus to Anchorage and then are supposed to catch a Continental Air flight at 1:05 am Sun. morning. Fly to Seattle, then to Houston, change planes and fly to DFW arriving at 2:30 pm.

Our TA has contacted Princess and was told that because it was less than thirty days Princess cannot change the schedule. Princess didn't mail the info. to the TA until thirty days away so the TA had no way of knowing about it before the time was up.

I've just called Princess and was told the reservation people don't work on the weekend but they probably can't do anything about it anyway.

Anyone have any idea how to go about getting the right person to change this horrific flight?

[Lisa]

Coming Aboard.....I don't know how lucky you will get with changing that flight. Most passenger flights out of Anchorage are either early AM or late at night (Anchorage is NOT a hub airport that has lots of flights in and out daily.) When faced with this prospect a couple of years ago, I decided to stay the night in Anchorage post cruise and fly out the next morning around 8:30am.

[Chuck Palm]

I can almost equal your story:

On one of my first cruises, we were routed Portland to Seattle, Seattle to Denver, Denver to Houston, with a three and a half hour layover before continuing to New Orleans. Ooooo were we tired!

That is one BIG drawback in allowing the cruise line to make your reservations for you. I would guess they look for the cheapest routing because it adds to the bottom line. I have since learned to always make my own rezzies for flights. I just allow time for error prior to cruise, especially.

I hope there is a way to change this. You might call the airline and speak with a supervisor. They MIGHT be willing to make a change if you happen to get a sympathetic ear. Be sure you get a supervisor, not a general reservations agent. It might even be worth a change fee if not too steep and required.

[Chuck Palm]

Lisa makes a good point. Probably you should get a hotel room near the airport and just relax by the pool, eat, drink, and sleep before your long flight. I wish you well!

AD.

Air Deviation.

It's your friend, and it's worth every $ you pay for it.

I agree. On our FLL - SF Panama Canal cruise this past April-May on the Coral, Princess had us first flying from SFO to Newark and then changing planes to go on to FLL. And that was for only part of our group. The other was routed some other evil way. Our TA was able to change it but we still had to change planes in Houston but it was more of a direct flight and less air time. It was more difficult to accomodate a large group but we also had the size to leverage ourselves.
Frank-in-CA

[Donna]

AT this time I seriously doubt they can change the reservation, next time either do your own air or an air deviation. It is worth the extra money to be able to pick the airline and flights, so keep that in mind for the next time. HOpefully, they can do something about those flights??? Good Luck!

We are looking into a cruise next May that round trips out of Dover so we'd be flying into London's Heathrow from SFO. I'm trying to find a TA that will guarantee that we'll be on a polar flight direct to Heathrow and back and I'm having difficulty as the cruise lines don't finalize the air until the last month or so. It looks like our only recourse is to book the air separate, which I'd like not to do. But I'm not going to be routed all over the country when a non-stop is so simple - especially for such a long flight.
Frank-in-CA

[Lisa]

Frank - pay for air deviation....find the flights YOU want, then present them to the cruise line and pay for them through the air/sea program. That is what deviation is for.

OK, I'll be a deviant. (G)

[CruiseAholic]

Lisa has it right to the point. The majority of Anchorage flights to the continental US are late / early. It isn't like flying home from Fort Lauderdale. Just not the number of flights.