princess booked air

[moonbliss7]

We received our flight info today from Princess for our April 7 cruise. They booked us departing from O'hare at 7:30 am then transfer in Charlotte then arrive in Ft. Lauderdale at 1:30pm. Why did they book that instead of a nonstop flight that morning? To choose a 6 hour commute instead of a 3 hour doesnt seem to make sence.

[Cruise Fanatic]

The cruise lines do not choose the flights that are most convenient to the passenger. They contract with the airlines for seats where they can get the best cost. As long as they get you to the cruise on time is what matters to them.

[Dave]

There are many reasons for your air itinerary - it could have been cheaper for them to route you through Charlotte which means Princess made more money on your air reservation. The cruise lines also reserve blocks of seats and may have run out of them on the direct flight.

[Sunprincess]

Princess Air certainly does not cater to us as mentioned.
Air is usually done in pre-reserved blocks with airlines.
Sometimes you do luck out & get direct flights, and others leave loads to be desired.

You do have the option to pay to deviate & get better flights. OR you can also opt to book your own air & get the direct flights you want.

Enjoy your cruise.

Cathy

[moonbliss7]

We are considering cancelling our princess air.
Our TA said it would take about 5 weeks to get our mony back, but we would rather book our own nonstop flight for a day earlier, stay at a hotel and still be saving some money. I guess I expect to much to think that paying $920.00 per couple for air through princess, we should be able to get to our destination in the 3 hours it should take instead of 6 hours that they booked us for. Especially when we can book our own nonstop flights for a total of $500.00. Now we are looking for hotels near the airport and
cruise port. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks

[Cruise Fanatic]

There are pros and cons to booking the cruise lines air and booking your own air. Your Travel Agent should have been able to explain both to you. April 7 is one week before Easter. Spring Break time is a very busy time and the flights are usually quite full. This may be another reason Princess used the connecting flight. Don't let something like this ruin your whole vacation. I don't think anyone likes sitting in airports. In a perfect world we would all like direct flights. If you do choose to get your own air, flying in the day before will be more relaxing. There are many suggestions for hotels in Ft Lauderdale listed on the Port Hotels & Transfers section of this site.