Showing posts with label Flight Booking Issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flight Booking Issues. Show all posts

Saturday, September 6, 2025

Alaska Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #5 (08/21/25)


It's the last full day of our cruise, and I'm a little sad.  We've gotten used to the routine of cruising, and we've been away from reality for the better part of two weeks.  Right now, we're one day away from San Francisco, and we're getting ready to go home.  Our bags are almost packed, and we're figuring out how to keep our big bags under the 50 lb. limit for the plane.  (Luckily, we have a hand scale that we can use.) With this being said, we'll end up going home, then getting ready for another cruise.

Right now, we have to pick up our pictures from the photography studio, and burn off our remaining onboard credits.  RQS will be going to a spa session, while I'll be buying a watch I don't need.  It's not the best way to spend money.  These are just the best ways we can think of to use these credits. 

- - - - - -



Given that my shipboard non-refundable credits were still over $200, I knew we had to burn off some of these credits quickly as this was the last day of the cruise. The first thing we did after a late breakfast was to go downstairs and see if a watch I wanted was available at a price I wanted to pay.  It was.  $95 later, the watch was being adjusted for my wrist, and we were off to the lounge for 45 minutes.  And then we were off to the Crab Shack pop-up restaurant.

On certain sea days, Princess turns its Crown Grille restaurant into a seafood joint (Crab Shack) serving a limited menu focused on crustaceans.  We weren't able to get reservations for the first Crab Shack pop-up on this cruise, but we got one for the last day of the cruise.  RQS compromised with me, and we ordered the Seafood Bucket for Two.  YUM!  Lobster, Snow Crab Mussels, Tiny Clams, and Shrimp - all cold, fresh, and Tasty.  I wasn't sure of how we'd have room for our last dinner on the ship.  But I knew that we'd find a way to do so.

- - - - - - 

Around 1:30 pm, I noticed an email from JetBlue telling me that we could now check in for our flight.  When I looked at things, our assigned seats were gone.  This could be a great disaster for us, as I need to have an aisle seat, and RQS strongly prefers one as well.  So, I contacted our travel agent and found out that he was on vacation.  Yet, he took care of the problem and got us decent seats for the trip home.

At this time, I also found out that a charge made to RQS's account should have gone to my account.  So I had to trek to guest services to move the charge to my account.  At the end of the day, my credit balance was $0.03.  Not bad for people trying to use up both refundable and non-refundable onboard credits.

- - - - - - 

Shortly after 7 pm, we went downstairs for our last MDR dinner.  As usual, no one ended up seated with us.  (This MDR was way below capacity, so we weren't surprised.)  I had a seafood cocktail (more like a salad with seafood) and the seared salmon.  Yum.  Too bad my stomach was still digesting lunch.  But we made sure to thank our two servers profusely, and give them tips before we left for the last time.  When dinner was over, I went upstairs to get things ready for tomorrow morning, while RQS went to the casino to make a donation.  

 

 

 

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

This is why I don't fly discount carriers

 

 


My Texas friends are flying on a budget airline to meet us in Chicago this fall.  Unfortunately, it looks like the budget airline has changed its route structure, and now my friends will arrive in the Windy City 3 hours later than planned.  AARGH!  This screws up the plans for the first evening of our stay.

The following is a clipping from a chat that went on earlier in the day:

  • Just got an email regarding my flight to Chicago. Instead of going direct, it is now flying to New Orleans for a 2 hour layover before flying to O'Hare, arriving in Chicago at 6:35 pm
  • Message from you, Aargh, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:50 AM.
     
    Aargh
  • Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, I am beyond pissed, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:51 AM.
    S
    I am beyond pissed
  • Message from you, I would be too. They probably canceled the direct flight and sent you on a different path than you paid for, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:51 AM.
     
    I would be too. They probably canceled the direct flight and sent you on a different path than you paid for
  • Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, Looks like it, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:53 AM.
    S
    Looks like it
  • Message from you, We'll be at the hotel when you get there, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:53 AM.
     
    We'll be at the hotel when you get there
  • Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, And the flight is non refundable, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:55 AM.
    S
    And the flight is non refundable
  • Message from you, Damn!, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:55 AM.
     
    Damn!
  • Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, I am tempted to by a new ticket that is direct but concerned that they will do the same with the new ticket, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:56 AM.
    S
    I am tempted to by a new ticket that is direct but concerned that they will do the same with the new ticket
  • Message from you, Keep an eye on plane tickets from other airlines if you don't like this one. I tend to stay with the old majors, JetBlue and Southwest, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:56 AM.
     
    Keep an eye on plane tickets from other airlines if you don't like this one. I tend to stay with the old majors, JetBlue and Southwest
  • Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, Mind reader, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:57 AM.
    S
    Mind reader
  • Message from you, Yup, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:57 AM.
     
    Yup
  • Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, Looking at the flights for Spirit and JetBlue, their sites are both taking me to Southwest out of Love field instead of DFW, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:08 PM.
    S
    Looking at the flights for Spirit and JetBlue, their sites are both taking me to Southwest out of Love field instead of DFW
  • Message from you, Are you closer to dfw?, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:29 PM.
     
    Are you closer to DFW?
  • Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, Both are about the same distance just slightly different direction, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:32 PM.
    S
    Both are about the same distance just slightly different direction
  • Message from Jennifer Sasser, I got the same email. they may change it again., Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:34 PM.
    J
    I got the same email. they may change it again.
  • Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, That crossed my mind also. Which is why I am not rushing to change the flight yet, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:35 PM.
    S
    That crossed my mind also. Which is why I am not rushing to change the flight yet
  • Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, Jenn, did you see the important message to accept the new itinerary? Just wanted to make sure, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:55 PM.
    S
    Jenn, did you see the important message to accept the new itinerary? Just wanted to make sure
  • Message from Jennifer Sasser, I didn't get a message to accept new itinerary, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:56 PM.
    J
    I didn't get a message to accept new itinerary
  • Message from you, Hopefully both of you will have no more headaches with the flights, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:57 PM.
    Hopefully both of you will have no more headaches with the flights
S

Both of my friends are taking a "Budget Airline" to get between Point A and Point B.  Neither realized that their discount carrier has a habit of "nickel-diming" its customers, and that one can often get an equally good deal from one legacy carriers.  Now, they are thinking of a more expensive "Plan B", in case things get screwed up again.

Can I trash the discount carrier for changing flight schedules 4 months in advance? Possibly.  But I choose not to do it, as getting a cheap fare involves trade-offs, and the possibility of experiencing events like this is one of the trade-offs one has to make for the cheap fares.  As for me, I'd rather pay a full rate and get better service....

 

 

 

PS: One of my friends cancelled her flight on Spirit Airlines, and got a flight on Southwest for a similar fare.  Yes, she may be out the money.  But she simply doesn't like what Spirit did, nor does she like their terrible schedules.


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