Originally Posted by
jonsail
Does anyone know if a TA has the same opportunity to get great deals on airfares in connections with cruises that the cruise line has? In particular, Mrs. Jonsail and I find that if we book a European cruise with Seabourn far in advance and are flexible as to arrival and departure dates and cities--we like to see some of Europe before or after the cruise--we can get great flight plans, all premium cabins for $2,000-$2,500 pp. which is far better than we could do on our own. My "consultant" at Seabourn claims that Holland American's travel department--Seabourn and Holland American are both subsidiaries of Carnival Cruise Lines--has enormous bargaining power. Seabourn has also been great in these two cases:
1) The airline changed the schedule making for a crappy flight plan and we were able to get new, better flights for the same price, and
2) We talked another couple into joining us on a cruise and decided we wanted a longer stay in the departure city and we made the change at no cost.
Therefore my Q: Would a TA booking me into Seabourn have been able to do the same?
The answer is..it depends...the cruise lines often can offer great air prices that are superior to those published fares you would get on your own. (You should always compare, of course.) TAs will always be able to book these for you if you book the cruise through them (which with most TAs is no additional charge to you.) So, a travel agent should pretty much always to get that cruise fare and the cruise's airfare for you for the same cost as booking as your own.
As to other flights, TAs who belong to large networks will also have access to airline consolidator rates--which can be much better than published fares, especially on international fares. However, no guarantees as it depends on many factors. You just need to ask a TA willing to do a thorough search for you.
As others have noted, under scenario
#1 that's pretty standard practice when the carrier makes the change.
Scenario
#2 depends on the new price and what type of ticket you bought.
One general advantage to buying air through the cruise line is that they typically provide some sort of guarantee about getting you to the ship on time.