Another story that re-enforces that you should fly in as early as possible for your cruise

[Donna M]

Now you've got me all worried. We're heading off for a cruise on the Dream in August. Boat departs on Friday, but we are going from LAX-MCO on Thursday afternoon. I've figured it should be enough time, but you never know.

Just curious: If you miss your cruise, obviously you're not getting a refund from Disney, but do you at least get the cruise credit for Castaway Club?

Trip insurance! Don't worry. Is there another flight departing after yours just in case? Think about how many thousands of people cruise out of the East coast and don't miss the boat. There are too many things to worry about in life; what if you get sick, a car accident, death in the family, job lose, bad weather, even a simple stomach bug. Get the insurance and go with the flow.

I wouldn't think you get the credit if you don't make the ship, but that's just my guess.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Just curious: If you miss your cruise, obviously you're not getting a refund from Disney, but do you at least get the cruise credit for Castaway Club?

No. You have to actually sail to get that.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Historically no. In fact, they have one of the best records of all the airlines.

It's actually been years since they've had one of the best on-time records.

 

[LeiaOfAlderaan]

I’ve flown Southwest almost exclusively for about 20 years (I mostly fly within CA) and never had a problem until recently with the grounding of the Max 8. I think they have really been struggling and could have done a better job finalizing schedules to avoid so many last-minute cancellations (they cancelled our flight for our last cruise with 3 hours notice and we didn’t get to FLA until 2 am instead of 7 pm, but at least we made it.)

I think everyone has a nightmare story from an airline that made them swear off them forever, lol. For me it is American—flew with them for the first time for our cruise in December and besides changing flight times and not notifying me, when I went to check in my husband the day before the flight they had cancelled his reservation! Waited on hold for almost an hour and I think they got him the last seat on the flight. I still don’t understand how they managed to mess up that badly but that hour on hold took at least 5 years off my life!

 

[tlprice]

When we flew from Denver to Barcelona for our DCL Med cruise last summer, we had two short stops in Canada. When we got to Toronto, there were thunderstorms so our flight was delayed leaving. We also had to wait for a crew member to arrive from elsewhere and the thunderstorms held them up from landing. By the time we were able to leave, the thunderstorms had moved to Montreal, where we were supposed to land. They wouldn't let us leave because we wouldn't be able to land there. By the time we finally arrived in Montreal, all the international flights to Europe had left for the day. The next available flight to Barcelona was 24 hours later. Thankfully, we had planned to arrive in Barcelona 2 days before our cruise. We lost a day, but still made it in plenty of time for our cruise. We got one day in Barcelona and an unexpected day in Montreal. I did have trip insurance and Air Canada took pretty good care of us. So, while it was a little stressful, it wasn't too bad.

 

[Budzooka]

I exclusively fly SWA and their track record is pretty good. Their rewards program is good enough that it would take quite a bit to run me off. Although, I’ll definitely check into it if I get a cancellation notification.

 

[BlueRibbon]

Trip insurance! Don't worry. Is there another flight departing after yours just in case?

Not to worry, I've got that trip insurance. Would still be bummed.

A few weeks ago, I did spend a little time looking at other flights out of LAX to MCO, and I could make it.

 

[soniam]

I have had really good luck with SW. However, living in Texas, I have had pretty much every single airline that I have flown either cancel or delay significantly due to weather. It's just the nature of the beast living in a state with this kind of weather. San Francisco is really bad too. fog. Nothing compares to trying to fly to Germany days after September 11th; we were supposed to fly out on September 12th. Then the fun of trying to get home 2-3 weeks after. There are only 2 airlines that I really don't like to fly. I will do it, but it has to be miraculously better schedule or price wise than the other: Frontier, that darn tray table is just way too small, and Delta. I have had some of the worst experiences on Delta flights, with some of the rudest flight attendants. I am sure they are not all like that, but it has tainted me.

 

[TestingH2O]

It's actually been years since they've had one of the best on-time records.

Seems like one of the best to me. Yes, there are global carriers that have better rates, but I live in North America, so those numbers seem more relevant.

 

[pixiedustedme]

View attachment 401451
Seems like one of the best to me. Yes, there are global carriers that have better rates, but I live in North America, so those numbers seem more relevant.

It's number 5 out of 10. I don't see that as one of the best, but rather, right in the middle. If it were even one space lower it would be in the bottom 50%. So while not shameful, no, I don't think they've earned bragging rights in recent yeaes for being "one of the best".

 

[FigmentSpark]

It's number 5 out of 10. I don't see that as one of the best, but rather, right in the middle. If it were even one space lower it would be in the bottom 50%. So while not shameful, no, I don't think they've earned bragging rights in recent yeaes for being "one of the best".

Except there are other airlines that presumably fall underneath that in N.A. Where's JetBlue, Frontier, Air Canada, and Air Transat?

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Back when we had just started cruising after I retired, about 15 cruises ago, we were booked on SW for a MDW to FLL flight, cruising out of Miami. This was in March, so we figured it was late enough in the winter season that we should not have any problems with snow in Chicago, so we were flying in the morning of the cruise. We had the first flight of the day, departing MDW at 6:30 am or so. Weather in Chicago area was fine the day prior and predicted to be good the next day as well, so we figured we were all set. Checked in 24 hours in advance and made our preparations for an early departure the following morning. About 9 pm, I get a message from SW that our flight has been cancelled. Turns out the plane we were to fly on was stuck on the east coast due to fog. Suddenly, we were without a flight and SW had nothing available for the day of our scheduled departure (and cruise departure). Fortunately, we were able to book an American flight from O’Hare to Miami that left ORD about the same time as our original SW flight would have departed from MDW. Unfortunately, the fares when you book a 6:30 am flight at 10 pm the evening before are not too great, but we were able to make the boat. Now, we always book AA ORD to MIA when we cruise out of Miami, since AA has flights nearly every hour or so on that route. Also, all our cruises since, we have flown in anywhere from two to four days early to avoid the stress associated with possible flight delays or cancellations. We still do fly SW when going to Orlando, but once burned, twice shy in terms of timing.

 

[TestingH2O]

Except there are other airlines that presumably fall underneath that in N.A. Where's JetBlue, Frontier, Air Canada, and Air Transat?

Yes. That is the the top 10. I assumed it was obvious that there were many more than 10 North American airlines.

 

[lorimay]

Now you've got me all worried. We're heading off for a cruise on the Dream in August. Boat departs on Friday, but we are going from LAX-MCO on Thursday afternoon. I've figured it should be enough time, but you never know.

Just curious: If you miss your cruise, obviously you're not getting a refund from Disney, but do you at least get the cruise credit for Castaway Club?

My understanding is no, you must sail for it to count.

 

[monarchsfan16]

Glad you made the cruise!

We spent 7 hours at the gate next to the one that your canceled and then uncanceled flight to Tampa flew out of. That was a wild night, and it was total chaos, as they worked to rebook people on flights, and then "oops, the flight has been reinstated". We were flying MHT-MCO that night for a cruise on the Fantasy the next day. Our flight was supposed to leave at 3 PM, but because of the weather in FL, and the fact that our plane was coming from MCO, we didn't leave MHT until almost 9 PM. That school vacation week realization that if our flight was canceled (it was one of the very few that wasn't) we were completely out of luck in making that cruise was a tough one, and solidified my choice to always buy trip insurance.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Worst experience we had:

Flying from phx to ny, connection in Chicago.

While in Chicago waiting for our flight a plane went off the runway and into the highway.

Trying to find a hotel and car rental was really hard. Somehow we did it.

Took 2 nights to get a flight to ny

That was a bad accident. Midway, right? Everyone still remembers it.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I have never had good luck with Southwest and after getting burned badly by them twice - once stuck at the airport for over 5 hours (and told not to leave because “They could change their minds and go at the original time or earlier than the time they sent out”) and once for over 6 hours for elective - read: non-essential - things. I cannot believe that after they send out a text changing a time by over 5 hours well before most people are at the airport they could change it back. So while asinine, I can fully believe they sent out a cancel notice and then a “Whoops! Our bad! Not cancelled!” message. Other airlines may have their issues, but I have never known one to be as indecisive - and in my experience unreliable - as Southwest. (And no, I avoid Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant like the plague.)

I’ve not (yet) had issues with SW but AA to Costa Rica was a disaster. Flight Chicago to Miami delayed, missed connection (no non stop flights) Had to wait 6 hours in Miami, which was a terrible place under construction at the time, for the only other flight to CR that night. On the return flight through DFW flight arrived late, we almost missed our connection. After rushing through the airport, get to the gate to find the gate agent yelling our names. Last to board, back of plane, everyone glaring at us.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

That was a bad accident. Midway, right? Everyone still remembers it.

Yes. It must have been in the winter of 2005-2006 I think?

 

[ctc917]

Glad you made the cruise!

We spent 7 hours at the gate next to the one that your canceled and then uncanceled flight to Tampa flew out of. That was a wild night, and it was total chaos, as they worked to rebook people on flights, and then "oops, the flight has been reinstated". We were flying MHT-MCO that night for a cruise on the Fantasy the next day. Our flight was supposed to leave at 3 PM, but because of the weather in FL, and the fact that our plane was coming from MCO, we didn't leave MHT until almost 9 PM. That school vacation week realization that if our flight was canceled (it was one of the very few that wasn't) we were completely out of luck in making that cruise was a tough one, and solidified my choice to always buy trip insurance.

Glad to hear you made your cruise. I knew that if we were booked on the Fantasy we wouldn't of make it. I did buy Insurance thou and luckily with the cruise leaving on Monday we didn't need to use it.
Maybe this whole flight issue was just a "perfect storm", if it wasn't a vacation week, if it wasn't an Easter week, if the weather wasn't giving them a problem there may have been more options for flights the next day but I still am not sure what happened with the cancelling and uncancelling of our flight and I don't even know if SW knows. But for myself I think going forward especially if I'm going on a cruise I will be booking earlier flights or leaving for FL 2 days before just to have the start of my vacation be a little less stressful and I will still be purchasing Trip Insurance.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Except there are other airlines that presumably fall underneath that in N.A. Where's JetBlue, Frontier, Air Canada, and Air Transat?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bl...lines-out-do-bigger-rivals-in-on-time-flights