Royal Caribbean International Introduces New Air Program

mercedes · August 25, 2009

Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Cruises today announced ChoiceAir, a new way for guests to purchase air transportation to and from their cruise. With ChoiceAir, guests will be able to select their preferred airline and a specific itinerary and shop for the best prices among published fares and exclusive ChoiceAir specials. Unlike traditional programs, guests will know their airline itinerary as soon as they are ready to choose it, and - as with traditional air programs - there is a support team available to support guests before, during, and after they travel. ChoiceAir will be available to guests from the U.S. and Canada beginning August 3, 2009.

"The new ChoiceAir is a best-in-class program that will provide guests with convenience, flexibility, value, and support when it comes to the air transportation portion of their vacation," said Doug Santoni, senior vice president of Revenue Management, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "Our guests and our travel partners have told us they value the support we provide as part of our traditional air programs, but that they would also like a full choice of competitive air fares and schedules, and to be able to select their itinerary at the time they book their cruise. With ChoiceAir, we are responding to our customers' wishes."

Guests will be able to purchase ChoiceAir through a travel agent, directly from Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises contact centers, and online through a new ChoiceAir website. Travel agents will be able to purchase ChoiceAir for their clients through CruisingPower.com, the three cruise lines' dedicated site for travel professionals.

A cost of $15 per person for domestic and $25 per person for international air travel will apply to ChoiceAir bookings, and will include access to the ChoiceAir support desk, aid in cases of flight delays, and assistance in making alternative flight arrangements in the event of missed embarkation. Guests' cruise and air arrangements will both be present in a single consolidated booking record, creating greater convenience for travel agents, who would no longer need to manage two separate and independent bookings.