What's the story with flights included with river cruises?

MANY RIVER CRUISES ARE OFFERING AIRFARES, IS THERE ANY FLEXIBILITY WITH THESE FLIGHTS? WE WOULD LOVE TO DO A EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISE AND INCLUDE A VISIT TO OUR SON AND HIS FAMILY IN ENGLAND. OR WOULD IT BE A SIMILAR PRICE TO BOOK THE CRUISE SEPARATELY AND ARRANGE OUR OWN FLIGHTS?

J. LING, MARYLAND

The travel agent who is booking your cruise should be able to offer total flexibility in your travel dates. It's not at all uncommon for Australians to take a river cruise as part of a wider European itinerary and your travel agency should have no problem coping with this. Travel agents who sell cruises will often buy airfares in bulk and are therefore able to offer a better deal than you could obtain on your own, but it's easy to find out whether that is the case for whichever dates you choose to travel. Take a look at what you'd pay to book your own airfares, and you can either do this at your preferred airline's website or by calling them, and ask your travel agent what they'd charge for the same itinerary. If they know you've already been quoted a price they have greater incentive to offer a better fare, it never hurts to bargain.