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Airfare on own or through Viking


bookworm61
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Hi,

 

We have to make a final payment on our Italy cruise for next summer and I am wondering if anyone has chosen to book their air through Viking instead of your own. Viking doesn't tell you if the flight is nonstop (it may not be) until much closer to the trip. Airline rates are not going to be available for some time. We're looking at a premium economy. We've never booked that before, only economy and it was a bit rough.

TIA for feedback!:)

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Hi,

 

We have to make a final payment on our Italy cruise for next summer and I am wondering if anyone has chosen to book their air through Viking instead of your own. Viking doesn't tell you if the flight is nonstop (it may not be) until much closer to the trip. Airline rates are not going to be available for some time. We're looking at a premium economy. We've never booked that before, only economy and it was a bit rough.

TIA for feedback!:)

 

There are two ways of handing VIking for air arrangements. One way is to pay your money and let them make all the arrangements without your input and take what they give you. The other way is to pay the custom air fee of $50 pp for the ability to choose your flights from among what Viking is offering. If you are looking at upgrading to premium, you especially want to use custom air because it will allow you to choose your flights very early in the process and you have a better chance at getting your preferred itinerary.

 

The first 5 times we booked with Viking, we got our air through them as well. We used custom air each time except on the one cruise where custom air was not available. Each time, the circumstances were a little different but all in all, we were happy with out flights. On our upcoming cruise, we didn't like what they were offering for flights and the price was no bargain, so we ended up booking our own flights for much less (even including the transfers to the ship)

 

For now, since you can't even start looking at flights for next summer at this point, you can pay for Viking Air (your flights) and then later if you you decide to book your own, they will refund the airfare. Of course, you must buy your own tickets before your Viking arranged flights are ticketed because once they are ticketed they are not refundable. Viking or your TA can tell you what those cut off dates are.

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Bookworm61 - as always Peregrina651 gives great advice. I'd just like to emphasize one point. You pay the $50 to get to choose from what Viking is offering. Our TA has started to look at flights for our cruise next April. He found a one stop flight home for us from Stockholm that was a combo of British Airways and Air Canada. Viking won't book that since those two airlines are not partners. So instead we will have two stops using a combo of SAS and Air Canada. Still, I think it's worth the $50 to see all the possible options and choose the one that suits you best.

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To add a little more. You can start investigating flights a year away. At least I know United's timetable reaches out that far; so does Kayak (or look at flights this year at the comparable time next year). No guarantee btw that things won't change in the intervening year. Sometimes they do; flights are added or deleted, flight numbers change, equipment changes, etc. But it provides a good sense of what's available. The two times thus far where I used custom air, I prepared a list of 4 or 5 acceptable itineraries in order of preference; ran down the list with Viking Air til what they had and what I wanted matched. For our cruise Jan 2018 which has us flying in and out of Miami we're taking their free fare option given that my preferred airline doesn't service Miami and it's not that long a flight from here anyway. We will be using custom air for our VR trip next July but while I don't have any concerns about Paris, getting a good routing into Marseille on United will be a challenge.

 

 

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Bookworm61 - as always Peregrina651 gives great advice. I'd just like to emphasize one point. You pay the $50 to get to choose from what Viking is offering. Our TA has started to look at flights for our cruise next April. He found a one stop flight home for us from Stockholm that was a combo of British Airways and Air Canada. Viking won't book that since those two airlines are not partners. So instead we will have two stops using a combo of SAS and Air Canada. Still, I think it's worth the $50 to see all the possible options and choose the one that suits you best.

 

Also want to point out that the $50pp is not refundable. If you don't like what Viking is offering and decide to book your own, you don't get your $100 back.

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Be sure and pay Very Very close attention to the connection times Viking wants to say are ok AND the arrival time at your Embarkation City. I have seen posters over the last 2 to 3 yrs complaining about arriving at the boat late in the 1st day and basically miss that first city. They don't want to put you up in a hotel so they seem to schedule that way. Arrange to fly in a day or 2 early and enjoy that city and treat your self to a local hotel. Arriving a day or two early also helps avoid travel nightmares and jet lag.

Once you have your itinerary and flights booked. Babysit those flights and seats regularly check because seats get changed, flt times change and better to deal with it in the weeks & days leading up to your flights vs the morning of the flight and you and your travel partner are separated by 30 rows or the Prem Econ you paid for has disappeared.

 

I would give the same advice for any cruise air dept not just Viking. But all of the above has been ranted about in the last couple seasons on this River Board.

 

Have fun planning!

 

 

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Be sure and pay Very Very close attention to the connection times Viking wants to say are ok AND the arrival time at your Embarkation City. I have seen posters over the last 2 to 3 yrs complaining about arriving at the boat late in the 1st day and basically miss that first city. They don't want to put you up in a hotel so they seem to schedule that way. Arrange to fly in a day or 2 early and enjoy that city and treat your self to a local hotel. Arriving a day or two early also helps avoid travel nightmares and jet lag.

Once you have your itinerary and flights booked. Babysit those flights and seats regularly check because seats get changed, flt times change and better to deal with it in the weeks & days leading up to your flights vs the morning of the flight and you and your travel partner are separated by 30 rows or the Prem Econ you paid for has disappeared.

 

I would give the same advice for any cruise air dept not just Viking. But all of the above has been ranted about in the last couple seasons on this River Board.

 

Have fun planning!

 

 

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Agree with all. If doing custom air and can't get a direct flight, shoot for at least 2 if not 3 hr connection to arrive around noon if not a little earlier. You can do this yourself, no need for a TA to do it for you. Then when you call Viking Air you're telling them what you want, not them telling you what they have. They appreciate btw customers who've done their own research.

 

Also - yes - for flights booked (even ticketed) months in advance, things can change. So you're right - be diligent.

 

 

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We have to make a final payment on our Italy cruise for next summer...

 

No one has picked up on this part of your post. Viking is often willing to change the final payment deadline much closer to the cruise. I would call them and ask for 6 months.

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