airfare question

I am planning on flying in a day early for Alaska cruise. I spoke to my TA yesterday and verified it's 100pp deviation fee. Does this mean I don't have control over the flight times? That is another $50pp?

My TA told me deviation fee $100., whic I paid for coming into San Juan two night early. SJ is not a airplus option according to Viking.

Air Plus is $50. fee and then you can pick your flights but also the cost of particualr flights might be more too.

I just sumitted my preference flights from BCN to MSP. My TA will get back to me what the cost will be. If not too bad I will do air plus and pay.

If not,then I go with the luck of the draw with Viking Air.

I am planning on flying in a day early for Alaska cruise. I spoke to my TA yesterday and verified it's 100pp deviation fee. Does this mean I don't have control over the flight times? That is another $50pp?

As I understand it, it is $50pp to talk to Custom Air. Then, if you fly in a day early, there is a $100 deviation fee (for not flying in on arrival day and/or out on departure day) plus any addition airfare because of the flights that you actually choose on top of that. The price listed in the airfare deal is available on the flights they offer at that price. If you stray from that offering, your price may go up. Moreover, if you deviate, you also lose the free transfers. Once you start talking with Viking Air, you get to choose your flights.

An important key to your trip is the ship to airport transfer at the end of your cruise. If I remember correctly, you are ending in Seward. So, the question to Viking is: if I deviate our flights on the way into Vancouver but not on the way home from Seward, will I lose the transfer in Seward because I have deviated in Vancouver. Make sure you get a very clear answer from Viking, even to the point of getting it in writing because if you don't have a Viking transfer, you will want to make other arrangements before you depart on the trip.

I'm actually going Seward -vancouver, but I get what you said. I will definitely call! Thanks

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I'm actually going Seward -vancouver, but I get what you said. I will definitely call! Thanks ��

 

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Then the transfer Seward transfer is definitely an issue because if you are going into Seward a daily early, you won't have the Viking transfer. The transfer at Vancouver is not as difficult--or as long.

One thing to consider is flying to the west coast the day before and the staying overnight so that you land in Seward with everybody else. You'll have to pay for the hotel for the night but it might be the best of both worlds. If you time the flights right, it isn't considered a deviation.

Since you are dealing with a TA, he/she has to make the call to Viking Air.

Oh,no! I will definitely need to call. I was under the impression we flew into Anchorage. So I planned to arrive in Anchorage on the 14th, spend the night, and take early morning train into Seward and then embark. Embarkation is the 15th, in Seward

Oh,no! I will definitely need to call. I was under the impression we flew into Anchorage. So I planned to arrive in Anchorage on the 14th, spend the night, and take early morning train into Seward and then embark. Embarkation is the 15th, in Seward

Sorry, I was calling both the port and the airport by the terminus of the cruise. The airport is Anchorage and the port is Seward.

When we flew to China with Viking (back in the days when we didn't even know about all this stuff), we decided that we didn't trust the airlines to get us to Chicago on the first flight out of Boston in time for the flight to China. So, we paid the custom air fee and our TA talked with Viking and we flew out the day before. We paid for the hotel in Chicago. It didn't cost us any extra airfare and they said that the reason were were able to do it was because our flight to Chicago left with in 24 hours of our flight to China.

Now, that was seven years ago and things may have changed but it certainly is food for thought for you. It certainly has some advantages, if Viking is willing to let you do it. It avoids the deviation fee and it lets you keep the Viking transfers (meaning that once you get off the plane in Anchorage, you are on vacation because Viking is taking care of everything). It also has some downsides--like two long travel days instead of one.

And sometimes you don't have a choice. We are going from Florida to Vancouver so thought we should go a day early and pay the deviation fee. When I questioned my TA about trying to fly in on departure day she told me that Viking would likely make us go the day before anyway and pay the fee regardless. I know we are responsible for hotel but does Viking offer transfer to the port on embarkation day?

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Yes, you can use Viking transfer on embarkation day. Just be sure to sign up on the form they leave in your room. Or if you're destination is different, they arrange a cab.

Whoops! misread EMBARKATION as departure.

And sometimes you don't have a choice. We are going from Florida to Vancouver so thought we should go a day early and pay the deviation fee. When I questioned my TA about trying to fly in on departure day she told me that Viking would likely make us go the day before anyway and pay the fee regardless. I know we are responsible for hotel but does Viking offer transfer to the port on embarkation day?

 

 

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You should ask these question to Viking directly so that you are sure to have the right information and can plan according --right down to where your TA says that Viking might likely have you go in the day before anyway. Viking does things differently and many TAs base their answers on what the other cruise lines do and not what Viking itself has done (and Viking has no experience of Vancouver at this point and won't until for a while yet).

I have a general air question, as I'm considering my first Viking cruise. If

the promotion includes free air, will I get a lower price or credit if I book my own air?

Harry

Our cruise for this November included free air to Miami, and I did ask about a discount, but was told the cruise price would be the same with or without air. I paid 100.00pp to deviate to go the day before, but figure 200.00 for two people from Chicago to Miami round trip can't be beat.

My situation is I would like nonstop flights from a NYC airport to and from San .Juan in January. No pre or post

deviations. What should my strategy be?

Harry

My situation is I would like nonstop flights from a NYC airport to and from San .Juan in January. No pre or post

deviations. What should my strategy be?

 

Harry

The only way to guarantee non-stop flights is to book and pay for your own flights. Viking does not offer custom air (the ability to have some say in which flights you get) on free flights. You can deviate your arrival and/or departure days for a fee but you cannot choose which flights you are on. It is just the way it works. As noted above, there is no discount on the cruise if you don't take their air; the two are packaged separately.

So I can't use the $50 pp Customer Air service if the promotion invkudes the flight?

My situation is I would like nonstop flights from a NYC airport to and from San .Juan in January. No pre or post

deviations. What should my strategy be?

 

Harry

IF the Viking standard arrival airport is San Juan it's likely Viking has a non-stop from NY as the standard.

So I can't use the $50 pp Customer Air service if the promotion invkudes the flight?

It doesn't have to do with the inclusion of the air fare as much as it has to do with either the price or one of the airports that has to be used. Viking does not offer custom air for flights plans that include Bergen or Burma (and a couple of other places I can't remember) and it does not offer custom air when the flights are free--although, you won't see it so precisely stated on the website.

IF the Viking standard arrival airport is San Juan it's likely Viking has a non-stop from NY as the standard.

True, but it doesn't guarantee that one will actually be given one of those non-stop seats. One can hope but one is never sure.

P-651,

But the non-stops (Delta and JetBlue) are considerably cheaper than the lowest priced 1-stop. Even if Viking has contracts with other airlines, would it not be most likely that the non-stop flight would be provided by Viking?

I'm asking because I have a similar situation in an upcoming cruise for which Viking Air has quoted a VERY ATTRACTIVE business class fare (which I am unable to even get close to while researching flights on Matrix-ITA, my go-to for checking flights and prices) and I'm wondering which are the most likely ones Viking will offer me..

P-651,

 

But the non-stops (Delta and JetBlue) are considerably cheaper than the lowest priced 1-stop. Even if Viking has contracts with other airlines, would it not be most likely that the non-stop flight would be provided by Viking?

 

I'm asking because I have a similar situation in an upcoming cruise for which Viking Air has quoted a VERY ATTRACTIVE business class fare (which I am unable to even get close to while researching flights on Matrix-ITA, my go-to for checking flights and prices) and I'm wondering which are the most likely ones Viking will offer me..

Sorry, Golfguy, I gave up my crystal ball and have stopped trying to second guess what Viking will or will not do for flights--especially somebody else's. I don't want to give anyone false hopes and I don't want to speculate. I will stick with my mantra: there are no guarantees for what you will get.

I will say two things. 1. You have a better shot at getting a non-stop flight if you are flying coach because there are more coach seats available. Example, when we did Midnight Sun last June (no custom air available), we had non-stop flights Boston to London in coach but folks we met in the airport had business seats and they were put on Icelandic Air with a stop in Iceland. But again, there is still no guarantee that you will get non-stop flights.

2. If you can't resign yourself to the fact that you might not get non-stop flights, then maybe you should just book your own regardless of the extra cost.

P-651,

OK, I think I understand. Thanks for your input.

One more question. Does Viking have a cutoff date for requesting a flight deviation?

One more question. Does Viking have a cutoff date for requesting a flight deviation?

Yes, there is a cut off date but you should clarify with Viking directly exactly what it is, so that you get the correct information.

Dear harryw,

We’re happy to answer your question for you. To avoid incurring any reticketing fees, we recommend requesting your air deviation any time before your flights are confirmed.

Should you wish to make this request, or have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at TellUs@vikingcruises.com.

Thank you!

Kind regards,

Viking Cruises

One more question. Does Viking have a cutoff date for requesting a flight deviation?