Free air travel

[Pvbgirl]

In the past we have made our own air arrangements. How satisfied are you with Oceania's free air? How far in advance do you receive your schedule? I am nervous about getting bad connections. We will be originating in Jacksonville, FL.

[JimandStan]

In the past we have made our own air arrangements. How satisfied are you with Oceania's free air? How far in advance do you receive your schedule? I am nervous about getting bad connections. We will be originating in Jacksonville, FL.

 

If Oceania does the arranging and you leave it in their hands, you will not receive your schedule until far too late in the game to book it privately.

 

If you would like more control over your connections (and it sounds like you do), you have two choices:

 

Either leave the Airline Arrangements with Oceania, but pay the $100 per person deviation fee so that you can choose the flights and times that you would like best like best.

 

Or, take the "Air Credit" from Oceania, and book it yourself.

 

The major advantage to leaving it with them is that in the event of "something unforeseen" happening, the headache is theirs.

[potterhill]

That's what I used to think but I know I read in the fine print somewhere that it is not their problem if flights are delayed etc.

 

Mo

[JimandStan]

That's what I used to think but I know I read in the fine print somewhere that it is not their problem if flights are delayed etc.

 

Mo

 

In the event of an issue, I'd still rather have Oceania working on it than be yelling into a cellphone at the gate in the airport.

Just look at how fabulous they were with those people who were stranded by the volcanic eruption.

[doubledobles]

We never do O's air but book our own and take the credit. Regardless, for the Maiden, we've been offered a hotel on Las Ramblas. This comes with transfers to the hotel from the airport ($69pp) and free transport to the pier.

 

Having been in Barcelona about 10 times, we don't think we will take their offer and book the hotel we usually stay at near the airport with free transportaion to the pier, plus breakfast. Our credit woudl be $250 pp. ;);)

[Pvbgirl]

If air deviation lets you pick a flight and seat, that would be the way to go. On our last cruise, we heard comments about very extended layovers and miserable middle seats.

[YoHoHo]

If air deviation lets you pick a flight and seat, that would be the way to go. On our last cruise, we heard comments about very extended layovers and miserable middle seats.

With a deviation request you can choose your own flights or let O choose and you have the option to accept or reject and request another - the $100 pp fee only applies if you accept or if you request a certain flight and they can book at at no additional charge for air fare then it is done. So if there is an extended layover on a deviation flight, it has been an accepted layover.

 

Seat assignments depend on the airline (they ultimitely the class your air booking is in). The cruise line does not control that. I have used O's air three times and three times happy with the arrangements but the seat selection is a pain. Air Canada, on which O books us from MIA, is very hard to get seating info because *I* did not make the booking. My TA has helped out there. Lufthansa was much easier to deal with for selecting our seats. So for seating assignments, it depends ...

Bear in mind that no matter what you will only have a selection of seats in ecomony class and even at that they will not be in the more preferred seats. i.e. you will not get an exit aisle I am sure. It is the way airlines are now managing their business.

 

If a flight is full then someone is in the middle seats. The earlier you make your deviation request the better choice of flights, costs (and *perhaps*) seats.

[LHT28]

We used O air for our last cruise SFO to MIA

We paid the deviation to fly in a day early (recommended)

We booked as soon as it was allowed (about 270 days out)

I had looked at flights from Toronto so knew what I preferred

O came back with the flights I would have picked so we accepted the flights

Seats were booked by Oceania

I called AC and changed to a window/middle as we had aisle/middle seats

 

When I checked in online 24 hrs prior to flight we found we could upgrade for a fee to Exec class which we did worth ever $$;)

This was nothing to do with O tickets just that AC had seats willing to upsell

 

Just check what O is offering for flights then decide You can also choose your own flights sometimes there is an upcharge on top of the deviation fee

You have 24 or 48 hrs to decide if you want to accept the flights offered with a deviation fee

Talk to your TA they can advise you

 

Lyn

[potterhill]

That is good news....I have never seen an upsell online when you check in.

 

Mo

[Gogie]

That is good news....I have never seen an upsell online when you check in.

 

Mo

 

Air Canada frequently offers "last minute upgrades" (LMU's) either when checking in online or sometimes even when printing boarding passes at the airport. Obviously, the earlier you try to check in the better your chance of being offered an LMU (but the earliest you can check in is 24 hours prior to your flight). FYI, here's a few real-life examples of the cost of upgrading from Y to J (economy to business):

 

Toronto - Vancouver: $369

Vancouver - San Francisco: $229

Toronto - Hong Kong: $929

Toronto - Tokyo: $849

Toronto - Miami: $269

Vancouver - London: $829

[LHT28]

That is good news....I have never seen an upsell online when you check in.

 

Mo

It will depend on how many seats are empty in J class for that flight

we got lucky on our flights this time

You can always ask at the counter when you arrive

 

Lyn

[oceanbill457]

We are booked on Marina in July out of Dover. Since we are flying out of San Diego, we asked fror a deviation to arrive a day early and depart a day late. British Air is now flying non stop from SD to Lon. Oceania approved the flight, so the $200 deviation was well worth it.

[Creepella]

Do you always get seats together?

[TKS]

On air deviations you can request your own seats from the airlines after the booking is finalized with O, but no more than 270 days from departure. I don't know about the regular O flights, as we have always used the air deviation.

 

If you do request your own seats, be sure to double-check once in a while. Our last cruise, Delta changed their flights three different times before departure and each time we had to "re-request" to get what we wanted. We will not fly Delta again if we can avoid it. We had a thoroughly unpleasant experience with the company all around.

[XTEACH281]

In the event of an issue, I'd still rather have Oceania working on it than be yelling into a cellphone at the gate in the airport.

Just look at how fabulous they were with those people who were stranded by the volcanic eruption.

 

Yep :). We had taken the Oceania air on the Rio to Barcelona TA last spring , and they transferred us to a very nice Barcelona hotel and rebooked us out on a flight back to the US the next morning ......all on them ....sent HQ a big "thank you" , and booked a 2012 TA....:)

[billie5]

Unless I missed it, I do not think anyone answered OP's question as to how far before departure O informs you of your air schedule.

 

Bill

[YoHoHo]

Unless I missed it, I do not think anyone answered OP's question as to how far before departure O informs you of your air schedule.

 

Bill

After final payment. (I assume because that is when one is actually booked and confrimed so they can confirm one's air arrangments.

 

That is 90 days out from sailing which also means that if one wants a deviation it can be harder to get flights they want or for no additional charge.

 

For the 1st time we are doing this for an upcoming cruise this Fall. We will wait and see what O is booking for us before looking into a deviation. We are doing this because we anticipate what they offer will be acceptable for our (minimal) plans. I suppose we could request a deviation for say, the day before and simply decline just to see what they they *may* give us with no deviation but it is just a guess that that is what will happen and seems like a waste of their resources.

 

If one is thinking they want to control their flights or *may* want to change from what they are eventually given then I think they should just make a deviation request and pay the fee *if they accept the offer*. I think it is not worth waiting what might be, too late.

[LHT28]

Unless I missed it, I do not think anyone answered OP's question as to how far before departure O informs you of your air schedule.

 

Bill

I think it is 30 days

A quick call to your TA or Oceania should get you the correct answer

 

we either take the credit or do a deviation

[TERRIER1]

I thought it was 45 days. We are also using Oceania air for the first time in 2012. One of the problems is that by the time you find out what flights and seats you have it is often too late to do anything about it. I heard instances where the seats given were not that great and it is difficult to change them 45 days before departure. You can start the deviation process 270 before the sail date. I am still somewhat confused about the whole process.

[GrammieK]

Spoke to my TA yesterday. She said 90 days, but I seem to remember that if you know you want to deviate you may be able to get in touch with O (or your TA) and do that earlier (270 days??). I think that by the time you wait for the O schedule, it may be too late to get the flight you want. However, the flight you want may be the O schedule, unless, of course you plan on going earlier which would require the deviation. When I know what I want, I just arrange it myself and take the credit.

[LHT28]

You can start the deviation process 270 before the sail date. I am still somewhat confused about the whole process.

If you do the deviation you get your flight schedule then

Your seats are selected & your are notified within a few days

some airlines will allow your to change seats at that point

 

I called the nice res agent at AC & she changed them for me;)

 

Lyn

[billie5]

Well, I do know for certain it is not 90 days, since we are doing the Nautica June 13 sailing and have so far heard nothing. This is the first time we are using Oceania for air, because of all the uncertainties surrounding an eastern Med sailing.

 

Bill

[LHT28]

Well, I do know for certain it is not 90 days, since we are doing the Nautica June 13 sailing and have so far heard nothing. This is the first time we are using Oceania for air, because of all the uncertainties surrounding an eastern Med sailing.

 

Bill

 

Have you called your TA or Oceania to find out :confused:

 

Lyn

[billie5]

There are two ways to find out about your air reservations. First, you can go to oceaniacruises.com and Manage My Trip and then My Air (you will have to log on), which will show you the reservation when it is available. Or you can call your TA (or Oceania if you booked through them). My TA told me that this info would not be available until 45 days before departure. However, it was already available today, which is two months and one week before departure!

 

Bill

[giraffelt]

We just put deposit on a cruise for next May. The O air allowance is $1000.00 with $100 deviation. We will definitely change the dates as we will want to go earlier and return later. Now my question: If airfares go up between now and when we do the devation or when we make the final cruise payment would O charge us more for airfare?

 

Larry