Airline Routing for Oceania Australia-Papeete Cruises

[dubie brothers]

Has anyone had experience with the airlines/routing that Oceania uses as part of the curise package. We are traveling on the Marina in March-Arril 2013 to Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti and are wondering whether the airlines Oceania uses are the major airlines and the are the flights usually direct and the shortest in time, with short layovers. We will be flying from Miami.

[LHT28]

You can ask your TA to find out

I hope you are flying in a few days early .... then you could pick the flights that work for you

You pay a small deviation fee but it would be worth the extra $$ to know my flights & routing ;)

[JimandStan]

Has anyone had experience with the airlines/routing that Oceania uses as part of the curise package. We are traveling on the Marina in March-Arril 2013 to Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti and are wondering whether the airlines Oceania uses are the major airlines and the are the flights usually direct and the shortest in time, with short layovers. We will be flying from Miami.

 

Airline schedules being as fluid as they are, there is not any "typical routing", and even if there were, it would not be prudent to assume that you would get those flights, as capacity and cost are also factors.

 

What you want to do is to discuss Oceania's AIR DEVIATON Program with your Agent, or with Oceania directly if you did not use one.

[Hawaiidan]

almost all Tahiti to US flights leave close to midnight and the carriers are slim. Tahiti Nui being the cheapest. 9 .5 hours. They only fly to LAX and JFK.

I would expect that you get an American flight, thru Dallas, ( because they are financialy distressed and offering the best deals)

THere are no non stops to Miami.

Clear customs in LA... then over to American. Change in Dallas. That is what I would expect . Non stops are today reserved for top$ passenger, not contract people.

LAX has lots of American flights. Too It might be on Delta through Atlanta

SO figure, 4.5 hours from LAX and then 2 hours from either DFW or ATL

allow about 2 hours connection in LA, and 1 to 2 hours in each connection

 

About 20 hours travel time. and 6 hours time zone change

[Jancruz]

As far as I have heard they are using charter flights

Jancruz1

[mountain grandma]

We were on this same cruise in 2012 and O used Qantas into Sydney and Air Tahiti Nui from Papeete to LAX.

[ozziefromoc]

We cannot get questions answered about our air deviation program for our flight to Tahiti from LAX for our January cruise. Oceania has been very difficult to work with....we are about five minutes from cancelling and going on Paul Gauguin. About all we have been able to determine so far is that most of the flights will be charters.

[Jancruz]

We cannot get questions answered about our air deviation program for our flight to Tahiti from LAX for our January cruise. Oceania has been very difficult to work with....we are about five minutes from cancelling and going on Paul Gauguin. About all we have been able to determine so far is that most of the flights will be charters.

 

Oceania is not difficult to work with, maybe you are going about it in the wrong way..

Jancruz1

[Benita]

We used points to get business class air from Miami to PPT. Air Tahiti Nuit partners with American Airlines. We fly nonstop to LAX followed by the Air Tahiti Nuit flight- same thing in reverse for the trip home. What was especially nice is they do not charge extra points for the MIA to LAX flights- it you book a flight paying cash, the domestic segment is about $500 more. You need 125,000 points roundtip for business class and 75,000 points for coach per ticket. If you are flying to Australia and home from Tahiti, you can do the flights by segments, as well because you might need to use a different airline partner for the Australia part - the flight we take to Tahiti does continue on to New Zealand.

As the Air Tahiti flights are at weird times - we fly out at midnight and land at 6am, an Oceania charter might be a better way to go, although I would want a few days at the beginning to stay in a hotel and get over jetlag, so you might still need commercial flights.

[Paulchili]

We used points to get business class air from Miami to PPT. Air Tahiti Nuit partners with American Airlines. We fly nonstop to LAX followed by the Air Tahiti Nuit flight- same thing in reverse for the trip home. What was especially nice is they do not charge extra points for the MIA to LAX flights- it you book a flight paying cash, the domestic segment is about $500 more. You need 125,000 points roundtip for business class and 75,000 points for coach per ticket. If you are flying to Australia and home from Tahiti, you can do the flights by segments, as well because you might need to use a different airline partner for the Australia part - the flight we take to Tahiti does continue on to New Zealand.

As the Air Tahiti flights are at weird times - we fly out at midnight and land at 6am, an Oceania charter might be a better way to go, although I would want a few days at the beginning to stay in a hotel and get over jetlag, so you might still need commercial flights.

 

While all of this is true (we are flying for miles on TN as well in J), these awards are not easy to come by. You have to book them as soon as they are bookable (331 days out).

You can use AA miles with Qantas to Australia but those awards (in business) are even more difficult to land. If you have enough AA miles you can fly Cathay via Hong Kong to Sydney - much easier to get but more miles.

[Benita]

While all of this is true (we are flying for miles on TN as well in J), these awards are not easy to come by. You have to book them as soon as they are bookable (331 days out).

You can use AA miles with Qantas to Australia but those awards (in business) are even more difficult to land. If you have enough AA miles you can fly Cathay via Hong Kong to Sydney - much easier to get but more miles.

 

I called 330 days out and booked the tickets over and two weeks later, at 330 days before the return flight, called and got the tickets back. I agree, tickets are very limited for business class- less limited for economy. We were pretty flexible about which day we went over, less so on which day to return, but I guess we were the first to call in each direction and got the seats. The biggest plus was being able to add on the flights to and from Miami without giving additional points.

[TERRIER1]

As far as I have heard they are using charter flights

Jancruz1

 

We are on the Tahitian Breeze April 7th and really can't get an answer yet as to whether O is using charters of regular flights. I would imagine most would be asking for deviations to come in early/stay later so I would think it gets tricky to use just charters.

[Hawaiidan]

The departure is going to be bases on equipment turn around from LAX. No one overnights their equipment in Tahiti, its turn em and burn.

In addition the 9.5 hour flight needs to time their arrival in a window for customs in LAX. Considering its a 3 hour time change + a 9 hour, your dealing with 12 hours. Customs factors arrivals for the morning...usualy around 10 to 11 am, in order to process passengers to domestic or continuing flights .

 

Thats been my experience, If they charter I would suspect it is a block on a regular commercial carrier. Flying an empty plane back 9 hours is not economic.

[Paulchili]

We are on the Tahitian Breeze April 7th and really can't get an answer yet as to whether O is using charters of regular flights. I would imagine most would be asking for deviations to come in early/stay later so I would think it gets tricky to use just charters.

 

As Hawaiidan pointed out, more than likely O books a block of seats on the regular TN flight.

For those with deviation, they will book the same flight a day or two later on the way home (or earlier if it is on the way to Tahiti).

JMO.

[ozziefromoc]

Any suggestions would be appreciated. We have tried going through our travel agent and also directly. Our travel agent agrees that usually they are very accommodating, but in this instance we seem to be getting conflicting replies, if we get answers at all. What would you suggest we do next?

[Hawaiidan]

We used points to get business class air from Miami to PPT. Air Tahiti Nuit partners with American Airlines. We fly nonstop to LAX followed by the Air Tahiti Nuit flight- same thing in reverse for the trip home. What was especially nice is they do not charge extra points for the MIA to LAX flights- it you book a flight paying cash, the domestic segment is about $500 more. You need 125,000 points roundtip for business class and 75,000 points for coach per ticket.

 

This reminds me, and maybe you all know this, miles are not free, you paid real dollars and they have an actual worth of about 3.5 cents

When it costs more in miles $ than it costs in cash I opt for paying the lesser amount/

I have learned from experience that using miles for domestic flights, either first or coach will cost 25% to 40% more using miles. Using miles is only an advantage when booking first or business class internationaly.

 

Lets look at the case in point Miami to Tahiti and back in April/may

 

You can buy a RT coach ticket for $1600. however if you use miles of 75000, thats = $2625 @3.5 cents you loose:mad: $1000 of your money using miles

For Business RT thats $5692 for cash Using 125,000 miles= $4375, you save $1317:D Thats reality

For first class it gets even better !

 

Using miles it would cost me 40,000 miles to fly from Kona to Denver. The tickets sell for about $850 cash but using Miles I would have to pay $1400 for a $850 ticket ! Domestic first class is 80,000 or $2800 for a ficket that you ccould buy for $2400 What would you do?

 

I pay cash and spend miles only for first and business...internationa;

Do the math before you spend the miles

[Benita]

Hawaiidan - I agree. We use the points for flying business class, not coach as you get much more bang for your points. It was 125,000 points for a $6000 ticket. Flying coach would be 75000 point for a $2000 ticket - obviously the former is a better value. We also use the points for hotel rooms - have gotten almost a 5% return on certain hotels.

You mention 3.5% return - I have never seen that number before in reference to points. Some credit cards give 2% in travel perks or 1% in cash back. For airline tickets, it is a fixed amount of points for a plane ticket depending on where you are flying - in our case, the business class flight was just below 5% return and it would have been 2.7% if we flew coach. Is there any program that you could recommend that would give a guaranteed 3.5% return?

[Paulchili]

This reminds me, and maybe you all know this, miles are not free....

 

Except when they are free :D

Not too long ago we both got 75,000 AA miles X 2 (Citi Visa & Amex) for both of us for a total of 300,000 AA miles.

There was a spending required with these offers that was easily met with expenses that we would make normally anyway.

In fact, paying for one cruise would easily satisfy the spending requirement for all 4 cards.

This scenario was repeated numerously over the years with Citi, Chase, Amex, etc - all truly free. Not to mention that you get miles (often double or more) when using your credit card for everyday purchases (that you do make normally anyway).

Thus the miles can be free :D

[Benita]

Except when they are free :D

Not too long ago we both got 75,000 AA miles X 2 (Citi Visa & Amex) for both of us for a total of 300,000 AA miles.

There was a spending required with these offers that was easily met with expenses that we would make normally anyway.

In fact, paying for one cruise would easily satisfy the spending requirement for all 4 cards.

This scenario was repeated numerously over the years with Citi, Chase, Amex, etc - all truly free. Not to mention that you get miles (often double or more) when using your credit card for everyday purchases (that you do make normally anyway).

Thus the miles can be free :D

 

They sure can be free - we flew roundtrip business class on AA/Japan Air to the Philippines just by taking advantage of two credit card offers. Free cards - we got one each for personal and one each for business and each card gave a 50,000 point bonus for the first use, so we had 100,000 points each by using each card once for things we would charge anyway. Your offer was even better.

[Hawaiidan]

Hawaiidan - I agree. We use the points for flying business class, not coach as you get much more bang for your points. It was 125,000 points for a $6000 ticket. Flying coach would be 75000 point for a $2000 ticket - obviously the former is a better value. We also use the points for hotel rooms - have gotten almost a 5% return on certain hotels.

You mention 3.5% return - I have never seen that number before in reference to points. Some credit cards give 2% in travel perks or 1% in cash back. For airline tickets, it is a fixed amount of points for a plane ticket depending on where you are flying - in our case, the business class flight was just below 5% return and it would have been 2.7% if we flew coach. Is there any program that you could recommend that would give a guaranteed 3.5% return?

 

United, ... will sell you the miles at 3.5cents, and also at a rate of 2 cents as a flight bonus. Direct flight acrrual can be way worse It cost me $600 for a 5000 mile rt flight Thats 8.3 cents per mile earned

United offers in my opinion the best credit card and program going, and has for 20 years. I have never been denied a flight when I wanted it whether for miles or $.

 

I dont know what you mean by % return?

 

And the concept that you got free miles because you or the credit card were given them totaly ignores the fact that it is just like money.

How you spend that money is thus important.

 

You can pay Rolex price for a Timex or Timex prices for a Rolex. Which is wiser, even if someone gave you the money. Its just like getting a bonus from work...

 

 

My point is think how you are spending the money you have, reguardless of where or how you got it.

[Paulchili]

United offers in my opinion the best credit card and program going, and has for 20 years.

 

That point is highly subjective and debatable (but maybe not here :D).

The best offer I have seen from UA is for 60K UA miles.

Citi has offered 100,000 AA miles with their cards and more recently 75,000 with 3 cards possible (Visa, Amex and Business Visa) - that's 225,000 AA miles (for each person).

Chase has offered 100,000 BA miles several times.

I think all of these are far more generous than the UA credit card offer. Redemptions on AA (and OW) have been excellent until this year (maybe b/o Chapter 11?)- UA is better at the moment.

But AA miles can give you CX, BA, QF and EY First (all of which I have gotten) - much more difficult to get F on LH, LX & NZ (J only) and impossible with SQ for UA miles.

YMMV. :)

[Benita]

% return is the dollar value of the points. If I get a $2000 gift for 100,000 points, it is a 2% return. A $5000 plane ticket for 100000 points is a 5% return. A $500 a night hotel room for 10000 points is a 5% return and so on.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We cannot get questions answered about our air deviation program for our flight to Tahiti from LAX for our January cruise. Oceania has been very difficult to work with....we are about five minutes from cancelling and going on Paul Gauguin. About all we have been able to determine so far is that most of the flights will be charters.

 

Worth considering! The Paul Gauguin is a great ship, and a wonderful experience.

[Benita]

Worth considering! The Paul Gauguin is a great ship, and a wonderful experience.

 

We are booked on the two week cruise next May. I looked at Oceania, but it was already sold out and for only a little more money, get to go on a 322 passenger ship.

[no fuss travel]

Oceania was still trying to get seating in July. We finally got our flights at the very end of July for our February trip from Papeete to Sydney. We are using deviation as we wish to arrive earlier and leave later. Oceania told my agent that they were having problems getting seats so I think it is the airlines and not Oceania that is the problem. Frustrating while you are waiting. I know for our next cruise which is not Oceania because they do not go where we want to go, we are going to have to fly out of Seattle as they do not do flights from Vancouver. It just means we will drive down a day early, book a hotel, then park our car at the hotel while we are away. We also will stay one night when we come back as it will be a long flight and then we get our car stored for free.:D