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Regent Flights - with and without deviation


Travelcat2
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2 hours ago, Bolshoi said:

We're approaching the 90 day (final payment) on a Papeete round trip.  Haven't heard a word from Regent regarding air travel and am getting concerned given that options (searched on Expedia) for LAX - PPT are not good (35+ hr 2-stop itineraries are common).  And I want those miles credited to our UA accounts.  File a deviation?

 

If you want a Star Alliance routing, you should fly LAX-SFO-PPT on United metal.

 

There are limited flights from the USA to PPT.  But there's no need for you to fly all the way to Asia or Australia/NZ just to get to PPT.

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2 hours ago, Bolshoi said:

We're approaching the 90 day (final payment) on a Papeete round trip.  Haven't heard a word from Regent regarding air travel and am getting concerned given that options (searched on Expedia) for LAX - PPT are not good (35+ hr 2-stop itineraries are common).  And I want those miles credited to our UA accounts.  File a deviation?

Well, Final payment is not in the equation for when you will get your flights if you don't deviate.  Flight information usually wont occur until approx 75 days prior to embarkation.  There is always the possibility of Regent putting people on a charter as well as scheduled flight.  With only a single flight on united and 3 days per week Tues Thurs and Sat just checked and that limits you even more for you to get UAL without deviating.

 

And, the longer you wait ask about deviating the less chance you have.  Not sure why you have waited this long  to check on a deviation.  Checking on a deviation is free and you only pay if you accept the flights.  No harm,no foul, tomorrow see what they will give you or wait another 2 weeks and then you should know and possibily less availability and possibly more money for the flights you want.

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Hello Regent experts. This is my first post here,  so I’m asking for kindness and patience  in advance🙂

Hubby and I have not traveled internationally or cruised since 2011. (There are valid reasons including an accident with injuries and multiple surgeries). Our previous 3 cruises were on Oceania and also a horrible first-cruise experience on Holland America. We are now ready to re-enter the world of cruising. We are seriously considering an April 2020 7-day itinerary from Barcelona to Lisbon. Friends on the east coast who booked this cruise months ago recommended their TA to us. (We live near LA; the TA we used years ago has retired). The east-coast based TA uses Delta a lot since she (and our friends) are in the Atlanta area. The TA booked a Delta air/land package for our friends in lieu of Regents “included” air. The TA explained that A) the Business Air advertised by Regent is for the trans-Atlantic portion, B) Regent can have up to two additional stops besides the destination, so C) we on the west coast could potentially be routed from LAX on a 5 hour flight to an east coast airport in economy, then Business from east coast airport over the Atlantic to a European airport, then economy again for approximately a 2 hour flight from European airport to Barcelona. The reverse would be similar from disembarkation point in Lisbon.

 

The horror of spending more time on two potential economy legs than on one leg in Business over the Atlantic is a deal breaker for us. I’ve read many, but not all, of the threads in this post to try and get a grip on the many ways around economy hell. I think I finally (?) understand there is an available air deviation fee for $175 pp. Can someone please explain what that buys you from Regent? It doesn’t sound like you can automatically choose your preferred flights, but rather you let them know your preference to avoid the east coast stop and then they tell you whether they’ll let you do it within their air allowance (plus the $175 pp for the peace of mind of knowing that you get what you want rather than waiting on pins and needles to find out which airports you’ll be shuffling through and how many hours you’ll actually be in Business class and economy hell). Is that it in a nutshell?

 

The TA is steering us to get an air/3 day land package through her. She says we can usually get a break on purchased roundtrip Business Air if we also buy a 3 night hotel stay through the airline. (We always have come in a day before departure “just in case” and also to get some sleep before the fun begins). However, we really don’t want to come in 3 days early. One day would be ideal. I saw on Regents website that you can purchase 1, 2, or 3 night pre and/or post hotel stays through them. I assume this includes transfers to/from ship and/or hotels?? In this scenario, you would automatically NEED the air deviation...but is the deviation fee waived, built-in to the hotel price or charged separately? Any insider knowledge on an approximate nightly cost to stay in Regent-booked hotel package in Barcelona and Lisbon? If it made economic sense, we would stay one night pre and post cruise. There’s a lot to consider here. Ugh. The cruises and airlines shuffle the peanut in so many different ways that if one is not paying attention, you could actually end up paying more for less. I don’t mind spending money for more value, but I know smart travelers are the ones who know how to do it. Thank you in advance for your suggestions, knowledge and experiences. 

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It definitely depends upon where you are going.  The Custom Air (formerly known as deviation) runs from $1,200/person (San Francisco to San Francisco) to $8,000/person (Sydney to Auckland).  Of course, flying within the U.S. is Economy Air and if you choose to do your own, the credit is from $300/person (New York - Montreal) to $5,500/person.

 

Regent is running some specials where they provide Business Class air within the U.S. and Alaska cruises include First Class to Alaska.

 

NOTE:  The above is only for people living in the U.S. and Canada.

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6 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

It definitely depends upon where you are going.  The Custom Air (formerly known as deviation) runs from $1,200/person (San Francisco to San Francisco) to $8,000/person (Sydney to Auckland).  Of course, flying within the U.S. is Economy Air and if you choose to do your own, the credit is from $300/person (New York - Montreal) to $5,500/person.

 

Regent is running some specials where they provide Business Class air within the U.S. and Alaska cruises include First Class to Alaska.

 

NOTE:  The above is only for people living in the U.S. and Canada.

Before people are confused, believe the poster is mixing credits for not taking Regent Air with custom air/deviation.   A deviation/custom air costs a flat $175 per person  plus anything extra for the chosen flight.  The dollar figures in the quoted post are examples of the amount you can get as a credit and then book your own flights.

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12 hours ago, gr'aunt said:

Hello Regent experts. This is my first post here,  so I’m asking for kindness and patience  in advance🙂

Hubby and I have not traveled internationally or cruised since 2011. (There are valid reasons including an accident with injuries and multiple surgeries). Our previous 3 cruises were on Oceania and also a horrible first-cruise experience on Holland America. We are now ready to re-enter the world of cruising. We are seriously considering an April 2020 7-day itinerary from Barcelona to Lisbon. Friends on the east coast who booked this cruise months ago recommended their TA to us. (We live near LA; the TA we used years ago has retired). The east-coast based TA uses Delta a lot since she (and our friends) are in the Atlanta area. The TA booked a Delta air/land package for our friends in lieu of Regents “included” air. The TA explained that A) the Business Air advertised by Regent is for the trans-Atlantic portion, B) Regent can have up to two additional stops besides the destination, so C) we on the west coast could potentially be routed from LAX on a 5 hour flight to an east coast airport in economy, then Business from east coast airport over the Atlantic to a European airport, then economy again for approximately a 2 hour flight from European airport to Barcelona. The reverse would be similar from disembarkation point in Lisbon.

 

The horror of spending more time on two potential economy legs than on one leg in Business over the Atlantic is a deal breaker for us. I’ve read many, but not all, of the threads in this post to try and get a grip on the many ways around economy hell. I think I finally (?) understand there is an available air deviation fee for $175 pp. Can someone please explain what that buys you from Regent? It doesn’t sound like you can automatically choose your preferred flights, but rather you let them know your preference to avoid the east coast stop and then they tell you whether they’ll let you do it within their air allowance (plus the $175 pp for the peace of mind of knowing that you get what you want rather than waiting on pins and needles to find out which airports you’ll be shuffling through and how many hours you’ll actually be in Business class and economy hell). Is that it in a nutshell?

 

The TA is steering us to get an air/3 day land package through her. She says we can usually get a break on purchased roundtrip Business Air if we also buy a 3 night hotel stay through the airline. (We always have come in a day before departure “just in case” and also to get some sleep before the fun begins). However, we really don’t want to come in 3 days early. One day would be ideal. I saw on Regents website that you can purchase 1, 2, or 3 night pre and/or post hotel stays through them. I assume this includes transfers to/from ship and/or hotels?? In this scenario, you would automatically NEED the air deviation...but is the deviation fee waived, built-in to the hotel price or charged separately? Any insider knowledge on an approximate nightly cost to stay in Regent-booked hotel package in Barcelona and Lisbon? If it made economic sense, we would stay one night pre and post cruise. There’s a lot to consider here. Ugh. The cruises and airlines shuffle the peanut in so many different ways that if one is not paying attention, you could actually end up paying more for less. I don’t mind spending money for more value, but I know smart travelers are the ones who know how to do it. Thank you in advance for your suggestions, knowledge and experiences. 

 

First, welcome to the Regent board.  I have dealt with air issues with Regent for about 15 years and sail with them frequently, so, I'll do my best to respond to your questions.

 

Most importantly, do not stay in one of Regent's hotels pre or post cruise.  The prices are outrageous.  It is far better to book your own hotel - you will save a lot of money.  If you book a concierge or above suite on Regent, a pre-night hotel stay is included as well as transportation so there are choices.  If you do book a concierge or above suite, and want to book your own hotel and get a hotel credit that generally saves you enough money to pay for your own transportation.

 

You understand deviation quit welI (better than mot people.  I do strongly suggest that you consider Custom Air (formerly known as air deviation) through Regent.  You can pick your flights (using one of Regent's contracted airlines) 270 days prior to embarkation.  By the time Regent would assign you flights (75 days prior to the cruise), there would be less choices so, in my opinions it is worth the $175/person. What we do is select three choices of flights - send them to our TA who in turn works with Regent Air.  You do not pay if they do not offer a flight that meets your requirements.

 

We always book fights that do not stop in the U.S. because, as you mentioned, it would be Economy.  While there is a chance that you could book an airline that has room in First Class within the U.S. and then takes you on to your final destination, you may be put there but I wouldn't count on it.

 

To avoid flying within the U.S., we typically fly Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific (to Asia), or British Airways (note to a previous poster ...... BA has had no dinner service on overnight flights for some time but you can eat enough in their lounge that you really don't need a lot of food - just some drinks and sleep).  For some reason, we fly into Barcelona a lot and, due to slipping service on BA (still a good airline) we have used Lufthansa more than other airlines (despite disliking the stop in Frankfurt).  Nowadays, most airports are a pain.  Heathrow and Frankfurt should win an award for two of the worst airports in Europe (my opinion of course).  However, the onboard service is just fine.

 

Not sure why your TA is trying to sell you packages -- very strange.  I do hope that this TA gives you a percentage back on your cruise fare and hopefully some on board credits.  If not, and if they have not sailed on Regent previously, I would not book through them.  

 

Hopefully FlyerTaker will also chime in as he knows the most about how air in general works and is also a Regent customer so he also has up to date information on this topic.

 

Once you get past the booking air part - I think that you will love Regent!

 

37 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Before people are confused, believe the poster is mixing credits for not taking Regent Air with custom air/deviation.   A deviation/custom air costs a flat $175 per person  plus anything extra for the chosen flight.  The dollar figures in the quoted post are examples of the amount you can get as a credit and then book your own flights.

 

Not sure why you feel my post was confusing.  I was giving Custom Air credit information and I believe that it is quite clear.  Besides, the best place (IMHO) to learn about Custom Air is from a TA that regularly books Regent.  With the exception of FlyerTalker who is an expert, the rest of us can only give our recent experience (and, as you noted previously, you have not sailed on Regent in several years.)

 

Edited by Travelcat2
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6 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

Not sure why you feel my post was confusing.  I was giving Custom Air credit information and I believe that it is quite clear.  Besides, the best place (IMHO) to learn about Custom Air is from a TA that regularly books Regent.  With the exception of FlyerTalker who is an expert, the rest of us can only give our recent experience (and, as you noted previously, you have not sailed on Regent in several years.)

Have no clue why you posted the identical material twice??  As to the last part of what I quoted, my recent sailings or not on Regent have no bearing on my ability to provide information on this board.  I only provide information that is current and corrett.

 

As to your confusing post 684, as I said in my post 685 you have provided the range of credits for not taking Regent air with your talk about deviations.  You did NOT mention the $175 deviation fee just the range of what credits can be and that for sure is confusing.

 

Don't believe you meant what you incorrectly wrote in post 684 but it is still there so read it completely & slowly and you will understand my comments in 685.  Simply admit you had a senior moment and we can all move on.  Anybody reading the dollar amounts in 684 and thinking they are for deviations will be really confused.

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3 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Have no clue why you posted the identical material twice??  As to the last part of what I quoted, my recent sailings or not on Regent have no bearing on my ability to provide information on this board.  I only provide information that is current and corrett.

 

As to your confusing post 684, as I said in my post 685 you have provided the range of credits for not taking Regent air with your talk about deviations.  You did NOT mention the $175 deviation fee just the range of what credits can be and that for sure is confusing.

 

Don't believe you meant what you incorrectly wrote in post 684 but it is still there so read it completely & slowly and you will understand my comments in 685.  Simply admit you had a senior moment and we can all move on.  Anybody reading the dollar amounts in 684 and thinking they are for deviations will be really confused.

 

Talk about confused.  There is no post 684 or 685!  And I did "NOT" (yelling isn't nice) mention the $175 deviation fee as the poster I was responding to already mentioned it.

 

While rewriting a paragraph, I did make an error so that Custom Air and Air Credits became confusing (not a senior moment - simply deleted too much from that paragraph).  Let he/she that has not posted the same post twice, come forward and be applauded!

 

All of us make mistakes.  However, it is much better to kindly (emphasis on kindly) bring it up so that it can be corrected.  I will correct my post!

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

It definitely depends upon where you are going.  The Custom Air (formerly known as deviation) runs from $1,200/person (San Francisco to San Francisco) to $8,000/person (Sydney to Auckland).  Of course, flying within the U.S. is Economy Air and if you choose to do your own, the credit is from $300/person (New York - Montreal) to $5,500/person.

 

Regent is running some specials where they provide Business Class air within the U.S. and Alaska cruises include First Class to Alaska.

 

NOTE:  The above is only for people living in the U.S. and Canada.

 

I was editing first paragraph and took out too much.  The second sentence should have started "The Custom Air (formerly known as deviation) is $175/person.  Air credits run from ..................."

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Jackie, I, too was a bit confused initially - Air Deviation/Custom Air and the Air Credit are two separate animals as you well know.  I believe the OP was kind of feeling out the benefits of both approaches, either doing Custom or taking the credit and booking on their own.

 

So many options, so many variables.  One thing that stood out to me was the TA ‘steering’ them to take their land package.  This can often be a good thing, especially with a TA you know and trust - but it can also be a commission deal that’s good for the TA, not so good for the client.  I’d recommend pricing it out several different ways, and if you’re looking for a pre-cruise night in your departure city (highly recommended) looking at a Concierge or above cabin is sometimes a good alternative.

 

I’d have your TA price it with the air credit and ground package, in a Concierge+ cabin, and with just the deviation (Custom Air) fee of $175/pp just to see which options are most agreeable to you and your budget.

 

Happy trails in your planning and I hope you enjoy your cruise.

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My mistake, take a look at your 604 and my response in  605  I apologize for stating the incorrect post number.  My senior moment for the day.  As to kindly, sure my comments were extremely kind and only my confusion over the post numbers which incorrectly misstated added to the confusion.

 

Glad you found the correct post and saw how what was posted was confusing.

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Thank you Travelcat2, UUNetBill and rallydave for your thoughtful replies. UUNetBill summed up my dilemma...cost vs value. As far as the TA trying to push an air/land package, I don’t think that’s the case. I believe/hope that she’s trying to accomplish an earlier arrival and hotel stay so we can actually have time to see some of Barcelona before boarding, without paying Regents exorbitant fee for their hotel of choice. The extra night in Lisbon at the end of the cruise isn’t necessary for us, but the TA claims a 3-day land package sweetens the deal for air choices. 

 

Travelcat2 touched on an issue I’m grappling with. I’ve never met the TA I’m corresponding with. There has been no mention of any perks being thrown our way. I have no idea how prolific her prior bookings have been on Regent. She seems very knowledgeable otherwise; she grew up in a household with parents who had their own travel agency. I feel somewhat indebted to book through her because she worked on previous cruise plans (another line) that we ended up cancelling before any money changed hands. The reason was legitimate/urgent and not simply us changing our minds. And here’s the biggest dilemma I’m currently facing. We just decided to book this cruise on Saturday (2 days ago) and sent her an email about it that afternoon. Unfortunately for us all, it was after-hours for Regent. AND, the TA was not only booked on a flight Sunday for a 2 week vacation in Egypt, but Regent is closed on Sunday. So here it is 1pm west coast time on Monday. It’s 10:00 pm in Egypt. She emailed me last night asking for info to reserve a stateroom, which I sent this morning while she was probably having dinner. It’s her vacation. I get it. I don’t want to ruin it for her by making her choose work over her own plans. Our friends told us to just book it direct with Regent under these circumstances, and she would understand. (Talking to self now)...But what if she already emailed her Regent contact and booked something for us. What if her internet in Egypt isn’t working. What if I lose the last available decent stateroom and flight because I’m trying to be nice and give her the booking. Yikes.

I know we can’t share TA info on these Boards, but right about now I wish I knew a So Cal based TA who is a stellar Regent booking agent. Sigh. 

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21 minutes ago, gr'aunt said:

Thank you Travelcat2, UUNetBill and rallydave for your thoughtful replies. UUNetBill summed up my dilemma...cost vs value. As far as the TA trying to push an air/land package, I don’t think that’s the case. I believe/hope that she’s trying to accomplish an earlier arrival and hotel stay so we can actually have time to see some of Barcelona before boarding, without paying Regents exorbitant fee for their hotel of choice. The extra night in Lisbon at the end of the cruise isn’t necessary for us, but the TA claims a 3-day land package sweetens the deal for air choices. 

 

Travelcat2 touched on an issue I’m grappling with. I’ve never met the TA I’m corresponding with. There has been no mention of any perks being thrown our way. I have no idea how prolific her prior bookings have been on Regent. She seems very knowledgeable otherwise; she grew up in a household with parents who had their own travel agency. I feel somewhat indebted to book through her because she worked on previous cruise plans (another line) that we ended up cancelling before any money changed hands. The reason was legitimate/urgent and not simply us changing our minds. And here’s the biggest dilemma I’m currently facing. We just decided to book this cruise on Saturday (2 days ago) and sent her an email about it that afternoon. Unfortunately for us all, it was after-hours for Regent. AND, the TA was not only booked on a flight Sunday for a 2 week vacation in Egypt, but Regent is closed on Sunday. So here it is 1pm west coast time on Monday. It’s 10:00 pm in Egypt. She emailed me last night asking for info to reserve a stateroom, which I sent this morning while she was probably having dinner. It’s her vacation. I get it. I don’t want to ruin it for her by making her choose work over her own plans. Our friends told us to just book it direct with Regent under these circumstances, and she would understand. (Talking to self now)...But what if she already emailed her Regent contact and booked something for us. What if her internet in Egypt isn’t working. What if I lose the last available decent stateroom and flight because I’m trying to be nice and give her the booking. Yikes.

I know we can’t share TA info on these Boards, but right about now I wish I knew a So Cal based TA who is a stellar Regent booking agent. Sigh. 

if you book direct, you have 30 days to transfer your booking to your agent.  So, suggest you phone Regent and if the agent booked you, they should have the info but, could only say you are booked.  And if not you can book and ask them to hold the booking for about 5 day I think and in that time should have contact with your TA.   That said, don't think it is a good thing to book with a single TA seemingly without any backup for just the same problem when something more important comes up and you cant' find him/her.  You can have a booking help for some number of days without payment so just do it and once aboard talk to people and see if you can find a good TA with backup and good benefits.  You should be able to find a TA that will refund around 10% of the commisionabel costs which on a long cruise can be thousands of dollars.

 

Good luck

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Well, I thank TC for the compliment, but I'm not really an "expert".  I don't think that anyone can be an expert on Regent's flight operations (or any cruiseline's for that matter) without access to all of their proprietary contractual airline and flight information.  The best we can do is make some assumptions and work from some incomplete past experience.  So let's go.

 

The first step is to learn some basic numbers working with three scenarios and to plug this into value judgements.  Let's start with the easiest - you take the flights offered by the cruiseline.  Additional cost - zero.  Product provided - airline, flights, dates and times at the choosing of the cruiseline.  Value judgment factors - no extra cost, no extra thinking, with the downside of getting whatever they throw at you.

 

Scenario two:  You take the air credit and make all of your own arrangements.  Additional cost - the net difference between the credit and the price you pay for your ticket (either positive or negative).  Also,  toss in any ancillary benefits that come with cruiseline provided air, such as transfers and the like that you would no longer have.  Product provided - none.  Value judgment factors - total control over flight arrangements but at a potential cost.  Further, you now have to do the research and work to plan and book all aspects of your air travel.

 

Scenario three:  You go with cruiseline provided air deviation.  Additional cost - $175 pp for the service, plus any differential in airline pricing, but only if you choose to go with this option.  Otherwise, no charge for just looking at options.  Product provided - air travel that you have had input into.  Perhaps not your 100% optimum choice, but one you are reasonably pleased with.  Value judgement factors - partial control over flight arrangements at a cost of at least $175 pp.   Some research needed to provide suggestions to the cruiseline.  Work needed to prioritize your own desires.  Recognition that cruiselines may not have access to all flights and/or airlines, and that some options may be significantly higher add-ons.

 

So, to reasonably do this, one would need to know what their air credit would be, what air pricing would be for various flight options from the cruiseline, and what air pricing would be on your own.  Unfortunately, these are not numbers that can magically appear instantaneously (or even close).  Then start to form your own judgment matrix.  As I've posted before, you should also start to consider the airline and the equipment on your potential flights.  There can be a wide variance, even within an airline or aircraft (did I say Emirates?) and you really need to know what you are buying.

 

All this leads to.....there is no one right answer for everyone.  Some want one-stop convenience from their TA and cruiseline.  "Just get me there, I don't care how".  All the way to manic obsessive-compulsive need to control.  Ask yourself where you fit in that continuum.

 

As for the value of a "package" - you can usually price out the various components of a package to see if it is a deal or not.  So that's step one.  The next is to find out if the air tickets for the package are a consolidator/bulk fare or a published fare.  Reason to know is that there is a difference in the fare rules that might come back to haunt you in case of irregular operations (irops).  And FWIW, that consideration about bulk fares also goes for the negotiated rates that cruiseline provided tickets  have.

 

For excellent research into air ticket pricing, I highly recommend:    matrix.itasoftware.com

 

Finally, be sure to check out a number of hotel booking sites to see if you can obtain discounted hotel nights.  Trivago is one such meta-search site (but realize that they do skew results when seeing their "Our recommendation" sorting) and there are others.  Also consider self-booked pre-paid hotel stays - some significant discounts can be found, especially in Asia.   Plus, if you are a mileage junkie, consider booking through Rocket Miles, where you can earn extra bonus FF miles in exchange for a slightly higher price (often offset by the value of the bonus miles).

 

Sorry if this is long, but I tend to want to fill in as much in one post to get your thoughts in order.  Probably missed something, so you if anyone sees an error or omission, please post it.

Edited by FlyerTalker
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rallydave and Flyer Talker, just...wow!!! Who knew that I could get the ball rolling with Regent, hold the stateroom, and transfer to TA within 30 days? Excellent suggestion. I don’t expect a 10% kick-back this time, but it will be in the back of my mind for future planning. 

Flyer Talker- Thank you, thank you, thank you, (did I say thank you?😆) for your detailed explanation concerning the included air versus the Custom Air program. I predict that your explanation will help countless future Regent cruisers with the same perplexing questions/decisions to make. I fall right in the middle of manic-need-to-control and take-care-of-this-for-me. I can’t comfortably wait to hear at the last minute whatever air arrangements Regent will provide.  But, unlike previous cruises, I’m finally willing to pay more for a cruise that provides the excursions, even though I won’t be drinking the included booze. I sure hope Diet Coke is an option for the mini-bar!  

I will most likely read and re-read your suggestions above. I’ve got a lot of work to do. And I wouldn’t have been able to wrap my head around your suggestions had I not stayed up very late last night reading past posts on this subject, which helped me ask the questions. My gut is telling me to go the Custom Air route. It’s a no-brainer in today’s age of potential political unrest that could mean unpredictable travel. If a flight booked through Regent is cancelled or interrupted, (correct me if I’m wrong) they have to find a way to fix it. If I made the plans, I might be SOL. 

ps-I feel confidant in my ability to make reasoned decisions regarding everything EXCEPT how to choose an airline with newer planes/more comfortable seats. Lay-flat business class seats from LAX to European airport and back is the objective. How does one acquire the info on which plane has what??

 

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Regarding TA's.  There are many wonderful ones and people feel obligated to stick with friends/family, etc. that have TA's.  However, TA's with Regent (or other luxury experience) is really helpful in may ways.  I cannot state how many times people come onto to Cruise Critic with issues because their TA gave them incorrect advice or was unfamiliar with Regent.  Another "for instance".  When you book with Regent directly, they need to sell all of their suites - no matter the location.  With a TA familiar with Regent, they can steer you away from suites that could be problematic for you (such as the aft vibration on Navigator and Voyager - being under the pool, restaurants, etc.). Your TA is looking out for your best interest.

 

You are correct that we cannot recommend a TA on CC but we can recommend consortiums (groups of TA's) such as Signatures and Virtuoso.  We used a Virtuoso TA for a while and then changed to a TA located in another state.  While they did not give us money back, they did provide amazing excursions.  We did not meet out out of state TA until we had been working with them for a couple of years.  However, they are one of Regent's top TA's - have won awards from Regent, etc.  We also cannot state the percentage that you will receive back from some of these TA's.  Before I forget, having only a one TA office can be a problem (such as you described).  We deal with an office that has several well qualified people so when one is on vacation there are back-ups that are wonderful.  

 

Since your TA is not available, you could book with Regent but please do some homework in terms of the location of the suite (which depends upon what ship you will be sailing on).  On the main Regent board, there are many of us that can make recommendations based on the suite category you will be booking and what ship you will be on.

 

P.S. I think that you see why I consider FlyerTalker an expert.  I do use matrix.itasoftware.com as well as Trivago (and do book our own hotels).  You are fortunate to live in state with loads of flight options (I was raised in L.A. and did many trips from there).   Also, I love the fact that you talk to yourself:classic_biggrin:

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Go to Seatguru.com to look up the seating on different airlines (first look up some flights so you know which plane the airline uses).  British Airways and Lufthansa both have flatbed seats (but BA's seats are kind of funny - they face each other.... some people don't care for this but I find it easier to talk to my husband and enjoy the arrangement).

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14 minutes ago, gr'aunt said:

rallydave and Flyer Talker, just...wow!!! Who knew that I could get the ball rolling with Regent, hold the stateroom, and transfer to TA within 30 days? Excellent suggestion. I don’t expect a 10% kick-back this time, but it will be in the back of my mind for future planning. 

. I sure hope Diet Coke is an option for the mini-bar!  

I If a flight booked through Regent is cancelled or interrupted, (correct me if I’m wrong) they have to find a way to fix it. If I made the plans, I might be SOL. 

ps-I feel confidant in my ability to make reasoned decisions regarding everything EXCEPT how to choose an airline with newer planes/more comfortable seats. Lay-flat business class seats from LAX to European airport and back is the objective. How does one acquire the info on which plane has what??

 

You have the info to figure out the airline and seating, matrix and seatguru.  Yes, plenty of Diet coke for your refrigerator and at all of the bars.  as to your question regarding cancelled or interrupted, in the Regent Terms and Conditions those are third party reservations and Regent clearly disavows any responsibility.  That said,  Regent oftentimes does come to the aid of people booking their flights with them however they are not required.  Like anytime you are on a flight,  it is the airlines responsibility to fulfill your contract with them  so IMHO and believe FLYerTalker will agree, best to contact the airline directly either by phone, internet or in person when at the airport.  If you phone your TA or Regent especially at non business hours, you couldn be waiting and in many cases could be on your way by talking to the airline people who contractually have the responsibility to get you to your destination.  Don't forget, Regent or your ta still have to talk to the airline themselves so always be proactive and get your information directly from the responsible people

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47 minutes ago, gr'aunt said:

 ps-I feel confidant in my ability to make reasoned decisions regarding everything EXCEPT how to choose an airline with newer planes/more comfortable seats. Lay-flat business class seats from LAX to European airport and back is the objective. How does one acquire the info on which plane has what??

 

One thing to do beyond looking at SeatGuru, which is an excellent first step.  (But note....SeatGuru is not always up to date or completely accurate)

 

Just plug in "[Airline] [Aircraft] Business Class" into Google and you will come up with various flight reviews that airline bloggers have posted.  For example, you could try "British Airways 777 Business Class" and you would get  THIS LINK.  A number of reviews plus photos.  Plug in different airlines and you'll be up to speed on the various options.  Even beyond the photos and description of the hard product, you will also get insights into the soft product and service, both in the air and on the ground.  One caveat to this process -- be sure to look at the date of the review so you can determine if the info is current or about a prior generation of interior.

 

Also, "newer planes" does not always mean that the flights are more comfortable.  For example, older aircraft may have a less dense seating arrangement.  And one airline's interior on an older 747 may be more desirable than a different airline's 787.  Toss in that older aircraft have probably gone through some cabin refits, giving an older airframe a different interior.

 

The bad news....there is no one simple "These are the best in this order" guides to all the airlines and all their configurations.  The good news...you can learn a lot by just browsing those reviews.  And FWIW, they are usually written by flight bloggers who have millions of miles under their belts, so they have a base of knowledge for any evaluations they make.

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41 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Like anytime you are on a flight,  it is the airlines responsibility to fulfill your contract with them  so IMHO and believe FLYerTalker will agree, best to contact the airline directly either by phone, internet or in person when at the airport.  If you phone your TA or Regent especially at non business hours, you couldn be waiting and in many cases could be on your way by talking to the airline people who contractually have the responsibility to get you to your destination.  Don't forget, Regent or your ta still have to talk to the airline themselves so always be proactive and get your information directly from the responsible people

 

Regent or any cruiseline cannot make any changes to your flight arrangements on their own.  They have to go through an airline just as you would.  My own suggestion if you are facing irops:

 

1)  Have the airline app on your phone.  You may be able to see if the airline has already proactively rebooked you.  Or you may be able to make changes on your own through the app.  I know that DL will both proactively reroute you and will allow you to make your own reroutes.  Try this first.

 

2)  Get in line with someone who can actually help you out.  The fellow at a gate podium may be able to, maybe the fellow at a transfer desk, maybe neither.  But get into a line.

 

3)  While getting into a face to face line, multi-task.  Look up alternatives, both on your airline and on others.  Have a plan in mind - write down the options you see.  (Which is why you should ALWAYS have a pen and paper with you - you never know when you need to make notes).

 

4)  If your phone will allow, be on the phone to the airline while you are looking up options.  Get into the phone queue as soon as you can.  Perhaps do your flight research on your tablet/laptop and be in the phone queue - all while waiting in line for face to face.

 

The reason for the multi-taking - so you are ready when you get through to either the phone agent or the one in front of you.  Take both paths to increase your odds.   And when one fixes you up, you just leave the other queue.

 

Personal example.....had severe weather for a connection at AMS.  I was on the laptop researching options and availability (via Expert Flyer) while standing in a line at the KLM lounge, and was simultaneously on hold for a phone agent.  Turned out that I found an option, then the phone agent came on, and she did what she could but I still needed a physical agent at the airport to finalize the changes.  Luckily, I was just coming to the lounge agent at that time, so I handed my phone to her and she worked with the phone agent to finalize the changes.  Multi-taking at its finest.

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So I spoke with my Regent agent yesterday to make final payment for our Tahiti cruise at the end of December and said I wanted a deviation for Star Alliance carriers and today received a Custom Air quote from Regent which is for a charter flight, apparently on Atlas Air, direct LAX-PPT for the $175 pp fee.  There is a note at the bottom of the document stating 'Please note that we have only charter flights for this sailing'.  Has anyone else experienced this?

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for the poster leaving LA for Barcelona.  There are no non-stops  When we did that trip,non cruise, we flew Swiss Air from LAX to Vienna, then transferred Vienna to Barcelona.  GREAT flights and we were using United Miles in Business Class.  This year we are on the next part of your cruise, Lisbon to Southampton.  Again, no nonstops LAX to Lisbon.  We were picky on flights and opted to pay for air deviation/customization the day the flights were available.  We had spoken with Regent Air Desk (TA gave authorization) so we knew what we were looking for.

 

NO ISSUE..got first flights..LAX/Frankfurt  Frankfurt/Lisbon all on Lufthansa.  Looking forward to sitting upstairs on the 747.  Home, non-stop London/LAX on United..787 Dreamliner.  For us, worth the money.  We too are going early..and unfortunately at this point paying on our own for the same hotel in Lisbon (not happy, but don't want to move hotels for 1 night) and using Chase Sapphire points to pay for that.  Overpriced, but what can we do?

 

ANy feedback on the Four Seasons Ritz in Lisbon?  (I think we had to pay deviation as we were going early?)

This is our first Regent cruise......

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14 minutes ago, Bolshoi said:

So I spoke with my Regent agent yesterday to make final payment for our Tahiti cruise at the end of December and said I wanted a deviation for Star Alliance carriers and today received a Custom Air quote from Regent which is for a charter flight, apparently on Atlas Air, direct LAX-PPT for the $175 pp fee.  There is a note at the bottom of the document stating 'Please note that we have only charter flights for this sailing'.  Has anyone else experienced this?

Yes, have read of charter flights LAX-PPT for both Oceania and Regent due to the lack of capacity on that route.  Believe Paul Gauguin does charters as wellon

 

So the charter makes sense but, what doesn't make sense is to charge you for the charter which I assume arrives on the day of the cruise and returns on the disembarkation day.   Also saying only charter flights also makes no sense as there are scheduled flights you could get possibly with an upcharge.   You did not say if you are wanting to arrive early and head home late since assume the charter flights are for those not deviating.  

 

Assume you don't have a TA who could straighten this out and think you need to again explain exactly what you are looking for with specific flights.  Just saying STAR alliance is not enough and are you sure the only United flight which fram SFO is only 3 days per week.  Need more info to help further so you need to go back to your agent that this makes absolutely no sense.  Good luck.

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1 hour ago, Bolshoi said:

So I spoke with my Regent agent yesterday to make final payment for our Tahiti cruise at the end of December and said I wanted a deviation for Star Alliance carriers and today received a Custom Air quote from Regent which is for a charter flight, apparently on Atlas Air, direct LAX-PPT for the $175 pp fee.  There is a note at the bottom of the document stating 'Please note that we have only charter flights for this sailing'.  Has anyone else experienced this?

 

Regent does frequently use charter flights going to/from Tahiti as there are not enough flights to accommodate hundreds of Regent passengers.  Just checked flights on a random date in December and the only carriers that I can see going to PPT from LAX are Air Tahiti Nui and Qantas.  While Regent does have a contract with Qantas, only their Air Department can tell you if they have a contract going to Tahiti (I suspect that their contracts are for flights to and from the U.S.). Regent does use Star Alliance carriers frequently - again, depending upon the route.  Regent Air should be able to figure this out for you.

 

If you are interested, here is some information on Atlas Air https://www.atlasair.com/passenger-services/our-passenger-fleet/.  Seat Guru shows the aircraft as having only recliner type seats but they are a bit behind because I read elsewhere that they fly a 747 as well.  More research may need to be done on this.

 

For reference - the following airlines are part of Star Alliance.  If you want to fly an airline from Star Alliance to earn miles, you may want to first verify that you would get frequent flyer miles on a Regent booked flight.  Sometimes you can and sometimes it is not possible.  

 

 

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