All Things Vantage

[jc foster]

I'm a little put out by Vantage right now. Apparently, Air Canada has released it's schedules now. So we've been sent our air itinerary for our cruise next July. Only one of the flights has a seat assignment on it. I checked out those seats, and they are in the very back of the plane. In looking at the Air Canada website, practically all seats of that category are available. I don't want to be in the very last row on the plane!

 

Plus - of the 5 flights necessary for this trip, the one that's 10 hours long is the only one that doesn't have a power connection at the seat. I guess we'll be running our little travel computer down on that flight. I mean, even the short 2 hour flight has a power connection at the seat. I don't need the computer so much on that flight, but I will on the loooooong one. :mad:

If seats are on the very last row the chances are they have zero recline. These are the least desirable seats on the plane. Check at seatguru website and then choose suitable seats and book them.

[CPT Trips]

I'm a little put out by Vantage right now. Apparently, Air Canada has released it's schedules now. So we've been sent our air itinerary for our cruise next July. Only one of the flights has a seat assignment on it. I checked out those seats, and they are in the very back of the plane. In looking at the Air Canada website, practically all seats of that category are available. I don't want to be in the very last row on the plane!

 

Plus - of the 5 flights necessary for this trip, the one that's 10 hours long is the only one that doesn't have a power connection at the seat. I guess we'll be running our little travel computer down on that flight. I mean, even the short 2 hour flight has a power connection at the seat. I don't need the computer so much on that flight, but I will on the loooooong one. :mad:

 

Get the record locator number for you flights. Then go to the airline and reseat yourself. If AC is like many airlines, monitor you reservation as flight time are likely to change in ten months.

[Shmoo here]

You could call the airlines and ask to change the seat..

 

Get the record locator number for you flights. Then go to the airline and reseat yourself. If AC is like many airlines' date=' monitor you reservation as flight time are likely to change in ten months.[/quote']

 

On the Vantage site, where it has our itinerary, it says to contact the airline if we wish to change seats. I went to the airline website, and tried, but it didn't recognize the confirmation number that's on our itinerary page. I've sent an email to Vantage asking about this, but haven't heard back yet.

 

I totally get that the flight may (or may not) change in the next ten months. Indeed, I'm wondering if they might even change airlines. Because I think Air Canada is the only one who's released their schedules this far out at this time. Maybe, when other airlines come out with their schedules we might even be rebooked on a different set of flights.

[Shmoo here]

If seats are on the very last row the chances are they have zero recline. These are the least desirable seats on the plane. Check at seatguru website and then choose suitable seats and book them.

 

They are not the totally last row. The seating configuration of this plane is 3/4/3. On the side where our seats are it's seats A, B and C. We have B & C, second to last row. The last row only has A & B.

 

Seatguru says that our seat C is a less desirable seat because of this configuration. Apparently people tend to bump into the seat a lot as it sort of sticks out.

[4774Papa]

I am thinking about how we will be spending time in Paris. The Pullman night is part of the Vantage base tour. The downside of staying at the Pullman is that we have to transfer hotels on our first day. That is lost time that could be used for other things, like a visit to the Musee D'Orsay :)

 

So I am wondering what time Vantage gets us into Paris. Once I know that I can decide if I want to go through the hotel switch, of book an extra night at Le Meridien.

 

Thanks for the question.

 

Greg

Greg,

How far are the two hotel apart? We stayed in the Pullman and it is in the SW part of the city.

We did the Rhone river cruise in the other direction. The train is very fast, so if you depart from Lyon after breakfast, I would think that you would be in Paris in the early PM.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

On the Vantage site, where it has our itinerary, it says to contact the airline if we wish to change seats. I went to the airline website, and tried, but it didn't recognize the confirmation number that's on our itinerary page. I've sent an email to Vantage asking about this, but haven't heard back yet.

 

I totally get that the flight may (or may not) change in the next ten months. Indeed, I'm wondering if they might even change airlines. Because I think Air Canada is the only one who's released their schedules this far out at this time. Maybe, when other airlines come out with their schedules we might even be rebooked on a different set of flights.

Get the record locator number for you flights

[GregnChris]

Greg,

How far are the two hotel apart? We stayed in the Pullman and it is in the SW part of the city.

We did the Rhone river cruise in the other direction. The train is very fast, so if you depart from Lyon after breakfast, I would think that you would be in Paris in the early PM.

 

After posting, I checked Le Meridien Etoile, and there is no availability for the night we need, so it is now a moot point.

 

I also checked the train schedule. It seems there is only on TGV from Dijon to Paris CDG, leaving about 7:00am. I seriously doubt Vantage would book us on that one. So by process of elimination, it appears that Vantage will take us into Gare de Lyon and then bus us out to the Pullman at CDG. BTW, there are multiple Pullman hotels in Paris, and I believe Vantage books uses the Pullman near CDG for this trip.

 

Greg

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We are doing the Treasures of France Normandy To Provence. How early Time could I book a flight out of Provence ?? we are going to Athens to catch a ship ..

[Hydrokitty]

They are not the totally last row. The seating configuration of this plane is 3/4/3. On the side where our seats are it's seats A, B and C. We have B & C, second to last row. The last row only has A & B.

 

Seatguru says that our seat C is a less desirable seat because of this configuration. Apparently people tend to bump into the seat a lot as it sort of sticks out..

 

E-mail or call vantage travel Dept. And tell them where you want to sit and that you checked and your seat us available and not a premium seat. They have changed seats for me many times. You can t deal directly with airline because you're not a confirmed passenger yet. Vantage has purchased a block of seats and they can move you into a better seat. Have you checked Air Canada fares? I don't usually do my own air but we're doing Vancouver to Toronto with vantage and I got business from LGA to Vancouver and coach from Toronto to LGA and saved around $700 for two of us. Of course I have to get to and from Airports on my own but I'm comfortable in both cities so I know what it will cost for taxi.

what it will be for taxi.

Edited September 13, 2014 by Hydrokitty

[Shmoo here]

They are not the totally last row. The seating configuration of this plane is 3/4/3. On the side where our seats are it's seats A, B and C. We have B & C, second to last row. The last row only has A & B.

 

Seatguru says that our seat C is a less desirable seat because of this configuration. Apparently people tend to bump into the seat a lot as it sort of sticks out..

 

E-mail or call vantage travel Dept. And tell them where you want to sit and that you checked and your seat us available and not a premium seat. They have changed seats for me many times. You can t deal directly with airline because you're not a confirmed passenger yet. Vantage has purchased a block of seats and they can move you into a better seat. Have you checked Air Canada fares? I don't usually do my own air but we're doing Vancouver to Toronto with vantage and I got business from LGA to Vancouver and coach from Toronto to LGA and saved around $700 for two of us. Of course I have to get to and from Airports on my own but I'm comfortable in both cities so I know what it will cost for taxi.

what it will be for taxi.

 

Unfortunately, we're going out of town for a while. I did send Vantage a message on their "new" website. They probably will try to contact me while I'm gone (if at all). Do think it's OK to wait until we get back to actually call and talk to them? Anyway, I can check my e-mails while I'm gone and see if they try to contact me that way.

 

We've already paid off the cruise (got a nice discount for doing that), and trying to figure out flights/connections from LA to Bucharest and back is not what I want to be doing now anyway. I don't mind the flights they've gotten for us, I just have issues with the seats, and the lack of a power connection on the long flight back.

Edited September 13, 2014 by Shmoo here

[Hydrokitty]

They are not the totally last row. The seating configuration of this plane is 3/4/3. On the side where our seats are it's seats A, B and C. We have B & C, second to last row. The last row only has A & B.

 

Seatguru says that our seat C is a less desirable seat because of this configuration. Apparently people tend to bump into the seat a lot as it sort of sticks out..

 

 

 

Unfortunately, we're going out of town for a while. I did send Vantage a message on their "new" website. They probably will try to contact me while I'm gone (if at all). Do think it's OK to wait until we get back to actually call and talk to them? Anyway, I can check my e-mails while I'm gone and see if they try to contact me that way.

 

We've already paid off the cruise (got a nice discount for doing that), and trying to figure out flights/connections from LA to Bucharest and back is not what I want to be doing now anyway. I don't mind the flights they've gotten for us, I just have issues with the seats, and the lack of a power connection on the long flight back.

 

You're not leaving till July, 2015....unless you plan to be off the planet for next 10 months or so, I wouldn't sweat the time....besides, knowing Vantage's speed at responding to e-mail it will probably take them that long to get back to you anyway! :D

 

I've only flown Air Canada once and that was from Vancouver to Seattle, which I probably could have done a lot cheaper had I known about the ferry at the time, but I liked them and I'm flying them next spring to Vancouver....point is, I don't remember or know enough about them to be able to say that they do or do not have power connection at the seat. I usually travel with a kindle fire and if I fully charge it before I get on the plane, it's usually good for trip from JFK to Frankfort, where I usually have to change planes anyway, so I plug it in first thing on arrival there. I use the plane to watch movies and then with the meal, and the nap, I'm usually not on kindle as long as I always think I'll be, and I use it primarily to play games so I don't need internet. But I understand your concern....I would probably go into a frenzy if I thought Kindle would go into coma mode before I got where I was going! Always bring a back up paperback or trashy magazine!:D

[Talisker92]

Dear Hydrokitty,

I bought an inexpensive external battery for my Kindle. It gripes me that my wife's Nook lasts longer.

These batteries can be charged from a USB port or the Kindle charger. I always make sure it is fully charged before I go.

[Hydrokitty]

Dear Hydrokitty,

I bought an inexpensive external battery for my Kindle. It gripes me that my wife's Nook lasts longer.

These batteries can be charged from a USB port or the Kindle charger. I always make sure it is fully charged before I go.

 

Very interesting! Did you buy it on Amazon? I still wouldn't trade my kindle for a nook! I know I play Spite for hours and that eats up batteries faster than reading books. I will check out best buy when I pick up my laptop from geeks next week. Thanks! :D

[Talisker92]

Very interesting! Did you buy it on Amazon? I still wouldn't trade my kindle for a nook! I know I play Spite for hours and that eats up batteries faster than reading books. I will check out best buy when I pick up my laptop from geeks next week. Thanks! :D

 

I got it on eBay-it is made by Duracell, I think

[bobpatj]

To pack or not to pack, that is the question. We are supposed to be flying to Paris on Friday, Air France, for our pre-stay. Have any of you been faced with this situation before? We booked our flights with Vantage, so they must have some responsibility to get us there. Stressed! :confused:

[Hydrokitty]

To pack or not to pack, that is the question. We are supposed to be flying to Paris on Friday, Air France, for our pre-stay. Have any of you been faced with this situation before? We booked our flights with Vantage, so they must have some responsibility to get us there. Stressed! :confused:

 

Oh my goodness, I can't imagine how upset you must be. Have you spoken to Vantage? I know the only time I had flight related issues was when the volcano in Iceland cancelled everything and we were on the first plane to leave NY for Europe and returning from Russia Lufthansa went on strike, but we were already on board so it was their problem not Vantage's and we were housed, fed and rebooked the next day before we even landed in Moscow. I know this i Vantage's fault, and having traveled with them 6 times, I would imagine they are doing everything in their power to get you all to Paris on time. You may have to transfer planes but believe me, Vantage doesn't want to cancel this trip or return anybody's money! Why don't you call them and ask them for the status. Also check their web page and your portfolio page that's the first place information will appear. Good luck and try not to stress out too badly.......very difficult I know.

[bobpatj]

Bob talked to someone at Vantage, today. So far our Friday flight hasn't been cancelled, but if there are any changes, they will call us.

[Hydrokitty]

Bob talked to someone at Vantage, today. So far our Friday flight hasn't been cancelled, but if there are any changes, they will call us.

 

I'll keep good thoughts for you....fortunately everybody flies to Paris so at least there are options....hang in there.

[bobpatj]

Yes, our flight was cancelled. We have rescheduled to flights on Saturday. That means missing the welcome dinner and first full day tour of Paris. I'm waiting for a call from Vantage to make sure they will know of our delay and hope someone will meet us at the airport. :confused:

[FuelScience]

So sorry. Hope that the rest of the cruise will be a great experience for you!

 

FuelScience

[Hydrokitty]

Yes, our flight was cancelled. We have rescheduled to flights on Saturday. That means missing the welcome dinner and first full day tour of Paris. I'm waiting for a call from Vantage to make sure they will know of our delay and hope someone will meet us at the airport. :confused:

 

So sorry to hear this. The pilot's job action is supposed to continue through Monday. Off the top of my head, here are some suggestions. Call Vantage and hold for a representative (no matter how long you have to wait, don't rely on leaving a message); ask them to rebook you on another airline so you don't miss your pre-trip extension, for which you will want a full refund. Suggest that you would be willing to rebook your pre-trip Paris to a post-trip Paris if they cannot get you to Paris before Monday or Tuesday on Air France. My biggest concern here is that if you are being rebooked by Air France on Air France, tomorrow they will cancel Saturday's flight and Saturday they will cancel Sunday, etc. with the result that they will have a week's worth of people holding tickets to Paris backed up from here to Hell and back! I don't mean to add to your stress here, but I believe in doing rather than waiting. Keep us posted, we all really care and want to know how you make out with this nightmare. :(

[bobpatj]

We did contact Vantage this morning and found that we could try insist that we MUST arrive in Paris on the 20th. So, back to Delta and after a bit of looking, they rebooked us on flights on Friday, but...on the phone you don't know more than dates and times, so when the confirmation e-mail arrived, our flight from Boston to Paris is on Air France! :mad: That flight has been cancelled for today and so we wait to see what's next.

[Hydrokitty]

We did contact Vantage this morning and found that we could try insist that we MUST arrive in Paris on the 20th. So, back to Delta and after a bit of looking, they rebooked us on flights on Friday, but...on the phone you don't know more than dates and times, so when the confirmation e-mail arrived, our flight from Boston to Paris is on Air France! :mad: That flight has been cancelled for today and so we wait to see what's next.

 

WHAT????? That's absurd!! OK, go to Lufthansa and see what they have available you'll probably have to change flights at least once (Frankfort or Munich) and maybe somewhere on the east coast as well. If they have anything available, call Vantage and give them the fight nos. and tell them to book it. Are you saying Vantage is giving you nothing but advice? If that is true, then I would book whatever airline will get me there on time and demand a refund from Vantage for both air AND insurance. I am totally speechless.

[bobpatj]

It seems that Vantage has booked our original flights through Delta, and that's where they want us to go for any changes. Thank you for your advice and I'll let you know what and when we get to Paris.

[Hydrokitty]

It seems that Vantage has booked our original flights through Delta, and that's where they want us to go for any changes. Thank you for your advice and I'll let you know what and when we get to Paris.

 

I think Delta may be part of the Star Alliance and if so, they may be able to do more for you once you get to Boston. They may have other Alliance members that can pick up some of the slack. If nothing else, at least you will have more options and Vantage is based in Boston so make sure you take their phone numbers with you. I'll be praying to the travel Gods tonight for you and everyone caught up in this. I've seen some posts from people booked on Viking's France who are in the same predicament as you are. Good luck, and let us know when you get there. :)

 

PS: I don't know how you feel about this, but if you get to the airport tomorrow and Delta will fly you to Boston, I think I would go. You might have more clout if you're in Boston as opposed to your home airport. If nothing else, you'll have more options.

Edited September 19, 2014 by Hydrokitty