Air deviation question

[atlantic cruiser]

sorry for asking what for many is an often repeat question. Cannot seem to find both recent and pertinent answers to my air deviation question. I understand the basic premise, but am unsure if request can only be made after final payment or after deposit has been made. My request is for a 3 day earlier flight to Heathrow airport from Vancouver, B.C. A route that is flown daily by British airways, Air Canada and several other major airlines. I would like clarification as to when I can make my request. most of the above airlines are non stop flights,therefore I am hoping there will not be any up charge. Would appreciate the most current procedure information,as I would like to initiate as soon as possible ( TA away for a few days)? Thanks for any help. This also a one way request as I am happy to accept pretty much whatever the return flight is from Copenhagen. Thanks so much for any help,tips and insight that is offered. First time on Oceania and very excited. CRuise is Regal Routes June 2-12 on Marina

Thanks again,Rhonda

[LHT28]

I understand the basic premise, but am unsure if request can only be made after final payment or after deposit has been made. You can make the request 270 days out if Oceania have their contracts in place they can give you the flight details

 

My request is for a 3 day earlier flight to Heathrow airport from Vancouver, B.C. A route that is flown daily by British airways, Air Canada and several other major airlines.

You can request the flights you want & they will let you know if there is an upcharge or not & you can make you decision then

no charges until you both agree on the flights & routing

 

Would appreciate the most current procedure information,as I would like to initiate as soon as possible ( TA away for a few days)? Thanks for any help. This also a one way request as I am happy to accept pretty much whatever the return flight is from Copenhagen. Thanks so much for any help,tips and insight that is offered. First time on Oceania and very excited. CRuise is Regal Routes June 2-12 on Marina

Thanks again,Rhonda

 

I look up the flights I want & get my TA to request them if O can get the flights & I am happy with them I book them

If not we send other options back to O or ask what they will provide ... then we make our decision

When you decide you pay the deviation fee I think it is currently $175 pp

& if there is an upcharge I am not sure if it is payable then or at final payment time ..maybe someone can comment further

We also check to see what we can get on our own & take the air credit from Oceania

 

Lyn

Edited January 2, 2017 by LHT28

[ORV]

I'll be corrected if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure your cruise has to be paid in full before you can get tickets issued, even if you do it 270 days out.

[tropicalkerry2002]

I do believe you pay the $175 whether you are requesting one way or both, so you may as well request your choice of flight home; whether it be day of disembarking, or if you decide to stay in Copenahagen for a couple of days.

 

And, I think you pay the $175 when you accept the deviation, and the uncharge(if any) at final payment.

[LHT28]

I'll be corrected if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure your cruise has to be paid in full before you can get tickets issued, even if you do it 270 days out.

I think you are right if you want the tickets issued you must be paid in full but you can get the flights booked & wait for O to issue the tickets at a later time

At least you have the flights booked & know the flight times (subject to airlines whim to change them) ;)

[YoHoHo]

And my understanding of why to pay in full early is so that those tickets are issued and then one can book seats, depending on the airline rules.

 

I would be happy to have that corrected or confirmed by others

 

Also I stress the "depending on the airline rules" because I have had trouble booking seats early on A/C for example but have read that others have been successful. I have been able to get my TA to do it but not all by myself.

[arima22]

And my understanding of why to pay in full early is so that those tickets are issued and then one can book seats, depending on the airline rules.

 

I would be happy to have that corrected or confirmed by others

 

Also I stress the "depending on the airline rules" because I have had trouble booking seats early on A/C for example but have read that others have been successful. I have been able to get my TA to do it but not all by myself.

 

Normally Oceania purchases the pre-booked tickets about 45 days out from sailing. I usually ask for the tickets to be paid as soon as I make final payment- then I will do the seat assignment/upgrades myself directly with the airline, usually within 24 hours after the request to Oceania to buy the tickets. When you do this, you have more responsibilities if you need to change/cancel the ticket.

[YoHoHo]

Normally Oceania purchases the pre-booked tickets about 45 days out from sailing. I usually ask for the tickets to be paid as soon as I make final payment- then I will do the seat assignment/upgrades myself directly with the airline, usually within 24 hours after the request to Oceania to buy the tickets. When you do this, you have more responsibilities if you need to change/cancel the ticket.

Good to know - thanks for confirming that.

 

Yes, I have tried to book seats after final have sometimes failed. A few times got a message to the effect of "due to the nature of the ticket you can't do and only the party that purchased it can' book the seats.

 

Once on A/C going out and LH(?) coming back. A/C would not alllow and LH(?) would. I should not have said it depends on the airline. The problem might have been due to different class of ticket with A/C than LH. Many variables.

 

Like so many things with travel just because it worked one time does not mean it will work the next as circumstances might not be the exactly same.

 

Always good to hear reports of 'doing it this way worked for me' so we can learn from your experience.

Edited January 2, 2017 by YoHoHo

[LHT28]

And my understanding of why to pay in full early is so that those tickets are issued and then one can book seats, depending on the airline rules.

 

I would be happy to have that corrected or confirmed by others

 

Also I stress the "depending on the airline rules" because I have had trouble booking seats early on A/C for example but have read that others have been successful. I have been able to get my TA to do it but not all by myself.

I have had seats assigned sometimes by O on AC then I just login & pick the one I want

O usually gets the ones at the back of the bus ;)

Sometimes I called AC & asked to assign different seats

it is hit or miss

Edited January 2, 2017 by LHT28

[atlantic cruiser]

Thanks so much for all the helpful advice,I will put it to good use.

[Can'tstopcruising]

What happens when it is Trans Atlantic that starts in your own city and you need only one way air? Do you pay the same as everyone else who needs two-way fare?

 

Thanks

[JimandStan]

What happens when it is Trans Atlantic that starts in your own city and you need only one way air? Do you pay the same as everyone else who needs two-way fare?

 

Thanks

 

The Deviation Fee' date=' which enables the passenger to amend their air arrangements, is charged per passenger, not per segment.

 

If your need was to fly to Burma from Cincinatti and required three or four flights to get there, additional fee's would not be assessed.

 

Similarly, there is no reduction in the Deviation Fee for a one way flight.

 

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[Ozzie's Mom]

sorry for asking what for many is an often repeat question. Cannot seem to find both recent and pertinent answers to my air deviation question. I understand the basic premise, but am unsure if request can only be made after final payment or after deposit has been made. My request is for a 3 day earlier flight to Heathrow airport from Vancouver, B.C. A route that is flown daily by British airways, Air Canada and several other major airlines. I would like clarification as to when I can make my request. most of the above airlines are non stop flights,therefore I am hoping there will not be any up charge. Would appreciate the most current procedure information,as I would like to initiate as soon as possible ( TA away for a few days)? Thanks for any help. This also a one way request as I am happy to accept pretty much whatever the return flight is from Copenhagen. Thanks so much for any help,tips and insight that is offered. First time on Oceania and very excited. CRuise is Regal Routes June 2-12 on Marina

Thanks again,Rhonda

Hey, Atlantic Cruiser! We'll be on that cruise with you! We dropped the air portion of the cruisefare and bought our own air tickets. We're very near DFW, so lots of choices.

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Forums mobile app

[atlantic cruiser]

Great to hear from someone on the same cruise. I am cruising with my twin sister. Are you interested in any private tours We are arriving 3 days early to visit the New Forest and Stonhenge"staying in Southhampton for the 3 days prior. So excited to try Oceania.

[blackbr]

If I was allowing Oceania to book my airfare, we would never do so without incurring the cost of the deviation. We would never allow Oceania to book us on a flight that arrives the same day as the cruise departs. Besides, we usually want to spend an extra day or two in either the departure / arrival port city, or both.

 

I can't understand if you give Oceania these dates ahead of time, why it is necessary to incur the deviation charge. What are there extra costs incurred of booking flights on different days. If the airfare was higher, I could understand that.... but they charge you for higher airfare anyway!

 

As such, we have asked for the air credit every time we have sailed Oceania, and have done the same for our 2018 cruise.

[JimandStan]

I can't understand if you give Oceania these dates ahead of time, why it is necessary to incur the deviation charge. What are there extra costs incurred of booking flights on different days.

 

The short answer is that with Oceania the air is included, therefore the NORM is flying in on sailing day with the majority.

 

Should you wish to make other arrangements, then you are deviating from the norm, which is why they call it a Deviation; and those changes incur additional backoffice costs and extra manpower....hence the fee.

 

Life is simple when you examine the circumstances with an open mind :D

[blackbr]

The short answer is that with Oceania the air is included, therefore the NORM is flying in on sailing day with the majority.

 

Should you wish to make other arrangements, then you are deviating from the norm, which is why they call it a Deviation; and those changes incur additional backoffice costs and extra manpower....hence the fee.

 

Life is simple when you examine the circumstances with an open mind :D

 

Unless Oceania has an automated system that books everyone's airfares electronically, I don't understand the extra manpower or costs involved of simply changing dates of travel.

 

Maybe that's the case, I don't know!!

[LHT28]

Unless Oceania has an automated system that books everyone's airfares electronically, I don't understand the extra manpower or costs involved of simply changing dates of travel.

 

Maybe that's the case, I don't know!!

 

When you take the included air ... Oceania books what flights they have contracted you have no choice

 

If you want to choose the flights/dates etc you can go back & forth with the air dept or TA to get what you want .... it can take extra time so they charge the deviation fee

 

Sometimes using the included air works, sometime doing the deviation works & sometimes you are better off to book your own

 

it is not a one size fits all scenario

 

JMO

[YoHoHo]

While "the NORM is flying in on sailing day with the majority." but the norm opinion on CC is always fly in at least the day before. And being as contractually with O's air you are on your own if the flight arrives late and you miss embarkation it seems only sensible to me that O would also want you to arrive the day before.

 

However why should they encourage that when they now charge $350 per couple (it might be priced pp but most do not sail solo & the work for two is the same as for one) and many, including me, often pay it.

 

Yes, they do contract bookings but they don't contract a certain airline for X number of seats leaving a certain city on a certain date. They contract x number of seats and use them where they are needed. So as long as there is no air differential it makes no difference whether they click "book to arrive on embarkation day" or click to "arrive the day before embarkation day".

 

Assuming there is no air differential, and being as a great many of their airlines fly the same routes every day, the usual difference would be whether they click day X or day X-1 and the pax would have to click to acknowledge paying for a hotel themselves the night before.

 

Asuming it is somewhat automated it would be simple programming radio buttons for arrival = x or x-1 and departure x or x+1 choices. I think this would be a huge marketing advantage that only O could offer because the others use a separate air purchasing system. And ironically, those other cruise lines, because the air is not included, perhaps discounted, have th4e pax book the flights themselves and they can pick day x-1 with no deviation fee.

 

I certainly agree that anything other than that is custom and absolutely should involve a of fee like they are currently charging but not for day x-1 when that is the sensible time to arrive for a cruise.

 

All this is just hypothetical though because I know it'll never happen. It would reduce revenue, potentially slightly increase cost, perhaps not be seen as the marketing advantage that I do, and would take away yet another benefit that their loyalty program rewards. Certainly loyal customers would not be happy to see another of their earned rewards be given out en masse as an O-Life promotion.

 

Just because I am not so happy with O charging $175 pp for day X-1 arrival when it is the sensible schedule does not mean I do not like O's air Department. On the contrary, I promote purchasing O's air deviation based on our personal experience and have always received good flights and prompt, courteous (and sometimes patient) service.

[LHT28]

All this is just hypothetical though because I know it'll never happen. It would reduce revenue, potentially slightly increase cost, perhaps not be seen as the marketing advantage that I do, and would take away yet another benefit that their loyalty program rewards. Certainly loyal customers would not be happy to see another of their earned rewards be given out en masse as an O-Life promotion.

.

 

Just curious

What loyalty benefits were taken away ??

[Paulchili]

Just curious

What loyalty benefits were taken away ??

 

Above certain loyalty level (Gold?) one does not pay deviation fee.

PS They weren't taken away - OP just implies that they would be taken away if deviation fee for early arrival were to be waived for everyone.

That's my guess

Edited January 5, 2017 by Paulchili

[LHT28]

Above certain loyalty level (Gold?) one does not pay deviation fee.

PS They weren't taken away - OP just implies that they would be taken away if deviation fee for early arrival were to be waived for everyone.

That's my guess

 

when they said "yet another benefit" it implied some had been removed but I did not notice any difference :confused:

 

I do not have as much status as some here so thought maybe they were reduced

Edited January 5, 2017 by LHT28

[YoHoHo]

Sorry if my ramblings were unclear.

 

Paulchilli's guess is correct.

 

A benefit at Gold level one gets "Two complimentary Custom Air fee waivers ". So if O included day before deviation for free it would diminish the value of this reward.

 

Edit: oh, and the "yet another benefit" would be that for example, O-life promo including Gratuities that is a benefit of Silver level now.

(fighting with tablet keyboard and edit time)

personally I don't care what benefits others get or don't. just happy to get what I can and sail away.

Edited January 5, 2017 by YoHoHo

[LHT28]

Edit: oh, and the "yet another benefit" would be that for example, O-life promo including Gratuities that is a benefit of Silver level now.

 

AFAIK you still get an OBC for the PPG Loyalty benefit when they were included in the O Life deal

at least we did ...it may not be the full amount I cannot recall as we also got PPG from our TA as well

lots of shopping on that trip :D

[atlantic cruiser]

thrilled with my flights! My TA called me with Oceania air dept. on hold and we had a three way conversation. Before I even mentioned the flights I wanted they were offered albeit with a $100.00 up charge pp. We fly Vancouver to Heathrow non stop Air Canada and return flight is Lufthasa,Copenhagen to Munich,then non stop to Vancouver. my only concern was that the connecting time in Munich is very tight but the rep from Oceania assured me it is only a gate change, (Security done in Copenhagen ) and we arrive in same terminal. She stated Munick airport is compact and we should be fine. Would have likened a little broader margin but she was adamant it would work. Anyway thanks for all the help,oh and she even did seat selection for us so all is done! thanks again