Using Regent Air on Delta through Atlanta

[mrstanley]

We are looking to use Regent air from Atlanta to Copenhagen and then back from Amsterdam to Atlanta.

What airlines has Regent been using when flying passengers from Atlanta? Our best options are to travel through Atlanta in order to make

our connections back to North Florida as our airport is not International.

[shuguley]

Last time we made this trip Regent booked us on Lufthansa from Atlanta to Frankfurt then to Copenhagen.  From Amsterdam to Atlanta we were booked on a direct Delta/KLM flight.

 

Suggest that you do some research and get about four flight options both ways that would serve you well and then contact your TA.  Have the TA present your choices to Regent custom air to see it any of your suggested flights are available.  If you want to save money, do custom air on the return trip only, then Regent will tell you the flight they have selected on your behalf outbound.

Edited September 23, 2019 by shuguley

[Flgreg]

We were booked on Delta and Air France from Tampa through Atlanta flying to Stockholm this past July and returned on Air France and Delta going through JFK from Copenhagen and that was using Air Deviation/Custom Air. We have made a solemn vow to NEVER go through JFK again.  Every time we've gone through JFK there has been a massive aggravation. It's just not worth it.

[rcandkc]

1 hour ago, Flgreg said:

We were booked on Delta and Air France from Tampa through Atlanta flying to Stockholm this past July and returned on Air France and Delta going through JFK from Copenhagen and that was using Air Deviation/Custom Air. We have made a solemn vow to NEVER go through JFK again.  Every time we've gone through JFK there has been a massive aggravation. It's just not worth it.

I totally agree about jfk. Horrible!

[UUNetBill]

38 minutes ago, rcandkc said:

I totally agree about jfk. Horrible!

Wanna have some fun?  Fly into JFK internationally and then take a taxi over to LGA to meet your kids and fly back to DEN with them.

 

Sounded slick on paper, was a nightmare in reality.  Never again.

 

Oh, and give yourselves plenty of time in ATL.  “Minimum legal” connections never work in ATL.

Edited September 23, 2019 by UUNetBill
Clarified

[mrstanley]

Shuguley,

 

Was connecting in Frankfurt ok? There is a 3 hour layover....should be plenty of time to catch the flight

to Copenhagen.

[mrstanley]

We have come thru JFK many times from Europe. If you don't have Global Entry you are in big trouble!

It's a long walk from the plane to get to immigration. There are plenty of Global Entry kiosks... really not that bad.

We just came through Atlanta  2 weeks ago. Really easy !!! The problem with JFK is that you will probably be changing

terminals. We usually stay in NYC after coming back from overseas. 

[mrstanley]

Has anyone had Regent charge them an extra fee for flying Delta through Atlanta? I was told by my TA that it could be

a $1,000 charge. 

[shuguley]

1 hour ago, mrstanley said:

Shuguley,

 

Was connecting in Frankfurt ok? There is a 3 hour layover....should be plenty of time to catch the flight

to Copenhagen.

We thought connecting in Frankfurt was "OK" but not great.  There was much construction going on when we were there.  Lots of walking.

[FlyerTalker]

4 hours ago, mrstanley said:

We have come thru JFK many times from Europe. If you don't have Global Entry you are in big trouble!

It's a long walk from the plane to get to immigration. There are plenty of Global Entry kiosks... really not that bad.

We just came through Atlanta  2 weeks ago. Really easy !!! The problem with JFK is that you will probably be changing

terminals. We usually stay in NYC after coming back from overseas. 

 

The only times when you would have a terminal change at JFK are:

 

1) You have an itinerary with two different operating airlines, or

2) You have a Delta itinerary and your second flight operates out of T2 (with international arrivals at T4)

 

Otherwise, all airlines at JFK operate from only one terminal.

Edited September 24, 2019 by FlyerTalker

[FlyerTalker]

4 hours ago, mrstanley said:

Has anyone had Regent charge them an extra fee for flying Delta through Atlanta? I was told by my TA that it could be

a $1,000 charge. 

 

The price differential is not a "charge" or "extra fee" because you are flying through ATL.  It's due to a fare differential between the contracted prices for each itinerary.  And there is no way to know if there is or isn't a fare differential without an actual inquiry to Regent's air department for a custom air deviation.

 

It's equally possible that routing through JFK or DTW or MSP would incur a higher cost than through ATL.  Completely depends on the contractual relationship for flights between Regent and the airline.  And those contracts are proprietary trade information not released to the public.

[rallydave]

On 9/23/2019 at 12:11 PM, shuguley said:

 If you want to save money, do custom air on the return trip only, then Regent will tell you the flight they have selected on your behalf outbound.

The cost for deviation/customer air of $175 pp is the same if you only deviate one way so no savings.  And, the flight they will select is not available until approx 75 days prior to embarkation so unless you wait until that time which lessens your chance of getting on the flights you want, it won't be available when you look for flight where you pay the fee.

[Travelcat2]

However, if you deviate only one way, you receive a credit for the flight(s) that you are not using.

[rallydave]

7 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

However, if you deviate only one way, you receive a credit for the flight(s) that you are not using.

Not necessarily true. Only if you choose to not use the other flight and then you get the credit.  Deviating one way does not mean not taking the other flight.  Deviating allows you to specify either both way flights or one way flight leaving the other way as planned by Regent.  Not taking the Regent planned flight(s) either one way or round trip is not a deviation and costs you nothing extra and you get the credit on your Regent account.

 

You can also get the credit for one way and deviate specifying your flight(s) for the other way.  To be clear deviating one way does not have anything to do with receiving a credit for the flight(s) you are not using as you can choose to use the other flight or not, your choice.

[Travelcat2]

3 hours ago, rallydave said:

Not necessarily true. Only if you choose to not use the other flight and then you get the credit.  Deviating one way does not mean not taking the other flight.  Deviating allows you to specify either both way flights or one way flight leaving the other way as planned by Regent.  Not taking the Regent planned flight(s) either one way or round trip is not a deviation and costs you nothing extra and you get the credit on your Regent account.

 

You can also get the credit for one way and deviate specifying your flight(s) for the other way.  To be clear deviating one way does not have anything to do with receiving a credit for the flight(s) you are not using as you can choose to use the other flight or not, your choice.

 

Hmmmm, a rather complicated way of pretty much saying what I did. We have done this with Regent multiple times and understand how it works (which is why I started the thread about flight deviations). 

 

I was not suggesting that someone deviate one way and wait for Regent to assign them the flights for the other.  I cannot imagine anyone doing that.  Whenever we go into or out of MIA (Miami) we take the air credit and use the credit towards our own flights.   Not suggesting that deviating one way is directly related to air credits but if you do not use Regent Air, whether you are deviating or not, you will receive an air credit.

[rallydave]

2 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

Not suggesting that deviating one way is directly related to air credits but if you do not use Regent Air, whether you are deviating or not, you will receive an air credit.

This too makes no sense..  If you deviate there generally isn't any air credit unless the deviation includes not taking Regent air for the flight on which one does not deviate.  Most but, not all deviations do not result in any air credit.

[Travelcat2]

2 hours ago, rallydave said:

This too makes no sense..  If you deviate there generally isn't any air credit unless the deviation includes not taking Regent air for the flight on which one does not deviate.  Most but, not all deviations do not result in any air credit.

 

That is exactly what I am saying.  It is not unusual to deviate and only use Regent Air one way (especially for those of us that have earned enough loyalty points where we do not pay for Custom Air).  Many Regent passengers do not want to fly coach within the U.S. and Canada so they book their own flights into or out of MIA, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, etc.  The cost to upgrade to First Class using Regent Air is expensive so people take the air credit (50%) and book their own First Class flights.

 

Actually, if what you are saying makes no sense and what I am saying makes no sense, we should simply stop trying to explain.  After all, the information is not for us but for others so it is important that THEY understand.

[rallydave]

57 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

That is exactly what I am saying.  It is not unusual to deviate and only use Regent Air one way (especially for those of us that have earned enough loyalty points where we do not pay for Custom Air).  Many Regent passengers do not want to fly coach within the U.S. and Canada so they book their own flights into or out of MIA, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, etc.  The cost to upgrade to First Class using Regent Air is expensive so people take the air credit (50%) and book their own First Class flights.

 

Actually, if what you are saying makes no sense and what I am saying makes no sense, we should simply stop trying to explain.  Aftedo'r all, the information is not for us but for others so it is important that THEY understand.

Thanks for the clarification.  Since this information is mainly  for newbies, they  don't have loyalty points or care about coach domestically so without the above clarification did not make sense to most travelers.  Understand people take the credit for one way and use the Regent business class  air for the foreign flight to or from the foreign location.

 

This Business one way coach for the domestic flight is almost always for TA's and/or Trans Pacific cruises which make up a very small number of the total cruises so while there are people who deviate and take credit for one way it is an extremely small number of the total passengers and almost none of the newbies seeking information.  This is why the posts were confusing as they lacked the full story we now have and applicable to an extremely small number of the Regent customers and almost none of the newbies this thread is mostly for.

 

This is why I have been clarifying the posts so people would not be confused.   Thanks again for as Paul Harvey used to say the rest of  the story.  

[Travelcat2]

2 hours ago, rallydave said:

Since this information is mainly  for newbies, they  don't have loyalty points or care about coach domestically so without the above clarification did not make sense to most travelers. 

 

Okay - so could you clarify why you think that someone new to Regent would not care about coach domestically?

[rallydave]

7 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

Okay - so could you clarify why you think that someone new to Regent would not care about coach domestically?

Most are happy to get the "free" air fare and would not want to pay any more than they are already paying for the cruise including coach.  The credit for the domestic portion will not come near the cost of first class.  As far as splitting the air it really almost totally applies to Trans Atlantics and trans pacific as I said earlier and that would be in the neighborhood of perhaps 11 or 12 cruises for the soon to be 5 ship fleet so perhaps 120 cruises per year or 10% so not really much.

 

The big problem was that until the post I thanked you for with your limited writing and missing parts of the story, it appears to be incorrect without the additional information and confusing at best.  With approx 10% of the cruises and maybe 10% of the passengers caring about first class that would mean perhaps 1% of the customers you are talking about.  An extremely small audience especially with the posts not being clear as information to make the posts understandable missing.

[Travelcat2]

2 hours ago, rallydave said:

Most are happy to get the "free" air fare and would not want to pay any more than they are already paying for the cruise including coach.  The credit for the domestic portion will not come near the cost of first class.  As far as splitting the air it really almost totally applies to Trans Atlantics and trans pacific as I said earlier and that would be in the neighborhood of perhaps 11 or 12 cruises for the soon to be 5 ship fleet so perhaps 120 cruises per year or 10% so not really much.

 

The big problem was that until the post I thanked you for with your limited writing and missing parts of the story, it appears to be incorrect without the additional information and confusing at best.  With approx 10% of the cruises and maybe 10% of the passengers caring about first class that would mean perhaps 1% of the customers you are talking about.  An extremely small audience especially with the posts not being clear as information to make the posts understandable missing.

 

Not surprising but we are still not communicating very well.  First, we do not care about First Class but that is what is offered on flights to/from YVR (Vancouver) to MIA.  There is simply no/few Business Class flights.  In my experience, many people book their own flights when flying within the U.S. (if they are not booking flights that do not have stops within the U.S.)  And, In my opinion (based on years on CC), newbies read about "free" Business Class flights and also try to figure out a way to upgrade.

 

So, In my opinion, when it comes to flights within the U.S., I would say that 80% of Regent customers care so much about not flying Coach, that they either upgrade with Regent or book their own flights.  Note:  People within a couple of hours of MIA, and can get a non-stop flight may decide that they could put up with Coach (we are not amongst those people).

[UUNetBill]

14 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

So, In my opinion, when it comes to flights within the U.S., I would say that 80% of Regent customers care so much about not flying Coach, that they either upgrade with Regent or book their own flights.  Note:  People within a couple of hours of MIA, and can get a non-stop flight may decide that they could put up with Coach (we are not amongst those people).

We’re in Upstate SC, a 2:05 hour flight to Miami.  We booked FC for several reasons - one, there were non-stop flights down from our local airport (GSP,  although we chose a connection through CLT so we could fly down with my mothers & her husband), two, the baggage fees help offset the price difference, and three, priority boarding starts and ends a nice cruise on the proper note.  Roomier seats and a drink or two just sweeten the deal.

[orvil]

ATL-AMS-MXP last week.  We booked the change in Amsterdam in order to avoid JFK.  Transfer was seamless.  Very easy.  

 

As an long time airline employee let me advise you to avoid JFK and LGA at any and all costs.  It's just not worth it.

[mrstanley]

orvil:  Did Regent book your flights? Did you pay any $$ towards that flight from Atlanta???

[Travelcat2]

On 9/23/2019 at 2:23 PM, mrstanley said:

Has anyone had Regent charge them an extra fee for flying Delta through Atlanta? I was told by my TA that it could be

a $1,000 charge. 

 

I would not accept that response from a TA.  If they do not "know" that it would cost $1,000, they should not communicate that information to their clients but rather should check with Regent.  That way you will have a definitive answer.