First time I saw this...

[Squawkman]

I usually check the Viking website at the beginning of each month to see if there were any new sailings added, price changes, etc. I noticed all Iceland’s Majestic Landscapes cruises now show airfare from $1,299 - an increase of $300 as it was $999 last month and in August when I booked.  I’ve seen fares change up and down, and once air reduced - but never an air increase. Glad I booked when I did.

[johneb2]

Actually it is not that unusual.   When Viking offers air fares is usually based upon a lockdown purchase price of a given amount of seats.   When those seats are all purchased, they have to secure additional ones which could easily mean a change in price as you have noted.  Your airfare price is usually not finalized until you have paid the trip in full.

[Squawkman]

To date, I have only booked the basic Viking air. The price is listed on the web, and that price has always been finalized at booking regardless of when I embark on the cruise. I assume it’s different if you use air plus, upgrade on your own, etc. - but that has never been my case for every cruise I’ve taken, had cancelled, or booked now for the future.

[Cienfuegos]

Viking Air will buy blocks of seats from airlines, usually from their " US gateway" cities to transfer points in Europe.  When my wife and I went to Norway, we were scheduled by Viking on Austrian Air out of Miami to Frankfurt, and on to Oslo. About three weeks before departure, the itinerary was swapped to Lufthansa / Frankfurt.  About 40 people.  No price change.

 

Lufthansa controls Austrian Air, so the revenue stayed in house.

[CCWineLover]

5 hours ago, Squawkman said:

I usually check the Viking website at the beginning of each month to see if there were any new sailings added, price changes, etc. I noticed all Iceland’s Majestic Landscapes cruises now show airfare from $1,299 - an increase of $300 as it was $999 last month and in August when I booked.  I’ve seen fares change up and down, and once air reduced - but never an air increase. Glad I booked when I did.

Viking is very demand pricing oriented.

I've wanted to do the Iceland trip, but it always appears to be the most popular in demand cruise, so I'm not surprised.  The transatlantic cruises, on the other hand, don't seem as popular, and you can get great deals on them, before and after COVID.

Demand and supply rules.  Companies are too sophisticated now and can figure out how much they can charge and make depending on how many people are interested.  This is the future - NOW.    Everywhere.

 

Edited October 2, 2020 by CCWineLover