Air deviations and schedules

[goletans]

We are seasoned Oceania cruisers, but unseasoned pandemic travelers. For upcoming cruises we've booked, we're pretty sure we want Oceania to handle the flights. To make an intelligent decision regarding custom air and the associated fees and cost increases, we asked our TA what flights Oceania is including on the various options - economy, premium, business classes. We were told that these details are only shared if we wait until the last minute when air schedules are given to travelers and that part of the $175 fee is knowing early. Our cruises are February and April 2022. Shouldn't Oceania have these flight set now? We would hate to pay for custom air now only to find out later that we would have been assigned the same flight schedule had we not requested custom air. 

Looking forward to your seasoned advice.

 

 

 

 

[Flharleygirl]

Hi - I'm on the 10/28/21 Riviera sailing out of Venice and I paid for custom air. My flight schedule has changed 5 times now over the past few months, due to cancellations for covid air chaos. I was able to find - and get - new flights I wanted and my TA (God bless her) was able to get O to get them for me. A friend on the cruise however, without custom air, said the O air schedule also has changed numerous times but the flights they assigned her are horrid, with multiple connections and terrible connection times. 

I do not see the flight situation changing by your cruise, although I could of course be wrong. To me, the custom air fee is worth it to choose my own flights but everyone has to make their own decision. Good luck!

[Hlitner]

"O" may or may not know the schedules.  In many cases the cruise lines (actually their air sub contractor) enter into contracts with various airlines for X number of seats on certain routes.  The actual flights may not be determined until a much later date (closer to the trip) based on capacity algorithms used by the airlines.  This means that a cruiser might get great flights of they may get less desirable routings that have more available space.

 

I guess it could be said that if you let "O" or its contractor determine your flight schedule you get "pot luck."  If you want more of a guarantee you either pay the $175 price or just do your own air.

 

Hank 

[goletans]

Due to COVID we are leaning heavily towards using Oceania for the flights. We STILL are owed money from British Airways for business class seat selections for flights that were canceled in 2020. Amazingly, we were refunded the cost of the flights, but BA refuses to refund the hundreds of dollars we paid to select seats. No, this makes no sense. But this is part of the reason we likely won't do our own air.

 

Flharleygirl, it sounds like by paying the $175 fee that you are getting better service from Oceania. 

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, goletans said:

Due to COVID we are leaning heavily towards using Oceania for the flights. We STILL are owed money from British Airways for business class seat selections for flights that were canceled in 2020. Amazingly, we were refunded the cost of the flights, but BA refuses to refund the hundreds of dollars we paid to select seats. No, this makes no sense. But this is part of the reason we likely won't do our own air.

 

Flharleygirl, it sounds like by paying the $175 fee that you are getting better service from Oceania. 

Have you considered requesting a "charge back" from your credit card company?  At this point they might refuse because of all the time that has passed, but we have usually found the major credit card companies quite helpful in this kind of situation.  When Czech Air refused to immediately refund our money for a flight that they cancelled (with no alternative) we quickly filed a claim with Chase (on the phone) and had our money back in our credit card account within an hour.

 

I will admit that when we book Business Class we put Brit Air at the bottom of our list.  We only book them as a last resort as their policy on advanced seat assignments is the worst of any major airline throughout the entire world.

 

Hank

[goletans]

We did try the credit card company - Chase. As it was 90 days past the purchase, they would not help. No more BA for us!

[dj_crusin]

3 hours ago, goletans said:

…….Our cruises are February and April 2022. Shouldn't Oceania have these flight set now? We would hate to pay for custom air now only to find out later that we would have been assigned the same flight schedule had we not requested custom air. 

Looking forward to your seasoned advice.

We are booked on the Riviera in November.  We received our flights 75 days in advance and were ticketed 60 days before our sail date. We are very happy with our flights (ATL-FCO) and have our fingers crossed. I might mention that the dates mentioned are from the cruise date and do not include an early departure for an Oceania land tour.

Dan

Edited October 4, 2021 by dj_crusin

[mauibabes]

We always fly in early for every cruise, travel is stressful these days without adding the worry if we are going to arrive in time to board the ship and sail. When we book our Oceania Air, we always pay the Air Deviation fee of $175 pp.,  now based on our level, that fee is waived by Oceania.  We book flights anywhere from 270 to 75 days out and are usually purchased by Oceania about the 60 day mark.  We have been able to work with our travel agent and the Oceania Air Dept. to review our flight options and routes as we refuse to do red eye flights and jumping on board the ship. This aging body does not do well without sleep. 

Mauibabes 

 

[goletans]

We usually fly in early, too, and have pre cruise adventures. We would like to arrive a day early for a pre cruise land tour, and stay at the hotel that Oceania will use at the start of that tour. Will Oceania arrange the hotel stay as well as the air deviation, and will transfers be included? So far Oceania will only offer one air schedule as the deviation choice. Of course, their offer is not the one we prefer. 

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, goletans said:

We did try the credit card company - Chase. As it was 90 days past the purchase, they would not help. No more BA for us!

That is a real bummer :(.  A few years ago we also got burned (by a different credit card) who hid behind the law.  I learned, the hard way, that when we have an issue we immediately open up a case with the credit card company and tell them that we are in the process of pursuing direct options to get our money back.   Our friends across the "pond" like to tell us how they have very good consumer protection rules but we are not convinced.  Rules and laws are not effective when the enforcement is lax.   I will give you a suggestion with no guarantee that it will bear fruit...but we would try.  There is a consumer advocate named Chris Elliott who has a small organization that routinely gets involved in this kind of case (or makes some suggestions).  He (and his organization) do not charge for their help and they do have some clout.  Here is a link to his web site and you can find the contact information.  Yours is the kind of case that will often get their interest (and help):

About Elliott Advocacy - Elliott Advocacy

 

Hank

 

[goletans]

Thank you, Hank!

[WESTEAST]

We mostly never use O air unless it is a short distance air trip. However, with Covid we've decided to use O air on the inbound flight with the promotional upgrade to Premium Economy for our flight in 2022 and 2023. We will pay deviation fee as we like to arrive a day (or more) prior to embarking. For our outbound flight, we will book ourselves a Business class ticket or, with our TA.  At this time, we feel better to have Oceania take care of our air for our return flight in the event of a Covid event.

We have booked a pre-cruise land tour with Oceania for 2022 which includes transfers (the detail write-up states this). In the past, we have stayed at an Oceania hotel pre-Cruise which included transfers (private car at airport to hotel and a bus for group from ship to airport) - everything went very smoothly.

[Kate-AHF]

11 hours ago, WESTEAST said:

We mostly never use O air unless it is a short distance air trip. However, with Covid we've decided to use O air on the inbound flight with the promotional upgrade to Premium Economy for our flight in 2022 and 2023. We will pay deviation fee as we like to arrive a day (or more) prior to embarking. For our outbound flight, we will book ourselves a Business class ticket or, with our TA.  At this time, we feel better to have Oceania take care of our air for our return flight in the event of a Covid event.

We have booked a pre-cruise land tour with Oceania for 2022 which includes transfers (the detail write-up states this). In the past, we have stayed at an Oceania hotel pre-Cruise which included transfers (private car at airport to hotel and a bus for group from ship to airport) - everything went very smoothly.

 

Pre and post cruise land tours are a much better value than the pre-cruise hotel, it seems. 

 

We did a post-cruise land tour and included transfers (obviously) and felt it offered very good value.  Quite simply, the post-cruise tour was a great experience. 

 

For this fall, I asked my TA to book us for a one night pre-cruise hotel stay, because the hotel was great, it shaved off some of the planning with transfers and i could just.... veg.  Until my TA informed me that one night pre-cruise in Rome with transfer was.... wait for it.... $840.  Um, no. 

 

We will stay in an exciting new boutique hotel in the Jewish quarter, easy walking to many great restaurants, and the hotel will arrange for xfer to the pier.  Massively less than $840.  I don't mind paying a premium for convenience, but that price was just beyond what is reasonable.

[mauibabes]

Kate,

I agree, the “$ticker $hock” is hard to comprehend but…while we have never used the O hotel a friend who valued being cared for vs. planning and booking and rebooking changes decided to try it.  There are definitely benefits as it INCLUDED the Air Deviation Fee so $350 was covered, a meet and greet by a driver, transfer to the very nice 5 Star hotel, and transfer to the ship/port. Your transfers from Flumencio and to Civitavechia to the port and Air Deviation can reduce your hotel cost significantly, especially in very expensive cities. 
Travel  safe, Mauibabes 

[Kate-AHF]

27 minutes ago, mauibabes said:

Kate,

I agree, the “$ticker $hock” is hard to comprehend but…while we have never used the O hotel a friend who valued being cared for vs. planning and booking and rebooking changes decided to try it.  There are definitely benefits as it INCLUDED the Air Deviation Fee so $350 was covered, a meet and greet by a driver, transfer to the very nice 5 Star hotel, and transfer to the ship/port. Your transfers from Flumencio and to Civitavechia to the port and Air Deviation can reduce your hotel cost significantly, especially in very expensive cities. 
Travel  safe, Mauibabes 

 

That's very good information - and thank you very much for posting this.  And those included fees should be widely advertised by O.

 

 Doesn't apply to us, as we will never use O air until they get real about bus. class, and we are arriving via train from another part of Italy.  BUT!!! the included air deviation makes up for the overall cost, and the one night price commensurate with the inclusions.

[mauibabes]

We have been very successful with O Air to Europe from the West Coast with Premium Economy seating.  I just don’t have the miles to get discount Business Class so we tough it out in PE.  We have never had bad connections and I refuse to hop across the US to Europe so our SFO pond jump works out great. In these times of constant change and indecision, it is easier sometimes to let the Oceania Air Department shoulder the flight burden and get us there with days to spare.  I look at it as an option.  Many times we have elected for O Air AND booked private flights, especially with No Change Fees in play. The flying game is ever changing. 
Mauibabes
 

[goletans]

3 hours ago, mauibabes said:

Kate,

I agree, the “$ticker $hock” is hard to comprehend but…while we have never used the O hotel a friend who valued being cared for vs. planning and booking and rebooking changes decided to try it.  There are definitely benefits as it INCLUDED the Air Deviation Fee so $350 was covered, a meet and greet by a driver, transfer to the very nice 5 Star hotel, and transfer to the ship/port. Your transfers from Flumencio and to Civitavechia to the port and Air Deviation can reduce your hotel cost significantly, especially in very expensive cities. 
Travel  safe, Mauibabes 

WOW! Really! Decades of cruising with Oceania and I have never heard about this!

[goletans]

Following up on this "$ticker $hock" information, my TA just called with an Oceania rep on the phone that was adamant that the air deviation fee would not be included as a benefit to using an O hotel.  Now I'm sad again.

[mauibabes]

Interesting, my friend sails Miami to Miami over Christmas on Riviera and is staying at the Oceania hotel, “East” and their booking has them traveling the day prior, includes transfers and there was no Air Deviation Fee on their Statement.  Maybe it was a unique situation and booking on their part.  All we can do is ask when we are exploring that Oceania Hotel option. It could be that it may not show up yet because no flights had been selected. We shall follow up with them soon.  
Gerry

[goletans]

Maybe they are at least Gold Club members?

[Jancruz]

3 minutes ago, mauibabes said:

Interesting, my friend sails Miami to Miami over Christmas on Riviera and is staying at the Oceania hotel, “East” and their booking has them traveling the day prior, includes transfers and there was no Air Deviation Fee on their Statement.  Maybe it was a unique situation and booking on their part.  All we can do is ask when we are exploring that Oceania Hotel option. It could be that it may not show up yet because no flights had been selected. We shall follow up with them soon.  
Gerry

Thats the advantage of using an Oceania hotel..there is no deviation charge and you also get  transfers..Thats why an Oceania hotel is always a better price than it looks..

Jancruz1

[goletans]

Jancruz, where may we see this benefit? That O rep was adamant that the air deviation fee would not be included as a benefit to using an O hotel. 

[Jancruz]

40 minutes ago, goletans said:

Jancruz, where may we see this benefit? That O rep was adamant that the air deviation fee would not be included as a benefit to using an O hotel. 

Let me check to see where it is in writing..

[Jancruz]

6 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

Let me check to see where it is in writing..

I dont know where it is in writing  but I was correct..UNLESS you asked for specific flights,(which they call custom air)  if you are staying at O's hotel with Oceania air there is NO deviation fee..The person you were talking to was incorrect..

Jancruz1

Edited October 5, 2021 by Jancruz

[lorimay]

Our upcoming cruise is our first on Oceania so he first time we have used Oceania custom air. We have always booked our own air in the past but with the covid craziness we decided to go for it. They have been incredibly responsive. We're on our fourth airline now between MIA and Rome/Venice due to crazy schedule changes by the airlines. Custom air is prompt and efficient. And considering the "rack rate" for premium economy on our return flight from Venice on Iberia (best route/times for us) is over $2000 per person, the price we paid is a bargain.