Air Plus flight changes with no notification

[broker1217]

I wanted to share my experience with Air Plus.

We normally book our own air because we prefer to have control over everything from our airline, scheduling and seats. 

However, we used Viking Air for our next cruise (February 2022). We paid $50 pp to use Air Plus so we could have some say in the airline and scheduling, based on everything I had learned here on CC.

 

I called Viking Air last month and booked our preferred flights. They showed up in my AA account as on request (not ticketed) and MVJ showed nothing, other than I would be ticketed by November 8.

Over the weekend I was reviewing all my AA flights and when I looked at my record locator for this trip----it had been changed to United flights. I received no notification.

I called Air Plus today and was told that this was due to AA either cancelling a flight or changing equipment. Viking's 'robot' (agents term, not mine) then booked us on United as that is who they are contracted with.

Additionally, the air that we paid for this cruise is now being offered as 'free air'. I get that---things change and we are fine with that.

But--I was informed that to get my original AA flights back would incur $47 pp additional charge.

 

After some discussion she waived the $47 pp extra fee and we are back to our original AA flights. They are still not ticketed so we cannot request seat upgrades or upgrades to business.

 

After checking my original AA itinerary (the one Viking said had a cancellation/equipment change that prompted the automatic re-booking on United)---there were no changes to times, flight numbers, or equipment. 

 

So--be aware that those flights you think you have booked via Air Plus can be cancelled without notification even if there have been no changes to the flight number, times or equipment. I honestly did not think this was a possibility so just want to let others know what can happen. 

[FlyerTalker]

Simple rules to remember:

 

1) Until such time that you are a ticketed airline passenger, meaning you have a 13 digit ticket number, you have only a "reservation" which can be changed by the booking party (aka cruiseline).

 

2) Even after you have been ticketed, your flights, dates, times and seats can be altered by the operating carrier due to schedule changes or operational requirements.

[broker1217]

We travel 20-40 segments per year so we are fully aware of flight and equipment changes. We deal with them frequently.

My point is to only let others know that your Air Plus request is not fully ticketed until maybe 60 days out, and it may be changed without your notification. By change I mean airline, flight times, routing, seats, etc.

So keep an eye on your booking once it is ticketed. And if you think you have booked it 9 months prior---make sure you have a ticket number as you may only have a theoretical booking that is pending or on request.

Additionally, Viking Air Plus may want to charge you additional fees to revert back to the original booking (for which you paid the $50-100 pp Air Plus fee).

Clearly, using Viking for air does not work for us as we prefer to be in control of our booking with complete visibility.

 

[broker1217]

Additionally--not super happy with Viking telling me the change of our flights was due to AA making a change/cancellation. That is 100% not true. Nothing has changed.

For whatever reason, Viking cancelled the flights I paid $50 pp to book. Without notification and then wanted me to pay more $$ to get back the original flights.

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, broker1217 said:

We travel 20-40 segments per year so we are fully aware of flight and equipment changes. We deal with them frequently.

My point is to only let others know that your Air Plus request is not fully ticketed until maybe 60 days out, and it may be changed without your notification. By change I mean airline, flight times, routing, seats, etc.

So keep an eye on your booking once it is ticketed. And if you think you have booked it 9 months prior---make sure you have a ticket number as you may only have a theoretical booking that is pending or on request.

Additionally, Viking Air Plus may want to charge you additional fees to revert back to the original booking (for which you paid the $50-100 pp Air Plus fee).

Clearly, using Viking for air does not work for us as we prefer to be in control of our booking with complete visibility.

 

Broker1217 - I truly feel for your situation and thank you for pointing yet another issue with Viking Air out to us all.   We also like to book our own flights if possible now - partly because we have had nothing but problems with Viking Air Plus.   

It always amazes me how so many people sing high praises for VAP, but I don't understand why.  About the only time I'd use VAP anymore is if they offer free air (and even then probably  not).   The issues come really in the fact that you cannot get ticketed until close to flying (like 60 days) and anything can happen before then.

We are veteran travelers as well and have flown quite often - having this part of the trip in your control is paramount to us.   The only upside in VAP I can even see in COVID times is that in theory Viking will handle things in case of issues when traveling to the cruise ship, if you use VAP.  Other issues with a VAP ticket:  cannot try for upgrades until ticketed; often biz and prem econ are not even offered on airline contracts, airline contracts change constantly (possibly what happened to you?) these days.    This isn't even considering that airlines are changing schedules and itineraries all the time up to the flight date, so some of the blame is not on Viking, but just the situation we are in.  I still will avoid Viking Air whenever possible, however.

Edited October 12, 2021 by CCWineLover

[broker1217]

Amen CCWineLover. Until we are actually ticketed we cannot upgrade our seats or get on the upgrade list for first class.

We are really kicking ourselves on this. The air was only $199 and we took it because it allowed us to fly in on the day of embarkation and included the transfers. We figured we would pay for Air Plus and get on our preferred carrier.

In the end--we could have booked our own air for the same price and had control over the scheduling and seats and upgrades. Shame on us for trying to cheap out and get the free airport transfers--ughhh.

Lesson learned. I seriously don't understand how folks deal with having the cruise line control their air arrangements. 

 

[Peregrina651]

22 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

It always amazes me how so many people sing high praises for VAP,

 

 

Because honestly, pre-pandemic, my dealings with VAP had always been hassle free. I got the flights I wanted and never ran into anything like broker1217 has reported.  At worst, there were some minor changes with flight times. At the same time, I wasn't planning on upgrading my ticket or anything else, so my needs were not as complicated. That is why I can say that I have been happy with VAP.

 

Then there are those who don't feel comfortable making their own air arrangements. They aren't seasoned travellers and VAP provides a certain level of ease and comfort, getting them from airport to airport to ship and home again.

 

However, I do see changes in the kinds of things people are reporting about their dealings. While I am not exactly thrilled with what they are saying, I am happy that people are sharing their recent experiences with us so that we know what we can expect as consumers. And I hope that they are sharing these same issues with Viking at tellus@vikingcruises.com, so that our concerns might be addressed.

[broker1217]

Peregrina--to be honest, part of the reason we used Viking Air on this trip was to get the transfers and make it an easier process. We wanted to arrive day of embarkation and know that Viking was responsible for getting us on the ship on time.

Normally we would fly in a day early to allow for weather/crew/equipment delays.

 

I understand flight time changes, and equipment changes. We deal with that on a regular basis.

But to pay extra to choose your flights, only to have them changed with no notice--that is really poor.

 

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, broker1217 said:

We wanted to arrive day of embarkation and know that Viking was responsible for getting us on the ship on time.

 

Hah!!  You say you are an experienced traveler, but you still believe the "they will get me to my cruise" hype.

 

1 hour ago, broker1217 said:

Normally we would fly in a day early to allow for weather/crew/equipment delays.

 

So somehow, if Viking arranges your air, those weather/crew/equipment delays will never happen??  Or will Viking somehow miraculously create seats on other aircraft for you to use?  Or make replacement aircraft appear out of nowhere?

 

Somehow I am missing your logic.

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, broker1217 said:

But to pay extra to choose your flights, only to have them changed with no notice--that is really poor.

 

Totally agree with you. Glad you shared your story. If it helps just one person in their dealings with VAP, it will have served its purpose.

[philw1776]

Covid has broken nearly everything.
Week before my Malta flight I decided to become a United member because I need to ensure that the airline has me booked. I noticed that my United flight to Boston had been changed to leave NJ an hour before the Lufthansa shuttle from Malta arrived. No notification by anyone. Informed TA and Viking Air Plus changed our return flights.
Day of departure, I happened to log onto email to see email from United that they cancelled my 3:30PM flight to NJ and put us on their 12 noon flight. No text. Had I not looked...Problem was wife away at hairdresser and my ride could not come earlier. Fortunately for the 1st time ever we were packed. Called Viking Air Emergency who tried to get us on a later Lufthansa flight from Boston but United would not release our 12 noon ticket. After calling local airport ride companies and learning that Covid caused them to cease operations, I went through list of neighbors until we got our 1 hour to the airport ride. Stress.
Then we were unable to check in at United kiosk despite 45 minutes of help from very nice United employees. They eventually gave up and just rushed us to the head of the TSA line. OK a now 7 hour wait at NJ for our Lufthansa flight to Malta. Malta & Viking reception was friendly and smooth. Great cruise.
But after that high blood pressure experience I'm resting from international travel until 2022. Got my 2 2021 cruises in thankfully.

 

Edited October 12, 2021 by philw1776

[Twitchly]

5 minutes ago, philw1776 said:

Covid has broken nearly everything.
Week before my Malta flight I decided to become a United member because I need to ensure that the airline has me booked. I noticed that my United flight to Boston left NJ an hour before the Lufthansa shuttle from Malta arrived. No notification by anyone. Informed TA and Viking Air Plus changed our return flights.
Day of departure, I happened to log onto email to see email from United that they cancelled my 3:30PM flight to NJ and put us on their 12 noon flight. No text. Had I not looked...Problem was wife away at hairdresser and my ride could not come earlier. Fortunately for the 1st time ever we were packed. Called Viking Air Emergency who tried to get us on a later Lufthansa flight from Boston but United would not release our 12 noon ticket. After calling local airport ride companies and learning that Covid caused them to cease operations, I went through list of neighbors until we got our 1 hour to the airport ride. Stress.
Then we were unable to check in at United kiosk despite 45 minutes of help from very nice United employees. They eventually gave up and just rushed us to the head of the TSA line. OK a now 7 hour wait at NJ for our Lufthansa flight to Malta. Malta & Viking reception was friendly and smooth. Great cruise.
But after that high blood pressure experience I'm resting from international travel until 2022. Got my 2 2021 cruises in thankfully.

 

Wow. United moved your flight time three hours forward on the day of your departure?? That’s shriekworthy. 
 

I’m also impressed that your wife goes to the hairdresser just hours before takeoff. 😄 She has more intestinal fortitude than I.

[philw1776]

Well her appointment was 9AM and flight was supposed to be 3:30PM. Plenty of time...so we thought.

 

[dreamercruise]

15 hours ago, broker1217 said:

Peregrina--to be honest, part of the reason we used Viking Air on this trip was to get the transfers and make it an easier process. We wanted to arrive day of embarkation and know that Viking was responsible for getting us on the ship on time.

Normally we would fly in a day early to allow for weather/crew/equipment delays.

 

If you arrive on the day of embarkation, you can purchase air transfer from Viking. Similarly, if you fly back home on day of disembarkation, you can purchase air transfer from Viking as well.  I always arranged my on air. For my upcoming trip, I shall use Viking transfer to board ship.  At end of cruise, I shall take extension tour, so I do not need transfer.

sometimes, I either request airport transfer one to two days before end of cruise or ask Viking staff to get us a taxi to the airport, all done while onboard. Charge varies from $50-$75 pp each way, but can be more now.

[broker1217]

Sorry--should have been more clear. The Viking Air was the same price as booking ourselves, so we  thought we would try it out and utilize the free transfers.

Totally not worth saving the price of 2 Ubers/taxi rides.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, broker1217 said:

Sorry--should have been more clear. The Viking Air was the same price as booking ourselves, so we  thought we would try it out and utilize the free transfers.

Totally not worth saving the price of 2 Ubers/taxi rides.

 

TANSTAAFL

[broker1217]

Lol--so true! 

We are just hoping this gets ticketed soon so we can get better seats and get on the upgrade list.

Clearly, Air Plus does not work for us.

And this was domestic NS between major hubs.

I can't imagine letting someone else control the booking for a multi-leg trip to Europe/Asia.

 

 

[rbslos18]

25 minutes ago, broker1217 said:

Lol--so true! 

We are just hoping this gets ticketed soon so we can get better seats and get on the upgrade list.

Clearly, Air Plus does not work for us.

And this was domestic NS between major hubs.

I can't imagine letting someone else control the booking for a multi-leg trip to Europe/Asia.

 

 

I could write a book. 11 itineraries involving 6 airlines. The knowledge base of the obviously new hires is wide. The final VAP rep  I had was a pro. The itinerary has yet to change in a few weeks. one other component not mentioned. Some changes are computer generated due to changes in an airline schedule.

[JeriGail]

I must have one of the few Air Plus success stories.  I have not traveled much recently so I don't have airlines points or miles.  Plus, I've never been to Europe, so I wanted Viking to arrange my flights.  My cruise had free airfare so I added Air plus.  I live in Cedar Rapids, IA, so I don't have many flight options.  First go around, I got my first pick.  When American canceled the flight to Barcelona, the computer generated route had connections that were too tight for me, so I emailed my TA with the routing I wanted and Viking changed to that one.  I have seats in the location I asked for and was able to upgrade to economy plus (no premium economy on that flight).  I'm happy.

[CCWineLover]

1 minute ago, JeriGail said:

I must have one of the few Air Plus success stories.  I have not traveled much recently so I don't have airlines points or miles.  Plus, I've never been to Europe, so I wanted Viking to arrange my flights.  My cruise had free airfare so I added Air plus.  I live in Cedar Rapids, IA, so I don't have many flight options.  First go around, I got my first pick.  When American canceled the flight to Barcelona, the computer generated route had connections that were too tight for me, so I emailed my TA with the routing I wanted and Viking changed to that one.  I have seats in the location I asked for and was able to upgrade to economy plus (no premium economy on that flight).  I'm happy.

Great, Jeri!   Let's hope there are no further changes for you!  I'm glad it worked out for someone.

I will still not use Viking Air again unless necessary.  Maybe because I've flown so much the past 40 years and dealt with so many issues, that I feel having at least some control over it works best for me.

[deec]

We used Viking Air for  our new cruises because although we DID eventually get all of our self  booked DELTA flights ( there were 3)  reimbursed once Covid set in, it was a nightmare!!!   But using Viking Air we have NOT been able to get business class to SA!!  Still working on it!

[JeriGail]

30 minutes ago, deec said:

We used Viking Air for  our new cruises because although we DID eventually get all of our self  booked DELTA flights ( there were 3)  reimbursed once Covid set in, it was a nightmare!!!   But using Viking Air we have NOT been able to get business class to SA!!  Still working on it!

That's one of the main reasons I wanted to use Viking - no worries about cancellations.

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, deec said:

But using Viking Air we have NOT been able to get business class to SA!!  Still working on it!

 

And you may never get it.  And if you do, it may be a ticket purchased on the spot market for what you would be charged by the airline directly.

 

On any given day, there is only so much lift into SCL from the USA.  DL from ATL, UA from IAH and AA from JFK, MIA and DFW.  Call it roughly 200 business class seats in total.  Now, how many of those would you think an airline would sell at a discounted rate to a cruiseline?  On a "cruise day", demand goes up, yet supply is fixed.  Any cruiseline will face an inventory crunch.

[janetcbl]

We used Viking Air once, years ago. Since then we have booked our own flights because I want control over airlines, flights, times, etc. For our up coming trip in 2022, beginning in London, we plan to arrive the day before departure, stay overnight at a hotel adjoining the terminal and joining up with the Viking transfer the next day from the airport to the ship. Seems simple enough, will be interesting to see how it actually works out!

[vslparis]

4 hours ago, janetcbl said:

We used Viking Air once, years ago. Since then we have booked our own flights because I want control over airlines, flights, times, etc. For our up coming trip in 2022, beginning in London, we plan to arrive the day before departure, stay overnight at a hotel adjoining the terminal and joining up with the Viking transfer the next day from the airport to the ship. Seems simple enough, will be interesting to see how it actually works out!

It should work out fine; we have done this several times.  Just remember to request your arrival transfers by filling out the Transfer Request Form found in My Viking Journey and sending it to the email address listed .  I find it less confusing for them if you just say on the form that you are arriving the day of embarkation 😉.  They say that it should be done at least 30 days prior .  I would also double check and make sure that it is on the booking ; more important for the arrival than departure as you can check that ( or arrange for that ) on board.