O Life Air Travel Question

[goletans]

21 hours ago, Psoque said:

That's good to know, I guess.  I asked this question because there was a post somewhere by someone who thought somehow air deviation fee combined with (an outrageously inflated) cost of the hotel booked through the curise lines makes it somehow justified.

Some clarification here. If  you request a specific air itinerary  the deviation fee would apply even if you add a night or 2 or 3 at Oceania's hotel. 

[PhD-iva]

On 9/21/2022 at 9:21 AM, pinotlover said:

Oceania provides certain services as convenience to its passengers. Those services typically come with highly inflated prices. There are passengers that need those services. 
 

Oceania has many very elderly customers that are both physically and mentally frail. They need that person, or their helper, holding the O sign to get their luggage off the conveyor belt, almost hold their hand as they lead them to the van/bus, and get them to their hotel, then the ship. Most of them would never book a cruise if they had to manage those tasks themselves.

 

Same as with Oceania’s grossly overpriced shore tours. Those same passengers don’t typically get off the ship unless Mother Oceania takes their hand and leads them somewhere. A couple years back we boarded in Copenhagen and I helped a very elderly lady walk two blocks to see the Little Mermaid. She was thrilled. Mother Oceania didn’t have any shorex for continuing passengers that day,  therefore they weren’t getting off the ship until I volunteered to take her. My wife stayed with the husband.

 

Fortunately, many of us are still capable of arranging our own air, pre bookings our own hotels, and arranging our own tours. There is another subset of Oceania customers where those tasks now exceeds their capacities. We had dinner one night with a couple that clearly said their adult children take them to the airport, get them checked in, and delivered to Security. If they can make it to their plane and final airport, everything else is handled for them. Those Oceania provided conveniences keep them cruising, not financial considerations.

This is SO true. And, I am haf’ way there! 😇

[kjbacon]

Just booked our 2nd Oceania cruise and this thread is so helpful, thank you all!

 

How does it work if I choose the shorex perk? Do I select my 9 included ones (aka the most expensive) or is there a certain guideline in place?

[PhD-iva]

3 hours ago, kjbacon said:

Just booked our 2nd Oceania cruise and this thread is so helpful, thank you all!

 

How does it work if I choose the shorex perk? Do I select my 9 included ones (aka the most expensive) or is there a certain guideline in place?

Omigosh. FF has posted dozens of times on strategic selection. The search function is your friend!

We need a sticky thread at the top of the O forum. Moderator, please?

Edited September 24, 2022 by PhD-iva
Add

[kjbacon]

3 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

Omigosh. FF has posted dozens of times on strategic selection. The search function is your friend!

We need a sticky thread at the top of the O forum. Moderator, please?

Thank you but I’m not asking for a strategy. If you read my post carefully, you will see that I’m asking what the guidelines are for selecting shorex (for example, is there a price cap).

 

In your opinion, how many topics that are active right now have never been covered before?

[PhD-iva]

4 minutes ago, kjbacon said:

Thank you but I’m not asking for a strategy. If you read my post carefully, you will see that I’m asking what the guidelines are for selecting shorex (for example, is there a price cap).

This is EXACTLY what FF covers in his dozens of exhaustive posts on this topic. Along w many other tips as well.

And I did read your post carefully. TY.

Edited September 24, 2022 by PhD-iva
Edit

[pinotlover]

3 hours ago, kjbacon said:

Just booked our 2nd Oceania cruise and this thread is so helpful, thank you all!

 

How does it work if I choose the shorex perk? Do I select my 9 included ones (aka the most expensive) or is there a certain guideline in place?

A very quick read of Oceania’s FAQ will give you the answer. Any listed tour EXCEPT those designated by OS, OE, or any private vehicle is included. Therefore, it is not necessarily price, it is the tour designation.

 

Hope that helps.

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, kjbacon said:

Just booked our 2nd Oceania cruise and this thread is so helpful, thank you all!

 

How does it work if I choose the shorex perk? Do I select my 9 included ones (aka the most expensive) or is there a certain guideline in place?

In the T & C  it explains the tours  allowed

Speculation is tours  $200 USD  is the max price

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/legal/promotion-terms/

OLife Choice free shore excursions vary by voyage and exclude Oceania Select, Oceania Exclusive, Executive Collection, Food & Wine Trails, Wellness Discovery Tours by Aquamar, Go Local and Culinary Discovery Tours.

[kjbacon]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

A very quick read of Oceania’s FAQ will give you the answer. Any listed tour EXCEPT those designated by OS, OE, or any private vehicle is included. Therefore, it is not necessarily price, it is the tour designation.

 

Hope that helps.

 

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

In the T & C  it explains the tours  allowed

Speculation is tours  $200 USD  is the max price

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/legal/promotion-terms/

OLife Choice free shore excursions vary by voyage and exclude Oceania Select, Oceania Exclusive, Executive Collection, Food & Wine Trails, Wellness Discovery Tours by Aquamar, Go Local and Culinary Discovery Tours.

Thank you both so much, exactly what I was hoping to learn. We took our first Oceania cruise earlier this year and loved it so we are very excited to sail on Vista!

[Robjame]

One more thing about O Air. We leave it active on our booking until final payment. No cost to this and it is sort of an insurance policy as a fall back position.

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, Robjame said:

One more thing about O Air. We leave it active on our booking until final payment. No cost to this and it is sort of an insurance policy as a fall back position.

only one issue with that if you want to deviate  the good flights are booked up by then

JMO

[Robjame]

10 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

only one issue with that if you want to deviate  the good flights are booked up by then

JMO

Quite true but you have to have final payment before applying for this (i think)

regardless we would only fall back to OAir in a situation where we would be happy to take anything

Edited September 24, 2022 by Robjame

[LHT28]

15 minutes ago, Robjame said:

Quite true but you have to have final payment before applying for this (i think)

regardless we would only fall back to OAir in a situation where we would be happy to take anything

No to deviate  you can ask at the 270 day mark

Fee is Non refundable once you & O agree on the flights

 But if  you  have no other options   flying in the same day  as sailing  O air  would be  a good fall back plan (I guess)   🤔

[PaulMCO]

On 9/24/2022 at 6:39 PM, LHT28 said:

No to deviate  you can ask at the 270 day mark

Fee is Non refundable once you & O agree on the flights

 But if  you  have no other options   flying in the same day  as sailing  O air  would be  a good fall back plan (I guess)   🤔

You should have stated if you are "foolish" flying in the same day....  🙂

Just flew in to the EU on business my 14 hour trip took 49 hours to complete, that is the reality of today's travel.  Flight class and elite status has no bearing on this zoo.

[LHT28]

5 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

You should have stated if you are "foolish" flying in the same day....  🙂

Just flew in to the EU on business my 14 hour trip took 49 hours to complete, that is the reality of today's travel.  Flight class and elite status has no bearing on this zoo.

Travel is  a whole lot different now  than pre covid  times

[Robjame]

55 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Travel is  a whole lot different now  than pre covid  times

I agree completely.

‘We cruise out of Miami in December and have our WestJet flights for 2 days before the cruise, booked. However we are still open to luggage forwarding thought it seems expensive to us _ $500 for two bags fromToronto to ship. 
We are also open to driving at the last minute if necessary. 
‘These things cause me stress- lol

[pinotlover]

Late last month, we flew up to Portland, ME for an eating vacation. Fresh lobsters, raw oysters, steamed clams, mussels, etc all fresh just out of the ocean. Our 1 stop, 5 hour combined return took 28 hours. Wasn’t even a weekend or holiday. Thank goodness it happened on the return trip, not the going  leg! 
 

We’re flying to Madrid, via LHR, next month for our upcoming cruise and we’re scared things will go array.

Edited September 26, 2022 by pinotlover

[sunlover12]

It's a little worrisome reading some of these travel stories. We're flying to Lisbon next month, via ZUR, arriving 2 days before the cruise. We're not flying out of our local home airport but instead driving 2 hours to Chicago O'Hare. Starting the trip from a major hub takes one factor out of the equation of what could go wrong. 

[Psoque]

1 hour ago, sunlover12 said:

It's a little worrisome reading some of these travel stories. We're flying to Lisbon next month, via ZUR, arriving 2 days before the cruise. We're not flying out of our local home airport but instead driving 2 hours to Chicago O'Hare. Starting the trip from a major hub takes one factor out of the equation of what could go wrong. 

I’m surprised that you are still flying on a connecting itinerary to Lisbon from Chicago O’Hare (stop in Zurich, I assume) when you are actually making an effort of driving to O’Hare.  

[sunlover12]

15 minutes ago, Psoque said:

I’m surprised that you are still flying on a connecting itinerary to Lisbon from Chicago O’Hare (stop in Zurich, I assume) when you are actually making an effort of driving to O’Hare.  

Yes, it's Zurich (ZRH).  I typed in the wrong airport code.

 

As far as I know, there are no non-stop flights from O'Hare to Lisbon on any airline.  Same with our return from Barcelona will be a connecting flight in Europe. No non-stops to ORD that I know of. We always fly United and their partners. 

[Psoque]

15 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

Yes, it's Zurich (ZRH).  I typed in the wrong airport code.

 

As far as I know, there are no non-stop flights from O'Hare to Lisbon on any airline.  Same with our return from Barcelona will be a connecting flight in Europe. No non-stops to ORD that I know of. We always fly United and their partners. 

I was just surprised by what you said, since there are flights from Madison to Lisbon and back from Barcelona with just one connection, on United.  Maybe not the dates you want.  I’m not sure you are gaining much by driving to O’Hare, unless, say, the prices are lower out of O’Hare.  But that’s not what you said.

 

And TAP Portugal flight nonstop from O’Hare to Lisbon.  American flies nonstop from Barcelona to O’Hare.  I know this because I looked at flights of this sort recently.

 

We live near Indianapolis and we only drive to O’Hare for flights if the price is right or it makes less (or no) connections.

Edited September 26, 2022 by Psoque

[AC2]

What PSOQUE said...try TAP Portugal.

[Psoque]

My understanding is that avoiding (or minimizing) connections and insisting on non-stop flights is a very effective strategy to minimize the possibly flight disruptions.

[AC2]

The non stop TAP flights may not be daily.

[sunlover12]

8 minutes ago, Psoque said:

I was just surprised by what you said, since there are flight from Madison to Lisbon and back from Barcelona with just one connection, on United.  Maybe not the dates you want.

 

And TAP Portugal flight nonstop from O’Hare to Lisbon.  American flies nonstop from Barcelona to O’Hare.  I know this because I looked at flights of this sort recently.

 

We live near Indianapolis and we only drive to O’Hare for flights if the price is right or it makes less (or no) connections.

It has to do with price & not wanting an itinerary with a 12-hour layover in Newark. (There is only one flight a day MSN-EWR and it leaves very early in the morning).

 

TAP is not a partner of United so we wouldn't consider them. Out of curiosity, I did check their schedule and they do not have a non-stop from O'Hare to Lisbon. Looks like Boston is the connection.

 

We'll fly out of Madison for domestic trips but for international, we drive to O'Hare. The drive from here to O'Hare is pretty easy.  If there is any problem with air traffic control or weather, the short 25-minute MSN-ORD flight would be one of the first to be cancelled or postponed. We don't want to add another layer of stress.