Silversea Air Screws Up Again

[Host Jazzbeau]

12 hours ago, boccenana said:

Has anyone ever called TAP Portugal?

Any luck with them?

I booked United EWR to the Azores (and return from Madeira to EWR) which involved United flights to LIS then TAP onward.  [This was not through Silversea Air]  We originally booked Premium Plus on United, which put us in plain Economy on TAP.  [I later upgraded the outgoing United flight to Polaris, but that didn't change anything else.]  So I paid TAP $30 per seat per leg to upgrade to Plus, which allowed me to choose seats; and later was able to use SeatBoost to upgrade one TAP leg to Executive.  It was hard to use the TAP website because my bookings were originally through United, so I ended up calling them; the phone reps were able to do everything I needed based on the TAP record locator number.

[canderson]

5 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

It was hard to use the TAP website because my bookings were originally through United, so I ended up calling them; the phone reps were able to do everything I needed based on the TAP record locator number.

That coincides with my experiences with United starts and subsequent EU legs on other 'partner' airlines.  Even with the EU airline's own additional record locator, the EU airline's site plays silly buggers with me, and I wind up having to place that phone call.  It's been that way for years, and the alliance seems to have no interest in cleaning it up.  I'll take your experience as a guide when/if I need to deal with TAP.  Will just call first!

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 minutes ago, canderson said:

That coincides with my experiences with United starts and subsequent EU legs on other 'partner' airlines.  Even with the EU airline's own additional record locator, the EU airline's site plays silly buggers with me, and I wind up having to place that phone call.  It's been that way for years, and the alliance seems to have no interest in cleaning it up.  I'll take your experience as a guide when/if I need to deal with TAP.  Will just call first!

I am also finding that I can't get my Qantas flights to show in my Qantas website account – even though they were booked direct with Qantas – because I asked to have the points in my American frequent flyer account.  So I think the problem may never be fixed.

[boccenana]

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I booked United EWR to the Azores (and return from Madeira to EWR) which involved United flights to LIS then TAP onward.  [This was not through Silversea Air]  We originally booked Premium Plus on United, which put us in plain Economy on TAP.  [I later upgraded the outgoing United flight to Polaris, but that didn't change anything else.]  So I paid TAP $30 per seat per leg to upgrade to Plus, which allowed me to choose seats; and later was able to use SeatBoost to upgrade one TAP leg to Executive.  It was hard to use the TAP website because my bookings were originally through United, so I ended up calling them; the phone reps were able to do everything I needed based on the TAP record locator number.

Thanks again,  I will call TAP, we booked Door to Door upgraded to Business with Silverair.

[Texas Tillie]

If you book a door to door, when can you expect to get the flight information? My cruise is 4 months from today (Sept. 29, 2023 on the Nova) and nothing yet.

[boccenana]

1 minute ago, Texas Tillie said:

If you book a door to door, when can you expect to get the flight information? My cruise is 4 months from today (Sept. 29, 2023 on the Nova) and nothing yet.

Did you book through Silversea TA?

 

[fdnycruiser]

16 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

If you book a door to door, when can you expect to get the flight information? My cruise is 4 months from today (Sept. 29, 2023 on the Nova) and nothing yet.

 If booked by your agent through SS you should have it by now. We’re on the Nova on October 16th, and got the info 2 weeks ago

[boccenana]

Just now, fdnycruiser said:

 If booked by your agent through SS you should have it by now. We’re on the Nova on October 16th, and got the info 2 weeks ago

Our super SS agent got them to me months ago. 

I will always book through him now. Whenever I have a question, he gets an answer for me.

BUT....you have to ask the questions.

 

[gcornell]

27 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

If you book a door to door, when can you expect to get the flight information? My cruise is 4 months from today (Sept. 29, 2023 on the Nova) and nothing yet.

Don’t wait. Email them 270 days in advance with your top 2-3 preferred flights. 

[canderson]

4 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

If you book a door to door, when can you expect to get the flight information? My cruise is 4 months from today (Sept. 29, 2023 on the Nova) and nothing yet.

Have you recently logged into my.silversea.com?  Our flights for November '23 just magically appeared there a couple of weeks ago.  No notice to us or to our TA.  Glad I kept checking.  Flights got changed (better, as it happened) also without notice.

[Port Power]

9 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

If you book a door to door, when can you expect to get the flight information? My cruise is 4 months from today (Sept. 29, 2023 on the Nova) and nothing yet.

The flights for my Vancouver/Japan door-to-door cruise on Silver Muse in September were booked by S/S at least two months ago.  I received the Singapore Airlines booking reference and have been keeping an eye out to select my seats.  However, the tickets have not yet been issued, and I am unable to select seats until they are.  Travel agents, either private or Silversea, can hold seats for several months before payment is required. Only after payment will the flights be ticketed.  (This also allows time for S/S to make any adjustments to schedules.) There is a little sign on logging into Kris Flyer stating tickets have not yet been issued. Fingers crossed it happens soon. 🤞 

[Sebbiesgrammy]

Got our flights for Sept 22 sailing on Moon two days before final payment last week.  We had asked for disembark  3 day hotel in Barcelona. We had waited over a month for an answer. Flights they gave us are great but even though they could not give us their hotel choice (sold out for their contracted number of rooms) they charged us $150 each for deviation to fly home 3 days after debark. They didn't know that we already had a back up hotel and never asked.  They assumed (correctly) that we would want to remain in Barcelona for a few days.  Our wonderful, experienced travel agent fought her way up the chain with 3 different levels of staff and couldn't move then. She said they were very courteous, but no go.  Just adding this experience to my long list of reasons why I always book my own air.  This is the first and last time for me.  

 

I'm chalking up my lapse to the Covid doldrums that lured me into imagining the wonders of D to D service when we were unable to leave the house much 😁

[Sebbiesgrammy]

3 hours ago, Port Power said:

The flights for my Vancouver/Japan door-to-door cruise on Silver Muse in September were booked by S/S at least two months ago.  I received the Singapore Airlines booking reference and have been keeping an eye out to select my seats.  However, the tickets have not yet been issued, and I am unable to select seats until they are.  Travel agents, either private or Silversea, can hold seats for several months before payment is required. Only after payment will the flights be ticketed.  (This also allows time for S/S to make any adjustments to schedules.) There is a little sign on logging into Kris Flyer stating tickets have not yet been issued. Fingers crossed it happens soon. 🤞 

If you can find the flight record locator or get your TA to give it to you, you may find that seats have already been assigned to you. Ours were for Sept flights to Europe.  I can see the airline record but it states that we can't change seat until tickets are paid for and SS doesn't do that until about 30 days before. Fortunately, the seats are fine with us.

[bubbulz]

14 minutes ago, Sebbiesgrammy said:

I'm chalking up my lapse to the Covid doldrums that lured me into imagining the wonders of D to D service when we were unable to leave the house much 😁

Same here. I initially booked my air through them but after multiple iterations of flights that were unacceptable, high deviation charges, and then not being informed of flight changes and an ultimate flight cancellation I decided to book my own air. Much better peace of mind.

[Texas Tillie]

15 hours ago, boccenana said:

Did you book through Silversea TA?

 

 

No, I always use a travel agent as I get refunds from her and sometimes other benefits. It's shocking to me how many Silversea cruisers book directly, but whatever floats your boat!

[Texas Tillie]

10 hours ago, canderson said:

Have you recently logged into my.silversea.com?  Our flights for November '23 just magically appeared there a couple of weeks ago.  No notice to us or to our TA.  Glad I kept checking.  Flights got changed (better, as it happened) also without notice.

 

Just checked 5 minutes ago, nada.

[Port Power]

3 hours ago, Sebbiesgrammy said:

If you can find the flight record locator or get your TA to give it to you, you may find that seats have already been assigned to you. Ours were for Sept flights to Europe.  I can see the airline record but it states that we can't change seat until tickets are paid for and SS doesn't do that until about 30 days before. Fortunately, the seats are fine with us.

I already have the flight locator, also called PNR or booking reference.  I received it at least two months ago.  Seats may well have been allocated.  However, as the tickets have not been issued, I cannot change/choose my own seats. Tickets have to be issued first.

Edited May 30, 2023 by Port Power

[canderson]

3 hours ago, Sebbiesgrammy said:

If you can find the flight record locator or get your TA to give it to you, you may find that seats have already been assigned...

Called Silversea and was advised that record locators won't be made available until 60 days pre-departure because "if the flights change, the record locator will change".

 

That's a new one.

 

That said, I am advised that on legs with two class aircraft, the SS business upgrade provides first class seating, not economy.

[FlyerTalker]

20 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I am also finding that I can't get my Qantas flights to show in my Qantas website account – even though they were booked direct with Qantas – because I asked to have the points in my American frequent flyer account.  So I think the problem may never be fixed.

 

Change the FF number on the flight to your QF account.  That will allow you full access.  Then, a few days before your flight, have it changed to your AA number.  From that point on, you will have reduced functionality, but that's a small price for just a few days.

 

 

[chrism23]

2 hours ago, Sebbiesgrammy said:

.  We had asked for disembark  3 day hotel in Barcelona.

Whatever you do not stay at the Hotel Costa in Barcelona.  Silversea put us there for one night and it was one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in.  It is diagonally shaped with a large indoor courtyard.  The rooms share the same geometry.  And are down right dangerous with sharp corners and protruding edges.  (hope I have the right place it was 4 or 5 years ago, if wrong I apologize to the Costa folks)

[boccenana]

4 hours ago, canderson said:

Called Silversea and was advised that record locators won't be made available until 60 days pre-departure because "if the flights change, the record locator will change".

 

That's a new one.

 

That said, I am advised that on legs with two class aircraft, the SS business upgrade provides first class seating, not economy.

But....even with paying for upgrade, they only guarantee that upgrade for long international flights.

[canderson]

28 minutes ago, boccenana said:

But....even with paying for upgrade, they only guarantee that upgrade for long international flights.

Yes I'm questioning the entire conversation.  Is there a separate 'non-emergency' number for their air division?  I used the main # and that person contacted air for the info, all of which is suspect after the record locator comment.

[Lois R]

I have had flights changed and I am pretty sure my record locator number did not change. Actually, I know an upcoming flight changed already and I have checked my flight with the same numbers.

And there is no way to call the air dept.

[boccenana]

3 minutes ago, Lois R said:

I have had flights changed and I am pretty surey record locator number did not change. Actually, I know an upcoming flight changed already and I have checked my flight with the same numbers.

And there is no way to call the air dept.

Lois, are you on the Oct 16th 2023 Lisbon to Lisbon on the Nova?

[mchell810]

5 hours ago, canderson said:

Called Silversea and was advised that record locators won't be made available until 60 days pre-departure because "if the flights change, the record locator will change".

 

That's a new one.

 

That said, I am advised that on legs with two class aircraft, the SS business upgrade provides first class seating, not economy.

 

I have had a record location number change was when SS moved my flights to a different airline; however, that's no reason not to give you the existing number.  I've gotten that number from my SS rep much further out than 60 days (I, like you, always request it as soon as flights appear.)

 

In my experience with the BC upgrade the domestic leg will get you in first class not economy.  (Or European Business).

Edited May 30, 2023 by mchell810