Experience with Air ticketing done by Oceania Cruises

[wcGma]

Reaching out for experiences with booking air through Oceania. I believe I remember that the air flights will be proposed around 90 days  pre embarkation date (not actually ticketed til later) and you will have 48hours to approve or decline. Has anyone had experience with ticketing for San Francisco?  I’m booked on a cruise from Southampton next year and am trying to figure out whether to do the air through Oceania. I have in the past preferred independent air so I could arrive early. I am abit nervous about arriving on embarkation day but the package of premium air plus transfer is appealing. If I ask for custom air, which can be booked 270 days out knowing there is at least a $175 fee plus any fare difference, I will also lose the transfer from Heathrow to Southampton. Anyone experienced out there to advise?  Anyone experience delays?  Missed embarkation? What happened then? Crazy flight connections? Anyone get direct nonstop flights?

[oskidunker]

Only if booking coach. Business is not a good deal. It was $1000 more than i got booking on my own. Check before you go with O air.

[zalusky]

We are going on a cruise thats starts in Bali.  I paid for the return flight from Sydney using points.   My TA and I searched around and could not find a good deal for the SFO to Bali flight.   Oceania price was a better deal.

[PhD-iva]

You will get a lot of responses to this question, and they will range all over the map. I always book with air from the cruise line, partly because I don’t have frequent flyer miles to use, and also because if the cruise gets canceled I won’t get stuck with an airline credit that I may or may not be able to use. Certainly the airline schedules are still messed up, and you should expect to have multiple changes to your schedule prior to your departure. That is out of O’s hands.
So sit back, relax and let all the responses cascade upon us. Enjoy your cruise !

[ShopperfiendTO]

We took the included O Air (no deviation request) and were assigned our flights about 75 days before embarkation.  We did not have 48 hours to accept or decline, you get what you get.  Are you perhaps thinking about the deviation process that can still be used even after flights are assigned? 

 

If you are not happy with the flights that were assigned, I think you could request different flights after they have been assigned but I think you would then be venturing into the deviation situation?  I think the problem with waiting until the flights are assigned is that flight options may be limited by then (and perhaps more costly).

 

You are also at the mercy of what contract O has with the airlines, and it may not be for all of the airline's classes.  For example, O may have a contract with an airline for economy seats but not premium economy or business seats, which could leave you in the situation of being able to fly non-stop in economy on a given flight but not in premium economy or business class even though that airline does have/sell those seats for that flight.

Edited October 19, 2022 by ShopperfiendTO

[LHT28]

I believe the 48 hr rule is for  custom air  when you request  the deviation  then you have 48 hrs to say yes/no  before they charge the non refundable fee

Other wise you get what  they have

 

You have to weigh the options that work best for you

 

Fly in the same day  get the transfer  & hope your flight  is not cancelled etc

Fly in early  with the deviation fee & book private transfer + hotel

Book your own  air  & transfer + hotel if you fly in early

JMO

[redraider1966]

Rather late in the game, we recently booked a segment cruise (MIA-SFO) on Insignia's ATW, which departs on 12/28/22, with Oceania's Air.   At the 75 day mark, O did provide us with the "assigned" air itinerary and "record locator numbers."  However, that data does not allow us to change the included arbitary seat assignments, unless and until the tickets are paid for and we have confirmation numbers in hand.   We have pressed for tickets to be issued on the strength of our already-made final cruise payment, only now to be told O is not authorizing air ticket issuance until the 45-day mark, claiming the frequent schedule changes the airlines are engaged in.  Our chief concern is not ending up with middle seats on flights during the holiday period, especially since both our outbound and return flights are domestic.

[shank63]

We have used O’s air service, but only with custom air paying the deviation fee.  Our latest trip was to Europe and we booked to arrive 2 days prior to embarking, which was fortunate because one connection was missed and we arrived 1 day before embarking.  We will never book flights to arrive on embarkation day, too many things can go haywire especially with airlines today.  The other reasons to deviate and pay the fee is for seat selection, control of flight selections, and time to relax and enjoy the port city before embarking.  We usually cannot beat O’s price for economy or premium economy seats, however when we have the required air miles accumulated we DIY.  Remember, the deviation fee is non refundable and custom air flights cannot be changed (except by the airlines).

[osandomir]

As far as routing goes, we used Oceania PE air from Los Angeles to LHR without deviation. First Oceania assigned us the direct flight LAX - LHR. This flight was canceled by British airlines due to the strike two days prior to departure. Oceania was able to rebook us on American Airlines with one stop LAX - SFO and then direct SFO - LHR. Nothing is quarantined though - it’ll depend on the availability for your particular cruise date.

[no fuss travel]

There has been many strikes at various airports in Europe this year.  We got caught trying to fly from Marseille to Paris when the air traffic. controllers walked out.  Use Oceania air and they sort out the problems.

[janecambridge]

Oceania booked us on Virgin from Heathrow to Miami in December and British Airways from Rio de Janeiro back to Heathrow.  We were told we could not choose our seats until flights were ticketed. That turned out to be partly true. Good old Virgin not only allowed us straight away to book our seats in Premium, it was also free. BA made us wait until ticketed by which time the best seats had gone and charged us £91 to choose what was left. 

[pinotlover]

BA even makes Business Class passengers pay to pick seats. AA status doesn’t help.

[babysteps]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

BA even makes Business Class passengers pay to pick seats. AA status doesn’t help.

Yes technically true. And high enough OneWorld status does let you choose seats for BA (even business class) at least for regular paid or miles tickets. Not sure if cruise air tickets would be any different. 

[janecambridge]

3 hours ago, pinotlover said:

BA even makes Business Class passengers pay to pick seats. AA status doesn’t help.

yep,  we are business and we were charged . 

[shank63]

6 hours ago, pinotlover said:

BA even makes Business Class passengers pay to pick seats. AA status doesn’t help.

The fee by BA to pick seats is also Non Refundable, except for their cancellations.

[RPen63]

On 10/22/2022 at 2:24 AM, pinotlover said:

BA even makes Business Class passengers pay to pick seats. AA status doesn’t help.

BA allows some TAs to book seats for free if they are part of a consortium with whom they have  arrangements with.  It may not be a reason enough  to justify booking via a TA but may help.