New Air Reservation Policy--What Does it Mean???

[shemansl]

Received this from Regent regarding an upcoming cruise in January.  Strange as we already have air reserved.  We also have upcoming cruises this November and next April and with our Platinum Status we don't normally get charged a fee for custom air, perhaps we will be paying now?  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: NEW AIR RESERVATION POLICY DATE OF ISSUANCE: OCTOBER 27, 2022

 

Dear Valued Guest and Travel Partner, To deliver the best possible service to our guests and to align with partner airline policies we are revising our air reservation policy as of November 1, 2022. From this date, custom air will only be reserved within 270 days for guests who have deposited their cruise and completed in full the “Guest Information Form” (GIF), including their name as per passport and date of birth. In addition, all air reservations booked through Regent (custom or otherwise) that are inside 1 year of departure will require a $500 administration fee per passenger name change (including updating an incorrect spelling). Thank you for your continued patronage, loyalty, and understanding as we continue to improve our custom air reservation policies and procedures.   Your Regent Custom Air Department Team

[shuguley]

The Regent web site still shows "free custom air service" as a benefit of Platinum Seven Seas status.

[cwn]

I read as $500 is charged if the name is changed,  not just a charge everyone has to pay. 

[carolina cruisin]

Likewise

 

[papaflamingo]

Interesting.  I wonder... will there be a $500 fee per person if you cancel the cruise prior to final payment?  We have had to do that a couple times due to Covid but before the cruise line cancelled the cruise. 

[Portolan]

The charge, as stated, applies only if you change a name on the air reservation within a year.  Otherwise, as I read it, no change from immediately previous policy.

 

Papaflamingo: I believe that the cancellation penalty is the same prior to final payment regardless of whether it includes Regent Air or not.

[mrstanley]

Please explain “name change”.

 

[PaulMCO]

27 minutes ago, mrstanley said:

Please explain “name change”.

 

Name correction.   The point is that prior to this they would book flights on a deviation with incorrect names in the booking (not per your passport).  That is why they are insisting that you enter the guest information completely with passport data prior to RSSC finalizing any air bookings.

 

Anyone that has had to correct a name on an air booking knows that it is a pain.

[bitob]

44 minutes ago, PaulMCO said:

Name correction.   The point is that prior to this they would book flights on a deviation with incorrect names in the booking (not per your passport).  That is why they are insisting that you enter the guest information completely with passport data prior to RSSC finalizing any air bookings.

 

Anyone that has had to correct a name on an air booking knows that it is a pain.

Paul -- might it also refer to a situation where one travel companion is substituted for another?

[Gray Eagle02]

I just read this email on the FB sight. I never received the email and checked both trash and junk. I have two cruises scheduled- Jan 23 an Oct 23. I filled out the GIF with our middle initials ( that’s how we sign our names) and not with the full names as listed on our passports. I made my own air reservations for the Jan 23 cruise and the Oct 23 cruise is too distant to have the air reservations made. According to how I read the email I could be charged $2000. After reading the email on FB I immediately tried to edit the error on the RSSC site. Can’t be done. 
I certainly understand Regent’s position and I should have read the directions more carefully. However, I think that to charge me such a steep fine when I never received the email, which gave those that did receive it very little lead time, is certainly not reasonable. And to not allow people to correct the error prior to airline tickets being purchased when the trouble is minimal is also questionable. I attempted to call Regent as soon as I discovered all this but their office was closed. Note I never saw this email until the evening of 31Oct and It goes into affect 1Nov.

[cwn]

We just got the email today from our TA. She would have been on top of of this if we were Flying to Miami next month. But we have always been told that the name on the air ticket needed to match the passport .

You say you made you own air reservations  for Jan so it seems Regent would be out if the loop for those tickets.

You don’t have tickets yet for the later flight so there is nothing to change on those nonexistent tickets. I read it as no charge to you since there is nothing Regent has to change with the airline.??

 

FWIW our TA have always made sure she has our name as it appears on the passport. Another reason to use a good TA.

[DaveFr]

Gray Eagle02, as I read the email, CWN is correct. The email only applies to air reservations made by Regent on or after November 1, 2022. Since you made your air reservations yourself, the email does not apply to you. As the GIF states: “If your title is incorrect below, or your name does not match your name as it appears on your passport, please call Reservations to correct it.” So just call reservations to correct your middle name on the GIF and you should be good to go.

 

Dave

[wishIweretravelling]

I got the email for a March cruise and, oddly, it did not include the paragraph about the $500 charge.

[PaulMCO]

22 hours ago, Gray Eagle02 said:

I just read this email on the FB sight. I never received the email and checked both trash and junk. I have two cruises scheduled- Jan 23 an Oct 23. I filled out the GIF with our middle initials ( that’s how we sign our names) and not with the full names as listed on our passports. I made my own air reservations for the Jan 23 cruise and the Oct 23 cruise is too distant to have the air reservations made. According to how I read the email I could be charged $2000. After reading the email on FB I immediately tried to edit the error on the RSSC site. Can’t be done. 
I certainly understand Regent’s position and I should have read the directions more carefully. However, I think that to charge me such a steep fine when I never received the email, which gave those that did receive it very little lead time, is certainly not reasonable. And to not allow people to correct the error prior to airline tickets being purchased when the trouble is minimal is also questionable. I attempted to call Regent as soon as I discovered all this but their office was closed. Note I never saw this email until the evening of 31Oct and It goes into affect 1Nov.

I do not think names can ever be change on the Regent site.  It has to be done by your TA, as it is part of the booking.

 

As far as middle initials, airlines do not care. 

I am going to task my TA about this...

[irishwitchy]

Airlines expect and require that your passport and ticket have the same name.  So If your passport reads NancyAnn Smith,  your ticket can’t be Nancy Smith or Nancy A Smith.  If your passport reads George Jones,  your ticket can’t be George J Jones.   Rather simple,  if you pay attention to details.   If you haven’t made sure everything matches,  go fix it before you plan another trip.  I speak from experience,  you have no idea what a missing “E” in my first name caused, including going to social security office at age 57 to fix the issue for good.  

[wishIweretravelling]

15 hours ago, wishIweretravelling said:

I got the email for a March cruise and, oddly, it did not include the paragraph about the $500 charge.

I was mistaken. The paragraph is there.

[tnr]

I checked our profiles and middle names were missing.  I called Regent directly and they were added immediately.  Problem fixed and TA did not need to do it.

[sabreline]

On 10/30/2022 at 8:29 PM, bitob said:

Paul -- might it also refer to a situation where one travel companion is substituted for another?

Absolutely!

[tnr]

Even though our middle names had been added, our flights do not show them.  Our TA is looking into the situation.