Astro Flyer Posted January 20, 2023 #1 Share Posted January 20, 2023 (edited) We’re first time Oceania cruisers after primarily cruising on Princess for decades & using their EZair program has worked well for us to select our preferred flights & airfare including the ability to cancel and/or rebook. I’ve read the Oceania Air FAQs which shows there are more limitations such as not learning about flight assignments until 75 days in advance. Also to get preferred flights requires a $175 fee per person per request (one-way or roundtrip?) to customize flights in addition to any cost for a higher airfare no earlier than 270 days in advance. We usually arrive a day or more in advance but since they state flights will arrive on embarkation day then arriving earlier isn’t an option without paying the $175 fee plus any higher airfare. I’ve only read dissatisfaction about Oceania flight assignments on this board but think that some people must have had good experiences. Although not knowing the flights until 75 days in advance we’d be hesitant to gamble on getting reasonable flights. While having included transportation to/from the ship is a nice benefit it might not be worthwhile if getting undesirable flights. When using Princess EZair they state if missing the ship they’ll get you to the next port. I see nothing in the Oceania Air FAQs that states what happens if missing the ship due to a delayed flight booked by Oceania…does anyone know what happens? I decided to first ask for passengers’ input before contacting Oceania & hoping to receive accurate answers. Any experiences would be greatly appreciated as we continue to research whether the Oceania Air option or paying/using miles to book independently would be our best option…thanks. 😊 Edited January 20, 2023 by Astro Flyer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhD-iva Posted January 20, 2023 #2 Share Posted January 20, 2023 Hmm, i’ll say that I have booked one business class flight on Oceania last year during Covid chaos and I was reasonably satisfied, especially when compared to my experience on Emerald river cruises, both of which were booked in the same year. In 2022 I would say that most of the problems with air travel were caused by the airlines and not by the cruise lines. By paying the $175 deviation fee which is per person and per direction (not per segment), you are able to choose your flights prior to the 75 day flight assignment. It is true that an extra cost may apply, however you are always able to decide in advance prior to paying the deviation fee. I think you will get a lot of advice from experienced cruisers to respond to your question. I hope you will enjoy your cruise! Oceania is a lovely cruiseline and I think you will enjoy it a lot, I know I have! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Flyer Posted January 20, 2023 Author #3 Share Posted January 20, 2023 10 minutes ago, PhD-iva said: I hope you will enjoy your cruise! Oceania is a lovely cruiseline and I think you will enjoy it a lot, I know I have! Thanks…we’re excited to cruise with Oceania! 😁 In over 50 cruises we’ve never had a bad cruise & just some that were better than other cruises. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted January 20, 2023 #4 Share Posted January 20, 2023 We have taken O air but pay the deviation ($175 PP to deviate pre & post cruise ) one time fee unless you change your mind after you paid the fee We ask for the flights we want on the days we want then see if Oceania can get them within their contracts with the airline Once they wanted an upcharge we declined & looked for other flights You only pay the non refundable fee once you & Oceania have come to an agreement on the flights If you do not live near their gateway cities then there may be a charge from your local airport to a gateway We live near a gateway city YYZ so no problem for us Option 2 which we do more often is to take the cruise only fare & book our own air especially when we do BIZ class 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WESTEAST Posted January 20, 2023 #5 Share Posted January 20, 2023 We have taken Oceania Air a few times and did pay the $175 per person to leave on the day, airline and flight time we wanted. If we want to depart from an airport that is not on the Oceania's gateway list, there is an additional charge (recall was $125.00). For seat selection, our TA always takes care of that on our behalf. We like to fly Business outbound and Premium Economy inbound for UK/Europe destinations. We always compare airline costs from what our TA can provide to what Oceania provides and take the cheapest; of interest, for our cruise this year, the Business rate offered by Oceania back in the fall of 2021 when we booked was cheaper than what our TA could or can get. You can add O air on your booking and remove once you have done a price comparison (these days airfares are costly) and as stated, Oceania gives you 48 hours to review the air routing and decide. Enjoy your cruise. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted January 20, 2023 #6 Share Posted January 20, 2023 we always take the air credit and DIY. Too many downsides to O air (even though we get free deviation). Bizclass quotes are on top of your “with air” fare. So, in essence you’re paying for two tix per person since the coach fare is not credited toward the bizclass tix. Someone here said they got a credit. But, hard to believe since no else one ever agreed. In any case, their contract options are limited. So, if you want non-stop on your preferred carrier, you may find the price higher than DIY. Plus many contract fare codes do not accrue FF miles. Learn to use ITA Matrix for flight search and always contact airlines for best price options. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shank63 Posted January 20, 2023 #7 Share Posted January 20, 2023 We have used Oceania air with mixed results. Given the fact that flying into the port on the same day of embarking not thinkable, the nonrefundable deviation fee of $375 is required and payable when the flights are selected. So airlines can and often change schedules, sometimes resulting in tight connections. That $375 deviation fee is lost if you need to make any change to the original flight plan. In addition, if a connection is missed for any reason, Oceania air will do little or nothing to reschedule your flight. EZair is much easier and infinitely more flexible booking than Oceania air. Otherwise, if all goes well Oceania air can be a great value for economy class seats. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Flyer Posted January 20, 2023 Author #8 Share Posted January 20, 2023 28 minutes ago, shank63 said: We have used Oceania air with mixed results. Given the fact that flying into the port on the same day of embarking not thinkable, the nonrefundable deviation fee of $375 is required and payable when the flights are selected. So airlines can and often change schedules, sometimes resulting in tight connections. That $375 deviation fee is lost if you need to make any change to the original flight plan. In addition, if a connection is missed for any reason, Oceania air will do little or nothing to reschedule your flight. EZair is much easier and infinitely more flexible booking than Oceania air. Otherwise, if all goes well Oceania air can be a great value for economy class seats. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Their Air FAQs show a $175 customization fee…why was yours $375? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shank63 Posted January 20, 2023 #9 Share Posted January 20, 2023 2 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said: Thanks for sharing your experiences. Their Air FAQs show a $175 customization fee…why was yours $375? My mistake, it actually is $350 for a couple or $175 for a single traveler. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnocket Posted January 22, 2023 #10 Share Posted January 22, 2023 On 1/19/2023 at 8:19 PM, LHT28 said: Option 2 which we do more often is to take the cruise only fare & book our own air especially when we do BIZ class This is somewhat of a surprise to me. My experience with other cruise lines is that their air booking service is primarily beneficial when booking Business Class - especially when one-way. It seems your experience with O is just the opposite. Kind of a bummer because cruise line air bookings are the only way I've been able to get great deals on Business Class (50% off airline prices). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted January 22, 2023 #11 Share Posted January 22, 2023 38 minutes ago, mnocket said: This is somewhat of a surprise to me. My experience with other cruise lines is that their air booking service is primarily beneficial when booking Business Class - especially when one-way. It seems your experience with O is just the opposite. Kind of a bummer because cruise line air bookings are the only way I've been able to get great deals on Business Class (50% off airline prices). see my post #6 above. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted January 22, 2023 #12 Share Posted January 22, 2023 8 hours ago, mnocket said: This is somewhat of a surprise to me. My experience with other cruise lines is that their air booking service is primarily beneficial when booking Business Class - especially when one-way. It seems your experience with O is just the opposite. Kind of a bummer because cruise line air bookings are the only way I've been able to get great deals on Business Class (50% off airline prices). Well if I was able to get 50% of BIZ class that would be great but Oceania does not have good fares for BIZ in my experience You can always ask then do the math see if it works for you 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnocket Posted January 22, 2023 #13 Share Posted January 22, 2023 10 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said: see my post #6 above. 2 hours ago, LHT28 said: Well if I was able to get 50% of BIZ class that would be great but Oceania does not have good fares for BIZ in my experience You can always ask then do the math see if it works for you I don't doubt you, I'm just disappointed because it has saved me so much money on airline fares for past cruises with other lines. I can no longer tolerate flying international distances unless it's Business Class (my legs become so uncomfortable it's like torture). This can be a real problem since Business Class airline fares can approach the cost of the cruise fare itself (Celebrity, Princess). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted January 22, 2023 #14 Share Posted January 22, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, mnocket said: …. it has saved me so much money on airline fares for past cruises with other lines….. It may have saved you “money” but at what “cost?” Were all those flights non-stop (I.e., doable w/o a connection) on your preferred airline (including earned FF miles) and preferred routing/dates/times? AND, we’re your DIY searches truly comprehensive and followed by verifying calls to the selected airline? Finally, would all those other cruise lines have given you a fare credit if you chose to DIY the air? Edited January 22, 2023 by Flatbush Flyer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taoscowboy Posted January 23, 2023 #15 Share Posted January 23, 2023 Has anyone had experience with Oceania utilizing Emirates Air from Dubai to fly back to US as they appear to be the only airline with nonstop flights to US? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Sthrngary Posted January 23, 2023 #16 Share Posted January 23, 2023 This is a very interesting topic. My wife and I are cruising on Oceania in Nov 2023. The cruise leaves from Athens, Greece and ends in Barcelona, Spain. We are going with friends. My wife and my ticket are DIY, using Delta Airline Miles/Points for Business Class (Delta One) international and First Class domestic. Our friends are taking the Oceania Coach Flights. Both Couples are doing the "Pre-Cruise Hotel" in Athens, Greece through Oceania. I WANT to book our friends direct with Delta however they are afraid to do so if the Cruise Gets Canceled or they have to cancel before full payment. The competitive fares are non-cancelable or changeable. That is my situation. My questions is when you book the Pre-Cruise Hotel and Airfare with Oceania, can I assume logically they flight comes in coordinated with the Hotel Stay? Second question is, has anyone else done this and the flight came in so late that the hotel stay was somewhat of a waste? Any assistance would be appreciated. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted January 23, 2023 #17 Share Posted January 23, 2023 47 minutes ago, Sthrngary said: This is a very interesting topic. My wife and I are cruising on Oceania in Nov 2023. The cruise leaves from Athens, Greece and ends in Barcelona, Spain. We are going with friends. My wife and my ticket are DIY, using Delta Airline Miles/Points for Business Class (Delta One) international and First Class domestic. Our friends are taking the Oceania Coach Flights. Both Couples are doing the "Pre-Cruise Hotel" in Athens, Greece through Oceania. I WANT to book our friends direct with Delta however they are afraid to do so if the Cruise Gets Canceled or they have to cancel before full payment. The competitive fares are non-cancelable or changeable. That is my situation. My questions is when you book the Pre-Cruise Hotel and Airfare with Oceania, can I assume logically they flight comes in coordinated with the Hotel Stay? Second question is, has anyone else done this and the flight came in so late that the hotel stay was somewhat of a waste? Any assistance would be appreciated. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. Fly United with Star Alliance connections on Lufthansa. Though their best fares may be non-cancelable, if you book correctly, you could get at least one free schedule change and, if the cruise goes belly-up, opt for a Future Flight Credit (fly again within a year). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMHuntFerry Posted January 23, 2023 #18 Share Posted January 23, 2023 28 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said: Fly United with Star Alliance connections on Lufthansa. Though their best fares may be non-cancelable, if you book correctly, you could get at least one free schedule change and, if the cruise goes belly-up, opt for a Future Flight Credit (fly again within a year). ...and put it on a credit card with travel insurance (if you don't already have travel insurance). My insurance will cover the flight if the flight credit is not used (but check your policy). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted January 23, 2023 #19 Share Posted January 23, 2023 3 hours ago, Sthrngary said: This is a very interesting topic. My wife and I are cruising on Oceania in Nov 2023. The cruise leaves from Athens, Greece and ends in Barcelona, Spain. We are going with friends. My wife and my ticket are DIY, using Delta Airline Miles/Points for Business Class (Delta One) international and First Class domestic. Our friends are taking the Oceania Coach Flights. Both Couples are doing the "Pre-Cruise Hotel" in Athens, Greece through Oceania. I WANT to book our friends direct with Delta however they are afraid to do so if the Cruise Gets Canceled or they have to cancel before full payment. The competitive fares are non-cancelable or changeable. That is my situation. My questions is when you book the Pre-Cruise Hotel and Airfare with Oceania, can I assume logically they flight comes in coordinated with the Hotel Stay? Second question is, has anyone else done this and the flight came in so late that the hotel stay was somewhat of a waste? Any assistance would be appreciated. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. I am just guessing but I think most of the flights to Europe will be late evening so you are arriving in the morning then you will be taken to the hotel that is part of the package deal if there is a glitch in the airlines & you do not arrive in time to use the hotel hopefully you can get a refund We have only used the package once way back in 2004 ..all went well back then After that we book our own hotels & fly in a day or more early YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 1985rz1 Posted January 23, 2023 #20 Share Posted January 23, 2023 2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said: Fly United with Star Alliance connections on Lufthansa. Though their best fares may be non-cancelable, if you book correctly, you could get at least one free schedule change and, if the cruise goes belly-up, opt for a Future Flight Credit (fly again within a year). The problem we find with AA is that the "year" for an FFC is from purchase date, not departure date. So if you book early, you're screwed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 1985rz1 Posted January 23, 2023 #21 Share Posted January 23, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, AMHuntFerry said: ...and put it on a credit card with travel insurance (if you don't already have travel insurance). My insurance will cover the flight if the flight credit is not used (but check your policy). But how (or when) does the insurance company (CC or other wise) determine the FFC is not used? Edited January 23, 2023 by 1985rz1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMHuntFerry Posted January 23, 2023 #22 Share Posted January 23, 2023 25 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said: But how (or when) does the insurance company (CC or other wise) determine the FFC is not used? You document it in a claim, but policies and claim methods vary. The insurance company will tell you what is required if it is covered. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare welshfamily Posted January 23, 2023 #23 Share Posted January 23, 2023 Another thing to consider is Control when things go wrong. Last summer we took Oceania flights for the first time. Happily paid $175 each ( 4 of us) as no credit offered for cruise only, We tried 4 different online TA’s but not Oceania as because of COVID thought package was the way to go. Previously ie before Covid no issue getting cruise only price and choosing own flights as Tailor made cruise ….these are treated as package holidays in the UK. Once things started to go wrong had to just take flights and times decided by Oceania. This resulted in long waits in airports , the longest being nearly 8 hrs in Rome. This was very last minute so no time to make other arrangements and certainly no help from Oceania. This was not down to TA as she was ringing us almost hourly. Yes, Oceania’s got us there and back and it was their responsibility to do so however we had no choice on flights,times etc. Original flights were ticketed therefore we could upgrade however last minute flights were not and only Economy without seats were provided. This was not ideal. However please remember European flights, airports etc were in turmoil last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted January 23, 2023 #24 Share Posted January 23, 2023 8 hours ago, 1985rz1 said: The problem we find with AA is that the "year" for an FFC is from purchase date, not departure date. So if you book early, you're screwed. I am finding that AA is allowing FFC to be effective for purchase within one year, but that the flights can be after that date. Whether this is official policy or not, it's been the case for me. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted January 23, 2023 #25 Share Posted January 23, 2023 11 hours ago, Sthrngary said: This is a very interesting topic. My wife and I are cruising on Oceania in Nov 2023. The cruise leaves from Athens, Greece and ends in Barcelona, Spain. We are going with friends. My wife and my ticket are DIY, using Delta Airline Miles/Points for Business Class (Delta One) international and First Class domestic. How'd you like those redemption rates for SkyPesos? Unless you are wanting the Medallion waver by credit card spend, SkyPesos are a lousy "currency" to be collecting. And even then, best strategy is to earn the least necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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