No more Viking Air?

[ericosmith]

5 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

It may be the simplest, but then...why don't you use a travel agent that actually knows something about travel?

Are there really travel agents anymore who care about booking air?

[FlyerTalker]

17 minutes ago, ericosmith said:

Are there really travel agents anymore who care about booking air?

 

Yes.  Just like there are agents that have a knowledge of the products available, for air, hotels and more.

 

But so many people just want to deal with order takers who will give them a good price.  Failing to realize, there is more to being a savvy customer than just looking at the cost.

 

And then, if nothing else, the consumer themself can become educated and learn about air travel.  Lots of resources out there to help.

 

For example - people here are have complained about air travel in/out of Bergen.  Mostly, that's because they have not done some basic research.  What's the first thing one should do when going to a location that's a bit off the the beaten track?  Take a look at the wikipedia page for that airport.  (And I will acknowledge now that wikipedia is often not the definitive source).  See what airlines fly to that airport, and from what cities.  Work yourself backwards towards your origin.   Understand alliances and code shares - don't expect to fly solely on a USA carrier the whole way.  Understand distances and times.  Think of creating options, not just taking a first thing offered by a website.

 

 

 

 

[wine-wine-wine]

1 hour ago, ericosmith said:

Are there really travel agents anymore who care about booking air?

Ours does and she does a magnificent job. And yes I have booked for myself forever. She has great insight. Actually tempted to have her book some of our trickier non-cruise flights. 

[island lady]

14 hours ago, Ceegeefl said:

You were right,Island Lady.  When I called Viking Air,the agent actually encouraged us to add Air Plus. Lesson learned. Always double check what a Viking agent tells you if it seems questionable. 

Thank you everyone for your input.

 

You are most welcome.  🙂  Glad I could help, and happy you finally got results.  

[CCWineLover]

22 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Cruiseline air is rarely the best way to go.

 

It may be the simplest, but then...why don't you use a travel agent that actually knows something about travel?

 

 

Couldn't agree more!   (Actually the cruiseline air often becomes the most complicated!!).

 

But I do understand there is a decent size group of passengers and prospective passengers who have expressed to Viking the desire to have everything take care of for them.    The irony is that a Travel Agent could do all that as well.  One stop shopping may sound good, but definitely has its pitfalls.

We always separate out cruise, air, and insurance - use different vendors.

Edited October 17, 2023 by CCWineLover

[gradydude]

Off subject but I wanted FlyerTalker input.  I have booked Air with Viking Miami to Manaus which is provided by charter.  I relieved a notice today of a schedule change, no big deal an hr earlier.  The email Showed Omni air. When I go to MVJ the airlie shows Andes Aerolineas.  I am  wondering why the discrepancy? Thanks

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

Couldn't agree more!   (Actually the cruiseline air often becomes the most complicated!!).

 

But I do understand there is a decent size group of passengers and prospective passengers who have expressed to Viking the desire to have everything take care of for them.    The irony is that a Travel Agent could do all that as well.  One stop shopping may sound good, but definitely has its pitfalls.

 

And it is often those very folks who end up with the biggest complaints about what they end up with.  Why does my flight leave at this hour?  Why is it routing like this?  Why are we on XYZ airlines when we really want to be on ABC?

 

 

 

 

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, gradydude said:

Off subject but I wanted FlyerTalker input.  I have booked Air with Viking Miami to Manaus which is provided by charter.  I relieved a notice today of a schedule change, no big deal an hr earlier.  The email Showed Omni air. When I go to MVJ the airlie shows Andes Aerolineas.  I am  wondering why the discrepancy? Thanks

 

Who knows.

 

Both Omni and Andes are charter operators, so it's not like the substitution of a scheduled carrier for a charter operator or vice versa.

 

What may have happened is a confusion/corruption in the airline code database that Viking is using.  Omni has an IATA designator of OY while Andes is O4.  However, Wikipedia somehow has both airlines with the OY code.  Don't know whether or not Viking used the same source, or merely copied the error from Wikipedia, or something else.

 

The curiosity to me is why they would put in an Argentina carrier to fly between the USA and Brazil.  l suspect that MVJ is in error -- which it frequently is, as I believe it is merely aggregating data from other sources.

 

Your biggest issue is to be absolutely sure where you check in at MIA, and to be prepared for a long line.

 

 

[RBachmann]

Last year we cruised from San Juan Puerto Rico up the Amazon to Manaus. I initially went with Viking Air because they had a great deal on airfare. Didn’t like the flights they gave me so switched to AirPlus to choose other flights but they couldn’t make it work with their contracts so they refunded my AirPlus fee and I booked my own flights. After I had booked them, Viking ended up chartering their own flight from Manaus to Miami for a pretty big group leaving the ship that day. 

[FlyerTalker]

The issue is that Manaus (MAO) has limited lift headed northbound.  Azul runs a three times a week service to FLL.  Gol runs a seasonal twice a week to Miami.  Avianca flies three times a week to Bogota and Copa four times a week to Panama City.  That's it.  All narrow body aircraft.

 

Everything else is pretty much heading south or southeast to other locations in Brazil.  Which makes for most routings for the USA to go through Rio or Sao Paulo.

 

I've ended cruises in Manaus and just headed to Sao Paulo for onward connections home.  Going "the wrong way" has never bothered me - in fact, that allowed for a nice overnight sleep rather than a six hour 737 flight straight to Miami.  That wouldn't arrive until evening, making for a likely overnight stay in MIA.

 

Some places, charters just make sense.  Manaus, Ushuaia, Easter Island, and a few others.  Bergen could be another.  The key is to know what the lay of the land is BEFORE you start dealing with airlines, agencies or cruiselines.  Research, research, research.

 

 

[CDNPolar]

From all the chatter here, I think that moving forward, the only time we will use Viking Air is if the air is free through Viking.  Would not make sense - to us - to not use Viking in this circumstance.  However we still pay for Air Plus when air is free because we want to pick our free flight route and schedule.  We are the ones in the World Cafe or the River ship restaurant having a nice breakfast and you have left the ship at 3am for the airport because Viking booked your tickets for you.  (I am certain that Viking picks these early departures because it gets more people off the ship before the cabin crew even start working, so they can attack the change over immediately.)

 

However with the free air option, like a cruise we have coming in 2024, there is no upgrade option to either Premium Economy or Business, so there can be trade offs.

 

We typically already accept that we will have the cost of a hotel one night in advance as we will typically always fly in one day ahead of the embarkation so we don't miss sailing.  (And you can miss the sailing even using Viking Air)

 

I have travelled for business for over 3 decades and always booked my own air and hotel, and not been forced to book through a corporate travel agent, so I/we have the knowledge to do so and manage it well.  I do understand however that some folks want to give this to a TA or to Viking.

[Mike07]

12 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

And it is often those very folks who end up with the biggest complaints about what they end up with.  Why does my flight leave at this hour?  Why is it routing like this?  Why are we on XYZ airlines when we really want to be on ABC?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think people realize that popular and choice route times are that way for a reason. They also don't realize that us leisure travelers and especially us economy travelers aren't where the money is made.

[gradydude]

Thank You FlyerTalker.  I am betting on Omni.    I looked up the flight from last year and it was Omni, a 777 which is such a big aircraft.  Their fleet has 767 and 757.  Either way I hope they have some entertainment.  Miami is one of my least favorite airports.  The flight leaves at 730a so I imagine Viking will hustle us over there around 5a. They have us staying at a hotel the night before.  

 

[FlyerTalker]

5 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

From all the chatter here, I think that moving forward, the only time we will use Viking Air is if the air is free through Viking.  Would not make sense - to us - to not use Viking in this circumstance.  However we still pay for Air Plus when air is free because we want to pick our free flight route and schedule.

 

Remember that "free air" is just Viking's way of discounting the cruise by tossing in the air, rather than reducing the cash price of the cruise.  And that "free air" restricts you to the contracted flights even more so than when the air is not a part of the deal.

 

5 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

We are the ones in the World Cafe or the River ship restaurant having a nice breakfast and you have left the ship at 3am for the airport because Viking booked your tickets for you.  (I am certain that Viking picks these early departures because it gets more people off the ship before the cabin crew even start working, so they can attack the change over immediately.)

 

No....it's because those are the flights that are a) contracted and b) get the passengers home that day.  Perhaps it's easy to get back to the GTA, but for many guests, they have to endure double (or triple) connects to get home.  A lot of those 3 am complaints are from Bergen sailings, which are known to have lousy flight situations. Bergen to Oslo, then to North America, then another flight to the home city (which doesn't have intercontinental service).

 

 

[FlyerTalker]

4 hours ago, Mike07 said:

I don't think people realize that popular and choice route times are that way for a reason. They also don't realize that us leisure travelers and especially us economy travelers aren't where the money is made.

 

The money is made on all passengers, though the incremental revenue for some is greater than others.  The big thing that folks forget is that air tickets are especially subject to our old friends from Econ 101 - Supply and Demand.

 

Higher demand with a fixed supply equals higher prices.

 

 

[CDNPolar]

4 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

 

 

No....it's because those are the flights that are a) contracted and b) get the passengers home that day.  Perhaps it's easy to get back to the GTA, but for many guests, they have to endure double (or triple) connects to get home.  A lot of those 3 am complaints are from Bergen sailings, which are known to have lousy flight situations. Bergen to Oslo, then to North America, then another flight to the home city (which doesn't have intercontinental service).

 

 

 

Well, I don't disagree that some have two or more connections to make, but when we have allowed Viking in the beginning to book our flights, we were always on a 6am departure when there were several options later in the day.  We did our share of disembarking at 3-4am in the beginning until we learned the game.  Yes, to Toronto is much easier as most European cities have direct to Toronto.

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Well, I don't disagree that some have two or more connections to make, but when we have allowed Viking in the beginning to book our flights, we were always on a 6am departure when there were several options later in the day.

 

I note that you didn't say "several options under Viking's contract".

 

Fact is that more desirable flight options are often not included in the contracts.  Thought problem: if more desirable flights are easier to sell for the airline, why should they include them in the cruiseline contract?

 

So yes, if you take a cruiseline air "deal", you will often get the less than desirable option.  TANSTAAFL

 

 

[snookie1]

On 10/15/2023 at 12:23 PM, SantaFe1 said:

Well, I have Air Plus for our Douro River cruise in Nov 2024.  So I guess if you already have it, it remains, but if you want to order it now, they don’t have it anymore.  I also have it for our BIE cruise next May, with flights chosen, seats assigned etc.  they confirmed that with me just last week.  To be ticketed next month.  But I guess for our April 2025 cruise we are on our own!

We will also be doing the BIE cruise next May, and have Air Plus for this.  I am surprised to see that you have flights and seat assigned already.  I just checked MVJ again, and it says that our flights will not be assigned until Jan 30th!  Any ideas why the discrepancy?  I booked through a TA.  Might that have something to do with it?  Just wondering if I should reach out to our TA and see if she can get some flights for us.  TIA

[SantaFe1]

9 minutes ago, snookie1 said:

We will also be doing the BIE cruise next May, and have Air Plus for this.  I am surprised to see that you have flights and seat assigned already.  I just checked MVJ again, and it says that our flights will not be assigned until Jan 30th!  Any ideas why the discrepancy?  I booked through a TA.  Might that have something to do with it?  Just wondering if I should reach out to our TA and see if she can get some flights for us.  TIA

We used Air Plus so we could chose our own flights and the seats we wanted.  These are in business class on all flights.  We have had the same flights and seats for several months, and I actually changed our KLM seats to move us out of row 1 about a month ago.  Now, all that being said, these flights have been chosen and seats selected, and nothing has changed in months.  But the flights are NOT yet ticketed.  We had our TA ask to have them ticketed and Viking said they would ticket them after final payment, which for us is Nov. 9.  I am well aware that nothing is solid until ticketed, and even after that, the flights could be changed by the airline,  I guess we are lucky, though.  We have never had problems using Viking Air Plus.

[snookie1]

2 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

We used Air Plus so we could chose our own flights and the seats we wanted.  These are in business class on all flights.  We have had the same flights and seats for several months, and I actually changed our KLM seats to move us out of row 1 about a month ago.  Now, all that being said, these flights have been chosen and seats selected, and nothing has changed in months.  But the flights are NOT yet ticketed.  We had our TA ask to have them ticketed and Viking said they would ticket them after final payment, which for us is Nov. 9.  I am well aware that nothing is solid until ticketed, and even after that, the flights could be changed by the airline,  I guess we are lucky, though.  We have never had problems using Viking Air Plus.

OK.  So maybe it is because you are doing Business Class; we are in the cheap seats.  I do realize that you have to be ticketed before you actually "own" them, but we did make our final payment last month, and nothing is showing up on MVJ.

[SantaFe1]

14 minutes ago, snookie1 said:

OK.  So maybe it is because you are doing Business Class; we are in the cheap seats.  I do realize that you have to be ticketed before you actually "own" them, but we did make our final payment last month, and nothing is showing up on MVJ.

I don’t really think it’s because of business class, but because we paid $150 pp to be able to chose our flights and seats.  Our TA called and arranged our choices a few months ago.  Got them right off, no extra charge besides the business fare originally quoted (which was about $2000 pp less than what we got through Viking). The other thing I think is that because we have to fly out of ABQ, which is an airport that doesn’t fly that many places, there are only so many flights Viking can put us on.  And, I have to laugh, because there are so few, we have taken the same international leg several times with Viking, notably the Frankfurt to Denver flight on United, and the Amsterdam to SLC flight on Delta (or in reverse).  We did both of these this year and will do AMS to SLC again coming home from BIE.

[SantaFe1]

4 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

I don’t really think it’s because of business class, but because we paid $150 pp to be able to chose our flights and seats.  Our TA called and arranged our choices a few months ago.  Got them right off, no extra charge besides the business fare originally quoted (which was about $2000 pp less than what we got through Viking). The other thing I think is that because we have to fly out of ABQ, which is an airport that doesn’t fly that many places, there are only so many flights Viking can put us on.  And, I have to laugh, because there are so few, we have taken the same international leg several times with Viking, notably the Frankfurt to Denver flight on United, and the Amsterdam to SLC flight on Delta (or in reverse).  We did both of these this year and will do AMS to SLC again coming home from BIE.

Got them right off, no extra charge besides the business fare originally quoted (which was about $2000 pp less than what we got through Viking).
 

 

im sorry this is wrong and I tried to edit it, but too late.  Viking quoted us business class fares for significantly less than I could get them myself.  So we gave them our preferred flights and there was no added cost.  This isn't always true, but mostly for us.  

[CDR2001]

Snooki, you or TA can call Viking Air plus and select your preferred flights and seats from the options on the Viking air contract. That’s what you’re paying for with plus. Don’t wait for flights to appear on MVJ, talk to a rep. We have our flights for next April all set… unless the airline makes a change. We will request early ticketing. Fingers crossed! 

Edited October 19, 2023 by CDR2001

[CDNPolar]

16 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

I note that you didn't say "several options under Viking's contract".

 

Fact is that more desirable flight options are often not included in the contracts.  Thought problem: if more desirable flights are easier to sell for the airline, why should they include them in the cruiseline contract?

 

So yes, if you take a cruiseline air "deal", you will often get the less than desirable option.  TANSTAAFL

 

 

 

When using Viking Air Plus, we have had conversations with the Viking Air Agent, and given the Airline and the time we wanted to fly.  Each time they have offered us earlier departures, or rather I would say encouraged that there were earlier options that would get us home sooner, that we declined and insisted on the time we asked for.  They gave us the time we asked for, so there were in fact several options under Viking's contract.  

 

 

[Australia08]

On 10/18/2023 at 5:32 AM, CDNPolar said:

We are the ones in the World Cafe or the River ship restaurant having a nice breakfast and you have left the ship at 3am for the airport because Viking booked your tickets for you.  (I am certain that Viking picks these early departures because it gets more people off the ship before the cabin crew even start working, so they can attack the change over immediately.)

 

We typically already accept that we will have the cost of a hotel one night in advance as we will typically always fly in one day ahead

We don’t like leaving the ship at those crazy early hours either. We are night owls and don’t want our last evening of the cruise ruined by needing to try to go to bed early. We also like having a nice breakfast in the Restaurant before we disembark. Otherwise, I feel like I’m losing one of my cruise days I paid for.
 

We’re retired now so we always fly in several days early and usually stay several days following a cruise to travel to another city or just see more in the disembarkation city on our own. We’ve done lots of totally independent travel in Europe through the years so planning a few extra days is fun for me. If we’re flying across the Atlantic or Pacific I want to stay at least 3-4 weeks (again, remember we are retired). We never take early morning flights and will break up a trip if need be to avoid super long travel days. We’re lucky that our son lives in NJ (we leave our car there and visit a few days on either end of a trip) so we have more direct flight options through NYC airports. 
 

We used Viking free air with Airplus for a couple of our early trips and found we could not upgrade our tickets through Delta (our preferred airline) or we were restricted to early morning flights. I have never found Viking’s Business Class tickets to be less since we prefer Delta. Of course, this is just our experience and our travel style.