Viking Air questions and opinions?

I have the Italian Sojourns cruise booked for next March, from Rome to Venice. We plan to arrive 2-3 days early, and stay an additional 2 days in Venice. I usually book independently, and use miles, but am not seeing the "bargains" that I usually do for Europe tickets.

Viking's current prices are very attractive, and we would choose the premium economy, if available. If I am understanding correctly, I would use their Viking Air Plus to get the schedule deviation. I understand the $50 non-refundable fee, but the deviation is $100-$300. How often does it end up on the higher end? Though we usually fly Delta, we are happy to fly another airline.

Also, if I do a deviation, are transfers still included? And, where would these be from (i.e., if we were in Rome and Venice, on our own, where would we meet for the transfer-the airport, in the case of Rome, and, not sure where, in Venice)

Thanks!

Robin

If you plan to fly Delta chances are excellent that you would pay the $100 deviation fee. If you pay the $50 custom air fee then you could pick specific flights. Then you can ask them to ticket the flights as soon as you pay for them and you could pick your seats and pay for the economy comfort seats directly on Deltas web site. You do want to make sure that you pick flights that are actually on Delta, not code shares with Air France because AF has different rules/prices for their premium economy and seat selection, etc.

it is my understanding that transfers are not included if you arrive early or stay days post cruise. You are on your own, although you can purchase transfers to/from the airport on cruise boarding/departure days. Although these would not likely be of any use to you since you won't be at the airport on either of those days.

You pay a $50pp custom air fee to talk with Viking Air. The deviation fee plus any addition airfare because you aren't flying in on arrival day or leaving on departure day is in addition to the custom air fee. Once you deviate, you lose your transfers.

For example, last year for our last trip they were offering a fabulous price to Barcelona and we snapped it up. We then decided that we wanted to extend our stay after the cruise. Even with the deviation fee (and we were lucky, no added airfare), we paid less for our seats than we would have had we booked on our own.

However, for our recent trip, also to Barcelona, after paying the custom fee, I decided that I did not like any of the flights that I was being offered (the wonderful flights that we had in 2016 that I wanted to repeat aren't available for 2017) and chose, after reviewing the options with online providers, decided to book on my own for much less and for the flights I preferred. On my own, I could use different airlines coming and going, where on Viking I had to stay with one airline.

Every trip is different and what worked on one trip doesn't always work on another. Sometimes it is worth booking with Viking and other times it isn't--and it isn't always about the $$$. Sometimes, like when we went to China, it was about having Viking take care of all the details from the moment we left customs and immigration until we got back to the airport to go home.

Has any one booked a cruise which included free airfare or airfare for $500. pp?

Can you also pay for custom air and deviation to stay pre and post cruise in the home ports, and still get the promo of air for a particular cruise? Or do you just lose the promo price to book anything beyond arriving on the first day and leaving the day the crusie ends?

Pereginia, when you did your own air for 2017 cruise, did you have any air promotion attached to your cruise?

Has any one booked a cruise which included free airfare or airfare for $500. pp?

Can you also pay for custom air and deviation to stay pre and post cruise in the home ports, and still get the promo of air for a particular cruise? Or do you just lose the promo price to book anything beyond arriving on the first day and leaving the day the crusie ends?

Pereginia, when you did your own air for 2017 cruise, did you have any air promotion attached to your cruise?

We are doing the West Indies Explorer and Viking Air Plus is not offered for that itinerary. I booked the air with them when I booked the cruise, because it's $45 pp :hearteyes: We're not sailing until next March, so I have time to decide what we're doing, but right now I'm leaning toward canceling the air portion and booking our flights ourselves. This way I can fly premium economy or business first - which we might want to do.

We received free air from Chicago to Miami when we booked our Cuba cruise for 11/2017. We always fly in the day before, hate getting up in the middle of the night to get to Ohare). It will cost us 200.00 to deviate to go one day early. Well worth it for us.

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Has any one booked a cruise which included free airfare or airfare for $500. pp?

Can you also pay for custom air and deviation to stay pre and post cruise in the home ports, and still get the promo of air for a particular cruise? Or do you just lose the promo price to book anything beyond arriving on the first day and leaving the day the crusie ends?

Pereginia, when you did your own air for 2017 cruise, did you have any air promotion attached to your cruise?

Usually, when the airfare is free there is no customization permitted; you take what they give you. If you want choices, then you have to pay for airfare. Sometimes, you luck out and get really nicely times flights and sometimes you get stuck with the the worst flights you could ever imagine--but they were free. If you can put up with the worst flights imaginable--red-eyes, pre-dawn arrivals and departures, late afternoon departures that leave you hanging around the airport all day when they kick you off the ship, then go for the freebie.

Last year, when we booked for NYE in the Med, the airfare deal was under $500 and we did not lose the promo price when we deviated. When we booked for this year, the deal on offer was $795 (almost twice what we paid the year before). I booked flights when I booked the cruise and then cancelled the flights when I got a much better price on my own.

Or do you just lose the promo price to book anything beyond arriving on the first day and leaving the day the crusie ends?

On a freebie, you can't customize. On other deals, not necessarily. We deviated last year to stay an extra week. While our TA thought that there would be, there was no airline add-on to the promo price for changing our departure date and all we paid extra was the deviation fee (and the cab fare to the airport). BUT, each circumstance is different and the only way to know for sure is by talking with the Air Department.

We are taking a Viking river cruise in Southern France in June; airfare is either free or $49.00 ( can't remember). We paid a deviation fee to go early and our TA arranged a conference call for me to talk with a Viking air person about flights. The Viking person had already identified the "perfect" flights that I had in mind, so that one worked perfectly.

For our Homelands ocean cruise in Sept. we are going with Viking air. We are paying a deviation fee for going early and staying longer. We will not receive the airport transfers and Air Plus is not offered, so can't choose our flights, but hoping to talk with a Viking air person if the flights we are given aren't what we would like.

We've used Viking air a couple of other times and have been satisfied with the flights that were scheduled and the transfer process. Agree with Peregrina: transfer assistance in China a must!

Peregrina, Thanks for the explanation.

We are on the 2018 Transatlantic.

We paid $595. for airfare pp.

It is still too early to even look for flights for March/Arpil 2018.

We are using a TA and will talk to him in May about deviation fo going in a day early pre curise and staying 2 days later post cruise. Our TA did say our cheap air was from the Viking departure cities. Both MSP and PHX are departure cities for us.

So I am hopeful I can fly Delta from MSP, a short five minute drive to airport.

My friend will be flying from PHX.

Peregrina, Thanks for the explanation.

We are on the 2018 Transatlantic.

We paid $595. for airfare pp.

It is still too early to even look for flights for March/Arpil 2018.

We are using a TA and will talk to him in May about deviation fo going in a day early pre curise and staying 2 days later post cruise. Our TA did say our cheap air was from the Viking departure cities. Both MSP and PHX are departure cities for us.

So I am hopeful I can fly Delta from MSP, a short five minute drive to airport.

My friend will be flying from PHX.

Flights may be open, I booked to San Juan from JFK last month on delta

In February, We booked our flights RT to San Juan for flights in Dec/Jan. I rarely book that far in advance, and rarely don't use miles - but the business/first fare was attractive enough on American that we bit the bullet rather than play the 'miles checking everyday for availability' routine that just always seems to happen. Plus we like to use our miles for the longer flights.....

Now that all said, reading all the threads that talk about Viking Air and opportunities for good outcome, I think next time they will be Part of the evaluation process.....really appreciate all the information!!

If you purchase flights from Viking and do not like what flights you are given...can you change and book your own flights?

Thanks

We are in the process of booking the mid Atlantic...Lisbon to Miami in November but have to pay in full for the special that is being offered by April 30th.

If you purchase flights from Viking and do not like what flights you are given...can you change and book your own flights?

 

Thanks

 

We are in the process of booking the mid Atlantic...Lisbon to Miami in November but have to pay in full for the special that is being offered by April 30th.

You should discuss that option with your travel agent just to make sure that you get the details right. It can be done but there are timing issues involved and you want to make sure to get them right.

You can also go the route of paying for custom air (Viking Air Plus) and having some say over your flights. Custom air does not give you unlimited choices but it does give you some say in the matter and you will know what your flights are sooner rather than later at the last minute. Also, it helps to do some research in advance of talking with Viking Air so you have an idea of what you find acceptable and what isn't. Of course, if what you find online now for flights is significantly cheaper than what Viking is offering, you may decide to book your own flights anyhow.

Lots of ways to go and waiting until you see what Viking has chosen (which won't be until the end of August, beginning of September) may not be the best--especially if you are looking for business class seats.

Another question, about the pricing system, this time. If the price listed is, say, $895 for economy. Then, it says, $1095 for premium economy, are those two added together? The prices Viking gave my TA are more than that, so curious.

Thanks!

Robin

Would the Viking quoted air fares include transfers?

Hence the higher price.

Would the Viking quoted air fares include transfers?

 

Hence the higher price.

No, the quote was for air only

Robin

No, the quote was for air only

 

Robin

But when you buy airfare through Viking, transfer to the ship and return to the airport is included but there are exceptions

But when you buy airfare through Viking, transfer to the ship and return to the airport is included but there are exceptions

We plan to arrive early, and stay "late", so transfers wouldn't be included. And, the price I was given was before the deviation and custom air fees (which added on even more, of course)

Robin

Another question, about the pricing system, this time. If the price listed is, say, $895 for economy. Then, it says, $1095 for premium economy, are those two added together? The prices Viking gave my TA are more than that, so curious.

 

Thanks!

 

Robin

Viking Air includes transfers if you are arriving and departing on the scheduled arrival and departure days.

From the Viking website, fine print (on the dates and pricing page of any itinerary). Note the all important "from" in the pricing:

I think it is the "from" that is coming into play here, with regard to the premium economy. The quoted price for regular economy stayed at $895, but the premium economy price skyrocketed.

It's also a little disappointing that the nonstop flights from Venice, back to the US, don't start until the beginning of May.

Robin

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I bought custom air through Viking. I upgraded to premium economy through the airlines myself at a very decent price.

I bought custom air through Viking. I upgraded to premium economy through the airlines myself at a very decent price.

And, I may end up doing that. But, there are now different "premium" economy types. On Delta, for instance, we always upgrade our transatlantic flights to economy comfort, which I assume (maybe wrongly so) is what Viking is referring to. However, Air France and Air Italia have premium economy, which is more like business class, from years past. I can book the Air France one through Delta, and the difference in cost, if I book myself, is only about $250 each.

We were quoted the price listed online for economy, but a higher price for premium. I need to run the numbers for both.

Thanks!

Robin

And, I may end up doing that. But, there are now different "premium" economy types. On Delta, for instance, we always upgrade our transatlantic flights to economy comfort, which I assume (maybe wrongly so) is what Viking is referring to. However, Air France and Air Italia have premium economy, which is more like business class, from years past. I can book the Air France one through Delta, and the difference in cost, if I book myself, is only about $250 each.

 

We were quoted the price listed online for economy, but a higher price for premium. I need to run the numbers for both.

 

Thanks!

 

Robin

Unfortunately, we are only flying United and Lufthansa so I don't have any experience with your airlines. Good luck!

Just booked our flights for next March.. Vikings air special from LAX was 795.00 plus we arrive if I had Athens a da early and staying 2 nights in Venice, so need the pay for air deviation 100.00 pp. then pick our flights for another 50.00 pp.We can't use their transfers. We booked the flights we wanted on Lufthansa for 650.00 pp.. saved about 300.00 pp.

1- What airlines would Viking use flying to Singapore or Bali; what would they use returning from Sydney?

2- If your connection has an overnight layover, do they provide a hotel?