Air Deviation Question

Hello,

We originally booked our Rome to Venice June 2018 cruise without air, then later added the option of air and the $99PE (which it was priced at that time).

We have plans for a pre-stay in Florence.

We have not bought our air as we have been waiting for air prices to come down (they were in the $700 range when we booked in Nov 2016) but have been in the $1,400-$1,600 range since air became available to purchase for our travel dates.

I inquired about air deviation with the travel agent that we booked through.

I asked if we could price O air with the deviation, and if we choose not to take their offer at the moment...could we ask them to price it again in a month or so?

She said "No, it's a one time deal. You either take the offer at that time or not at all"

Does anyone know if this is true?

I would like to know if we could get a better offer with deviation from O, and would take it if it was a better deal, but if it's about the same I would like to see if fares come down in December or beginning of year.

Also I read on some Air Deviation treads that the closer you get to final payment the less your air credit can be? Is this true? Ours was $1,100 to begin with.

Thank you!!

I've had excellent results just telling them what day I want to go and when we want to return and let them pick the flights. They have each time picked something as good or better than I would select. By letting them pick the flights there is no upcharge, or at least there hasn't been for us.

Just a thought.

You can do it as ORV suggests or you can give O the flights you would like & dates & see what they come back with & whether there is an upcharge or not

If you agree to take the flights offered then there is a non refundable fee of $175 pp

You are under no obligation to take the flights offered

If you do not like the routing just ask for something better until you get something that works for you

The longer you wait do inquire about the deviation the more connections or upcharge you can get

JMO

I inquired about air deviation with the travel agent that we booked through.

I asked if we could price O air with the deviation, and if we choose not to take their offer at the moment...could we ask them to price it again in a month or so?

 

She said "No, it's a one time deal. You either take the offer at that time or not at all"

 

Does anyone know if this is true?

Does anyone have any experience on this? is it really a one time process?

I know one can decline the offer and ask for another but if you let that request die entirely and start the process anew (a month or so) later would O really say "no more requests for you". Maybe the TA does not want to go through the process over and over (for no further fee and I expect this is more time consuming with some customers than the booking process itself) but I would not expect O to be the denier.

Does anyone have any experience on this? is it really a one time process?

 

I know one can decline the offer and ask for another but if you let that request die entirely and start the process anew (a month or so) later would O really say "no more requests for you". Maybe the TA does not want to go through the process over and over (for no further fee and I expect this is more time consuming with some customers than the booking process itself) but I would not expect O to be the denier.

I usually submit the flights I want to my TA only once did they come back with a different option

which we accepted

I suspect it is the TA that does not want to be bothered with multiple submissions to O

JMO

Does anyone have any experience on this? is it really a one time process?

 

I know one can decline the offer and ask for another but if you let that request die entirely and start the process anew (a month or so) later would O really say "no more requests for you". Maybe the TA does not want to go through the process over and over (for no further fee and I expect this is more time consuming with some customers than the booking process itself) but I would not expect O to be the denier.

One cannot leave a Deviation request open indefinitely. but this really is a non issue, because the deviation fee does not kick in until a Route is accepted by the passenger.

Circumstances, availability and pricing will change with every request, but if you are feeling lucky, roll the dice. .

One cannot leave a Deviation request open indefinitely. but this really is a non issue, because the deviation fee does not kick in until a Route is accepted by the passenger. .

JimandStan the wording might be making the difference. I agree and do not consider a Deviation Request remains open indefinitely.

I consider a deviation request closed when:

A. it is accepted

B. The pax declines and ends discussion.

C. The offer is not accepted and after the allowed period, the offer is automatically withdrawn (expires)

D. Before the expiry of the offer it is declined with a request for a change. And this can go on and on and until as you say, "there is a meeting if the minds". Eventually A, B or C apply

I read your answer as in scenario D. But I read the OP's issue about scenario B or C, the offer has expired or declined and "a month or so" later the OP wants to enter into new round of deviation requests. Their TA said, no, you only can have one opportunity for a deviation request process; you've had that earlier, declined or let it expire and now a couple of months later you cannot have another deviation request.

I suspect as LHT28 wrote it is the TA that does not want multiple processes and not O saying "we're done talking". In that case their TA is not being completely honest with them and a discussion of "why I don't want to do this again" should take place.

the offer has expired or declined and "a month or so" later the OP wants to enter into new round of deviation requests

I phrased my response awkwardly earlier. What I am trying to convey is that because there is no fee assessment until such time as a routing is accepted, there would be no actual difference (or advantage gained) by reactivating an old request versus placing a new one.

Thanks for the clarification. So often learn from your posts so my confusion was compounded.

Thank you for the replies.

I tried contacting the travel agent prior to my post, but she is out of town for a week.

I do believe it is the TA and not O saying you have "one shot".

She is not the original TA for this booking. We had a wonderful TA but about 6 months ago I received an email from this new TA saying that she is taking over the booking as our TA is no longer with their agency.

If she gives me any problems after she returns next week, I am going to contact my original TA's manager and ask to be transferred to someone else. I know with all the Hurricanes and travel issues that all TA's must be tired of answering questions and requests. But this is her job.

I could transfer my booking to O but I'm sure I would lose the $400 OBC from this agency. I prefer to deal with O's air deviation department myself, but you must go through your TA if you used one.

In the past when we used air deviation...if we didn't like the connection of the first offer, we just gave O the flights we liked and paid around $200 up charge for the price difference. It was quick and easy.

This time...I have a feeling the price is going to be more than purchasing our own air with the cost of air deviation and the fact that there is only a couple good options for the Swiss or Air Canada flights we want.

I am hoping that I can see what O offers and still have a little time to see if fares come down.

Second Question:

Is it true that the original $1,100 air credit we had may be less now that we are closer to final payment if we drop the air option on our reservation? I read this in the Cruise Air sub-forum here on CC.

Thanks so much for all your input.

Second question. I believe I've heard that could happen.

"Second Question:

Is it true that the original $1,100 air credit we had may be less now that we are closer to final payment if we drop the air option on our reservation? I read this in the Cruise Air sub-forum here on CC."

That is easy to check. Just go into the internet booking process as a new booking for your cruise, select no air required. Then check the price given for the no air against the air included price. Difference is the current air credit.

To the second question, it has definitely happened in the past.

To the OP question. It seems to me the OP is asking if O allows him to come continually come back every couple of months or even weekly, over a long period of time, and request a new deviation plan until he believes he has the best deal possible.

I haven’t a clue a what point O will tire of it. Obviously, the TA is telling them to “look at the options and make a decision “. Not sure if I disagree with the TA here. One will have options, analyze them, make a decision and move on. Is that so difficult? Maybe the TA knows something about the OP we don’t!

just to clarify

Have you taken the air credit already or considering it if you find the right flights on your own?

To Pinotlover who wrote: "Is that so difficult? Maybe the TA knows something about the OP we don’t!"

I really think you need to have a glass of Pinot and chill out! Why would you assume or even say something like that?

"It seems to me the OP is asking if O allows him to come continually come back every couple of months or even weekly, over a long period of timeI never said anything about repeatedly asking for new quotes."

I never said anything about continually coming back every couple of months or weeks asking for new quotes.

To everyone else...Thank you.

LHT28, No we have not taken the air credit yet, just wondering if O's deviation could possibly be a better deal than what is out there right now. I've been putting off the request since my TA said it was a one time shot.

I'm going to look into what Arima22 suggested and see if the air credit is the same with a new booking or just try to call Oceania and ask. Not sure if they will tell me anything since I booked with TA, but it won't hurt to try.

Thanks again.

Maybe the airline will have some Black Friday sales coming up

If one has a TA, all requests to Oceania must come through the TA.

Some of the airlines are having a very good sale currently. Just bought tickets for a cruise late next summer. Best prices, I’ve seen.

Ita Matrix is the best place to view current ticket prices over a wide group of airlines. Wonderful tool and easy to use. Never confuse those prices with what large scale bulk ticket buyers like Oceania are able to negotiate. They may choose to give you a better offer, or they may not.

There is a very recent informative thread on this subject . I’m sure a quick search will find it. Moral is the longer you wait, when dealing with Oceania, the smaller the options they can offer becomes. If you have any interest in using their air, it is best to act sooner, not later with them.

Thank you, and I will check the Ita Matrix and cross my fingers for a Black Friday sale!

I decided to call Oceania's air department and a very nice man confirmed that my TA will have to request the deviation but he was happy to answer a few questions for me.

He said that we could request a quote for the flights we want and if the quote is not agreeable for any reason we could request another flight or date (since we are somewhat flexible with our pre-stay) and there is no charge until we accept the quoted deviation.

He also told me to be sure to remove O's air option which was added to our invoice if we get our own air, because we will be charged for it if we forget to remove it. He said there can be penalties by the airline and is non refundable by Oceania within so many days of sailing (I think he said 50 days).

I also looked at pricing for our cruise and the cruise only fare is still the same as when we booked, so hopefully we still have the original $1,100 air credit.

This is the longest we have waited to purchase our air and it's driving me crazy!

Now I just need to wait for my TA to get back in town ;-)

If you are looking at the Oceania website and comparing the Cruise Only price to the Olife Fare with Air price keep in mind the Cruise only price also takes away the Olife perks. If you want to find the price of just taking off the air then you need to go through a dummy booking and tell them you don't need air.

ORV, I only looked at the pricing...I did not try to create a new booking because our category is waitlisted and also thought what I saw for pricing was correct.

About the OLife perks. This is where I hope we do not lose out, because I also noticed it says that OLife perks are excluded on Cruise Only fares. But maybe when we booked in Nov 2016 one perk and free internet were included, because we certainly received them on our booking invoice.

Our ORIGINAL reservation through our ORIGINAL TA was priced at cruise only.

We received Free Internet and chose the $400 OBC from Oceania.

We also received $300 OBC from our TA.

Air fare at the time of booking was really, really low (Nov 2016) so we took the air credit pricing of $1,100pp

Earlier this year, our ORIGINAL TA left the company and was replaced with our current TA who took over the booking.

The price of airfare skyrocketed to around $1,495-$1,695 for our itinerary when it became available for purchase over summer. We then asked the new TA to add air to our booking since the price of air was more than the $1,100 air credit.

She confirmed by email (which I have) that if we decide not to take the O air the price would drop to the cruise only fare (and they are listed separately), and WE WOULD STILL GET THE $400 OBC AND FREE INTERNET.

Problem is, I no longer have the original invoice showing OBC and Free Internet prior to adding the air because it was replaced online with the new one. She did not include the $99PE that was offered at the time when she added the air, so hopefully we can get that added when she gets back in town.

I am hoping she is correct, even though she incorrectly told me Air Deviation was a one time shot...

It’s water under the bridge now, but for future cruises you should change your game plan.

I always book my extended cruises with the full package of Olife and O Air. Always! Then, when time, and good opportunity, comes to pull the trigger on Air tickets, I can either buy them myself or get them via O. If I do the former, it is easy for the TA to delete the Air portion and apply the credit . Much simpler than trying to add back in Air later, along with any upgrades, later.

Never use some anecdotal posted airfare for current flights as a gauge for what airfare may be in 12-18 months!

ORV, I only looked at the pricing...I did not try to create a new booking because our category is waitlisted and also thought what I saw for pricing was correct.

 

About the OLife perks. This is where I hope we do not lose out, because I also noticed it says that OLife perks are excluded on Cruise Only fares. But maybe when we booked in Nov 2016 one perk and free internet were included, because we certainly received them on our booking invoice.

 

Our ORIGINAL reservation through our ORIGINAL TA was priced at cruise only.

We received Free Internet and chose the $400 OBC from Oceania.

We also received $300 OBC from our TA.

Air fare at the time of booking was really, really low (Nov 2016) so we took the air credit pricing of $1,100pp

 

Earlier this year, our ORIGINAL TA left the company and was replaced with our current TA who took over the booking.

The price of airfare skyrocketed to around $1,495-$1,695 for our itinerary when it became available for purchase over summer. We then asked the new TA to add air to our booking since the price of air was more than the $1,100 air credit.

 

She confirmed by email (which I have) that if we decide not to take the O air the price would drop to the cruise only fare (and they are listed separately), and WE WOULD STILL GET THE $400 OBC AND FREE INTERNET.

 

Problem is, I no longer have the original invoice showing OBC and Free Internet prior to adding the air because it was replaced online with the new one. She did not include the $99PE that was offered at the time when she added the air, so hopefully we can get that added when she gets back in town.

 

I am hoping she is correct, even though she incorrectly told me Air Deviation was a one time shot...

What this all comes down to is the meaning of the term "Cruise Only".

When you are looking at the pricing on Oceania's website when they refer to "Cruise Only" it is without air and without the Olife perks.

Your statement:

"Our ORIGINAL reservation through our ORIGINAL TA was priced at cruise only.

We received Free Internet and chose the $400 OBC from Oceania."

should read "was priced with Olife without air"

If you dropped the air from your reservation the price would not go to the "Cruise Only" pricing but you would get the air credit, whatever that is. The air credit is the same for all categories, so to check it just do a dummy booking on the Oceania site in any category. It doesn't matter that your category is waitlisted.

The more information you give us I'm tending to think your TA is more inexperienced and uninformed than anything else.

You'll definitely have to take it up with them but I doubt you get the $99 PE, it will probably now be $149. Also make sure you understand that is per person per trip and only refers to the over the water part. If you have a leg from your home airport to JFK for example, you will probably be in regular economy for that part. So if there are two of you, the PE, if still available will be a $600 add on.

I'd recommend you bypass the person you have been dealing with and talk to the manager of the company. If you are dealing with one of the large internet agencies odds are good the person you were assigned is just a customer service agent. A few years ago I used to use those companies but got tired of dealing with someone different almost every time I called.

I'm so glad I got tired of them and found the agent we did.

PS, I just looked up your cruise and the air credit is $1100, but the "Cruise Only" fare is $1300 less. For $200 you can't beat internet and $400 OBC.

as discussed elsewhere on the forum

Basically you can choose

1) cruise with air & O Life perk

2) cruise without air & O life perk

3) cruise only = no air no O Life perk

choose what works best for you

Thank you both for clarifying the differences in OLife and the cruise only fare. I have seen it discussed and have always been confused because I didn't know there were the three options. Thanks again for the excellent explanation.

The TA's signature lists (13yrs) experience with this company...but I get the feeling she does as little as possible to get by.

I'm going to ask her manager for help on this one because I think she will be swamped when she gets back from vacation and I need to get this request going and air arrangements finalized so I can relax.

I did a search using Premium Economy for our flight and the price was much higher than the added $149 each way through Oceania. (It showed Economy on the shorter leg to our connection in both directions) but even so, it would be nice to get a little extra legroom on the longer flight if it's available.

Thanks everyone for your input. It's appreciated :-)