Airfare Question

Very new to Oceania. They have offered me $400.00 as a credit for making my own airline arrangements. Can anyone explain how this works. Does Oceania do the ticketing or do I contact the airline and simply buy the ticket. How does Oceania handle the $400.00 per person. Very curious how this air deviation works.

Help and many thanks for your input.

Very new to Oceania. They have offered me $400.00 as a credit for making my own airline arrangements. Can anyone explain how this works. Does Oceania do the ticketing or do I contact the airline and simply buy the ticket. How does Oceania handle the $400.00 per person. Very curious how this air deviation works.

 

Help and many thanks for your input.

If you take them off the hook, they will pay you $400.

If you book the air through them, and pay nothing extra, then they control the booking and will get you to and from the ship, on the day of sailing and the day of debarkation in the least expensive manner possible. You will be notified of your air route from 75 to 60 days before sailing, and that is that.

If you pay the air deviation fee, then YOU control the booking, including the days on which you will travel, and Oceania will provide "suggestions" of possible routes until you and they come to a meeting of the minds.

It should be noted that more expensive routes will typically be available for an up-charge, however, YOU have the choice of whether to accept them or not.

400 per person? Domestic or International? For our 4 Oceania cruises we booked our own international flights and transfers. Always 1-4 days leeway at both ends. If you do all the booking, there is a credit, not a deviation fee.

Each time the credit for an international flight was 1000 pp. Your travel agent should be able to advise

I'd check what flights would cost you to help you decide.

On our last cruise, the air credit was $300pp and I could book nonstop (domestic open jaw) flights for $186 PP, so we took the credit.

On our next cruise, I can't match the cost, even with the $175pp air deviation fee and s $150pp air differential. TA sent O our request, and O countered with slightly different flights.

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For our upcoming cruise, our TA got us the prices for OLIFE fare with airfare, cruise only fare and the amount that Oceania would give us if we didn't take flights. We decided to take oLife fare without flights. They don't advertise this one - basically oLife fare with airfare and then a rebate for not taking air. Check out the difference for yourself.

We booked our own air within the amount of rebate for air, and we are going into Dublin a couple of weeks early and staying a couple of nights in our debarkation port. It did take a bit of hunting to get a good airfare, but we managed.

Hi Catalina56,

We are from Tucson and miss the Cataina's very much (like your screen name :)).

Let me try and explain it with round numbers as we have no idea where you are flying (will assume domestic with only $400 credit).

For example, say your cruise price is $2,400 pp with air and olife perks. As JimandStan explained, O will book your flights for that price but not inform you of flights and connections until close to sail date. They will not fly you in before the day of cruise which can be a disaster if something delays or cancels your flights (doesn't happen all the time but, it can and does sometimes).

Or, if you decide to book your on flights O will then reduce the price of the cruise $400 pp and only charge $2,000 pp instead of $2,400 (again, just throwing out round numbers for examples). This will include your other Olife perks, just not the airfare.

Taking O air does not include ground transportation to/from ship (at least it didn't before).

Deviation is when you tell O you want them to purchase a specific flight, like a non-stop a day or more before/after your cruise. O will charge a extra charge for this and may also charge another fee on top because of the cost of the flight you picked. Keep in mind, O purchases cheap consolidated airfares which normal people can't get. Bottom line, O is not doing anything for free or at cost, they will need to make money on flights.

Cheers,

John

Hi Catalina56,

<snip>

Or, if you decide to book your on flights O will then reduce the price of the cruise $400 pp and only charge $2,000 pp instead of $2,400 (again, just throwing out round numbers for examples). This will include your other Olife perks, just not the airfare.

Good summary, John. Just one small clarification - This fare will include your other Olife perks, just not the airfare, if you have opted to choose the Olife fare.

Of course there is a fee if you want to do a deviation i.e. use Oceania to buy your air tickets but on flights you choose. We found that this wasn't worthwhile on our upcoming cruise. Do the math! Sorry, I am not 100% sure what the deviation fee is right now.

You could pay

(a) Olife fare with Oceania's assigned flights to get you there on embarkation day, and home on the last day of the cruise, or

(b) Olife fare plus deviation or,

© Olife fare less airfare credit, plus your own purchased (or points) flights, or

(d) cruise only fare (no perks, no flights)

We found that the Olife fare minus airfare credit plus our own purchased flights was the best bet for our European cruise.

It might be different if we were flying back from Papeete or Asia. We have used deviation with Oceania successfully from more distant ports of call.

And with option (a), you don't have to do anything. It just happens. It is the default. No $400 or whatever flight credit though.

Hi Catalina56,

We are from Tucson and miss the Cataina's very much (like your screen name :)).

 

Let me try and explain it with round numbers as we have no idea where you are flying (will assume domestic with only $400 credit).

 

For example, say your cruise price is $2,400 pp with air and olife perks. As JimandStan explained, O will book your flights for that price but not inform you of flights and connections until close to sail date. They will not fly you in before the day of cruise which can be a disaster if something delays or cancels your flights (doesn't happen all the time but, it can and does sometimes).

 

Or, if you decide to book your on flights O will then reduce the price of the cruise $400 pp and only charge $2,000 pp instead of $2,400 (again, just throwing out round numbers for examples). This will include your other Olife perks, just not the airfare.

 

Taking O air does not include ground transportation to/from ship (at least it didn't before).

 

Deviation is when you tell O you want them to purchase a specific flight, like a non-stop a day or more before/after your cruise. O will charge a extra charge for this and may also charge another fee on top because of the cost of the flight you picked. Keep in mind, O purchases cheap consolidated airfares which normal people can't get. Bottom line, O is not doing anything for free or at cost, they will need to make money on flights.

 

Cheers,

John

Hi John,

Thank you for explaining the airfare parameters with O. I will be flying from Tucson to Miami a day prior to the sailing on 2/15/18. I would much rather be in Control of my air arrangements than O. You were far more intuitive than my travel agent; for that I'm very grateful.

Regards,

Richard

You may also use Oceania’s air for one segment and take a partial credit and book the other segment yourself.

Hi John,

 

Thank you for explaining the airfare parameters with O. I will be flying from Tucson to Miami a day prior to the sailing on 2/15/18. I would much rather be in Control of my air arrangements than O. You were far more intuitive than my travel agent; for that I'm very grateful.

 

Regards,

Richard

Awesome! I like it when someone says they would rather be in control of their flights;)

As we both know, sadly no non-stops from TUS. Either the 2 hour drive to PHX or make a connection.

Have a great cruise and hope you enjoy your first Oceania cruise,

John