More Air Deviation Questions

I'm starting a new thread because the most recent one on this subject is six months old -- hope that's OK. We've signed up for O air with the $199 PE upgrade both ways. Flying O'Hare to Amsterdam on Sept. 26, and returning to O'Hare from Lisbon on Oct. 9.

My questions: (1) Does O air ever route passengers on nonstop flights, or are connecting flights always involved? (2) When does O let the cruiser (or her TA) know which flights they've been assigned? (3) If the cruiser isn't happy with the assigned flights, is it too late to request an air deviation?

One more sort-of-related question for you frequent flyers out there: If we decide to request a deviation, which airline(s) would you recommend for flying from Chicago to Amsterdam? Or are all the airlines' PE sections pretty much the same?

Thanks in advance for sharing your wisdom! :)

JMO

I would pay the deviation fee ($175 PP) fly in a day or more early & select the flights I want

then see if Oceania can get them with no extra upcharge & still the PE seats

The PE seats are only over the water segment so if you have to fly to NYC then to AMS it will only be on the NYC-AMS flight

You can start the Deviation process about 270 days out that way you know what flights/routing you are on

You do not pay the non reundable fee until you agree to the flights

Looks like you can get KLM or LH from ORD to AMS non stop & these usually have true PE seats

For air deviation, do you have to wait for final payment?

Also, can you talk to the air department yourself or do you have to go through your travel agent.

Thanks,

For air deviation, do you have to wait for final payment?

NO You can start the process at 270 days from the cruise if the contracts are in place with the airlines

Also, can you talk to the air department yourself or do you have to go through your travel agent.

 

Thanks,

You have to go through your TA but sometimes the TA can set up a conference call with the air dept with you

For air deviation, do you have to wait for final payment?

 

Also, can you talk to the air department yourself or do you have to go through your travel agent.

 

Thanks,

You don't have to wait until final payment, in fact it is unwise to do so as all the good seats will probably be booked by then.

If you booked through an Agent, then the Agent has to deal with the Air Dept.

1. Absolutely nothing has changed in O’s policies on this issue in the last 6, 12, 24 , or 48 months .

2. The closer to the 270 day time line your TA starts the discussion with O Air the more options and better for you.

3. When taking O Air, I always do a deviation. With all the expenses involved with a cruise, for use taking the risks of flying in the day of embarking is not rational.

If you are going to do a deviation, do not wait for final payment. If you are not going to do a deviation, do not wait for final payment. Follow the advice above and try for a deviation as soon as possible since you can always say no. After final payment if you do not like the air routes you are given, it is hard to impossible to change them. One time (going through O'Hare) they said no and luckily we made the return flight we were worried about anyway. Last year, we asked for a change when we got the routes because of very short connection time. They said no. TA did get them to change it but we were put on Air Canada Rouge which many hate. It worked out that time because we had the PE upgrade and the connection in Montreal was still an international flight so we had PE (only way to go on Rouge) all the way to Florida. The PE varies from airline to airline but is always better than just E. Best is do as they told you above and try for a deviation.

1. Absolutely nothing has changed in O’s policies on this issue in the last 6, 12, 24 , or 48 months .

 

2. The closer to the 270 day time line your TA starts the discussion with O Air the more options and better for you.

 

3. When taking O Air, I always do a deviation. With all the expenses involved with a cruise, for use taking the risks of flying in the day of embarking is not rational.

We also have all the same questions and will take the advice here about doing a deviation at 270 days.

Even if it might not make financial sense to book an O pre-hotel stay where you would not be flying in on embarkation day will paying a deviation give you control of connection times and seat assignments?

Am I correct that you pay $175 per person non-refundable for the deviation, it covers all flights, and is paid when you accept the flights?

Do you get your seat assignments at that time?

How are the seats assigned? Since you have to go through the TA do they do this? O air? the airlines? and do you get a record locator number so you can change the seats?

Do you have to pay for the flight part of your final payment when this is done or is it paid later by the final payment date?

With deviation can you choose any airline or do you have to fly with those that O is contracted with?

One final question: If O should cancel the cruise do they refund the deviation fee?

Thank you all for the help!

We also have all the same questions and will take the advice here about doing a deviation at 270 days.

Even if it might not make financial sense to book an O pre-hotel stay where you would not be flying in on embarkation day will paying a deviation give you control of connection times and seat assignments?

 

 

You do not need to book the hotel package to book the deviation if that is what you mean

You book the flights & fly in up to 2 wks prior stay where ever you choose

 

 

Am I correct that you pay $175 per person non-refundable for the deviation, it covers all flights, and is paid when you accept the flights?

YES if you make any changes after you accept the flights then you will pay another fee

choose wisely

 

 

Do you get your seat assignments at that time?

 

sometimes but usually not the best locations

 

How are the seats assigned? Since you have to go through the TA do they do this? O air? the airlines? and do you get a record locator number so you can change the seats?

you can get the locator # but usually they are not ticketed until closer to sailing

Once paid in full then you can ask O to ticket you

 

Do you have to pay for the flight part of your final payment when this is done or is it paid later by the final payment date?

You pay the air at the time of final payment for the cruise except the deviation fee it is paid when you accept the flights

 

With deviation can you choose any airline or do you have to fly with those that O is contracted with?

You can ask for any flights if O can get them they will or they may charge an upcharge

 

Thank you all for the help!

maybe others have more info

I have not had a cruise cancelled by O

I did cancel & lost the fee

Help

If I am going to just take olife included air, is there a way to speed up the selection of my flights. Mt TA is saying Oceania will only ticket 70 days out.

Don’t see how I can do a deviation if I am taking their days. Should I just pick out a proposed airline on their dates?

Many thanks to all who commented. I hear you: Request a deviation!

Every answered question suggests another one. On regular O air (i.e., no deviation), do ticketing and being assigned to a flight occur simultaneously, or are they two separate processes? How many days in advance of the cruise do ticketing and being assigned to a flight occur? I guess I don't really understand the difference, if there is one, between getting your flight number and getting your ticket.

Thanks for your patience. I'll get my mind around this stuff one of these days! ;)

Help

 

If I am going to just take olife included air, is there a way to speed up the selection of my flights. Mt TA is saying Oceania will only ticket 70 days out.

 

Don’t see how I can do a deviation if I am taking their days. Should I just pick out a proposed airline on their dates?

1)pick the dates you want to fly & out

2)pick the flights you would like

3)if they say YES to the flights you chose pay the deviation fee

4)If you want to be ticketed early make sure the cruise/air is paid in full

If you are just flying in & out on the cruise dates you pretty much have to wait until they do the air

Like mentioned above the sooner you start the deviation process the better selection you get :halo:

Many thanks to all who commented. I hear you: Request a deviation!

 

 

Every answered question suggests another one. On regular O air (i.e., no deviation), do ticketing and being assigned to a flight occur simultaneously, or are they two separate processes? How many days in advance of the cruise do ticketing and being assigned to a flight occur? I guess I don't really understand the difference, if there is one, between getting your flight number and getting your ticket.

 

 

 

Thanks for your patience. I'll get my mind around this stuff one of these days! ;)

I always do a deviation

I like to fly in at least a day early in case of weather or jet lag as well as other problems that can arise

But I digress

I believe you may get the flight info about 70 days But they do not ticket you unless you request them to until 30 days out

You can read here how people waited for the flights to be posted then decide it has too many connections, not the flights they would like. arrive too early etc..

IMHO

Pay the deviation fee fly in early ..less stress all round :halo:

Help

 

If I am going to just take olife included air, is there a way to speed up the selection of my flights. Mt TA is saying Oceania will only ticket 70 days out.

 

Don’t see how I can do a deviation if I am taking their days. Should I just pick out a proposed airline on their dates?

First of all for clarity, Olife and air are two different options and NOT related You can take olife with or without air or cruise only.

If you take Oceania air you will not find out your flights until approx 70 days out and cannot move that to the left and why the strong recommendations to deviate at the 270 day mark when for sure more flights will be available. You can deviate once you see your included flights but, much more difficult and the availability as well as any possible upcharge become more likely.

A deviation can be done on the same dates that O would fly you but, not a good idea as for sure you want to arrive at least a day before your cruise. If your O flight or deviated flight don't get you to the embarkation location in time to get on the ship, in either case it is NOT O's responsibility to get you to the next port to board the ship. Almost every experienced cruiser gets to the embarkation port at least one day early. Think about flying to Europe or Asia with a flight arriving only a few hours before the ship departs and weather and other delays. Flying to a US port will mostly work as there are multiple flights although a closed airport due to weather is closed for all but, a 12 to 20 hour flight there are no other flights for say a mechanical. Our return from a cruise last year was delayed 12 hours due to sick crew with no available replacements. We got home late but if this had happened on the way to the ship, we might have been out of luck or had to pay thousands of dollars to get to the next available ship port.

How about I just ask for premium Econ and no deviation. Will they ticket me sooner

Sorry for the questions. Normally do my own air

How about I just ask for premium Econ and no deviation. Will they ticket me sooner

 

 

 

Sorry for the questions. Normally do my own air

Anything other than the included air requires the deviation payment. Good try but no cigar.

If you prefer to do your own air take the credit and do your own air in other words book the cruise only with or without olife

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I’m pretty sure the deviation fee is added to the invoice when you elect it, but not payable until final payment.

How about I just ask for premium Econ and no deviation. Will they ticket me sooner

 

Sorry for the questions. Normally do my own air

Unless they have a special promo for PE it may cost more than booking your own air

Just take the air credit keep the O Life perks if you want

then book your own air

I have read that others once ticketed they called the airline & upgraded to PE but you have to be pain in full with Oceania to get there & only some airlines will do it

I realise it doesn’t apply to many people on here, but if you book the air through Oceania UK, then it is Oceania’s responsibility to get you to the ship at the next port if there are flight delays. Under what are known as ABTA regulations, if you book a ‘package’ of say, flight and cruise, then the operator is responsible for fulfilling the whole thing here in Britain. Probably why Oceania themselves insisted we fly in a day early for our South American cruise. No deviation.

Just thought I would mention it!

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I’m pretty sure the deviation fee is added to the invoice when you elect it, but not payable until final payment.

As the deviation fee is non-refundable, it has to be paid as soon as you accept the deviation.

And maryiizcat, no such luck in the US getting any cruise line to take responsibility for flight delays. Clearly spelled out in the T's and C's

Just another vote for deviation, but it sounds like you've already been convinced.

We usually do our own air and go in early, come back late. We want to see those beginning and ending cities as well as take the cruise. We have occasionally used O's air, in which case we take the deviation in order to do the same.

I've quoted this story before. It goes back to O's first days. We were taking a cruise from Costa Rica to Miami via the Canal. Weather was bad on the east coast. Some passengers from Boston were using O's air but couldn't get there on time because of snowy conditions in Boston. The captain HAD to leave on time in order to keep our slot going through the Canal. I don't know when those passengers arrived on board, but they clearly missed the beginning of the cruise.

Mura

One must remember, when dealing with the airlines, there is no one sit fits all answer. Different airlines do things in entirely different fashion. A couple of examples:

1. BA. BA charges a fee for early seat assignments. BA normally assigns seat 1-3 days preflight. If you choose a deviation with BA, you will have to call BA, after O has ticketed the flight and pay BA for the early seat assignment.

2. SAS. If O tickets the flight, SAS will not deal with you until 24 hours before take off. Oceania can get you a seat assignment when they book the ticket. However, if you want to change seats or upgrade seats, that has to be done by Oceania up to 24 hours pre flight. If you have a TA, the request for change to Oceania must be done via the TA. O Sir won’t talk to you. Plus, what O may charge you to do that change typically has nothing to do with what SAS’s website may say that change/upgrade may cost.

3. Lots of different combinations are available. Understand who O is booking you on and how you will be booked. Sometimes each flight may be booked separately and not even with another alliance partner. Therefore, airlines A may have no knowledge of your connections with airlines B and nothing in their systems.

If you take Oceania air you will not find out your flights until approx 70 days out and cannot move that to the left

I think this is not quite correct. True that if one does nothing they will not find out their flights until ~ 70 days out. However, if paid in full (early) one can request ticketing and then would get the routes and, subject to the individual airline and the booking class rules, be able to *possibly* book seats.(that is even a bigger variable)

A draw back is O does have you agree to be responsible for possible (air) costs you cancel.

I think this is not quite correct. True that if one does nothing they will not find out their flights until ~ 70 days out. However, if paid in full (early) one can request ticketing and then would get the routes and, subject to the individual airline and the booking class rules, be able to *possibly* book seats.(that is even a bigger variable)

 

A draw back is O does have you agree to be responsible for possible (air) costs you cancel.

Think you are correct about paying early to get flights booked but once booked more than likely stuck with the O chosen flights and deviating if possible would be extremely expensive. The person with the question wants to see the chosen flights to possibly deviate before 70 days out.

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One must remember, when dealing with the airlines, there is no one sit fits all answer. Different airlines do things in entirely different fashion. A couple of examples:

 

1. BA. BA charges a fee for early seat assignments. BA normally assigns seat 1-3 days preflight. If you choose a deviation with BA, you will have to call BA, after O has ticketed the flight and pay BA for the early seat assignment.

...

3. Lots of different combinations are available. ...

An example of the truth in your opening sentence, even with the (apparent but not) same airline. I have a connecting flight on A/C, 2nd leg operated by Lufthansa. First leg have seats assigned. 2nd leg I cannot assign them myself on-line. Go to A/C website, says to use LH, Try LH and it shows the A/C flights and no method to select a seat. Short flight so I have surrendered. sigh.

Second example is with your first. I have flights on BA and have seats assigned. I actually hesitate to mention this in case making this good fortune public causes them to disappear. I am not superstitious but see little value in tempting the unknown. running with scissors.

So indeed, as per your item 3, one size does not fit all and what you get and what I get can be very different thinking they are "close enough" circumstances to be the same. I think the only sure thing is that it will not be a sure thing to be able to book or even buy a seat in advance.