Viking Air Newbie

[khuselid]

Hi all,

 

We are booking the Nov 17 Panama cruise in the morning. It does include air and we will need to upgrade for health reasons. How does Viking handle air and requests for air upgrades? We will need PDX- FLL and then LAX-PDX going home. 

 

We are new to Viking and usually do our own air, when we cruise,  but thought it might be good to use theirs giving the weirdness of the world. 

 

Appreciate your thoughts.

 

thanks, Kim

[Heidi13]

When Viking include the flights in the cruise, unless otherwise specified, the flights are in Economy Class. You can request a quote for Business/First Class flights, but expect the quote to be based on the full price, subject to their contract pricing. They may not discount the price of the included economy flight. When we considered the Hawaii cruise, Viking's quote for YVR -LAX was over 3 times what I could have purchased online, and the economy flight was included. 

 

We have used Viking Air when Business flights are included and have been provided our first choice of direct flights. When using Viking Air, we were very happy with the service. However, we have not had great success booking upgraded flights with them, so normally book our own flight using points.

 

If you wish to use points/air miles, even with Air Plus, Viking no longer will book upgrade flights with your points.

[broker1217]

You can't utilize Air Plus within 65 days of departure. We ran into the same issue on a last minute booking that included free air. We had zero input into airline, routing, or times. Even if you are booked in economy on an airline where you have status---your Viking air may be in a fare that is not upgradable.

 

Your PDX-FLL and LAX_PDX flights are relatively inexpensive so you are not getting a real huge value.

Might be worth giving up 'free' air to have control over your flights and just book First yourself.

 

If you are not comfortable doing a taxi or Uber on your own you can still pay to use Viking's transfers for a higher level of assistance getting to and from the airport, if that is a consideration.

 

 

 

 

 

[MBP&O2/O]

I presume you can ‘opt out’ of the included flights and get credit in lieu?

We are thinking of migrating from Silversea and they will quote you for b/c upgrade fares or opt out credit.

[khuselid]

Well, they don't give credit for the air, unfortunately. We are used to that happening but Viking apparently doesn't. So we will just book our own air as their upgrade was CRAZY!! We did just book the cruise today. We are also migrants.

 

😉

[CCWineLover]

1 minute ago, khuselid said:

Well, they don't give credit for the air, unfortunately. We are used to that happening but Viking apparently doesn't. So we will just book our own air as their upgrade was CRAZY!! We did just book the cruise today. We are also migrants.

 

😉

Welcome to Viking!  And WISE decision (book your own air to control things).

Yes - sadly that is the one large disadvantage of last minute booking with Viking (can't use VAP).

At least this way you will be able to choose/upgrade/do whatever is right for you.  Sometimes the "Free Air" for Viking Cruises "comes at a cost" 🙂

 

[Heidi13]

11 minutes ago, MBP&O2/O said:

I presume you can ‘opt out’ of the included flights and get credit in lieu?

We are thinking of migrating from Silversea and they will quote you for b/c upgrade fares or opt out credit.

 

When we booked a river/ocean combo onboard, with the river portion having included air, the cruise consultant did give us a credit for the return flight, but that is definitely the exception.

 

If the cruise has included flights and you request an upgrade, or book your own flights, they do not normally provide a credit.

 

Viking, as a private company that isn't a member of CLIA, certainly has some pre-cruise differences from other cruise lines. However, once aboard they do an excellent job.

[khuselid]

Heidi13, It's all good. Just learning the ropes in this new Viking land. 

 

We never us cruise air anyway, just hoped......

[MBP&O2/O]

Short haul is no problem. Long haul (looking at Japan) will be a different kettle of fish then😏 .

At least if you diy then you can fly out early and at your own convenience.

[Heidi13]

28 minutes ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Short haul is no problem. Long haul (looking at Japan) will be a different kettle of fish then😏 .

At least if you diy then you can fly out early and at your own convenience.

 

Which cruise are you considering, by chance would it be Orion's repositioning to Vancouver?

 

Next to London - Sydney, the London -Tokyo was my least favourite flight, as I joined ships twice in Yokohama Bay. At least in those days we got a short break in Anchorage. We prefer business/first for over 3 hrs, with 5 hrs being the most we will fly in economy.

[MBP&O2/O]

Hong Kong / Tokyo in April 2023.

 

I once did the Tokyo / London via Anchorage. That was when we were flown home after the sinking. Needless to say it was in economy class🤬 Having said that some were flown home Aeroflot .. I am told it was even more traumatic than the sinking 😁

[khuselid]

Well, I was able to get flights using my Chase points! Thanks all for the help! Yeah for not going anywhere for SO long that I had points to spend!!

[FlyerTalker]

3 hours ago, khuselid said:

Well, I was able to get flights using my Chase points! Thanks all for the help! Yeah for not going anywhere for SO long that I had points to spend!!

 

Hope that you did that by transferring points rather than just buying through the Chase portal.  Much much better value of the return for your points.

[khuselid]

Would have done that if I could have transferred my points to Delta. Actually I got a better deal than I would have using cash....so it was all good. Thanks!

[Peregrina651]

On 11/3/2021 at 2:04 PM, MBP&O2/O said:

I presume you can ‘opt out’ of the included flights and get credit in lieu?

We are thinking of migrating from Silversea and they will quote you for b/c upgrade fares or opt out credit.

 

Here is why there is no credit if you opt out.  Flights are always priced separately and not as part of the cruise fare. With the exception of the World Cruises, Viking literature never says that flights are "included"; they say that they are free -- and free is usually a special promotion running for a specified period of time, the current air promotion could have easily been $299 or $400 off. There will always be a cruise price and air price on the page.

 

It is confusing at first, because other cruise lines give package pricing and people assume that Viking has done the same. 

 

The other thing people need to know is that promotional prices are only good at the time of booking. If you decide not to take the free airfare when you book, if you later decide to add air it will be at the brochure rate. Always easier to take the air when you book -- as long as it is deleted before it is ticketed.