another question about Viking Air

[jaykaym]

I am new to cruising and also new to cruising where I have to fly to get to the point of embarkation.  My prior experiences were a short cruises out of the local area.  This time we are planning a trip on Viking in 2023 which leaves from Istanbul and finishes in Athens.  I plan to use Viking Air since there are many ways the connections getting to Istanbul could go wrong and I want Viking to be in charge, but the airfare they have quoted me for Premium Economy is about $500 higher than the current 2022 airfare for the same time period, and that is after the Viking 'discount" and before adding on the Air Plus and Air Deviation charges from Viking.  Airfares for  October 2023 are not currently available so I don't know if the Viking fare is an estimate or if they have already negotiated with the airlines (which I doubt).  Do they do some price adjustment when it actually gets ticketed next year?  At this price  I'm considering only using Viking for the US to Istanbul portion and booking on my own for the Athens return to the US. Can someone with experience please help me evaluate this?

 

P.S.  I'll have many other questions as we continue to plan so I am so thankful to have you all share your experiences with me.

[Azulann]

jakaym,

 As a new cruiser and flying internationally  to Istanbul  and then leaving from Athens  after your cruise, I suggest  you go to Cruise Air Forum . You will find it on the front page of Cruise Critic. There you will find experts on air travel  to all over the  world. One suggestion: When  posting  be sure to  state your hometown airport, dates you will travel to Istanbul and dates you will travel from Athen to your home airport. 

You have plenty of time to figure this out with their help..  And then make your decision if you will use Viking Air.

Good luck.

 I did a round trip  to and  from Istanbul  for a cruise many years ago. We flew Delta, to AMS then KLM to Istanbul and  the reverse back home. But you are doing two different airports in Europe for arrival and departing after your cruise. It add to the overall cost .

 

Edited June 19, 2022 by Azulann

[The Other Tom]

6 hours ago, jaykaym said:

I plan to use Viking Air since there are many ways the connections getting to Istanbul could go wrong and I want Viking to be in charge

Viking isn't in charge....the airlines are.  I've read many reports of Viking "not informing" of airline changes.  To be fair, Viking air is understaffed (as are many organizations these days) and they are the "middle man" between you and the airline.  Personally, I'd book my own air.

 

6 hours ago, jaykaym said:

At this price  I'm considering only using Viking for the US to Istanbul portion and booking on my own for the Athens return to the US.

Normally, a one way ticket is much more expensive than it should be.  You can use the airlines website (or Kayak.com, etc) and book a multi city trip.  It's usually cheaper that way.

Edit:  The airline term for this is "open jaw".  You can google that for more info.

Edited June 19, 2022 by The Other Tom

[The Other Tom]

Another suggestion is to join the roll call for your cruise and ask what others on your cruise are doing about air.  It may be too early for your specific cruise, but you can keep checking.

Viking Ocean Cruise Roll Calls - Cruise Critic Message Board Forums

[Peregrina651]

7 hours ago, jaykaym said:

Do they do some price adjustment when it actually gets ticketed next year? 

 

 

No. If  flights are part of your original booking, you make your final payment on time and you let Viking do all of the choosing, the price will be what they quoted at the time of booking.

 

IF you decide that you want a say in what those flights will be OR you wish to arrive days before the start of your Viking package and/or stay longer, then there will be extra fees from Viking and a possible small bump in the fare imposed by the airline -- and usually the bump can be completely avoided.

 

Viking does not promise that their fares are cheaper than what you can get on your own. But they do offer a certain amount of comfort for those who are new to overseas travel. As long as you are arriving on the first day of your package and departing on the last, they will greet you as emerge from border control and take care of you until you are back at the airport for your flight(s) home. However, not that if you want to deviate from the stated arrival and/departure days, there are no Viking transfers included; you are on your own to get to your hotel and then to the ship.

 

 

[mhb1757]

If you want to lock in the Viking air price you can add it now and then if you decide you can do better on your own once the airlines post their schedule you can drop it. As long as the flights have not been ticketed you do not have to pay for them. If you decide to use Viking Air you can always add the Air Plus feature later after flight schedules are posted. 
if you are not comfortable traveling internationally I would recommend letting Viking handle your air and transfers. When you look at pricing air on your own be sure to include the cost of transfers and checked bag fees. I do not think you can do Viking Air for one way travel. I think it’s both ways or not at all, but you will need to verify that with your TA. 

[Liz Masterson]

57 minutes ago, mhb1757 said: I do not think you can do Viking Air for one way travel. I think it’s both ways or not at all, but you will need to verify that with your TA. 

Hmmm….maybe you can book one way? 

 

Originally both my husband and I were booked round trip with Viking Air Plus. 
 

Then he got notice he was going to need to be in Poland the week before our cruise. 
 

So work is paying for him to get to Poland and then to meet me to Oslo. 
 

And he kept the flights home after the cruise with me. 
 

As I recall there was a far bit of reorganization done by Viking Air. But we did get credit back for the flights to the cruise that he was going to be taking.  (Which paid for his excursions!)

 

We will both be in Oslo one night on our own before joining Viking for our pre-extension. 
 

 

 

 

[jaykaym]

Thanks everyone for your info about how the Viking Air works.  I'm a very experienced international traveler, just not a cruiser, and not used to letting someone else be in control of my arrangements.  It's  good to know I'm not locked into anything at this early date and can just let it ride.  Our new plan is to just use Viking Air to get to Istanbul and then after the cruise bounce around Europe for a bit and come home via military space-a.

[Vagabond51]

Another factor we took into consideration is the cost of the airfare. We also are taking a 2023 cruise from Istanbul going all the way to Barcelona. Global airfare rose 12% in May, last month. Depending on you point of view of the state of the world, not a subject for discussions here I'm sure, 11 months is a very long time. I also harbor uncomfortable feeling about the general state of affairs in Istanbul, especially the past few months. Again, 11 months is a long time but.... The way I look at it I would rather just keep a close eye on what Viking Air is doing, with all the fine and friendly help here, than take the task on myself. Viking has much better tools than I. I'll just let them do their job. We worked with them for a canceled round trip recently and they were quite competent and worked with us.

[Heidi13]

11 hours ago, mhb1757 said:

If you want to lock in the Viking air price you can add it now and then if you decide you can do better on your own once the airlines post their schedule you can drop it. As long as the flights have not been ticketed you do not have to pay for them. If you decide to use Viking Air you can always add the Air Plus feature later after flight schedules are posted. 
if you are not comfortable traveling internationally I would recommend letting Viking handle your air and transfers. When you look at pricing air on your own be sure to include the cost of transfers and checked bag fees. I do not think you can do Viking Air for one way travel. I think it’s both ways or not at all, but you will need to verify that with your TA. 

 

We have booked 1-way tickets with Viking Air a few times.

[mhb1757]

On 6/20/2022 at 8:59 AM, Heidi13 said:

 

We have booked 1-way tickets with Viking Air a few times.

Good to know. Thanks!