Booking your own flights, but can you still get Viking transfer's?

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, Jazmyn49 said:

Be aware that Viking transfers for those arranging their own flights must be booked well in advance.  I think it's a month but with the way things are changing.......check, check, check.

 

And they can only be booked if you are arriving at the airport on Day 1 and/or have a return flight on Day Last. Viking will ask for your flight numbers when you book the transfer. If you are arriving early and/or staying on after transfers are not available to you, whether you book through Viking or on your own.

[dwlmg]

On 11/18/2022 at 10:16 AM, Jazmyn49 said:

Be aware that Viking transfers for those arranging their own flights must be booked well in advance.  I think it's a month but with the way things are changing.......check, check, check.

 

On 11/18/2022 at 10:05 AM, OneSixtyToOne said:

What cruise are you on?

France's Finest, Paris to Lyon embarking 22 Oct 2023.

[KathyA]

Does anyone know if Viking will allow you to come back to the airport to pick up your transfer if you fly in the day before?  I don't expect them to pick me up at a hotel, but I would like to fly in a day or two early before our BIE tour.  We are on the pretour that starts in Oxford, and I'd rather take the free transfer that is included with the pretour instead of paying my own way to Oxford.  But we would like to come in a day or two early in case of any delay problems.

[janetcbl]

No, they did not allow us to do that. But I have always wondered. “ How would they know?”…but I have an overactive conscience that won’t let me try it.

[LindaS272]

10 minutes ago, janetcbl said:

No, they did not allow us to do that. But I have always wondered. “ How would they know?”…but I have an overactive conscience that won’t let me try it.

They know because you have to fill out a form that gives your flight arrival times. Most of us are not comfortable with lying. 😉

[trebor900]

We have what Viking call a "forced overnight" hotel stay the day before our cruise in November 2023.  We have Viking air and they are flying us to Ft Lauderdale the day before we embark the ship

.  We have transfers from Miami Intl. to our overnight hotel and then transfers to the ship the following day included and we didn't purchase the pre-cruise extension.

[LindaS272]

10 minutes ago, trebor900 said:

We have what Viking call a "forced overnight" hotel stay the day before our cruise in November 2023.  We have Viking air and they are flying us to Ft Lauderdale the day before we embark the ship

.  We have transfers from Miami Intl. to our overnight hotel and then transfers to the ship the following day included and we didn't purchase the pre-cruise extension.

That’s a different situation from someone coming in a day or two before a Viking activity. It sounds like Viking set you up with the transfers due to the “forced overnight.” It will be different for someone, as the OP, who is coming in early of their own accord.

[sabrefan]

Cruised from Vancouver to Seward in June 2022. Used Viking air but had pre cruise plans for two nights in Vancouver and post cruise land plans in Homer. Took a cab to our hotel when we landed in Vancouver. Post cruise we planned on renting a car in Anchorage but Viking would not sell us a bus ticket from the dock in Seward to the Anchorage airport. Ended up taking a bus ride via an independent bus company to Anchorage. Personally I thought this was a pathetic policy on Viking’s part for the cost of this cruise. However lesson learned. If you use their air you can not have any pre or post cruise days unless you are doing a program through them.

[FlyerTalker]

One data point:

 

Took a Viking cruise from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires.  Made our own air and hotel arrangements for a three night stay in Santiago prior to the cruise.  I wanted the Viking bus transfer, so I called and paid for the $49pp transfer from SCL airport to the port.  Gave them a supposed flight from Miami arriving on the morning of boarding the ship.

 

On that morning, took a taxi back to the airport and wheeled our bags to where the Viking reps were standing with clipboards outside baggage claim.  Told them that bogus flight number, they crossed our names off the list, took our luggage, and sent us to a line of people waiting for buses.  Never an issue.

 

Want to know why?  Because although Viking has full flight details for the people that they book, they have ZERO access to the passenger manifests of the airline flight itself.  They don't know if you are on that flight, if you changed to an earlier one that day or whatever.  For those with independent flight arrangements, they are completely relying on what the guests puts down on the transfer request form.

 

Now, if you book your air through Viking and come in early, no dice.  They know when you are arriving.

 

One more reason to do your own air arrangements.  (And another reason why Viking's business practices aren't a favorite of mine.)

 

 

 

[d9704011]

5 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

One data point:

 

Took a Viking cruise from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires.  Made our own air and hotel arrangements for a three night stay in Santiago prior to the cruise.  I wanted the Viking bus transfer, so I called and paid for the $49pp transfer from SCL airport to the port.  Gave them a supposed flight from Miami arriving on the morning of boarding the ship.

 

On that morning, took a taxi back to the airport and wheeled our bags to where the Viking reps were standing with clipboards outside baggage claim.  Told them that bogus flight number, they crossed our names off the list, took our luggage, and sent us to a line of people waiting for buses.  Never an issue.

 

Want to know why?  Because although Viking has full flight details for the people that they book, they have ZERO access to the passenger manifests of the airline flight itself.  They don't know if you are on that flight, if you changed to an earlier one that day or whatever.  For those with independent flight arrangements, they are completely relying on what the guests puts down on the transfer request form.

 

Now, if you book your air through Viking and come in early, no dice.  They know when you are arriving.

 

One more reason to do your own air arrangements.  (And another reason why Viking's business practices aren't a favorite of mine.)

 

 

 

Viking insists you arrive at the airport pickup location immediately following a flight?  Sort of bizarre that they 'force' you to go through the charade of establishing a flight in.  What do think would have happened if the Miami flight had been cancelled?

[millybess]

13 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

One data point:

 

Took a Viking cruise from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires.  Made our own air and hotel arrangements for a three night stay in Santiago prior to the cruise.  I wanted the Viking bus transfer, so I called and paid for the $49pp transfer from SCL airport to the port.  Gave them a supposed flight from Miami arriving on the morning of boarding the ship.

 

On that morning, took a taxi back to the airport and wheeled our bags to where the Viking reps were standing with clipboards outside baggage claim.  Told them that bogus flight number, they crossed our names off the list, took our luggage, and sent us to a line of people waiting for buses.  Never an issue.

 

Want to know why?  Because although Viking has full flight details for the people that they book, they have ZERO access to the passenger manifests of the airline flight itself.  They don't know if you are on that flight, if you changed to an earlier one that day or whatever.  For those with independent flight arrangements, they are completely relying on what the guests puts down on the transfer request form.

 

Now, if you book your air through Viking and come in early, no dice.  They know when you are arriving.

 

One more reason to do your own air arrangements.  (And another reason why Viking's business practices aren't a favorite of mine.)

 

 

 

Wow!  You really did that?  There seems to be a thin line here between “savvy” and “cheap”. How many bucks were saved taking a cab to the airport, etc.?

 

@FlyerTalker I hope you’re kidding. 

[FlyerTalker]

28 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

What do think would have happened if the Miami flight had been cancelled?

 

I would have said that AA rerouted me to a different flight.

[FlyerTalker]

21 minutes ago, millybess said:

Wow!  You really did that?  There seems to be a thin line here between “savvy” and “cheap”. How many bucks were saved taking a cab to the airport, etc.?

 

@FlyerTalker I hope you’re kidding. 

 

Not kidding in the least.

 

Companies make up silly rules to fit their needs, without consideration of their customers. I spotted a loophole and took advantage of it.

 

And regarding savvy -- it was a logistically and financially beneficial way for both us and Viking.  Viking got an extra $98 without much effort and our luggage went along with hundreds of other bags in trucks dedicated to that purpose.  

 

And since you have absolutely ZERO knowledge of who you are talking about, I'll just disregard your insinuations about "cheap".

 

 

[millybess]

3 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 I'll just disregard your insinuations about "cheap".

 

 

Disregard as you wish 😊. Sounds more cheap than savvy to me. 

[Mich3554]

On 4/18/2023 at 3:06 AM, millybess said:

Wow!  You really did that?  There seems to be a thin line here between “savvy” and “cheap”. How many bucks were saved taking a cab to the airport, etc.?

 

@FlyerTalker I hope you’re kidding. 

Santiago airport to Valparaiso is about a 3 hour drive.  When we did it, we had a private tour through the vineyards (we were passing through) and it cost us about $200.  So he likely saved himself about $150 by doing it this way.

[geffric]

On 4/17/2023 at 5:10 PM, KathyA said:

Does anyone know if Viking will allow you to come back to the airport to pick up your transfer if you fly in the day before?  I don't expect them to pick me up at a hotel, but I would like to fly in a day or two early before our BIE tour.  We are on the pretour that starts in Oxford, and I'd rather take the free transfer that is included with the pretour instead of paying my own way to Oxford.  But we would like to come in a day or two early in case of any delay problems.

we are on a BIE in April and will fly in early and ask and asked and called and asked again but the answer was no we could not buy the viking transfer..

[FlyerTalker]

4 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

Santiago airport to Valparaiso is about a 3 hour drive.  When we did it, we had a private tour through the vineyards (we were passing through)

 

And having done tours, as well as spending days, in the area between Santiago and Valparaiso, there was zero interest in anything other than getting from point A to B.

 

 

[Mich3554]

15 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

And having done tours, as well as spending days, in the area between Santiago and Valparaiso, there was zero interest in anything other than getting from point A to B.

 

 

We had the same conundrum, so I do understand.  We paid nearly $200 for Viking to take us from Valparaiso to Santiago a few years later.  At the time, we chose a private transfer because we had $$ to kill in our OBC that we’d lose otherwise.  Transit between these 2 cities is not easy to set up.  Before Viking offered this option, we were having a horrible time getting transit set up as Covid had shut a lot of options down in 2021.