Experience with booked air through Oceania

[zipher36]

Is it fair to say that generally for cruises that embark/disembark at the same port, you're better off booking your own flights but if you embark/disembark at different ports, Oceania can provide better value due to the cost of 2 X 1 way tickets?

[Cruisingagain2022]

I think it depends on where you are flying from and class of service.

Mae are embarking in one country and disembarking in another.

I decided to book our own flights from UK and saved about £600 instead of taking O air.

 

I was also able to get a non stop flight (2 hours) from Manchester to Oslo economy with Scandinavian ( day before cruise ) price included fast track through security we have priority pass for the lounges 

Hotel stay in Oslo all transfers paid by TA 

Return Heathrow to Manchester business with BA ( TA included private transfer from Southampton to Heathrow ) 

 

Like most have said do a dummy run with the airlines and see what works and also factor in what the TA and Oceania will include related to transfers.

 

[1985rz1]

1 hour ago, zipher36 said:

Is it fair to say that generally for cruises that embark/disembark at the same port, you're better off booking your own flights but if you embark/disembark at different ports, Oceania can provide better value due to the cost of 2 X 1 way tickets?

Instead of 2 x 1 way tickets, price an open jaw tickets, usually cheaper than 2 x 1 way.

Edited September 22, 2023 by 1985rz1

[Sthrngary]

I don't know what an open jaw ticket unless it is booking the ticket with Multiple destinations.  Here is my situation and is my only experience.  I hope it is helpful to some.  

 

Oceania decreased their fare by $1,000.00 for my guests air ticket (total of $2,000) if I did my own airfare.  I took that money and booked a Fully Refundable Delta Airline Ticket from Alabama to Athens, Greece.  Returning from Barcelona, Spain to Alabama. The booking was done 330 days in advance because that was when Delta opened up the dates.  I did this to get the best price. 

 

The ticket price was $1,150.00 per passenger round trip.  We then purchased Cruise Trip Insurance which is important to know.  I now did not need a Fully Refundable Fare so I rebooked it for $850.00 each.  I used the savings to upgrade when it became available to First class on the domestic flights.  

 

I am NO EXPERT but If you book early enough, the price is VERY competitive, I choose my seats, and controlled my reservation throughout this process.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[1985rz1]

11 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

I don't know what an open jaw ticket unless it is booking the ticket with Multiple destinations. 

Yes, it refers to multiple destinations with a gap between airports.  For example: outgoing Phoenix to Vancouver then return Anchorage to Phoenix on one ticket. You can have more than one open jaw on the same ticket.

Edited September 22, 2023 by 1985rz1

[FlyerTalker]

42 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Yes, it refers to multiple destinations with a gap between airports.  For example: outgoing Phoenix to Vancouver then return Anchorage to Phoenix on one ticket. You can have more than one open jaw on the same ticket.

 

Close.

 

Only some fare rules allow for a double open jaw.  It is not on all tickets.

 

Also, an open jaw requires that the unflown leg of the routing is the shortest of them all.  So your example does NOT qualify.

 

PHX-YVR  1230 miles

YVR-ANC  1330 miles  (the unflown leg)

ANC-PHX  2551 miles

 

 

[1985rz1]

5 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Close.

 

Only some fare rules allow for a double open jaw.  It is not on all tickets.

 

Also, an open jaw requires that the unflown leg of the routing is the shortest of them all.  So your example does NOT qualify.

 

PHX-YVR  1230 miles

YVR-ANC  1330 miles  (the unflown leg)

ANC-PHX  2551 miles

 

 

We did that itinerary, but it was many years ago, so it may different now.

Edited September 22, 2023 by 1985rz1

[1985rz1]

14 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

PHX-YVR  1230 miles

YVR-ANC  1330 miles  (the unflown leg)

ANC-PHX  2551 miles

 

Update:

 

I just priced this on Alaska Airlines a a single ticket.  Would this not be considered open jaw.  Or does the stop add enough miles to meet the requirement.

 

Multi-city trip

Economy

 

1 passenger

$657

Lowest total price

Selected flights

Track prices

 

 

Sun, Oct 87:10 AM – 11:58 AM

AlaskaOperated by Horizon Air as Alaska Horizon

4 hr 48 min

PHX–YVR

1 stop

45 min PDX

199 kg CO₂

Avg emissions

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thu, Oct 123:50 PM – 11:58 PM

Alaska

7 hr 8 min

ANC–PHX

1 stop

51 min SEA

242 kg CO₂

-24% emissions

Edited September 22, 2023 by 1985rz1

[zipher36]

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

I don't know what an open jaw ticket unless it is booking the ticket with Multiple destinations.  Here is my situation and is my only experience.  I hope it is helpful to some.  

 

Oceania decreased their fare by $1,000.00 for my guests air ticket (total of $2,000) if I did my own airfare.  I took that money and booked a Fully Refundable Delta Airline Ticket from Alabama to Athens, Greece.  Returning from Barcelona, Spain to Alabama. The booking was done 330 days in advance because that was when Delta opened up the dates.  I did this to get the best price. 

 

The ticket price was $1,150.00 per passenger round trip.  We then purchased Cruise Trip Insurance which is important to know.  I now did not need a Fully Refundable Fare so I rebooked it for $850.00 each.  I used the savings to upgrade when it became available to First class on the domestic flights.  

 

I am NO EXPERT but If you book early enough, the price is VERY competitive, I choose my seats, and controlled my reservation throughout this process.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

Do you mind elaborating on why Oceania offered you a "discount" for booking your own flights?  Or are you referring to selecting the cruisefare only option over the cruisefare + air option?  Thanks!

 

I'm looking at the Sydney to Sydney - New Zealand Discovery 14 day (Jan 25-Feb 8 ) Regatta cruise and would be flying from Vancouver and I'm trying to figure out if I should take the flight option or receive a $2300 CAD credit and book my own flights .  Direct flights via Air Canada from YVR-SYD are ~ $3300 CAD so it seems very unlikely that Oceania Air would put me on that flight.  Connecting flights either through SFO or Fiji are ~$2300-2500 so this seems like a much more likely option but the layovers vary wildly from 1 hr to 12 hrs.  It would seem ridiculous to pay the $299 per person custom air request to get a better connection.  Just not sure how "lenient" Oceania Air is to at least picking a more reasonable connection time (3-4 hrs) so that I don't have to stress about making it on the connecting flight.  Really appreciate everyone's input!

[Sthrngary]

20 minutes ago, zipher36 said:

Do you mind elaborating on why Oceania offered you a "discount" for booking your own flights?  Or are you referring to selecting the cruisefare only option over the cruisefare + air option?  Thanks!

 

I'm looking at the Sydney to Sydney - New Zealand Discovery 14 day (Jan 25-Feb 8 ) Regatta cruise and would be flying from Vancouver and I'm trying to figure out if I should take the flight option or receive a $2300 CAD credit and book my own flights .  Direct flights via Air Canada from YVR-SYD are ~ $3300 CAD so it seems very unlikely that Oceania Air would put me on that flight.  Connecting flights either through SFO or Fiji are ~$2300-2500 so this seems like a much more likely option but the layovers vary wildly from 1 hr to 12 hrs.  It would seem ridiculous to pay the $299 per person custom air request to get a better connection.  Just not sure how "lenient" Oceania Air is to at least picking a more reasonable connection time (3-4 hrs) so that I don't have to stress about making it on the connecting flight.  Really appreciate everyone's input!

@zipher36 I am no expert but is seems Oceania offers airfare as part of its fare.  When you want to book your own air, their is an amount (In my case is was $1000) that your fare is reduced if you do your own airfare.  In the past, before the "SimplyMore" program, you could do a Cruise ONLY, or not use their airfare.  When not using their Airfare, for me I apply the money reduce my fare as the amount I had to make my own airfare.

 

I hope I answered your question.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[1985rz1]

@Sthrngary Gary, for comparison, for a multicity single ticket PHX-YVR then ANC-PHX, I quoted above, the fare is $657.  If you booked them as 2 1-way tickets, the total would b $740.  That's the comparison I was referring to. 

Edited September 23, 2023 by 1985rz1

[FlyerTalker]

Most US airlines have dropped the pricing where round-trips are cheaper than one-ways.  So what you are getting is the combination of the one way for each segment.  Where open jaws really come into play is for intercontinental itineraries.

 

 

[1985rz1]

11 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

Most US airlines have dropped the pricing where round-trips are cheaper than one-ways.  So what you are getting is the combination of the one way for each segment.  Where open jaws really come into play is for intercontinental itineraries.

 

 

I agree that open jaws are really best for intercontinental itineraries, but there still seems to be a savings for booking multicity on one ticket compared to the sum of 2 1-ways...at least the the Alaska Airlines example.  But the savings is no where near the golden days case when round trip were cheaper than one-ways.

Edited September 23, 2023 by 1985rz1

[the more ports the better]

9 hours ago, zipher36 said:

Is it fair to say that generally for cruises that embark/disembark at the same port, you're better off booking your own flights but if you embark/disembark at different ports, Oceania can provide better value due to the cost of 2 X 1 way tickets?

Airlines charge 1/2 the price of a round trip ticket for each leg of the journey so long as you are going to the same region.  Such as Rome-Venice.  One half the price of the round trip Rome ticket plus 1/2 the price of the round trip Venice ticket.  

[Hlitner]

I would suggest not "overthinking" the air issue.  Over the years, we have learned an awful lot (about air) by simply reading FlyerTaker's many posts (primarily found on the air blog.  But in the final analysis, folks need to do their own homework and simply evaluate the available options from both the various cruise lines and booking one's own air direct with the airlines (or using a decent air booking engine).

 

It matters little, whether a fare is an "open jaw,"  "P" Class, "Y" Class, etc.  What ultimately matters are the flights (including hardware), convenience, connection times (cruise air can too often have horrendous connection times), etc.  Starting about 330 days before your trip, start doing air comparisons.  There are plenty of decent online sites that make it easy to find the available options.  

 

As a very frequent cruiser (and frequent flyer) we would NEVER simply book cruise air with a scheme that allows the cruise line to "assign" the flights without our own input.  When we do use cruise/air, it is only done where we can choose (or approve) the routing/flights.  I would also mention that as a very independent traveler, we are always thinking (and researching) what we call "Plan B" which applies to both air and land arrangements.  Know your options, in the event that something goes wrong, such as a missed connection, cancelled flights, etc.  Have the airline's various phone numbers on your phone, know how to text the airlines, and do not depend on any cruise line to "bail you out" when everything goes wrong (especially with cancelled flights.    One caution (Flyertalker has mentioned this in other blogs) is that when you do your air through the cruise lines, you may find yourself in the awful position where the airline will refuse to deal with you (when things go wrong) and tell you that you must deal with the entity that arranged your air.  This reason along, is often sufficient to justify paying slightly more for doing your own air directly with the various airlines.

 

Hank

[Sthrngary]

38 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I would suggest not "overthinking" the air issue.  Over the years, we have learned an awful lot (about air) by simply reading FlyerTaker's many posts (primarily found on the air blog.  But in the final analysis, folks need to do their own homework and simply evaluate the available options from both the various cruise lines and booking one's own air direct with the airlines (or using a decent air booking engine).

 

It matters little, whether a fare is an "open jaw,"  "P" Class, "Y" Class, etc.  What ultimately matters are the flights (including hardware), convenience, connection times (cruise air can too often have horrendous connection times), etc.  Starting about 330 days before your trip, start doing air comparisons.  There are plenty of decent online sites that make it easy to find the available options.  

 

As a very frequent cruiser (and frequent flyer) we would NEVER simply book cruise air with a scheme that allows the cruise line to "assign" the flights without our own input.  When we do use cruise/air, it is only done where we can choose (or approve) the routing/flights.  I would also mention that as a very independent traveler, we are always thinking (and researching) what we call "Plan B" which applies to both air and land arrangements.  Know your options, in the event that something goes wrong, such as a missed connection, cancelled flights, etc.  Have the airline's various phone numbers on your phone, know how to text the airlines, and do not depend on any cruise line to "bail you out" when everything goes wrong (especially with cancelled flights.    One caution (Flyertalker has mentioned this in other blogs) is that when you do your air through the cruise lines, you may find yourself in the awful position where the airline will refuse to deal with you (when things go wrong) and tell you that you must deal with the entity that arranged your air.  This reason along, is often sufficient to justify paying slightly more for doing your own air directly with the various airlines.

 

Hank

@Hlitner Very well written and thank you for taking the time.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Hlitner]

47 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

@Hlitner Very well written and thank you for taking the time.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

I will take it one step further and relay our own experience with "O" air.  To be blunt, we are not impressed...especially when it comes to those of us who book international business class or premium economy.  To make matters ever worse, "O" is not a good option for those of us who combine cruises with longer pre/post cruise land trips.  In our case, this usually means flying home, weeks after a cruise, from places other than the ports.  Our upcoming Vista cruise ends in Trieste, but we wanted to fly home from Milan about 2 weeks after the cruise.  Using O for this kind of thing is ridiculous because we would need to pay an extra fee and their prices for business/premium tickets seem to be about the same as we can buy on our own (without the extra fees).

 

On the other hand, when booking products like Seabourn, HAL, etc. those cruise lines have excellent online air booking capabilities (with no extra fees) and often have fantastic discounts on business class (50% is not uncommon).  That has long been our major reason for not having cruised on O.  Last year we took a Seabourn cruise from Miami to Monte Carlo, from where we started a several week independent land trip.  After that trip we wanted to fly back to the USA from Prague.  With Seabourn that was no problem and we snagged United/Lufthansa Business class tickets for $1000 (one-way) by using Seabourn's air.  That would not happen with O.

 

Hank

 

[zipher36]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

I will take it one step further and relay our own experience with "O" air.  To be blunt, we are not impressed...especially when it comes to those of us who book international business class or premium economy.  To make matters ever worse, "O" is not a good option for those of us who combine cruises with longer pre/post cruise land trips.  In our case, this usually means flying home, weeks after a cruise, from places other than the ports.  Our upcoming Vista cruise ends in Trieste, but we wanted to fly home from Milan about 2 weeks after the cruise.  Using O for this kind of thing is ridiculous because we would need to pay an extra fee and their prices for business/premium tickets seem to be about the same as we can buy on our own (without the extra fees).

 

On the other hand, when booking products like Seabourn, HAL, etc. those cruise lines have excellent online air booking capabilities (with no extra fees) and often have fantastic discounts on business class (50% is not uncommon).  That has long been our major reason for not having cruised on O.  Last year we took a Seabourn cruise from Miami to Monte Carlo, from where we started a several week independent land trip.  After that trip we wanted to fly back to the USA from Prague.  With Seabourn that was no problem and we snagged United/Lufthansa Business class tickets for $1000 (one-way) by using Seabourn's air.  That would not happen with O.

 

Hank

 

Really appreciate your insight.  In my case, I'm booking for my parents and they're just looking for economy seats but am really worried O Air is going to book them on a multiple connection + unreasonable layover (either too short or too long) segment from YVR-SYD.  Ideally they would be on the direct Air Canada flight but it seems highly unlikely due to the current prices of $3300. (Flight credit offered by O Air is currently $2300)  They're not too tech savvy so the included transfers to/from airport seem like a no brainer but maybe I should just teach them to use Uber since the airport is only 12 km to the city centre.

[Hlitner]

15 minutes ago, zipher36 said:

Really appreciate your insight.  In my case, I'm booking for my parents and they're just looking for economy seats but am really worried O Air is going to book them on a multiple connection + unreasonable layover (either too short or too long) segment from YVR-SYD.  Ideally they would be on the direct Air Canada flight but it seems highly unlikely due to the current prices of $3300. (Flight credit offered by O Air is currently $2300)  They're not too tech savvy so the included transfers to/from airport seem like a no brainer but maybe I should just teach them to use Uber since the airport is only 12 km to the city centre.

So you have two basic choices (and should compare both).  Certainly call "O" and tell them about your concernsnand listen to what they can offer (in terms of flights and cost).  And then go onto a major search engine (Expedia, Orbitz, ITA Matrix, etc) for the best options that meet your critieria.  There is just no way we would trust O (or any other cruise line) to make our air decisions!  You make the decisions, and then compare the pricing/terms.

 

Teaching them to use Uber/Lyft and showing them how to use the apps (assuming they can deal with a smartphone) is a great idea for anyone.  Another option would be to pre-book a private transfer (and have somebody waiting, holding a sign with their name) although, they should still be advised what to do if the transfer does not show (or is not found).

 

At times, I feel a little sorry for our Canadian neighbors, since it often seems that the options are more limited.  We have 6 airports within reasonable driving range, so when we need to do longer international flights we will compare the options at all of those airports looking for price, our favorite airlines, hardware, and non-stop or the fewest connections).  These days I will often drive 3 hours to an airport just to get a non-stop flight on a decent airline.  As millions have learned in the last couple of years, airline connections can create some major issues.

 

Hank

 

 

[LHT28]

19 minutes ago, zipher36 said:

Really appreciate your insight.  In my case, I'm booking for my parents and they're just looking for economy seats but am really worried O Air is going to book them on a multiple connection + unreasonable layover (either too short or too long) segment from YVR-SYD.  Ideally they would be on the direct Air Canada flight but it seems highly unlikely due to the current prices of $3300. (Flight credit offered by O Air is currently $2300)  They're not too tech savvy so the included transfers to/from airport seem like a no brainer but maybe I should just teach them to use Uber since the airport is only 12 km to the city centre.

Or  you could pay for the O transfers & book their own air

 I would look are  something more than Econ  for that long of a flight

PE at least  unless they are under 50  the econ on 15 hr flight  would be uncomfortable  😉

JMO

[Hlitner]

11 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Or  you could pay for the O transfers & book their own air

 I would look are  something more than Econ  for that long of a flight

PE at least  unless they are under 50  the econ on 15 hr flight  would be uncomfortable  😉

JMO

One of my "pet peeves" is cruise line transfers and how we avoid (unless absolutely necessary) like the plague.  It is not about O or any specific line, since all the cruise lines simply contract with land-based providers.  The few times we have used cruise line transfers have all been lousy (or overpriced) experiences.  Some have been completely outrageous (such as when we tried to use Celebrity transfers in Buenos Aires).  And than there are the folks who get duped into cruise line transfers for places like Port Everglades to FLL...that defy any logic!

 

And here is another current day example.  Take cruises that debark in one of the NYC area ports where some folks (mostly non-Americans) book cruise line transfers to JFK!  They sit around waiting for their bus to fill, the luggage to be loaded, and then they are off for the long ride.  But the problem is that JFK has 8 different terminals, and most are not close to each other!  Ideally, your transportation would drop you at your specific terminal, which is what happens if you grab a taxi, Uber, or arrange for a private transfer (often called "Black Car Service" in NYC).  But what most buses do is drop everyone at "Federal Circle" which is where you must catch the AirTrain.  This means dragging your own luggage to the platform, on the airtrain, off the train, and sometimes a very long way within the terminal.  And to make matters much worse, the Airtrain station at Terminal 1 (used by many international airlines) is closed (construction).  So, for those that have a flight out of Terminal 1, they must take the airtrain to Terminal 8, take themselves (and their luggage) downstairs, and than be directed to the temporary shuttle bus stop where you must load yourself and luggage onto a shuttle bus to get to Terminal 1!   And this is just an example of one airport!  ARGH!  Also consider they could have taken an Uber (probably about $100) for about the same price (or less) than that cruise line transfer!

 

Hank

[zipher36]

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

One of my "pet peeves" is cruise line transfers and how we avoid (unless absolutely necessary) like the plague.  It is not about O or any specific line, since all the cruise lines simply contract with land-based providers.  The few times we have used cruise line transfers have all been lousy (or overpriced) experiences.  Some have been completely outrageous (such as when we tried to use Celebrity transfers in Buenos Aires).  And than there are the folks who get duped into cruise line transfers for places like Port Everglades to FLL...that defy any logic!

 

And here is another current day example.  Take cruises that debark in one of the NYC area ports where some folks (mostly non-Americans) book cruise line transfers to JFK!  They sit around waiting for their bus to fill, the luggage to be loaded, and then they are off for the long ride.  But the problem is that JFK has 8 different terminals, and most are not close to each other!  Ideally, your transportation would drop you at your specific terminal, which is what happens if you grab a taxi, Uber, or arrange for a private transfer (often called "Black Car Service" in NYC).  But what most buses do is drop everyone at "Federal Circle" which is where you must catch the AirTrain.  This means dragging your own luggage to the platform, on the airtrain, off the train, and sometimes a very long way within the terminal.  And to make matters much worse, the Airtrain station at Terminal 1 (used by many international airlines) is closed (construction).  So, for those that have a flight out of Terminal 1, they must take the airtrain to Terminal 8, take themselves (and their luggage) downstairs, and than be directed to the temporary shuttle bus stop where you must load yourself and luggage onto a shuttle bus to get to Terminal 1!   And this is just an example of one airport!  ARGH!  Also consider they could have taken an Uber (probably about $100) for about the same price (or less) than that cruise line transfer!

 

Hank

 

This sounds horrifying.  You would think that the higher end cruise lines would make more of an effort to make this as seamless as possible.  First impressions matter! This could make or break a passenger's decision to book another cruise with the same line.  

[LHT28]

58 minutes ago, zipher36 said:

Really appreciate your insight.  In my case, I'm booking for my parents and they're just looking for economy seats but am really worried O Air is going to book them on a multiple connection + unreasonable layover (either too short or too long) segment from YVR-SYD. 

Have you considered the  Hotel package option with O it is PP but includes transfer to the hotel & to the ship

 Then ask for  the flights & pay the deviation fee to get the nonstop flights

It may be more expensive in the hotel end but maybe cheaper  for the flights & less hassle for your parents

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/australia-cruises/sydney-to-sydney-REG240125/hotels/

 

Do the math  & see what works best

Do not forget the e Visas for  both Countries

 

[Hlitner]

10 minutes ago, zipher36 said:

 

This sounds horrifying.  You would think that the higher end cruise lines would make more of an effort to make this as seamless as possible.  First impressions matter! This could make or break a passenger's decision to book another cruise with the same line.  

I think, when it comes to transfer companies, most cruise lines are equal!  They tend to hire the same companies.  Consider what happened with our X transfer in Buenos Aires.  We arrived after a long overnight flight (in economy) and were exhausted.  We were met by the usual transfer person (holding a sign) who quickly checked off our name on her list.  She than told us that they were waiting for another flight, which was not due for about 90 minutes.  Her suggestion was we relax in the nearby airport coffee shop!  Really?   So we grabbed a taxi to our hotel (also part of the X package).  At the hotel we quickly checked-in, were able to get into our room, and went out for some breakfast.  After breakfast we returned to the hotel (for a nap) just as our transfer bus was pulling up to the entrance!

 

I do think that for truly long transfers (such as from VCE to Trieste or Ravenna) a cruise line transfer may be the best option.  But otherwise....no thanks.

 

By the way, since another poster just mentioned cruise line Hotel Packages, our experience is that we can generally book the same hotel (assuming we would want that hotel) and pay for transfers for about half the cost of the cruise line package.  Many folks forget that when they see the cruise line package price the real cost is double (for two persons).

 

Hank

[LHT28]

30 minutes ago, zipher36 said:

 

This sounds horrifying.  You would think that the higher end cruise lines would make more of an effort to make this as seamless as possible.  First impressions matter! This could make or break a passenger's decision to book another cruise with the same line.  

Are your parents experienced travellers?

Be sure they fly in a day or more early  they can just grab a taxi at the airport  or arrange  private car service  for them with meet & greet  option

 We are able to still in our  70's  manage  finding our way  but some  people are not  as savvy

 

Talk to your parents & their comfort level is what is most important