Arranged flights with Oceania

Curious if you recommend allowing Oceania to book your airfare as we are going out of Rome for 10 days. What airlines do they typically use and did you have many stops or fly at ridiculous hours?:)

If you plan to use O air then pay the deviation fee fly in a day or more early ..stay longer after the cruise

pick your own flights sometimes there is no upsell

well worth paying the deviation fee to get what you want than worry about what you will get

JMO

We just booked NYC-CPH/LHR-NYC using O's air with an upgrade to PE and the flights are fine. It does help leaving from a major airport like NYC.

We also take a deviation because we prefer to go in early and come back late, but we probably would have had the same flights if going in on the same day.

Mura

We found out what dollar amount Oceania is allowing for flights - without deviation fee) and then checked the prices for flights that we would be comfortable with (1 stop, 4 days before cruise, 2 days after, etc.) and then compared rates.

We ended up booking the flight on our own (less than the Oceania allowance) and Oceania deducted their flight allowance from our fare. :)

To get the rates without air built in, check cruise rates on another travel agent website and do not check the box that says you need air. This will give you the "cruise only" rate. ;)

PS - We would never book our own air unless we were flying into port at least a day ahead of cruise. Two days if flying International.

We used Oceania air twice but it was for long hauls flights such as French Polynesia and Australia/New Zealand where we could not match their airfare. We took the deviation both times and selected our days and flights and airlines with no problems.

For European flights we have used our own air. We fly from a major airport and are able to obtain decent fares if we book far in advance. You need to look at the flights, their cost and then add $175 per person for the deviation to ascertain if Oceania air is better (if you intend to come in early or stay after disembarkation).

it totally depends of the air credit offered, , the actual cost you can get yourself, where and when you want to start and return from, and what air programs your in and whether you want to spend the miles .

Its never, ever the same and thus there is never going to be a standard answer.

As an example, I took the O air from Hawaii to Tahiti, without deviation that included a welcome 12 hour layover in LAX, and for a reasonable$700 pp got business class on the charter Tahiti nui. To buy that on my own would have been some $3800pp............. So is that what you should do???

Well this coming jan I am taking the 1200 air credit from Oceania because now I live an hour from the port in LA. and I wanted to treat my wife to 3 days on Moorea in an over water room after the cruise. To do that with Oceania would have cost $175pp, and a $1600 ticket add $700 for an up grade to business for the 8+ hours and using their air it would have cost me $2475 pp. and fly on a red-eye leaving about midnight.

However I was able on my own get a Business class seat,on Air France morning flight,,saving the Deviation fee and the Upgrade fee, for $1708pp...which was some $70 cheaper flying Business than coach through Oceania .........

Or take Miami last month O gives $350 air credit.. I can buy it for $300. and if I was foolish enough to use miles( which are never free) It would have cost $625 worth of miles.........

So same destination, different cruises and years, drastic difference........NO constant or simple answer

Mura made a great point, if you live in a major hub for airlines like NYC the Oceania air program is pretty good. If you live in flyover country you may be better off taking the air credit.

We spend time watching air fares and routes from our home airport, and if we see a good deal we book our own air. We try to use mileage, points, cash and miles or cash and points to offset costs.

We always look at what the O air credit is and work from there. As stated before, as an example., we can fly out of either Nashville or St. Louis. both airports are upcharges on O's program, plus one gets the deviation fee because we never fly in the day of embarkment. Never!

A bit of a bitch here, for Regent St. Louis is one of the listed airports and carries no extra fees. For Oceania, you have to pay an upcharge to use that airport.

Back on topic, those extra fees have often made O Air non competitive, especially when going to Europe. The only exception was when we booked a cruise late, as in about four months before sailing, and all the airfares had shot up dramatically for a summer flight to the Baltic area. O, even with their added fees, got us the flights we wanted at far less than we could have booked ourselves. Typically, when we book far out, we will always beat O's prices.

Mura made a great point, if you live in a major hub for airlines like NYC the Oceania air program is pretty good. If you live in flyover country you may be better off taking the air credit.

We spend time watching air fares and routes from our home airport, and if we see a good deal we book our own air. We try to use mileage, points, cash and miles or cash and points to offset costs.

For those who know the system, and what you actulay pay for " a free" mile ( they are not free, you paid for them one way or another.)

Never use miles for a domestic ticket unless its a super high price one... Save and spend on international flights Example LAX to MIA rt $330. However at 2.5 cents a mile ( your value) for 25000 miles you spent $626 Or at 50,000 miles you spent $1250 for the same ticket.

Compare Using 57000 miles, international at 2.5cents you are spending $1425.00 for a $5800.00 ticket

There never was ever a free mile not even the bonus for sign up etc...those have real $$$ value dont assume they are no cost to you because they really do cost you.