Flights using Silverseas Air: Seat Assignments? Upgrades?

Hi, happy to help if I can. It shouldn't be a problem other than the reliance on technology rather than the paper which I just think is another layer to reduce. I always print them off simply because I give wifey copies and I keep copies just in case I drop or lose them. I duplicate evrything. I even split all our clothes across all cases and bags just in case. My whole attitude to travel is to do everything I can to avoid surprises and dissapointments which you can always do without when you already have the stresses and strains of modern travel.

 

Hope you are over your phobia and enjoy the trip and do come and visit us inmates in the Cooler which is a lot more friendlier and welcoming. :)

 

PS ..... I see you're from Atlanta ..... my favourite place US-side ......

If there was a “like” button I’d hit it for this post especially for doing everything to avoid surprises and disappointments when traveling. My approach exactly. I’m very much into the “trust but verify” mode.

If there was a “like” button I’d hit it for this post especially for doing everything to avoid surprises and disappointments when traveling. My approach exactly. I’m very much into the “trust but verify” mode.

Thanks, it is lovely to know that there is at least one other kindred spirit out there in this world where individuality is suppose to be king.

I leave very little to chance except the experiences I wish to be left to chance. Most of our travels are to places we know well and we stay in hotels that we know. We have therefore made it our job to get to know the staff. Because we do, we specify the suite numbers we wish to use, and it is set out how we like it even down to the odd slight rearrangement of things like what is in the mini-bar and having the best seating facing the TV. They record all these things in their computers and these quirks and prefernces follow us from property to property whether it's London, or Cannes, or Vienna or Paris, or Amsterdam or Athens or Madrid. So they remember our birthdays and annoversary. We send these special people christmas cards and do the old fashioned thing of sending thank you notes to their bosses when everything happens as we wished. Our communications are never by phone, but always email so that there is a written audit trail so that the guilty can be bayonetted once condemned by the written evidence.

It is boring, but I pre-reserve seats on the plane and allow far too much lattitude for the journey to the airport. On one trip to Heathrow last year we had just gone past a turn-off on the M3 and we hit a closed motorway due to a serious accident. The driver then took a scenic route. We were delayed for nearly two hours but we still made our flight. In my view that is why God invented airport lounges and champagne. That is where we sit being bored and wait when we arrive too early because I do not like the stress of worrying about being late and missing the flight. I tell my credit card companies that I going abroad so they don't stop my cards when I use it. I even turn off the mains water tap when we leave our homes. I also write lists. I book cars and drivers so I can anaesthetise myself with alcohol at airports and on the plane from the horror of the fellow travelling riffraff we encounter these days.

I'm always a bit bemused when I read or hear people grumble about some perfectly preventable but unexpected issue and place themselves in the role of victim and oppressed by fate rather than taking basic precautions and safety margins.

I subscribe to the basic idea that what can go wrong to really ruin your day is perfectly possible and trying to thwart the fickle finger of flipping fate is effort silently rewarded.

:)

Helps that early on in my career I was aide-de-camp to an Army general. You didn't hope, think, or pray that arrangements worked out. You had to know, verify, and recheck everything or your career was going to be very short and very unremarkable. It was a good habit to get into and it has stuck with me to this day. Also helps that Mrs K is presently the chief of staff of her Army agency. Same kind of approach so she's in the same mode. Doesn't we 100% organized or anal retentive about everything but we are planners by nature and practice.

Jeff, I think you and my husband are from the same mould. We arrive at airports hours early, but then relax and enjoy lounges. His organisation has paid off several times ie, stuck on motorways etc. Big mistake recently though. Fed up with Ryanair and EasyJet for a trip to Spain, he booked Monarch!! We also carry copies of everything, book seats on flights and split our clothes in luggage. This paid off spectacularly when one case went to Johannesburg and we were going to Rome on a very smart business jolly.

Jane

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:D

Jane, the older one get's the more one has travelled and recognises as it is purely a game of odds, because every so often one's plans are soak tested. I think your husband and I share the same view. Why sit at home and fret about whether you'll get to the airport on time when you can simply be at the airport earlier drinking free booze and gently braising. And the Singapore trips mean the Concorde Room with Laurent Perrier Big Cycle a champers we would never pay for ourselves - but can she get through it during a leisurely visit. On cruises and when going to Singapore, one of our carry-ons also has a complete change of clothes for the first 24 hours - and dare I admit for fear of scorn, our two prized Siberian Goose Down pillows vacuum packed down to almost nothing in size, which is the travel essential, but a procedure everyone thought I was barmy about until all our luggage was misdirected and caught up with us a day or so later in Singapore having gone on to Sydney on it's own accord. It meant we didn't lose a day going around shopping. Instead, the hotel liaised with the airline, we enjoyed ourselves - and the luggage with wanderlust appeared inour suite in it's own good time.

Every so often, you also see people arrive late for the flight and get bumped or travel with others who were bumped from an earlier flight, so checking in early and stating "no luggage" may or may not have helped. Also, for example our Christmas Market Safari to Vienna in a few weeks, each market has events at specific times. It might be for example Horns, or a gospel choir or something or other. I print them all off on a single sheet and keep it in my wallet so on any given day I know somewhere where we can drink a punch and eat some nuts and see a special event.

This year I've discovered I have been buying the wrong travel passes for the last few decades in Vienna and without the research this year I wouldn't have known. I have even written it down in German in case I go wobbly when I arrive and choose the wrong one. :)

Update on our situation. While I have reservations including record locators for all 3 carriers (AA, IB and DL) and assigned business class seats on all 5 legs, my Cruise Consultant at SS confirms actual ticketing does not take place until 60 days out.

Not worried as that appears to be normal MO.

Update on our situation. While I have reservations including record locators for all 3 carriers (AA, IB and DL) and assigned business class seats on all 5 legs, my Cruise Consultant at SS confirms actual ticketing does not take place until 60 days out.

 

 

Not worried as that appears to be normal MO.

Presumably you are not overly concerned because you have been able to select your seat reservations?

Not just that, my cruise consultant with SS advised me that is the way it is done. I trust that they do this all the time and know what they are doing.

It is regrettable that this is what you have been told, and wish you well with your seat reservations.

I have been holding my tongue because I do not know all the answers and I do not want to give the wrong advice.

We have a trip booked this coming May. We are arriving 8 days before our cruise and have paid the $150 pp deviation fee. We have seats and a confirmation from our travel agent. I am confused at what the issue is here.We chose our preferred airline and the seats we preferred. This is the first time we have used SS air and so far so good.

Hi C, you shouldn't really hold your tongue because the issue is pretty straight forward. My experience mirrors your own exactly and it has always been that way when I have chosen SS air packages or offers - which I guess has been around 40% of our trips.

In July wifey was thumbing through the brochure mumbling that we hadn't been on SS for a while and she found something she fancied in the fast half of 2018. I always respond to commands from The Boss promptly, so I called up a TA in the UK that our CC freind Sophia recommended and we established availability and chose a suite, booked it and paid for it. It was going to places we wanted to visit, had a great Business Class inclusive offer with other incentives for Venetian and early payment, so the whole transaction from wifey choosing it to making the final payment was ten minutes. I chose my preferred flight and asked for it to be ticketed straight away so I could reserve my seats. It was ticketed overnight with full IATA e-ticket numbers and so well within 24 hours I went into the BA site and booked wifey's preferred seats on outward and return legs. That was around 11 months and not 60 days out from sail date. There was no palaver,

The problem is therefore quite simple. It is simply that SS misinforms customers when it is a benefit to them (for reasons I have explained at length) and that a purpose of threads like this is to share facts which people can either accept or reject as they choose. You can, after all, only try to help. :)

Of course if you do chose to ignore the SS package process with your flights not being ticketed until 60 days, those tickets are yours and liable for them. They are your property. If you are unable to take your cruise and outside the penalty free range, that ticket remains yours and your refund won’t include the airfare and I suspect any discounted rate you may have been given at the time of booking.

I suspect you may well have issues should your cruise start and finish port or dates get amended and be treated in the same way as if you had booked your own flights. ie you’re on your own.

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Les, I'm not sure but I think your post is directed at me? If so, you are simply wrong.

Les, I'm not sure but I think your post is directed at me? If so, you are simply wrong.

Crikey! The ink hadn’t even dried there! Lol

So you decide to cancel your cruise for a full refund right now, do you think having ticketed them in your name, you will get a full refund (except the usual cancellation fee of £150 for the booking) including the Air fare? Silversea made it pretty clear to me that if did cancel after having them ticked before they were due to be, the cancellation conditions for my cruise exclude those air fares.

Only going on what SS told me and to be fair, if putting names on tickets was no big deal, why would they not just ticket at the time of booking?

Crikey! The ink hadn’t even dried there! Lol

 

So you decide to cancel your cruise for a full refund right now, do you think having ticketed them in your name, you will get a full refund (except the usual cancellation fee of £150 for the booking) including the Air fare? Silversea made it pretty clear to me that if did cancel after having them ticked before they were due to be, the cancellation conditions for my cruise exclude those air fares.

 

Only going on what SS told me and to be fair, if putting names on tickets was no big deal, why would they not just ticket at the time of booking?

Les,

It sometimes helps if you acquaint yourself with the facts rather than make uninformed statements. The answer to your question is "yes", I would get a full refund. You are making the incorrect assumption that the flights I chose were not the ones that SS had already made group bookings on.

The wider debate concerns SS's false steer with respect to them not ticketing until 60 days. I have explained why they do this several times.

So I've been talking to my TA for the past few days. Before we made that call we decided that while making these contacts and possible changes we should also see if we could fly down 1 day earlier. Mid-winter travel from New England being what it is and all! So my guy got on the horn with SS, and not only moved us to a day earlier ($150 change fee each, which we expected, but our insurance guy says we may be able to claim that?!?!?) but got us ticketed with seat assignments.

Now to contact the airlines to see about Plus upgrade options. I expect the international legs will be too price-y for our tastes but worth checking into for 9+ hour flights.

Appreciate all the help!

So I've been talking to my TA for the past few days. Before we made that call we decided that while making these contacts and possible changes we should also see if we could fly down 1 day earlier. Mid-winter travel from New England being what it is and all! So my guy got on the horn with SS, and not only moved us to a day earlier ($150 change fee each, which we expected, but our insurance guy says we may be able to claim that?!?!?) but got us ticketed with seat assignments.

 

Now to contact the airlines to see about Plus upgrade options. I expect the international legs will be too price-y for our tastes but worth checking into for 9+ hour flights.

 

Appreciate all the help!

Glad to help.

It appears to have also been educational for your TA, who has now found that SS can not only provide exactly what you want for the expected change fee, but also are able to ticket now for your February flights .......

I'm not sure what your insurance guy has in mind as grounds for an insurance claim, but I am pleased that the thread has nudged you to persevere and get what you want, and not to be put off in the face of some of the incorrect advice you have received.

Enjoy your trip.:)

Thank you. I now have a project for this weekend.

Did you get your Plus seat upgrade reservations sorted?

haven't had a chance and spouse around to do this

I booked my business class flights through the Silversea agent. He told me that flights were not paid for until 60 days out but that the flights were confirmed. I booked my seats when the flights were booked. Sure enough, 60 days out the seats were then paid for. However, when I looked at my seat assignment - they had changed the seats that I had selected. Just a warning if you book your seats when you book your flights - check to make sure they are the ones you originally wanted after payment is made.

Jeff

Help needed.

I am booked onto Whisper next July with free BC seats on BA that are included with the cruise

I can see the flight in Manage My Booking but the seat choice tells me "Seat choices are only available at check-in"

Is there anyway of overcoming this so I can book seats now

Many thanks

Jeff

 

Help needed.

I am booked onto Whisper next July with free BC seats on BA that are included with the cruise

I can see the flight in Manage My Booking but the seat choice tells me "Seat choices are only available at check-in"

Is there anyway of overcoming this so I can book seats now

Many thanks

Good morning, I am not Jeff but I am also on The Whisper in July:).....what date are you sailing? I am going on 7/10

and there is a roll started.....if you are on the same cruise please come say hello:).....I used SS for my flights too

and I don't think you can book your seats this far out.....I used them for my last cruise as well........I think the seats were

assigned long before "check in".........but not 7 months out either.

Jeff

 

Help needed.

I am booked onto Whisper next July with free BC seats on BA that are included with the cruise

I can see the flight in Manage My Booking but the seat choice tells me "Seat choices are only available at check-in"

Is there anyway of overcoming this so I can book seats now

Many thanks

Hi, does it show you an allocated seat number but not allow a change?

I managed to unhook mine because I simply insisted they were ticketed when I "paid in full" which was on a different Whisper Med cruise but on the same offer, but I believe that because they are treated as a group BA blocked a whole section of the Club cabin out for SS reservations. In the Group booking pages they say they do this so that group bookings sit together.

On my booking I could see the seat map on both outward and return that there was a whole front section blocked out which is usual only for group bookings that far out. I probably needn't have reserved but did but I believe that the odds on chances are that I needn't have paid. I've now paid to sit behind the block booking! :)

Go into your booking and see whether it lets you see pre-allocated seats. it it doesn't don't panic isn't doesn't imply anything. If you are a BA Exec Club member and you went in to MMB vie Exec Club logi, then try entering MMB with simply the PNR and surname and see if that allows reservation.

If that doesn't work, go into Finnair and put your PNR in manage my booking link below. Finnair will allow you to reserve your seat on BA if it is allowable, but may also helpfully show you the current seat map. It will also show the long ticket number starting with 125 showing that it has been ticketed ie 125-XXXXXXXXXX

https://www.finnair.com/gb/gb/customer-care?show=manage-booking

Let us know if any of that gets you any further forward. If it doesn't it merely nudges reassurance more towards that you will be sitting together under group arrangements and whilst a little unsettling is really a good sign rather than bad as it is stopping you spending a £100 on two seat selections each way.

I booked my business class flights through the Silversea agent. He told me that flights were not paid for until 60 days out but that the flights were confirmed. I booked my seats when the flights were booked. Sure enough, 60 days out the seats were then paid for. However, when I looked at my seat assignment - they had changed the seats that I had selected. Just a warning if you book your seats when you book your flights - check to make sure they are the ones you originally wanted after payment is made.

At the point at which you "paid in full" you can and should insist that SS ticket it. Before then you cannot really insist on it. This in normal circumstances allows you to prereserve and see whether there appears to be a block booking in which case you may choose to wait and avoid the seat reservation fees. The 60 day issue is SS's general way of doing things designed to optimise their revenue for reasons previously explained. It avoids them fees for passengers that haven't yet paid in full, who then cancel or make changes.

Seat reservations sometimes get unhooked at ticketing, particularly when the system realises that you are part of a group booking. The BA system is mystical and many people spend a lifetime trying to work out why it behaves the way it does. :)

In a previous post I mentioned the seat assignment that I selected at time of booking changed after SS paid. I then just called the airlines to rebook the seats that I wanted. It was a simple enough solution. The flights were booked on Air Canada and United. I’m not sure this would work for every airline.