Problem Flights???

[KCruisin']

I need help ASAP. We booked an extra night in Venice thru Oceania at the rate of $500 each! Now Oceania wants us to fly our the next morning at 6AM! That would mean leaving the hotel around 3:30AM! How is that getting a night's stay for $1000? My TA has spent two days ont he phone with them and the best he can get from them is that they will change the flight if we pay $200 - and that is reduced from the $1000 they originally wanted.

 

Has anyone else experienced this? What should we do?

[Guest Jancruz]

I need help ASAP. We booked an extra night in Venice thru Oceania at the rate of $500 each! Now Oceania wants us to fly our the next morning at 6AM! That would mean leaving the hotel around 3:30AM! How is that getting a night's stay for $1000? My TA has spent two days ont he phone with them and the best he can get from them is that they will change the flight if we pay $200 - and that is reduced from the $1000 they originally wanted.

 

Has anyone else experienced this? What should we do?

 

I am not sure what you are saying..are they asking for $1200?? When is your trip and did you ask for an air deviation?? Please clarify so I can try to help.:confused:

Jan

*****

[KCruisin']

I am paying $1000 for one night thru Oceania at the Gritti. I had no idea that they would insanely try to book us on a flight that would require us to leave this very expensive hotel at 3:30AM! We cruised with Oceania last September and used their air and hotels and it was good - so just went with them this time. I know that we could have booked a hotel for less (even this one) but my husband likes to have all things taken care of by the cruise line.

 

Our trip is the 23rd of April so little time to do anything now. We had no idea that we needed air deviation. This is our fifth cruise and the first time anything like this has happened. I really resent Oceania's attitude in this - how any company could expect to charge $1000 for a night in a hotel and then want the people to leave at 3AM does not even compute in this brain of mine!

[Guest Jancruz]

I suggest your TA speak to someone high up on the corporate ladder..have her call until she gets satisfaction..

 

If she doesnt email me privately ***** and let me se if I can help..

Jan

*****

[digby]

Your case is another example of why I always arrange my own hotels and air travel myself (or with the help of MY travel agent). I find I always get what I want and generally pay less that the cruise line's package.

[KCruisin']

This is why I always use my TA. He did work some magic and while I am still paying $200 we will be flying home around 11:30am on Delta - which in my book is worth the extra just to be on Delta. I have learned a lesson however - from now on I will have my TA do my flights and hotels for me.

 

Thanks for all the help to everyone.

[Guest Jancruz]

Congratulations..I knew your TA could do it..have a great time!!!

 

Jan:)

*****

[drwong]

Therein lies the nature of the beast. Despite its reputation as a favorite destination, a surprising small number of visitors actually fly into and out of Venice's Marco Polo airport (VCE). As a matter of fact, about the same number of passengers fly out of VCE as Warsaw, Poland, and Budapest, Hungary, believe it or not. Even Barcelona, Spain, has four times more passenger traffic than VCE!

 

Consequently, the major airlines have only one, or maybe two, scheduled flights a day out of VCE (Lufthansa has four, split between Munich and Frankfurt), and you've got to catch an early one if you expect to make a connecting flight bringing you back to the States. Compounding that situation is the fact that most of the European carriers fly smaller aircraft out of VCE like an Airbus 319/320 or a Boeing 737, although Delta operates the largest aircraft out of VCE, a 767 non-stop that leaves for JFK around noon (that would be my first pick, unless you like racing through unfamiliar European airports to make your transfer).

 

Because Oceania purchases the lowest priced excursion fare seats for their clients taking advantage of the free air promotion, you can bet that there aren't going to be too many of those seats on the few flights out of VCE, and any alteration to your assigned flights may require the purchase of more expensive seats on a more convenient later flight. My advice is to pay the $200 for the better flight, which may or may not include Oceania's customary $50 air deviation fee. You're already paying $1000 for your hotel room, and there's no need to deprive yourself of its luxuries by vacating it at 3 in the morning! Have a leisurely breakfast on the Plaza St. Mark and then catch the Delta nonstop back to NYC.

 

Next time, ask your TA to negotiate a better departure time via the air deviation option before you commit yourself to spending big bucks on a hotel room that you'll spend little time in, or book your own air through your TA and have Oceania give you an airfare credit instead. You might even be able to get an upgrade on your independently-booked airfare, which you wouldn't be able to do with the "free" tickets provided by Oceania.