Air Deviation Question

[Big Easy]

May the air deviation negotiations take place directly between O and the passenger, or must the TA be involved?

 

Seems to me arriving at acceptable flights would be easier without a third person (TA) being an intermediary.

 

Thanks - Mike

[sitraveler]

There is no negotiation. If you want a deviation you notify your TA who notifies O.

If you want to select your own flights you notify your TA who notifies O.

The "standard" deviation is arrive early or leave late.

There can be discussion, but that's it

[Tansy Mews]

There is no negotiation. If you want a deviation you notify your TA who notifies O.

If you want to select your own flights you notify your TA who notifies O.

The "standard" deviation is arrive early or leave late.

There can be discussion, but that's it

I have only done it once - for my upcoming trip. Here is how it went.

Early on I told my TA I wanted a deviation.

I thought we would fly via Iguassu. Based on feedback to my TA it seemed complicated. We would have to buy two flights from Sao Paolo and to Rio.

We rethought our plan and decided to have a bit more time in Rio.

We came up with a few scenarios and sent them to our TA.

Feedback - to Rio from Toronto, we had a choice of two airlines.

We developed a new plan such that we flew via the US to Rio bypassing Sao Paolo.

Our first choice was approved - we had a few days to get back to our TA agreeing. The flight home from Tahiti could not be finalized at that time because O was still working on it.

We are happy with the flights.

I was surprised that they weren't working with the South American Airlines which fly direct from Toronto but that's okay. We are getting points on our flights. We have good assigned seats.

[JimandStan]

May the air deviation negotiations take place directly between O and the passenger, or must the TA be involved?

 

Seems to me arriving at acceptable flights would be easier without a third person (TA) being an intermediary.

 

Thanks - Mike

 

Ah, that is where the "Agent" part of hiring a Travel Agent comes into play.

 

Most people don't give it much thought, but when you use an Agent to book your trip, the cruise line becomes contractually obligated to deal with that Agent rather than with the passenger directly. You have, after all, hired a professional to guide you through a possibly complicated transaction, and that relationship should be respected by all parties.

 

In the short run, this probably saves a lot of "he said, she said" conflict, and you may find the odd CSR who will make small exceptions in the name of common sense, but the short answer is that once a cruise is booked through an Agent, ALL CHANGES must be made through that agent.

[LHT28]

Here is my experience

Ask TA to find out what flights O offers for my dates

if not the flights I want give TA the flight numbers & time then see if Oceania can get them

 

Ist trip had to pay an minimal upcharge

2nd trip ..O offered the flights I would have picked...no problem

3rd trip asked for a different outbound flight OK no problem

 

Not complicated if you have the right agent & know what you are willing to accept

 

Lyn

[Big Easy]

Thanks everyone for great input. I'll contact my TA next year when ready for the deviation.

Mike

[rallydave]

Thanks everyone for great input. I'll contact my TA next year when ready for the deviation.

Mike

 

Mike,

 

Don't know when your cruise is but, don't wait too long to do your deviation. Most people recommend you do you deviation approx. 270 days prior to your cruise which is when airlines release their flights and seats.

 

The longer you wait the more difficult it becomes to get the flights you want without an upcharge. Eventually there won't be any seats available on your chosen flights. The early bird gets the flights.

[JimandStan]

Mike,

 

Don't know when your cruise is but, don't wait too long to do your deviation. Most people recommend you do you deviation approx. 270 days prior to your cruise which is when airlines release their flights and seats.

 

The longer you wait the more difficult it becomes to get the flights you want without an upcharge. Eventually there won't be any seats available on your chosen flights. The early bird gets the flights.

 

Good point, but as I mentioned elsewhere, the passenger will not be ticketed until the cruise is paid in full, even when a deviation is in the works, and most Airlines won't sell an upgrade for a ticket that has not been paid for.

 

Paying for the Cruise early versus getting the upgrade "set", it is all a balancing act.

[Jancruz]

Good point, but as I mentioned elsewhere, the passenger will not be ticketed until the cruise is paid in full, even when a deviation is in the works, and most Airlines won't sell an upgrade for a ticket that has not been paid for.

 

Paying for the Cruise early versus getting the upgrade "set", it is all a balancing act.

 

FYI the deviation is paid for immediately and is non-refundable..

Jancruz1

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Anyone tried to have O book Premium Economy as part of the deviation process?

[roger b]

Anyone tried to have O book Premium Economy as part of the deviation process?

 

Yes they did it for me.

[Tansy Mews]

I am wondering what the latest is for doing a deviation. Can you really say show me yours first? Won't that be too late in the process?

Frances

[rallydave]

Good point, but as I mentioned elsewhere, the passenger will not be ticketed until the cruise is paid in full, even when a deviation is in the works, and most Airlines won't sell an upgrade for a ticket that has not been paid for.

 

Paying for the Cruise early versus getting the upgrade "set", it is all a balancing act.

 

While you are absolutely correct that the customer will not be ticketed until the cruise has been paid in full and possibly a bit later, the cruise will be "reserved" when the deviation is paid. This is a little bit different than the normal booking of a flight and needing to pay immediately. Followed my last deviation under Regent which shares the air department with Oceania and is virtually the same.

 

At the 270 day mark we deviated to get our Business Class upgrade reserved and I was able to get my confirmation number, add my frequent flyer number and put the "reservation" into my airlines account where I could see it. At first it was strange as it showed the flight was confirmed with my seat assignment and the strange part was that it showed that it needed to be paid for by the next day. I was concerned so I contacted the airline and found that cruise lines have a "special" arrangement where they can reserve the flight and every day the must pay date moves a day to the right. Strange, I know but, it worked, Once final payment was made, the status remained the same until about 1 month prior to the cruise when the ticket was paid for and it now looked in the computer like any other paid flight.

 

This was with the Regent $999 Business upgrade. Should the OP want to upgrade with FF miles, am sure Jim and Stan are correct that they can't do the upgrade until the flights are paid in full however, that will remain an unknown until the OP attempts the upgrade whether he deviates early or late. Deviating late increases the risk that there will be an upcharge for the preferred flight that can be avoided by deviating early in the process.

 

Agree deviating and then upgrading with FF miles is a very touchy situation that needs to be approached knowing all of the what if's and risks whereas deviating and upgrading thru Oceania needs to be done early in the process while deviating and upgrading with FF miles IMHO should still be done early to at least get the requested flights with the upgrade a risk once the flights are paid for.

 

Please remember, from my recent experience, the flight is "ticketed" but not paid for once the deviation is accepted. Simply a clarification in terminology because of the unique arrangements cruise lines have with the airlines as I described above.

 

Hope this makes sense and will be glad to clarify if requested. Just remember, until you have accepted and paid the deviation fee, the deviation fee can increase as it has twice in the past year and any extra airline price to you for your flight can go up as well depending on ticket sales for you chosen flights. Lots of pieces to this pie that need to be considered when you choose to deviate that will affect you final price.

[JimandStan]

FYI the deviation is paid for immediately and is non-refundable..

Jancruz1

 

Yes, you pay the Deviation Fee before anything else happens, but if the passenger and the Cruise Line can't come to terms about a route then I don't believe that Oceania can keep it.

 

Once a Route has been accepted, that changes.

 

Also, please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that a Passenger may add Air to their cruise package at any point from booking up until (at least) final payment. To me that does not necessarily reflect "paying immediately".

[rallydave]

Yes, you pay the Deviation Fee before anything else happens, but if the passenger and the Cruise Line can't come to terms about a route then I don't believe that Oceania can keep it.

 

Once a Route has been accepted, that changes.

o

Also, please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that a Passenger may add Air to their cruise package at any point from booking up until (at least) final payment. To me that does not necessarily reflect "paying immediately".

 

My understanding and experience is that the Deviation Fee is not paid until the passenger and Oceania agree on the flight and once paid is non-refundable. In my case, requested the deviation and specified the flights we wanted. The air department confirmed that the flights were available at no additional cost, we confirmed that we wanted those flights and then our credit card was charged the Deviation Fee. The paying immediately in regards to the Deviation Fee is once the routing is agreed on and you can't deviate until you have added air so your last paragraph is null and void based on when paying immediately occurs.

 

Not sure if air can be added after final payment??

[rallydave]

I am wondering what the latest is for doing a deviation. Can you really say show me yours first? Won't that be too late in the process?

Frances

 

There really isn't an latest for deviating. As I described in an earlier post, it is really a game of chicken in that the longer you wait, the more difficult it is to get the flights you want and to not have to pay an upcharge for your deviation. As flights fill up as they get closer to departure, the fares go up and the price to deviate does as well.

 

And, yes, you get the flights and prices and can ask for others until you reach agreement and then and only then you accept and pay the deviation fee.

 

Your question about too late in the process is absolutely correct so you have to weigh the risk of added cost by waiting vs. the non-refundable Deviation Fee early. Most people who deviate try to do the deviation when they are first allowed by Oceania which is usually about 270 days out. This time frame varies depending on the signing of contracts for the cruise air. Airlines typically release schedules 330 days out so for instance today you can check on flights as late as mid October 2013. Believe Oceania waits fo the 270 day mark to cover flight returns which aren't available when departure flights do become available.

[Tansy Mews]

There really isn't an latest for deviating. As I described in an earlier post, it is really a game of chicken in that the longer you wait, the more difficult it is to get the flights you want and to not have to pay an upcharge for your deviation. As flights fill up as they get closer to departure, the fares go up and the price to deviate does as well.

 

And, yes, you get the flights and prices and can ask for others until you reach agreement and then and only then you accept and pay the deviation fee.

 

Your question about too late in the process is absolutely correct so you have to weigh the risk of added cost by waiting vs. the non-refundable Deviation Fee early. Most people who deviate try to do the deviation when they are first allowed by Oceania which is usually about 270 days out. This time frame varies depending on the signing of contracts for the cruise air. Airlines typically release schedules 330 days out so for instance today you can check on flights as late as mid October 2013. Believe Oceania waits fo the 270 day mark to cover flight returns which aren't available when departure flights do become available.

Very clear, thank you. About your last paragraph about O waiting - that is why we couldn't confirm our return from PApeete right away on our long cruise from Rio. They did tell our travel agent that return flights were still being worked ou. (I was tempted to say "up in the air"!)

[LHT28]

I am wondering what the latest is for doing a deviation. Can you really say show me yours first? Won't that be too late in the process?

Frances

 

I am not sure how late you can ask but before the ticketing is done if you just choose to fly in the day of the cruise

The sooner you request the flight the better as you may not get the non stop flight if you wait too long ...

depends on how many bulk tickets Oceania gets in their contract with specific airlines

 

but yes you can ask what flight they will give you for the dates you want

I always check as we prefer non stops where possible

Lyn

[Jancruz]

Yes, you pay the Deviation Fee before anything else happens, but if the passenger and the Cruise Line can't come to terms about a route then I don't believe that Oceania can keep it.

 

Once a Route has been accepted, that changes.

 

Also, please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that a Passenger may add Air to their cruise package at any point from booking up until (at least) final payment. To me that does not necessarily reflect "paying immediately".

 

I should have clarified my statement..Once a "deviated "routing has been accepted by the passenger the deviation fee is paid immediately OR the unaccepted routing is canceled and reverts to what Oceania had for the passenger prior to any change.

You can add air at any time you are correct BUT if you ask for a deviation any time before sailing, it is paid for immediately upon acceptance of routing, again non refundable once paid..

Hope this helps unmuddy the waters..or did I make it worse??

 

Jancruz1

[treasure4two]

Thanks everyone for great input. I'll contact my TA next year when ready for the deviation.

Mike

 

My TA will request a deviation 330 days out and see what they offer and then decide if we want to book our own and get a credit on our cruise cost. You do not have to wait until they offer you the flight info 30 days out from your cruise.

[LHT28]

My TA will request a deviation 330 days out and see what they offer and then decide if we want to book our own and get a credit on our cruise cost. You do not have to wait until they offer you the flight info 30 days out from your cruise.

 

I do believe Oceania accepts deviation request at 270 days out provided the contracts are in place with the airlines they use

[harryw]

What can be done in a situation where is an impending weather storm and a deviation is needed to leave esrlier ASAP in order to get to the port in time?

 

Harry

[LHT28]

What can be done in a situation where is an impending weather storm and a deviation is needed to leave esrlier ASAP in order to get to the port in time?

 

Harry

Last year I know some airlines were waiving the change fee to leave earlier

I am not sure how Oceania handles it

 

At this point in time we are just hoping that we get out of town without a problem..as the date gets closer I may get in panic mode;)

 

lyn

[vaitape]

When do you leave Lyn??

[no fuss travel]

Lyn, I now appreciate the fact that I live in Vancouver after reading your comments. The only time we have to worry about cancellations is when the flight originates back east.:eek: