Air Deviation - How soon can you select your seats?

[llarsen]

Hi,

 

We just accepted our Air Deviation flight schedule from Oceania for our cruise in June 2014. I read on these boards that the tickets are not actually purchased until you are paid in full.

 

I would pay our balance in full if it meant our tickets would be purchased at that time. We would like to be able to select our seats well in advance, as we had really bad ones on our flight last month.

 

Does anyone know when flights are purchased and how we can select our seats (Economy) in advance?

 

Thanks!

[LHT28]

I think it depends on the airline

I was assigned seats for our May cruise by ??

They were not where I would have chosen

I called Air Canada & had new seats assigned

 

I would try your air line and ask if you can change the seats

 

Lyn

Did you check on the website Oceania gives you to see if you have seats assigned?

You need to check there for the airline booking number

https://www.virtuallythere.com/

Edited November 9, 2013 by LHT28

[LadyCruisers]

Did air deviation two weeks ago for our July cruise. Got the flights I wanted on Delta. Got confirmation number from Oceania and went into our reso on the Delta website. Most of the seats that were assigned were what I would have picked myself. On one leg I changed the seats to more preferable ones with no problem. All depends on the airline. Some overseas carriers do not let you pick seats until 24 hours prior whether buying Oceania air or purchasing direct from them. If purchasing yourself you can pick seats in advance by paying an additional charge. I did my air deviation early as I wanted to go in a certain day and especially did not want some ridiculous set of flights on the return day. I also wanted Delta and knew I could pick my seats when Oceania booked it and to get my miles as well. All of this was worth the air deviation charge. Also have my hotel booked the night before in Southampton. Weekends in the summer in Sothampton are notoriously busy because on the many cruise departures and arrivals. So with all of this I have peace of mind.

[llarsen]

Thanks, I didn't even realize I could go on Oceania and get my flight code.

 

I then went to airline (AA Lufthansa) and found my reservation but it says seats not assigned.

 

I will try calling Monday and see if we could make a request.

 

Thanks so much!

[Victoria Cruiser]

I think it depends on the airline

I was assigned seats for our May cruise by ??

They were not where I would have chosen

I called Air Canada & had new seats assigned

 

I would try your air line and ask if you can change the seats

 

Lyn

Did you check on the website Oceania gives you to see if you have seats assigned?

You need to check there for the airline booking number

https://www.virtuallythere.com/

 

Hello...

I was about to post a question about Air Deviation and saw this, so perhaps you can help.: Following the transatlantic cruise in May, I want to stay on in England for approx 3 weeks. In addition, since Toronto is a natural stop over en route to New York,( with Air Canada) and I have grandchildren there, I needed time in Toronto, too. I submitted a request in Sept via my agent, and it appears that it was not sent on to Oceania. After a call to her, I resubmitted. Imagine my surprise yesterday morning, when I was emailed an itinerary for approval to find that I was given an early morning business flight from Toronto - instead of the requested 3pm - PLUS a flight back from London the day after our arrival instead of June 25th. ie June 7th instead.

Can you offer any tips, insight or whatever on why someone is not, or appears not to read ?

I have always held Oceania in the highest esteem but this has me very puzzled. IS IT Oceania who does these bookings, or ones agent? I guess that's what I really need to clarify in my mind. Oh yes, it would cost an additional $400, seemingly just for the stopover in Toronto, since I presume the return flight offered was pretty much the return part of the 'Free air" factor that Oceania offers. I am a little confused and feel let down by this service. Please tell me that it was an anomaly. Thanks

[LHT28]

Hello...

I was about to post a question about Air Deviation and saw this, so perhaps you can help.: Following the transatlantic cruise in May, I want to stay on in England for approx 3 weeks. In addition, since Toronto is a natural stop over en route to New York,( with Air Canada) and I have grandchildren there, I needed time in Toronto, too. I submitted a request in Sept via my agent, and it appears that it was not sent on to Oceania. After a call to her, I resubmitted. Imagine my surprise yesterday morning, when I was emailed an itinerary for approval to find that I was given an early morning business flight from Toronto - instead of the requested 3pm - PLUS a flight back from London the day after our arrival instead of June 25th. ie June 7th instead.

Can you offer any tips, insight or whatever on why someone is not, or appears not to read ?

I have always held Oceania in the highest esteem but this has me very puzzled. IS IT Oceania who does these bookings, or ones agent? I guess that's what I really need to clarify in my mind. Oh yes, it would cost an additional $400, seemingly just for the stopover in Toronto, since I presume the return flight offered was pretty much the return part of the 'Free air" factor that Oceania offers. I am a little confused and feel let down by this service. Please tell me that it was an anomaly. Thanks

 

I normally give my agent the flights I want & she submits them to Oceania

I suspect it is your TA that did not ask the right questions ;)

 

You can submit the dates you want via your TA & see what they offer or submit the exact flights & see if they can do them

When the air dept sends back what they will give or any upcharges then you have 48 hrs to confirm or decline

You can keep asking till you get something you want

 

You may want to consider flying to YYZ on your own or check the flights to see what the price difference will be then just have O book from YYZ to NYC then LON to YYJ or YVR

 

I think having a planned stopover will incur a higher cost ..our friends booke a 3 sday stopover in AMS this summer from YYC on route to Stockholm & they did pay an upcharge for the stopover

Not sure on extending 3wks I thought O would only extend by 2 wks either side but that is something that your TA would have to talk to O about

 

I use http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ find the exact flights I want & submit flight dates & numbers to my TA to submit to O

Then go from there

If your TA cannot seem to get it right ask for their superior for assistance

 

Lyn

Edited November 9, 2013 by LHT28

[llarsen]

We normally book through Oceania. If you book through an agent it is my understanding that you must submit your flight requests to your TA who then makes the request to Oceania's air deviation department. Once your TA receives the flight proposal from Oceania, she forwards it to you for acceptance.

 

As Lyn said, you can request specific flights or tell them what you'd like to do and let them find the flights for you. You can keep requesting until they find something you like. You can also request flights that will not incur additional upcharges, or a minimal upcharge.

 

If your TA is not handling your reservation to your satisfaction, you may request that it be transfered to Oceania. You would need to email Oceania (they want it in writing). Then you would deal directly with Oceania and the Air Deviation department.

 

In consideration to your TA, I would only do this if your TA truely is not handling your reservation in your best interest.

[burm]

Last year I phoned my TA and asked for specific deviation flights. He put me on hold while he called Oceania and within a minute or two came back and said they were approved. I was on the phone for no more than 5 minutes total while this was arranged. I could not believe how fast and easy it was.

[wp bob]

You can look online for most airlines at the seat chart if you have your confirmation code and get your seats that way. then you can see where the bulkhead and lavatories are.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[LHT28]

You can look online for most airlines at the seat chart if you have your confirmation code and get your seats that way. then you can see where the bulkhead and lavatories are.

 

 

Not all airlines will allow you to book online for cruise line tickets

Sadly A/C is one of them

I can call and change the seats in advance or wait & book 24hrs prior online

 

Lyn

[CintiPam]

I was very pleased at how my recent Oceania air booking went for our May 2014 Istanbul to Barcelona cruise. We requested specific flights through our TA, were given those exact flights at only $100 per person upcharge (Cincinnati's airport is pretty much owned by Delta), still resulting in a savings of about $450 per person from what the cost would be if I booked directly with Delta. We were given 48 hours to accept or reject the offer. My TA checked with Delta, and we will be given our FF miles for these flights.

 

When I looked at my Delta account online, the seats for three of my four flights (CDG Air France codeshare flight with Delta to anywhere in Europe I never find out until I get to CDG!:)) had been assigned. All three were the best in my class available. (I always coordinate my seating with seatguru maps.)

Edited November 13, 2013 by CintiPam