Business Class upgrade?

[StarFlyr]

Do Oceania cruises have a Business Class upgrade option? If so, I don't see it in their brochures. Just back from a Regent cruise with flights in excess of 10 hours (one 14.5). My old body just doesn't adapt to the back of the bus seats for that long.

 

I realize I can dump the "so-called" free air and book my own BC. On Regent, I couldn't come close to their BC upgrade option on my own.

[LHT28]

Do Oceania cruises have a Business Class upgrade option? If so, I don't see it in their brochures. Just back from a Regent cruise with flights in excess of 10 hours (one 14.5). My old body just doesn't adapt to the back of the bus seats for that long.

 

I realize I can dump the "so-called" free air and book my own BC. On Regent, I couldn't come close to their BC upgrade option on my own.

 

Yes on some routes

I do not think they are a reasonable as Regent but they are available

Edited December 7, 2014 by LHT28

[orchestrapal]

Oceania can always get business class for you but most times we have even asked about it did not pay. The exception was a one way on BA to London

which was several hundred cheaper than we could buy it ourselves.

[Mura]

The few times we considered using an "O" upgrade to biz air, we reeled at the quoted price. Beyond that, it is a "restricted" fare which means that if you have a leg of a flight that flies over land, you'll be in economy on that leg. For us, since we live in NYC, that doesn't make it a deal breaker since we only have to fly one leg from Europe (usually) ... but the price so far has been a deal breaker.

 

Mura

[bob278]

On our cruise next July, the upgrade to business class (on top of the $425 allowance) was $1,799. That made the total per person $2,224. When I checked with various airlines, the best I could do from London to Charlotte was around $4,000 p/p. Because I was able to get flights using miles before we got into the 270-day window, I could not ask what flights would be available for that. It never came up if that was considered a deviation that would have let me see the flights at 270 days or would have had to wait until their standard flights were released. If I had not been able to get FF miles seats, I would have taken O's flights for that cost.

 

Interesting note that flights over land would have been in coach. I would be surprised if we would have been able to get non-stops from London to Charlotte but a flight from and east coast gateway would be fairly short. Our miles flights are almost always in business over water and first class over land. The main exception to that is that sometimes only commuter jets are available to Charlotte from a few airports.

[Hawaiidan]

as Mentioned....some times the advertise an business class option.... for that portion of your flight than is "international". The domestic portion being flown in coach So Denver to NY and NY to London or Rome the Denver to be coach.

Too at the last min sometimes when they charter a whole plane like to Tahiti they sometimes will offer at the last few weeks an upgrade option ( this happened this last April to Tahiti) for like 600-800pp one way

 

Now they can also get you an upgrade from their contract fares for coach. The first charge you 175 for a deviation and then the difference between regular full fare business and their contract fare. In every case when I got a quote that was not hundreds higher but thousands higher...

As an example, for flying to Tahiti the up charge for business was abouT $2800 pp more + 175 deviation... ..make it about $3000 !!!

 

For business class flying I strongly recommend picking an airline getting into their programs, getting points through several credit cards. Might take several years...but save you lots.. See the Points Guy on the web for how to do this

[hondorner]

I just booked Business Class from Miami to Venice using miles, for next October. It's a two stop on Air Berlin (American Airlines partner), AA to JFK then AB to Dusseldorf and AB to Venice. I don't mind that two stop routing because all it cost me was $19 in taxes each, and I don't have miles on any other airline.

 

But, the point which surprised me was they are flying us domestic to JFK in first class! The hour and a flight from Germany to Italy is in coach, and I expected the MIA to JFK leg to also be in coach. Air Berlin has been upgrading their planes all through 2015; I expect to be in their new lay-flat seats on the overseas leg. We flew Business Class on Air Berlin from Miami to Copenhagen last year, before their lay-flat seats were installed, and were more than comfortable because there was only one other passenger in BC, with 2 attendants!

[amusea]

My experience has been that when using an award for an international flight, two domestic airlines fly you in coach on the USA leg, that being United and Delta. But up until now American has always flown us in first class on the domestic leg. This is true with our latest booking next May using AA miles in business class from Frankfurt to Dallas and then transferring to a domestic flight from Dallas to Tucson which is booked in first class. Now that US Air is merging with American I fear that the days of first class domestic may be coming to an end for such routings.

[Flatbush Flyer]

My experience has been that when using an award for an international flight, two domestic airlines fly you in coach on the USA leg, that being United and Delta. But up until now American has always flown us in first class on the domestic leg. This is true with our latest booking next May using AA miles in business class from Frankfurt to Dallas and then transferring to a domestic flight from Dallas to Tucson which is booked in first class. Now that US Air is merging with American I fear that the days of first class domestic may be coming to an end for such routings.

 

 

Unless they don't go to our destination, we fly only United or a Star Alliance partner. Using miles for a business or first class ticket has always included both domestic and international legs. Perhaps your experience has been that there were no more upgrade seats available on the domestic leg. In that case, you are correct that you'd be put in economy plus but still get stuck for the miles deduction based on the international leg.

 

 

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[PaulMCO]

My experience has been that when using an award for an international flight, two domestic airlines fly you in coach on the USA leg, that being United and Delta. But up until now American has always flown us in first class on the domestic leg. This is true with our latest booking next May using AA miles in business class from Frankfurt to Dallas and then transferring to a domestic flight from Dallas to Tucson which is booked in first class. Now that US Air is merging with American I fear that the days of first class domestic may be coming to an end for such routings.

 

Not true for UA. Likely the domestic segment was not available which is frequent in a Saver award. But normally domestic on a business class award you will be ticketed in F if the flight has no designated business class. This is from a 3MM UA flyer (me)...

Edited December 8, 2014 by PaulMCO

[Hawaiidan]

Unless they don't go to our destination, we fly only United or a Star Alliance partner. Using miles for a business or first class ticket has always included both domestic and international legs. Perhaps your experience has been that there were no more upgrade seats available on the domestic leg. In that case, you are correct that you'd be put in economy plus but still get stuck for the miles deduction based on the international leg.

 

 

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I too fly nothing but UAL... and I always fly Business or better ( which is first class domestic or business/first as they call it. Unless on United Express which doesn't have many first class/business all my legs. Some aircraft may not have availability on all flights or not have first class... Like my ticket from Palm Springs...is coach then LAX to Tokyo in First class, then Tokyo to Guam business, and Guam to Cairns in coach ; Billed at Business-saver 80,000 not 175 K whole trip billed rt at 160,000 rather than 350,000 non saver. I have never been denied a seat, my mix class flights were my choice alone to save.. and I could have had any seat on any plane guaranteed if I want.

Flying out of TUS is hard...take the car up to PHX and get way more options. I fly mostly out of little Palm springs... but to get better routings use LAX and take a rental car to and from...

 

Its a tactics and strategy thing you can work on... Picking planes like the 787 Dreamliner, 767-400, 757 200ps can get you first class lie flats for Business class prices....

[Paulchili]

Not true for UA. Likely the domestic segment was not available which is frequent in a Saver award. But normally domestic on a business class award you will be ticketed in F if the flight has no designated business class. This is from a 3MM UA flyer (me)...

 

Exactly. Ditto for AA.

All of our international business class awards were flown in domestic F (both UA & AA and their partners). This is always the case except in the rare cases where a 3 class domestic flight is offered (like AA's SFO-JFK) where you would be in domestic business. You would be in domestic economy only if a saver F was not available at the time of booking. I believe it is called a voluntary downgrade. In such a case you need to monitor the availability of award space in F and if it opens, you are entitled to it.

This is NOT the case with Oceania air upgrades to business were domestic segment is always in economy (as I understand it, although I have never used this option before myself).

Edited December 8, 2014 by Paulchili

[rallydave]

Exactly. Ditto for AA.

All of our international business class awards were flown in domestic F (both UA & AA and their partners). This is always the case except in the rare cases where a 3 class domestic flight is offered (like AA's SFO-JFK) where you would be in domestic business. You would be in domestic economy only if a saver F was not available at the time of booking. I believe it is called a voluntary downgrade. In such a case you need to monitor the availability of award space in F and if it opens, you are entitled to it.

This is NOT the case with Oceania air upgrades to business were domestic segment is always in economy (as I understand it, although I have never used this option before myself).

 

Can't speak for Oceania as haven't upgraded on them yet but, have upgraded on Regent and believe the Contracts with the airlines to be the same with the economy of scale of 2 cruise lines rather than one.

 

Upgraded on Regent Barcelona to Houston with a plane change at Newark and was booked Business First to Newark and First Class Newark to Houston from the beginning. Believe this to be because all travel was on one airline and Oceania/Regent also book people on different airlines for the over water vs. the domestic and for those may not get the upgrade on the domestic portion. Regent/Oceania therefor put that caveat in their policy for those cases where one flies different airlines but, believe that if you fly a domestic airline for the entire route, you will get First domestic unless the fare class is full on the domestic portion. In that case, suggest people contact the airline and get waitlisted for first on the domestic portion as have done that on a non-cruise vacation and the upgrade did come thru so we flew First for the domestic portion.

 

Hope this helps explain and provides rationale to help people get the domestic First in the future.

[Hawaiidan]

I took Oceania from Hawaii to Tahiti. The routing was HNL to LAX AA in coach and then Lax to PPT in business.

 

Paid Oceania a special up grade that was for the PPT leg....

 

Please note if you flight it to or through Hawaii that is not considered international..

[Silver Sweethearts]

I took Oceania from Hawaii to Tahiti. The routing was HNL to LAX AA in coach and then Lax to PPT in business.

 

Paid Oceania a special up grade that was for the PPT leg....

 

Our idea of comfort is not only the class of ticketing but also the easiest and shortest way we can get to our destination. Taking a six hour non-stop from HNL to PPT seems a lot easier and shorter than HNL-LAX-PPT. The money you paid for an upgrade from LAX to PPT plus credit from Oceania for doing your own air arrangement to Papeete should just about equal Hawaiian Business Class.

[StarFlyr]

Being retired, and not doing a lot of flying, I don't generate enough FF miles to blow on a overseas trip or if I do, it's only enough for one fare and my wife doesn't want to ride in the back while I stretch out in BC. Also, I'm NOT a planner so most of our overseas trips are NOT long term plans, where a FF BC seat might be available.

 

I did use a FF BC trip about two years ago on AA (LHR-JFK-SEA). The JFK-SEA portion was supposed to be in F/C since there was no BC on that flight. However, we got into JFK too late to make the connection. They did give us a hotel at JFK, but then it was coach to SEA.

 

Twice, we've run into the European so-called BC on narrow body 737/A320 planes where the seats are just like coach (3 and 3 across), but they don't sell the middle seat. Both times the airlines (BA and LH) did have what would be called FC food on a domestic US carrier.

 

I think the Regent upgrade BC fare prices are a bargain. We paid $2000 each for our round trip tickets (SEA-IST and DXB-SEA). On Kayak, those tickets would have cost over $5000 each.

[pinotlover]

On Oceania which this OP questioned, to Upgrade is to Deviate. If one wants to deviate, they can ask O Air to do whatever they choose including ensuring that both domestic and international legs are First or BC. Then they can accept or reject any O deviation offer. Pretty simple actually. :D

[Iceberg 3]

Our idea of comfort is not only the class of ticketing but also the easiest and shortest way we can get to our destination. Taking a six hour non-stop from HNL to PPT seems a lot easier and shorter than HNL-LAX-PPT. The money you paid for an upgrade from LAX to PPT plus credit from Oceania for doing your own air arrangement to Papeete should just about equal Hawaiian Business Class.

 

Your math is right. We did the HNL PPT on Hawaiian ... HawaiiDan's recommendation. Only draw back was late arrival dictated over night in hotel in Tahiti - and commuter flight to meet the ship the next day. Worked out very well for us, and would do it that way again.