Air (Fare) Question

[palermo22]

We have reservations on the Viking Sky that goes from Barcelona to Stockholm - 22 days beginning 4/15/2017. We are taking advantage of the special fare for Premium Economy - we will begin our itinerary out of LAX. Can someone explain to me the payment of $50 pp above the special airfare of $1890 pp. Does paying the $50 give one more flexibility in choosing flights and seats? Any information on this subject would be appreciated.

[mhb1757]

With the $50 Custom Air fee you will be able to work with Viking to select your airline and flights. You do not have an unlimited selection but you do have much more choice with that plan. If you don't use the Custom Air option you just have to take what they give you and you cannot select your seats until a few weeks before departing (which often means good seats are gone).

If you decide to go with the Custom Air option look at all of the available flights to and from your destinations and select the ones you would prefer and then contact Viking Air and work with them to find something that works well for you.

 

One other advantage to using the custom air option is that they will go ahead and ticket your flight whenever you tell them to and once the flight is ticketed then you can go to the airline website and select the seats you want.

If you booked your cruise directly with Viking then you will work with the Custom Air people directly. If you used a travel agent then you will contact them and they will contact Viking.

Edited May 30, 2016 by mhb1757

[deec]

Will custom air also allow us to arrive a few days prior to the cruise without using the Viking pre-cruise segment?

[Peregrina651]

Will custom air also allow us to arrive a few days prior to the cruise without using the Viking pre-cruise segment?

 

No. That is considered a 'deviation' and has a different fee attached to it as well as the possibility of additional airfare. Plus, you will lose the included transfers on the deviated segment. However, if your airfare is cheap enough, it might still be worth paying the deviation fee plus the additional airfare.

[palermo22]

Thanks to those who have responded. A couple of other questions:

 

OK I am going to pay the $50 pp to work out the best flights/seats - my first leg is going from LAX to Barcelona and the second flight is Stockholm to LAX (22 days later). Do I have to pick the most direct route or can I pick routes for comfort. For example, Air New Zealand has a great Premium economy section and flies non-stop from LAX to LHR; however, at that point I will need to take a two hour flight to BCN. Is that feasible under the Viking Custom Air Program?

[rjscott]

Ok, the $50 fee is to work with the custom air dept. As already discussed, it is best to have some flights in mind and the pricing before initiating a call with them. When you speak with them, you can discuss your flight preferences, and they will then tell you if your choice (s) are available at the "normal" Viking airfare or if there would be additional charges due to your choice of flights.

 

When we used custom air, Viking would allow our choice of the flight over without an additional cost, but the return flight we chose incurred an additional fee. Because I knew Delta's pricing for that flight, I then knew that using Viking custom air was still a deal for us as it included our transfers and still came in a couple hundred $'s less than Delta.

 

Good luck!

 

Becki

[Peregrina651]

Thanks to those who have responded. A couple of other questions:

 

OK I am going to pay the $50 pp to work out the best flights/seats - my first leg is going from LAX to Barcelona and the second flight is Stockholm to LAX (22 days later). Do I have to pick the most direct route or can I pick routes for comfort. For example, Air New Zealand has a great Premium economy section and flies non-stop from LAX to LHR; however, at that point I will need to take a two hour flight to BCN. Is that feasible under the Viking Custom Air Program?

 

I think the answer to this question is that we can't tell you exactly how Viking will respond to any given flight plan because there are too many variables--your gateway, your destination, what Viking has access to at your price point.

 

As was suggested, do the research. Have a firm idea of what your preferred flight plan is but also what you are willing to accept. If you are willing to pay additional airfare, you have more choices (but you need to know what the airline is charging for the same flight plan). If you are limiting yourself to what you have already paid (the flight deal price), your choices will be limited--and you won't know what those choices are until you talk with Viking.

[mhb1757]

The good news is you can always opt out of Viking Air if you don't like your options up until the time of your final payment.

[mhb1757]

Will custom air also allow us to arrive a few days prior to the cruise without using the Viking pre-cruise segment?

 

Not sure what cruise you have booked but be aware that if your cruise leaves from Bergen you cannot use the. custom Air option AND you cannot do an air deviation to arrive early. Your only option for Bergen departures is to do a deviation to Oslo if you want to fly in early. The deviation fee for that is $100/pp.

[palermo22]

So if one picks out an airline - and I use the routing LAX - LHR and then changing planes and/or airlines (it would be mandatory since the airline I would be flying only goes LAX to LHR). Because of the schedule I wouldn't get to the embarking city (Barcelona) until late at night. So instead of leaving on a Friday (ship would be embarking on Saturday) - we would then have to leave on a Thursday and stay at LHR for one night. Would we still have to pay a deviation fee?

[Peregrina651]

So if one picks out an airline - and I use the routing LAX - LHR and then changing planes and/or airlines (it would be mandatory since the airline I would be flying only goes LAX to LHR). Because of the schedule I wouldn't get to the embarking city (Barcelona) until late at night. So instead of leaving on a Friday (ship would be embarking on Saturday) - we would then have to leave on a Thursday and stay at LHR for one night. Would we still have to pay a deviation fee?

 

You have to ask Viking. Each situation is different and only Viking will have a definitive answer to your question.

 

I asked for an overnight on our trip to China and got it but when I tried for a routing with an overnight in Vienna on my way to Odessa, I was told I couldn't do it (without upping the airfare).

[roothy123]

Not sure what cruise you have booked but be aware that if your cruise leaves from Bergen you cannot use the. custom Air option AND you cannot do an air deviation to arrive early. Your only option for Bergen departures is to do a deviation to Oslo if you want to fly in early. The deviation fee for that is $100/pp.

 

Does the same apply to flying FROM Bergen, I assume, due to limited availability of Bergen flights? We'll have a full day in Bergen before disembarking the next morning, so I may not want to spend another day there, but AM curious.

[Peregrina651]

Does the same apply to flying FROM Bergen, I assume, due to limited availability of Bergen flights? We'll have a full day in Bergen before disembarking the next morning, so I may not want to spend another day there, but AM curious.

 

Yes, custom air is not available on any itinerary that flies into or out of Bergen. You are stuck with whichever flights Viking assigns you to unless you choose a flight deviation, which I understand also comes with restrictions/limitations (and perhaps is best discussed directly with Viking for clarity).

[mhb1757]

Yes, custom air is not available on any itinerary that flies into or out of Bergen. You are stuck with whichever flights Viking assigns you to unless you choose a flight deviation, which I understand also comes with restrictions/limitations (and perhaps is best discussed directly with Viking for clarity).

 

To add on to that you cannot do a deviation from Bergen either. If you use Viking Air Your only option into or out of Bergen is to fly in on the day you embark and/or out the day you disembark on flights Viking chooses. The only deviation they offer for Bergen itineraries is to fly into or out of Oslo (instead of Bergen) with a $100/pp deviation fee. And you cannot use custom air for Oslo either. They choose the flights. That didn't sound quite right to me so my TA got it in writing from Viking.

[Fairfield Nana]

We have never travelled with Viking before and our first time is on the Star next month. Did not use them to book our air as I prefer to do this ourselves as we want to fly either on premium economy or business class. I did do some extensive research last summer when we booked this Viking cruise to see if I could find good evidence on the positives of using them to book our air. No such luck, and have yet to find any valid support for this service. Lots of negatives from folks on not providing good schedules, seating, or airline selection. The ladies commenting on their positive experiences on this link have been some of the first positive feedback. I guess the bottom line to deciding to use Viking air or not is almost totally a personal preference. Have never seen any supporting info on how they are cheaper for any desired level of service.

[palermo22]

We have never travelled with Viking before and our first time is on the Star next month. Did not use them to book our air as I prefer to do this ourselves as we want to fly either on premium economy or business class. I did do some extensive research last summer when we booked this Viking cruise to see if I could find good evidence on the positives of using them to book our air. No such luck, and have yet to find any valid support for this service. Lots of negatives from folks on not providing good schedules, seating, or airline selection. The ladies commenting on their positive experiences on this link have been some of the first positive feedback. I guess the bottom line to deciding to use Viking air or not is almost totally a personal preference. Have never seen any supporting info on how they are cheaper for any desired level of service.

 

I am the thread starter. I too make my own flights (and feel comfortable doing it); however, in this situation - our Viking cruise in April 2017 had a special fare of $1890 pp for premium economy departing/arriving LAX. When I throw in their picking us up at BCN - I didn't think I could get under that amount (even after throwing another $100 at Viking so that we have more control over our seats.

[Peregrina651]

We have never travelled with Viking before and our first time is on the Star next month. Did not use them to book our air as I prefer to do this ourselves as we want to fly either on premium economy or business class. I did do some extensive research last summer when we booked this Viking cruise to see if I could find good evidence on the positives of using them to book our air. No such luck, and have yet to find any valid support for this service. Lots of negatives from folks on not providing good schedules, seating, or airline selection. The ladies commenting on their positive experiences on this link have been some of the first positive feedback. I guess the bottom line to deciding to use Viking air or not is almost totally a personal preference. Have never seen any supporting info on how they are cheaper for any desired level of service.

 

Yes, it is a personal preference. Booking air arrangements is a complicated affair no matter how you approach it. Some people are very good at it and other people aren't. I happen to be very bad at it and never find the great airfare deals on my own.

 

We have always taken Viking up of their airfare deals because I've always managed to book when they are offering an airfare deal--and have always managed to do better with Viking than I could have done on my own, (and this may be due, in part, to the fact that we are flying economy rather than premium, economy or business/first). Viking airfare prices include transfers, unless you deviate from arrival and departure days. Viking also offers 'custom air' (for a nominal fee on the first 3 times you use it) on most of its itineraries, which allows you to pick your preferred flights from among those that are available on that airfare deal.

 

Included transfers are great for those who just don't want the hassle of figuring out how to get to the ship or for those who are uncomfortable traveling in foreign countries where they don't speak the language. It is very comforting to be greeted by a Viking agent as you walk out of customs and taken to your ship.

 

We used Viking air on our first trip (to China) and learned very quickly that those with the worst flight arrangements didn't know about or didn't use 'custom air.' We have used it ever since to choose our flights. We have never had a problem with getting the seats we wanted along an aisle and not at the far back of the plane.

 

Finally, FFwineOK, if you have come here looking for 'valid support', you have come to the wrong place. This is the home of complainers. If something has gone wrong, they come here to complain about it (me included). Besides the fact that only a couple of percent of the cruising public participates on Cruise Critic message boards (based on my observation of roll call participation)--and an even smaller percentage of Viking passengers--people who have good experiences and who are happy with Viking, are not coming here in droves to report it. This sampling of opinion is skewed.

[roothy123]

It's easy to complain about air, and with 950 passengers on ocean cruises instead of 200 on river cruises, some people will inevitably be unhappy, particularly since these days most planes travel pretty full. I also think some people don't realize that cruise lines don't arrange air like individuals do. Viking doesn't just go on Kayak, pick the best flights, pay for them, and pass the info on to you - and especially not before you've made final payment and they know it's likely you'll be on that cruise! They negotiate contracts with certain airlines, and there are terms to meet in exchange for being able to offer flights at a lower price. The Viking air department reps are also probably trying to fly people in around the same time to facilitate transportation to the ship.

 

We haven't used Viking's air, due to an error on my part (thought it was too much, then learned I had wrong price). Therefore, I can't give specifics on how much cheaper their air was compared to what I found, but if I remember correctly, when I did learn the correct figure, it was at least $300 cheaper per person for economy than what I could book.

 

I suspect Viking's economy air is like Oceania's: not the best but not the worst, but almost always cheaper. If you're particular, you'll probably want to book your own. If saving money is more important, you'll probably want to buy cruise line air and hope for the best. Just don't expect nonstops, even if you live in a city that has plenty of them. Also, don't assume you'll be booked on two different airlines. Your outbound flight(s) may be wonderful but the return lousy, or vice versa.

 

Just as an aside, you may want to clarify the price of air and not rely on what's printed in the brochures. When we decided on our 2017 Viking Ocean cruise, the brochure price for our area was $1095 per person (expensive because Norway is involved!) When we actually booked it was $100 less per person - a nice (small) surprise.

[roothy123]

I am the thread starter. I too make my own flights (and feel comfortable doing it); however, in this situation - our Viking cruise in April 2017 had a special fare of $1890 pp for premium economy departing/arriving LAX. When I throw in their picking us up at BCN - I didn't think I could get under that amount (even after throwing another $100 at Viking so that we have more control over our seats.

 

Hi Palermo. I see you were a Foreign Service Officer in Bonn. My father was, too, although it was back in the 60s. We lived in Plittersdorf and were there for 4 years. I loved Germany, although I was pretty young at the time....

 

Haven't explored our air for 2017 yet, so was wondering: The additional cost for premium economy covers both going and coming, right, for the trans-ocean flights?

Edited June 2, 2016 by roothy123

[AFL Kiwi]

On the two occasions that we have used Viking (China 2013) and (Homelands 2015 - two for the price of one) we have used Viking Air as the prices that they were offering us were way cheaper than if we were to arrange flights ourselves (and I am fairly good at this).

 

Next year on our Med cruise we are also using Viking Air as this is at no cost to us (included in the price of our cruise).

 

When you are travelling from NZ and travel to London takes us 30hrs door to door the price is hefty and flying with Viking has saved us many a dollar.

 

We arranged our own flights from London to Bergen (we had four days in London prior to our cruise) and Viking reps were there at the airport meeting the Viking flight in from Iceland and were more than happy for us to transport us to the boat saving us the need to transfer independently as I had researched to do.

 

We had no complaints with what was arranged. Thank you Viking

[roothy123]

Does anyone know if Viking uses Icelandair? They weren't too bad a few years ago when we flew to London on them using Oceania's included airfare. However, they do NOT have nonstops, so the trip to London is longer than on British Airways. And I hate to think what we'd get from Bergen with such limited choices up there.

[mhb1757]

I have seen several people post that they were on Iceland Air with Viking. What I don't know is if those people were doing the Iceland precruise extension. They were all on cruises that began (or ended) in Bergen. None of them seemed unhappy about their flight times/layovers, etc.

 

I think Viking Air gets a bad rap. We have used them twice and have no complaints. We did use the Custom Air option both times and feel it was well worth the $50/pp. even with that fee we still saved several hundred dollars pp over what we could have booked on our own and they were able to give us our first choice of flights. Both times we booked cruises during periods when they were offering promotional fares so the fares were quite low.

This trip the Custom Air is not an option so we will be at Viking's mercy But to save $450-500/pp I am willing to accept a little inconvenience. Others might not feel like the savings were worth the risk of getting a less desirable flight or seat. To each his own....

Edited June 3, 2016 by mhb1757

[NavyVeteran]

I used Viking Custom Air (and a Deviation) on a river cruise and I was quite happy with the service and the flights. I booked this cruise on a free air promotion, so I didn't compare costs with booking elsewhere.

 

They gave me options on three different airlines and were very easy to work with.

 

They did have one restriction which could affect some of the earlier posters. Even though the flight from US to Europe was to one city and the flight from Europe to US was to another city, I had to select the same airline (or airline group) for both directions. American, United, and Delta (or their partners) all flew the routes I needed, so I could select any one of them, but I had to select the same one for the trip home.

[jiminyC_fan]

Ok, so I know you can't get custom air for the Homelands cruise but we have a post stay that takes us to Oslo and I am assuming we will fly out of there. I'm wondering with Bergen out of the equation if we would qualify for custom air. Anyone have experience with that?

[roothy123]

I called Viking yesterday about the availability of Custom Air and deviations for a cruise I'm interested in. The rep was able to tell me yes or no about availability. You might want to just call them and ask.

 

I also explored what's on the website in the air section in terms of stopovers offered for various cruises (for example, Reykjavik when taking the "Into the Midnight Sun"). That's a nice option I hadn't noticed before.