Viking China

[fortlauderdaleaangel]

We traveled to china on viking sun on sept 2009. Although we travel frequently, this trip was well worth our time and money. It was a wonderful trip and Viking really has it together in china. The hotels in shanghai and Beijing were as nice as the ritz hotel in Paris. Viking tour guides were fantastic and each city we went to, we had an additional city guide. We liked it so much, we are going on a Danube river cruise in two weeks. Have fun

[Cathys Cruising]

Thanks for answering my questions ya'll. I've got a small but good pair of binoculars that I usually take so I will pack those.

Has anyone ever registered their trip with the State Department? DH's office suggested we do so. We did it this morning online.

United Airlines canceled our flight out of SAT to SFO and substituted it with a much earlier flight - longer layover in SFO for us going over. Not happy about that, but glad there was a flight available for us to get on and still make the connection to China.

Cathy

[H2Otstr]

Here is my two cents worth: You have already spent thousands of dollars on this trip. For another $50pp (that is less than 1% of what you have already spent), you can choose your own flights and not spend the next year worrying that you will be stuck with 6am departure times or stops in Tokyo or Hong Kong before arriving at your final destination. Do some research (as in check out one of the on-line travel sites) and pick your flights. I believe that Viking's preferred flights are Star Alliance airlines (United, etc.).

I talked to my TA about this and he said I would have to pay between $1k and $15K extra to do this. $50 is insignifican, bat an extra $2 to 3k is not. Maybe I don't understand the concept of paying the $50 and what I get for it???

[H2Otstr]

 

Has anyone ever registered their trip with the State Department? DH's office suggested we do so.

Cathy

 

 

 

I do every time I travel to an international destination.

[Turtles06]

Here is my two cents worth: You have already spent thousands of dollars on this trip. For another $50pp (that is less than 1% of what you have already spent), you can choose your own flights and not spend the next year worrying that you will be stuck with 6am departure times or stops in Tokyo or Hong Kong before arriving at your final destination. Do some research (as in check out one of the on-line travel sites) and pick your flights. I believe that Viking's preferred flights are Star Alliance airlines (United, etc.).

 

I talked to my TA about this and he said I would have to pay between $1k and $15K extra to do this. $50 is insignifican, bat an extra $2 to 3k is not. Maybe I don't understand the concept of paying the $50 and what I get for it???

 

Respectfully, I think there must be some misunderstanding or miscommunication with your TA here. If you have purchased your air travel from Viking, you have two basic options:

 

1. just pay the air fare they charged you, and then at some point in the future, a Viking computer will select your flights. It won't know or care that you'd prefer not to have three connections on your way to China, or that you not fly home at 4am, or that you'd rather fly Continental than United. It will just spit out your flights without regard to any preferences you may have. (And that's why some folks on here have reported horror stories about their flight itineraries.)

 

2. if you pay a $50 per person fee to Viking for "Custom Air," you will get to talk to a real human being at Viking and tell that person what your flight preferences are. They don't guarantee that they can accommodate them, but they will try. I don't know where your TA is coming up with the wild amounts of $1,000 or more extra, but something is not right here. If you do care about what your flights are, I would make another run at the TA and see if you can get clarification on this; really, something is not right.

[H2Otstr]

For everyone who paid the $50 air fee to Viking: did you pay for their transfers from the airport to your hotel also?

[Turtles06]

For everyone who paid the $50 air fee to Viking: did you pay for their transfers from the airport to your hotel also?

 

If you buy your air from Viking, as long as you don't deviate from their arrival or departure schedule (that is, you don't arrive a day or more early or leave a day or more after the tour ends), your transfers from the airport are included. The $50 fee is just for "custom air," which is described above.

[caribill]

Respectfully, I think there must be some misunderstanding or miscommunication with your TA here.

 

I doubt there was any mis-communication.

 

In my case, I was quite unhappy when the flight for the return home turned out be be scheduled so we would have to leave the Bejing hotel for the airport about 4 AM. (Great way to end a Viking tour, totally exhausted at the start of 24 hours of travel.)

 

Viking (actually a supervisor in the travel department) told me we would have to pay $3000 a person (in coach) to change to a later flight. $50 each would have been worth it. $6000 for the two of us would not.

 

I suspect the reason for our hearing this and the same for the other poster is that there were no seats left at Viking's pre-arranged rates and we would have to pay the full cost of a one-way coach ticket to switch.

 

Custom air does not mean you can travel at the same original fare. It means that Viking will see what else is available at regular airline pricing.

 

(To quote from an e-mail from another person on the same tour who did not have to leave the hotel at 4 AM: "On the last day, you left very early, many of us had a late breakfast." That would have been very nice on what should have been day 12 of the tour, sleeping late and having a great breakfast at the hotel, followed by a daytime bus to the airport.)

[Turtles06]

 

Custom air does not mean you can travel at the same original fare. It means that Viking will see what else is available at regular airline pricing.

 

 

That's interesting, as this is not how Viking explained it to me. I am certainly not saying that you are not accurately recounting what you were told, just that we appear to have been told very different things. And, I've just found the info below on Viking's web site, which indicates there could indeed be additional air fare charged as you say.

 

If that's the case, I'm pretty annoyed at the several Viking reps with whom I spoke about "custom air" and who *never* mentioned this possibility and absolutely led me to believe all you pay is the $50 fee, period. Reading this thread, I think there are others who think the same thing. Maybe someone who has actually traveled using "custom air" can tell us if they wound up having to pay any additional air fare.

 

Bottom line for me: I'm glad we've made our own air travel arrangements.:)

 

----

From Viking's web site re custom air:

 

"Please note: A $50-per-person nonrefundable fee applies, as well as any additional fees based on the difference between the selected air and the air price paid"

 

http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/about-your-trip/airservices.aspx

[caribill]

If that's the case, I'm pretty annoyed at the several Viking reps with whom I spoke about "custom air" and who *never* mentioned this possibility and absolutely led me to believe all you pay is the $50 fee, period.

----

 

At the time you spoke with them, maybe there were fares available at the special rates they have and only the $50 fee would have needed to be paid.

 

But when we (and the other poster) spoke to them, these special Viking fares must have no longer been available.

[Dale]

Respectfully, I think there must be some misunderstanding or miscommunication with your TA here. If you have purchased your air travel from Viking, you have two basic options:

 

1. just pay the air fare they charged you, and then at some point in the future, a Viking computer will select your flights. It won't know or care that you'd prefer not to have three connections on your way to China, or that you not fly home at 4am, or that you'd rather fly Continental than United. It will just spit out your flights without regard to any preferences you may have. (And that's why some folks on here have reported horror stories about their flight itineraries.)

 

2. if you pay a $50 per person fee to Viking for "Custom Air," you will get to talk to a real human being at Viking and tell that person what your flight preferences are. They don't guarantee that they can accommodate them, but they will try. I don't know where your TA is coming up with the wild amounts of $1,000 or more extra, but something is not right here. If you do care about what your flights are, I would make another run at the TA and see if you can get clarification on this; really, something is not right.

Please note: A $50-per-person nonrefundable fee applies, as well as any additional fees based on the difference between the selected air and the air price paid. Date or city deviations and stopover fees are typically between $100 and $200 additional.

 

The above is copied directly from Vikings web site. It seems to be self-explanatory.

 

1. You pay a $50 nonrefundable fee.

2. If any flights you request are available at no cost they will change them.

3. If none are available at no cost, you will have to pay the additional cost required.

4. To change date, city and stopovers, the fee is usually between $100 and $200.

[whp]

Please note: A $50-per-person nonrefundable fee applies, as well as any additional fees based on the difference between the selected air and the air price paid. Date or city deviations and stopover fees are typically between $100 and $200 additional.

 

The above is copied directly from Vikings web site. It seems to be self-explanatory.

 

1. You pay a $50 nonrefundable fee.

2. If any flights you request are available at no cost they will change them.

3. If none are available at no cost, you will have to pay the additional cost required.

4. To change date, city and stopovers, the fee is usually between $100 and $200.

When you talk about "change" it almost appears that they ALREADY picked your flights and you changed them. Why wouldn't you talk to them at the time of paying for the flights or even before that to see what they could offer you at their contracted prices?

 

In doing a Kayak search I find that flights from Orlando to China and return price at about $1700 per person and their air special is $1097 including all the taxes and the transfers which means that the flights are less than $1000.

[caribill]

Why wouldn't you talk to them at the time of paying for the flights or even before that to see what they could offer you at their contracted prices?

 

 

Because when looking at flights on my own, based on the times that I saw available and what others had posted on this blog, I saw no bad alternatives.

 

What I did not count on was that they booked us on an airline that had not yet secured takeoff slot times from Beijing and was only guessing at the departure time. When the takeoff slot time was finally negotiated, it was much earlier than the original guess.

[gooch47]

We were unfortunate to be one of those leaving Beijing, well the hotel anyway, at 4:00 a.m.

 

At the airport a couple inquired about an upgrade to business class. It would have been $6,000 for the two of them. It sounds like maybe that is what you were offered, a flight at business class rates.

 

But to be perfectly honest, leaving early didn't bother us that much. We were exhausted from the whole trip and were glad to be going home.

[Peregrina651]

<b><font color="Teal">Here is my two cents worth: You have already spent thousands of dollars on this trip. For another $50pp (that is less than 1% of what you have already spent), you can choose your own flights and not spend the next year worrying ---snip--

 

For no extra airfare, we stayed overnight in Chicago before our 10:40am China departure. We did not have to wake up in the middle of the night to leave for the airport and we did not have to worry that there would be any delays that would prevent us from arriving in Chicago in time to get our flight to China. Just make sure that your home airport departure is less than 24 hours before your China departure and you should not have to pay any extra airfare. Though not the cheapest option available, we stayed at the Airport Hilton, right in the Airport.

 

....

 

Sorry to have opened a can of worms. I forgot the important words: don't wait until you are given your flight assignments to consider custom air. I should have made it clearer. I was really addressing my comments to those who are making arrangements now for cruises way in the future (and for those who are reading here now before booking) so that maybe they would avoid some of the problems that some posters have encountered. We signed up for custom air more than 90 days out, before we found out what our flight assignment was to be. Maybe this made a difference in how easy it was for us to change our flights and to do it without incurring additional airfare. It also may have helped that we were flying from gateway cities with many daily flights to Chicago. Our TA did comment that one of the reasons that we were not charged extra for the layover was that our connecting flight departed less than 24 hours before the international flight.

[whp]

Sorry to have opened a can of worms. I forgot the important words: don't wait until you are given your flight assignments to consider custom air. I should have made it clearer. I was really addressing my comments to those who are making arrangements now for cruises way in the future (and for those who are reading here now before booking) so that maybe they would avoid some of the problems that some posters have encountered. We signed up for custom air more than 90 days out, before we found out what our flight assignment was to be. Maybe this made a difference in how easy it was for us to change our flights and to do it without incurring additional airfare. It also may have helped that we were flying from gateway cities with many daily flights to Chicago. Our TA did comment that one of the reasons that we were not charged extra for the layover was that our connecting flight departed less than 24 hours before the international flight.

We are travelling with a group from Orlando for the 2 May sailing Shanghai to Beijing. Our TA spoke to the Viking Rep who said the 'custom air' cannot talk to us until we have paid for the tickets (in our case $1097 per person) and have filled out our PIF (passenger information form). We intend to pay by the 30 Sept date to guarantee the airfare. HOWEVER she agreed to talk to their air group on our behalf now if the TA gave her some possible flights which we did on Delta and United. Still waiting for a response and will let you know.

[PSL Ag]

Just a couple weeks away from leaving for this trip, so appreciate all the comments I've found on this website! Look forward to this trip!!!!!

[JackieSue66]

Just a couple weeks away from leaving for this trip, so appreciate all the comments I've found on this website! Look forward to this trip!!!!!

 

 

 

Have a great time PSL , we leave on 9/29!!!!!!

[gooch47]

Believe it or not, we are seriously considering repeating this trip before we get too old. :D

 

But we do NOT want to repeat the misery of the heat and humidity we experienced. So I'd like any advice you who have also been there already on what might be a better time to go.

 

FYI, we were there in late June, early July of this year.

[Turtles06]

Just a couple weeks away from leaving for this trip, so appreciate all the comments I've found on this website! Look forward to this trip!!!!!

 

Have a GREAT time, and please come back and tell us about it!!!

[caribill]

Believe it or not, we are seriously considering repeating this trip before we get too old. :D

 

But we do NOT want to repeat the misery of the heat and humidity we experienced. So I'd like any advice you who have also been there already on what might be a better time to go.

 

FYI, we were there in late June, early July of this year.

 

Avoid August.

[JackieSue66]

Believe it or not, we are seriously considering repeating this trip before we get too old. :D

 

But we do NOT want to repeat the misery of the heat and humidity we experienced. So I'd like any advice you who have also been there already on what might be a better time to go.

 

FYI, we were there in late June, early July of this year.

 

 

 

We were told late September early October...so that is when we are going, but then again, its hotter here in the states this summer as well !!!!

[whp]

After all the discussions on air from Viking (which is a great price even with the $50 extra) I am wondering if some of you who are travelling from the East Coast and have your flights info could share with me your itinerary (airline, connecting city, time of arrival and departure). Also did you have the custom air. Thanks

[1AKA]

After all the discussions on air from Viking (which is a great price even with the $50 extra) I am wondering if some of you who are travelling from the East Coast and have your flights info could share with me your itinerary (airline, connecting city, time of arrival and departure). Also did you have the custom air. Thanks

We leaving Sept 22 using Viking Air not custom, when I ask to change because arriving so late they wanted 50 plus 1000 extra change just to do any changes.

Flight info from Montreal to Chicago 4.Beijing 11.00 PM

leaving Shanghai 4.35 PM that good part

Hope this helps, next I will would use customs air and would fly in day earlier and lose pick up at airport.

[castledavies]

After all the discussions on air from Viking (which is a great price even with the $50 extra) I am wondering if some of you who are travelling from the East Coast and have your flights info could share with me your itinerary (airline, connecting city, time of arrival and departure). Also did you have the custom air. Thanks

 

We booked our own air with Continental from Continental's website. Because we arrive/depart China from 2 different cities, we clicked on "multiple destinations". We fly from Charlotte (6:42 AM) and arrive at Newark (8:30AM) and then leave Newark at 11:05AM and arrive in Shanghai at 1:45 PM the next day.

We leave Beijing at 4:35 PM and arrive in Newark at 5:35PM. We leave Newark at 9:00PM and arrive in Charlotte at 11:02PM.

Since we will be at either of the Chinese airports midday, we will not be using Viking transfers. A cab to/from the hotels should be around $30 (vs. Viking's $120).

The airfare per person is $1023.50.

If you follow Viking's air specials and also Viking's reduced cruise offerings, the prices seem to balance out. We just prefer controlling our own choice of airline and time.