Boston Deviation

[jamerica34]

Need Help, can somebody with knowledge of what airlines they use in Boston to go to Athens and best routes, we are coming in 2 days early in Sept.2019. When I'm able to deviate , I can present this to my TA. Thanks

[Travelcat2]

The best place to find fights is this site http://matrix.itasoftware.com .  I did a quick search for September 2, 2019 and here is what I found (sorted by shortest time)...  http://matrix.itasoftware.com/#view-flights:research=BOSATH Regent almost always contracts with United and Lufthansa to Europe (we're flying Lufthansa to Barcelona next month on a deviated flight) but they can be picky about Air Canada.  

Hope that this helps!

[jamerica34]

Thank You Travelcat2, never knew of this website, my dates are not up yet. we are leaving on the 13th of Sept. and coming back on the 26th 2019. We also are deviating , Luf. flights are up now. Do they use BA, their up also? My TA said that I can't request until 270 days ahead. I'm a newbie to Regent and your help is really great. After reading many of your posts, how do you find an experienced Luxury TA for future Regent Cruises if this one doesn't work out? They all say they are experts.Your knowledge makes everybody as calm as can be . Thank You for your time , I'll probably be back in touch , when my dates can be researched. Thanks

[Travelcat2]

Thank you for the kind words.  Yes - Regent does contract with BA it depends upon the route, flight, etc.  We would have flown BA for our flight next month but Lufthansa arrives mid-day while BA arrives at night.  Before deviating, we selected two or three flights that looked good and sent them to our TA.  They contact Regent to get approval.  It works well.

Many of us wish that we could discuss TA’s but we have to follow the rules that CC has.  When you are onboard the ship, you can ask some passengers who their TA is and learn how well they do for their clients.

If/when your have more questions, there are several of us here that are happy to answer.  in my opinion, planning for a trip is almost as much fun as taking the cruise (well, that may have been overstated👿)

[sita]

Jamerica, we're on the same cruise as you and also deviating, but from San Diego. I seem to remember a post regarding the limits Regent places on how early your returning flight can be booked. I can't seem to find it now but a lot of the flights returning seem to leave very early so would appreciate the expertise of this forum. If need be, we can add a day post cruise but we are already planning on 4 to 5 days pre and the post days always feel a bit of a 'hurry up and wait' let down.

[rcandkc]

We are flying back to Dfw from Amsterdam next year.  The flight we really wanted leaves mid morning.  No way we were trying that.  It was important enough to us to spend an extra night.  You may have to decide this in your case too. 

[Travelcat2]

I'm not aware of a specific amount of time required between when you leave the ship and your returning flight.  It depends upon so many things (traffic, do you have to go through customs at the port, etc.).   I suggest that you look at the departing fight time, the time average time that it takes to get to the airport (with traffic as there will likely be traffic) and whether or to you pass customs (depends upon whether you have just left a European Union country and are departing from a European Union country).

 

As a general rule, we book fights noon or later since most airlines want you o be at the airport 3 hours prior to an international flight.   Having said that, if you are on the Athens to Athens itinerary on the Voyager, you will likely not have to go through customs/passport control and the ship arrives at 6:00 a.m.  If this is the case, you can likely leave the ship as soon as it is cleared (probably 6:30 a.m.) 

 

 

[sita]

Thank you Travelcat2, it’s always nice to consult with an expert.  Yes Rcandkc, seems worth it to us as well; thanks!

[jamerica34]

Hi Sita,  sounds like a great cruise. We are newbies for Regent and are looking forward to the cruise. Travelcat2 and other experts are a big help in leading us in the right direction. Thanks to all. I'm sure I will have other questions that I will need help with and knowing someone is there to help ease the tension is nice. Thanks Chris

[sita]

Well we're coming up quickly on our deviation date and have a couple of questions. First, I assume the date counted for the 270 days is the date we want to travel as opposed to the cruise date? (we're coming in several days early.) Second, as per usual when trying to fly direct to the continent via BA or Lufthansa the schedules are wonky in one direction (13 hour layover in Frankfurt on the way back home or via BA, arriving two days after leaving SD to Athens) Gotta love it. In a perfect world, would fly Lufthansa outbound and BA inbound. Ha! wonder what the upcharge would be on that?

Wondering about US carriers... anybody have a recommendation for which one has decent Business class? or should be focus what type of plane we're flying on. Thank you in advance for your help!

[pingpong1]

Sita - You'll get a lot of different opinions regarding which  various  airlines are "good" for overseas travel. People on this board like to always say, "food is subjective".  Well, I think the same can be said about airlines.  If you're on one airline for a particular trip and have a bad experience, even if it was only a rare , one-time occurrence, a lot of folks will say, "never again" to that airline.

 

Having flown many thousands of miles on overseas flights, on many different foreign and domestic airlines, to many different countries in the world during my working career.....My thinking is that the "worst airline" is the one you're traveling/flying with at any given moment, and having a "problem" with at that moment.

 

Any given flight can be weather or mechanically delayed. Any plane can have problems with the toilets, any plane can run out of the dinner entree or wine you wanted, and you can wind up on any flight sitting next to a person who hasn't had a shower in a couple of days or has a fussy child that simply won't stop crying.  I have experienced all those things on many different airlines.

 

Having said all that, there are some airlines I prefer over others.  I won't mention the ones I don't like (it will bring on arguments), but I'll mention a few I do like...In the Asia/Pacific area, I like Singapore, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Australia, Delta, JAL, and Hawaiian Air. To the Middle East, I like Emirates (hands down). To Europe, I like Delta, American, Swiss Air, United (although they've dropped down a few rungs on myladder in the past few years), Lufthansa, and SAS.  I've never flown Aer Lingus before, but I'm going to give them a try next year for a land visit to Ireland and Scotland.

 

One note...If you book Delta to Rome from the U.S., make sure it's a "real" Delta flight/airplane/flight crew...and NOT a code share flight that is really operated by Alitalia Airlines. I'll leave it at that. Others might have quite different and additional viewpoints.  Regards.

[Travelcat2]

Agree with the last poster except for Delta.  We just returned from Miami on Delta First Class and had the worst food that we have ever had - a hamburger on very stale bread for lunch (and we have been traveling internationally for over 30 years).  We like Lufthansa but do not like Frankfurt.  If the fight stops in Munich, that is a different story.  We also like British Airways except that they they have lost our luggage twice.  Swiss Air is probably the best of the airlines going from the U.S. to Europe but I'm not sure if Regent contracts with them.  

 

BTW, I do not consider myself an expert on anything but have a lot of experience with Regent and have learned a lot over the years.  In terms of airlines, we prefer non-U.S. based airlines for several reasons.  If, for instance, you fly American Airlines to Europe, it is likely that you will have a stop in the U.S.  If so, the flight will likely be coach rather than business class*.  On the other hand, if you fly British Airways, Lufthansa or other non-U.S. based airlines, you will not stop in the U.S. and have business class the entire way.  

 

In terms of when you can deviate, it is 270 days prior to the date you embark.  This website is invaluable (In my opinion) in learning which date you can book https://www.timeanddate.com/date/timeduration.html .  Simply put in the date of your cruise and subtract 270 days.  What we do is select 2-3 flights that we like and send them to our TA.  They then deal with Regent in terms of getting them approved (most of the time there is no problem but some flights are not contracted).  

 

Hoping that you have a good TA (one that knows Regent, gives a rebate and can help you with the deviation).  If you booked directly with Regent you can call their air department and they will be happy to work with you.  If your TA is not familiar with Regent, they can contact Regent and give their permission to deal directly with Regent.

 

Hope that this helps

 

*Sometimes, if you book a U.S. based airline and it stops in the U.S. and continues on to Europe, they will provide you with business class air (this is what is happening on our upcoming February cruise to Chile).  However, U.S. domestic flights have very few first class or business class seats so this is certainly not something you can count on.

[jamerica34]

Hi SITA, my TA I think said DEC.20th is our deviation day. Does that sound right to you? I've given them my ideal flight. Trip SEPT.16th 2019

[sita]

Hi Jamerica - Yes if the date of deviation is the embarkation date then it looks correct as Dec 20th.

Thanks Pingpong and TravelCat for your helpful responses; always nice to consult those in the know.