Pricing Structure

[red zebra]

Having been on Oceana the last few years we hoped to go again this September (despite being caught up in that Medicane last year).

Now I understand that the base price includes the cost of flights from Gatwick, based in Scotland as we are, we are used to paying a supplement. Unfortunately the cruise we wanted was sold out flying from Glasgow and Newcastle. P&O offered to arrange us Jet2 flights from Glasgow but wanted and extra £186 each for the privilege (the normal supplement is £50) so I asked if they would take the Gatwick flight element off the cost of the cruise, but no. It appears that the flight from Gatwick is given away free to all who are fortunate enough to have that as their local airport and everyone else has to pay extra, in our case, a lot extra.

I did some checking after my call to them, either I can go Ryanair Edinburghto Malta with luggage for about £100 each or we can fly to London (inc bags), pre cruise, get a hotel overnight and save about £200 on their offer, all so I can get my free flight! 

[Thejuggler]

The flight isn't free, its included in the fare.  P&O don't do cruise only fares for their fly cruises from the Med.

 

The extra supplement to fly from other airports is to cover the extra costs in scheduling the aircraft, not to pay for those getting 'free' flights from Gatwick, because they aren't.

[Nellie100]

Could you not get a coach down to Manchester and fly from there on what is the equivalent of free flight? 

[red zebra]

Juggler - Surely the flight from Gatwick is scheduled too, at a cost, or do BA also provide those for free?

 

With the greatest respect Nellie, 7 -8 hours on a coach after my holiday doesn't exactly fill me with joy 🤨 I'd probably need another holiday, there is still a supplement from Manchester too. We have done it before by train, but with the cost of that and a hotel it adds another £400 to the holiday 😮

[jeanlyon]

They will sell what they want to sell and charge extra for the stuff they don't want to bother with.  It's simple really.  I agree, it seems slightly unfair, but they don't have to bother that much do they?

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

3 hours ago, red zebra said:

Having been on Oceana the last few years we hoped to go again this September (despite being caught up in that Medicane last year).

Now I understand that the base price includes the cost of flights from Gatwick, based in Scotland as we are, we are used to paying a supplement. Unfortunately the cruise we wanted was sold out flying from Glasgow and Newcastle. P&O offered to arrange us Jet2 flights from Glasgow but wanted and extra £186 each for the privilege (the normal supplement is £50) so I asked if they would take the Gatwick flight element off the cost of the cruise, but no. It appears that the flight from Gatwick is given away free to all who are fortunate enough to have that as their local airport and everyone else has to pay extra, in our case, a lot extra.

I did some checking after my call to them, either I can go Ryanair Edinburghto Malta with luggage for about £100 each or we can fly to London (inc bags), pre cruise, get a hotel overnight and save about £200 on their offer, all so I can get my free flight! 

 

Personslly I have no wish to live in the South East. I have done that. The congestion, pollution, house prices and other expenses. To me it is just not worth the free flight. 

 

Best wishes, Stephen.  

[bee-ess]

3 minutes ago, stephen@stoneyard.co.uk said:

 

Personslly I have no wish to live in the South East. I have done that. The congestion, pollution, house prices and other expenses. To me it is just not worth the free flight. 

 

Best wishes, Stephen.  

 

Very True !!

[jeanlyon]

Agree, that's why we are in the south west!!

[Eglesbrech]

17 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

They will sell what they want to sell and charge extra for the stuff they don't want to bother with.  It's simple really.  I agree, it seems slightly unfair, but they don't have to bother that much do they?

 

You are right they don’t have to do it at all however if they do then the difference they make has to be be justified in terms of additional time and cost.

 

Not specifically to P &O but in general with companies charging extra for the North and Scotland there is a fine line between making a profit and exploitation. Recent case of a company in the midlands making no extra charge for delivery to Cornwall but a massive one for a town in Scotland, which was actually closer in time and mileage to their depot!

 

What annoys me with air travel is that the charging never drops from the North or Scotland when we are actually closer to the destination so all one way in favour of the South East.

 

A lot of Northern and Scottish travellers help to fill P&Os ships so they need to be careful to at least try to look fair.

[brian1]

16 hours ago, bee-ess said:

 

Very True !!

You are not supposed to agree with him,you're from the South East.

Edited May 21, 2019 by brian1

[bee-ess]

4 hours ago, brian1 said:

You are not supposed to agree with him,you're from the South East.

I Mis read it ... duh

[brian1]

18 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

I Mis read it ... duh

No worries,I think he was talking about Peckham,lol.

[smj777]

Do not, under any cicumstances, book a flight that is separate from P&O's package. If anything happens to that flight, say cancellation or delay, you are not protected from or insured for, the loss of your cruise. We had a flight cancelled by Ryanair because of French flight controllers threatening to go on strike. Our travel insurers didn't cover strike action so we lost the whole cost of the holiday.

[Ilovemygarden]

Which airline do they usually use from Glasgow to Malta?

[scarlet ohara]

They use Jet2 from Glasgow to Malta

[Ilovemygarden]

That is what I thought but was puzzled by Red Zebra’s post when she said the had been quoted £186 extra to go with Jet 2. Perhaps all P and O’s quota of seats was sold out on that particular flight. 

[Barnum42]

We were looking to fly out to Malta from Bristol instead of Gatwick, as we did the last time. Last time the suppliment was £50 each. Some P&O rip-off bean counter has decided to double it to £100 each.

 

I enquired why it had doubled, was the fault of the airline? All P&O would say is that it's to do with their fluid pricing, thus avoiding the question. I asked again, they decided to ignore me instead.