O-Life Air Upgrades and "Deviations": Easy or Difficult to Accomplish?

[jimdee3636]

My wife and I are considering a 20-night Buenos Aires-to-Lima sailing in February and March of 2023 on the Marina. The prices, with O-Life Air, seem quite reasonable considering the fact that there will be very long overnight flights both ways. However, we'd want to arrive in Buenos Aires at least one day before boarding the ship, and we'd like to upgrade the overnight flights to business class. I know of course that this will cost us a lot more, but does Oceania make it easy to do? Or would we be better off making our own air arrangements and just booking the "cruise only" fare? I don't mind spending money (if something is worth it), but I hate hassles!

 

In case it matters, we would not in any case use Oceania for our pre-cruise hotel stay in Buenos Aires.

[mexicobob]

1 hour ago, jimdee3636 said:

My wife and I are considering a 20-night Buenos Aires-to-Lima sailing in February and March of 2023 on the Marina. The prices, with O-Life Air, seem quite reasonable considering the fact that there will be very long overnight flights both ways. However, we'd want to arrive in Buenos Aires at least one day before boarding the ship, and we'd like to upgrade the overnight flights to business class. I know of course that this will cost us a lot more, but does Oceania make it easy to do? Or would we be better off making our own air arrangements and just booking the "cruise only" fare? I don't mind spending money (if something is worth it), but I hate hassles!

 

In case it matters, we would not in any case use Oceania for our pre-cruise hotel stay in Buenos Aires.

I would also be interested in opinions making air reservations with Oceania, but for a different cruise.

[LHT28]

If you want BUS  class  book your own

JMO

[pinotlover]

If, and only if, our Jan 22 Marina cruise is cancelled, we have booked the Feb 23 BA-Lima cruise as a backup.
 

My thoughts since we’ll likewise fly in early. Currently air is tedious. Airlines are dropping flights and consolidating loads as needed. An example is AA recently cancelled its nonstop, that we were booked on from DFW-Santiago, and now consolidating through MIA. We could have paid a lot less money originally for the extra leg, but paid a premium for the one stop flights. 
 

We don’t know how the world will look in 2023, but from my experiences going to Europe this summer, our now cancelled flights for our cancelled November cruise, and the still hopeful Jan 22 cruise, currently paying anyone a premium for a convenient set of connections is a fool’s game. That includes the airlines direct, or via Oceania as a intermediary. We were getting major flight shifts up until about three days preflight. Some of our fellow cruisers got a major change a couple days before Disembarkment, meaning they left the ship at 3:00 a.m. to catch their new flights home.
 

You’ll have to pay O the $175 regardless, but don’t get excited about the flight schedules you pick. If O comes back wanting a premium for certain flights/connections,  I’d pass. Oceania can charge you for those premiums, but can’t guarantee delivery of the product. Not even the airlines can. 
 

Hope that helps!

Edited September 10, 2021 by pinotlover

[Flatbush Flyer]

12 hours ago, LHT28 said:

If you want BUS  class  book your own.

As I have posted here many times, NEVER use O’s air department for Bizclass tix. Even O’s air dept. will tell you “it’s NOT a good deal.”

When you call them to get a Bizclass price quote, the price may seem better than what you found on the ITA Matrix search you did. However, remember that you have to be purchasing the cruise “with air” which means you’re already paying for the economy ticket. And the value of that ticket will NOT be credited against the cost of the Bizclass ticket. In essence then, you will be paying for two tix per person.

And, that at-first-attractive Bizclass quote for the O tix will be on their contracted carrier(s) with often less-than-ideal connecting flights. Want your preferred carrier and non-stop? Be prepared for the added cost (and don’t forget - NO CREDIT for the economy flight in your cruise fare).

With the understanding that some folks don’t mind paying for what appears to be “convenience” of O as the air booking agent (including the addition of airport transfers at the embark/disembark ports), I trust that you’ll find many regular O Bizclass passengers are DIYers who take the air credit, which on intercontinental flights, can be sizable and can be used to offset the cost of the Bizclass tix.

 

That said, there is the Covid era good/bad news of using O’s air: Good news is that O will handle air rebooking if they change start/end ports. Bad news is that O chooses routing/carrier and it may take more time than DIY (O provided satellite phone service to us DIY folks on Nautica in March 2020 when we ended up in Dubai instead of Singapore) and you may end up leaving a day later.

 

Final Covid era caveat: The range of air carrier Bizclass prices can vary significantly. And where you’ll see “what you get for your money” often involves “customer service” when the “poop hits the fan” - as in the need to rebook due to ship itinerary changes.This is why our Plan A is always United (if we can get where we’re going on United and Star Alliance connectors): responsive customer service, hub airports with ease of ticket reassignment when needed, no change fees, availability of ETCs and new FFCs, etc.

FWIW: In the telephone line on Nautica to make our air changes, I chatted with a retired Delta pilot. To my question “will Delta take good care of you?” he answered: “On intercontinental flights I usually use United.” To my next question “Why?” His response was: “Because they answer the phone.”

 

Edited September 10, 2021 by Flatbush Flyer

[Flatbush Flyer]

As for OP’s comment on not using O for hotels:

Absolutely too expensive, especially when you plan to use the same property and not pay double the usual rate. 
Of course, O does include the transfers. But, IMO, the right hotel concierge (particularly if you are one of their chain’s FFs) can work wonders.

God Bless the USD $20 note!

[jimdee3636]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

As for OP’s comment on not using O for hotels:

Absolutely too expensive, especially when you plan to use the same property and not pay double the usual rate. 
Of course, O does include the transfers. But, IMO, the right hotel concierge (particularly if you are one of their chain’s FFs) can work wonders.

God Bless the USD $20 note!

Thank you Flatbush Flyer, pinotlover, and everyone else who has made suggestions. They're all very helpful.

 

Jim

[Jancruz]

First of all O life does not have  anything to do with Oceania air..two separate issues no one mentioned that..also if you figure out the extras you are getting like not paying the $175  per person for air deviation plus transfers to ship especially in Rome and Greece..using O's hotel package is not as pricy as it looks..using regular air..not BC I agreewith the others do BC your self..

Jancruz1

[Flatbush Flyer]

13 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

First of all O life does not have  anything to do with Oceania air..two separate issues no one mentioned that..also if you figure out the extras you are getting like not paying the $175  per person for air deviation plus transfers to ship especially in Rome and Greece..using O's hotel package is not as pricy as it looks..using regular air..not BC I agreewith the others do BC your self..

Jancruz1

Thanks for the added info, Jan.

 

One other suggestion I have for pre/post cruise transfers/hotels/etc:

Most major US cities will have cultural clubs associated with any of a ton of cruise port countries. And many of these clubs have travel programs. I mention this because connecting with the club can get you recommendations of hotels, tour guides, transfer outfits, etc they regularly use for their own land tours.

And, among the hotels they recommend, the owner/concierge can put together a package of transfers, accommodations, guides etc- often custom made at far less than similar services found on Trip Advisor or elsewhere on the Internet. We’ve done this in Rome, Athens, Lisbon, Valpo and other places.

 

BTW, if the nature of your employment (past/present) involved interaction with US embassies/consulates abroad (and you still have that Rolodex - how old am I?), US cultural attachés have terrific connections!