SS Air Business Upgrade Experience

[bohaiboy]

Looking at a Tromso-Iceland Aug 2022 and looking at air.  SS upgrade to Biz is around $1300 pp, which is extremely cheap since best I have found is $3800 pp.  Doing independent air also nullifies a pre/post hotel stay and airport transfers, so it gets even more expensive for me to sub those items.

What has been your experience with SS air routings and do they secure business class over the entire routings or just the international portion?  I would hate to fly Iceland Air as their Biz Class is really dismal.  What has been your success in getting the routings you wanted from SS?  Thanks

[Gourmet Gal]

In general in the past I had very good luck with preferred routings and airlines albeit with extra fees but my most recent experience was disappointing in the choice of airline and routing so I asked for a refund on the air and booked it myself…unfortunately much more expensive but much more sane flight times, length of trip and my preferred airlines.  I was told SS didn’t have access to any UA or American inventory for my Europe itinerary.  Not sure why and not sure if it is across all regions.

[cruiseej]

Between Covid limiting passenger demand and Covid limiting flight crew availability, airlines are flying many fewer flights than pre-Covid, so they may be offering fewer bulk contract seats for cruise companies to use. During the traditional summer high season for US-Europe flights, they're likely trying to maximize revenue before they add flights back to their schedules. 

 

51 minutes ago, bohaiboy said:

SS upgrade to Biz is around $1300 pp

 

That does sound like a great deal. First class is guaranteed only for the international portion, but you may get it for the domestic portion as well. I'd grab the offer while they have seats available, and you can always cancel the air and book on your own if you can't them to give you flights you find satisfactory. 

[saminina]

From LIS  after upcoming TA back to LAX.  Business SS ticket written with IB.  It's AA metal MAD-DFW-LAX.  Saving about $2000 versus booking any other way I could find.  Flights appeared on my AA account within an hour of booking.   Very strange, and VERY happy with price and routing.

[nowornever]

For us, pre & during pandemic it's been great.  If you don't like the flights offered, you can find what you like (via you or your travel agent) & request them with Silversea Air Dept. Usually, it will work but you do need to be a bit flexible. If you want to arrive earlier, you can pay the deviation fee (last time we did this it was $150 pp.)  You will get the booking #'s & then be able to go to the airline website & choose your seats.  In these uncertain times, having Silversea book is so much less complicated.  BTW, we've always gotten mileage too since they generally use Star Alliance or One World.  On your itinerary, you need to figure out if you booked the flights yourself & the cruise was canceled or had a embarkation/disembarkation port change, how you would use the airline credit since they probably book smaller internal Norway airlines & maybe Icelandic Air.  It's certainly NOT a normal time & probably won't be for quite a while....sadly.

[bohaiboy]

Have flown IcelandAir biz, pretty pathetic.  Fares are outrageous otherwise.  Internal Norway is usually SAS.

[Covepointcruiser]

How pathetic are they?    We are booked on the, for the 5 hour flight from IAD.   I thought we could stand  a non innovative, non fly flat seat for 5 Hours.   All other options fly to Europe first and then you connect to a flight to Iceland, longer time in air and in airports.

[PaulMCO]

I will bet those cheap business seats to Reykjavik are on Icelandic Air.

They are really not Biz class seats -- non flat - guess we are spoiled.  More like domestic FC.

Food was pathetic.  Good thing is that the flight is short. 

 

Last time we flew on UA and was much better.

[FlyerTalker]

12 minutes ago, PaulMCO said:

I will bet those cheap business seats to Reykjavik are on Icelandic Air.

 

You get what you pay for.  TANSTAAFL

[FLRI]

Since that’s the Icelandair hub, there would be a high probability your flight is on that airline.

BUT, they don’t ticket until about 75 days prior. So once Silversea books your flights (which your TA will be able to see on the TA website), if you don’t like them your TA can go back to Silversea and request another. If it’s a more expensive routing than the bulk contract fare they have or the bulk contract fare is not available on that airline, they will charge a surcharge and perhaps an air deviation fee. 

They also use American a lot.

[bohaiboy]

21 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

How pathetic are they?    We are booked on the, for the 5 hour flight from IAD.   I thought we could stand  a non innovative, non fly flat seat for 5 Hours.   All other options fly to Europe first and then you connect to a flight to Iceland, longer time in air and in airports.

They are doable for 5 hours.  We were on for 8 out of Denver.  If you are tall you will be very uncomfortable.