Viking Air for a Newbe

[ericosmith]

Sorry for yet another air question.  

 

This will be our first cruise on Viking.  It's not until next July but final payment is due this July.  Part of that payment includes airfare which I may or may not want to use.  In my case it's $1399 each and I'm assuming another $150 to get what and when I want (and would that let me depart an airport that's not typically a gateway?).  Given that airfares aren't typically published until 330 days out, how do I decide whether to keep or cancel Viking air.  Does that cost have to be payed as part of the final payment or can I defer it until later?  If it is part of the final payment can I get a refund later if I decide to book on my own?  

 

Thanks for any words of wisdom!

[Peregrina651]

 

 

Pay the final payment when it is due. You will get your money back if you decide not to use Viking Air. There is no way around doing it this way -- and it is cheaper than cancelling the air portion before the payment is due and then adding it back in -- which will at the higher brochure rate.

 

Before you talk with Viking, do your homework. See what the airlines and the online booking sites are offering. Sometimes you do better with Viking and sometimes you don't.

 

If you arrange your own air, you can buy transfers from Viking with certain restrictions.

 

Viking charges a fee for those who want choose their flights (vs. taking whatever Viking gives them). They will also charge a deviation or a stopover fee if you want to arrive before the first day of your Viking package and/or linger after or if you want to stop somewhere along the way.

 

"Typically" doesn't hold up so well post pandemic;  the airlines aren't back to normal yet. Even if one or two are accepting bookings at 300 days, other airlines may not be ready yet; you won't have the full picture. Then there is the big problem with flights changes after you have reserved your flights -- whether you book with Viking or do things on your own.

 

.

[CDNPolar]

The above advice is good, but ensure if you are paying for the air now, that you cancel it - if you are going to - before cancellation penalties kick in.

 

Personally I would take it off the invoice before paying and add it back later if I wanted it, but that is me.

 

Also, our experience is that if you add the Air Plus, you can do your investigation and add the airline and schedule that you want.

 

We have already bought our air for this coming December and next March.

[The Other Tom]

8 hours ago, ericosmith said:

another $150 to get what and when I want (and would that let me depart an airport that's not typically a gateway?)

You can depart from an airport that's typically not a gateway IF Viking has tickets from that airport.  Sometimes there's an extra fee for doing this.

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Personally I would take it off the invoice before paying and add it back later if I wanted it, but that is me.

 

 

If you do that you lose any discounts on air price. What you lose is more than you would gain if you had the cash in the bank.

[ericosmith]

Thanks for the info.  In my case there is no current brochure price since the cruise isn't in the brochure.  with the same embarkation and destination ports show a price $300 higher so I guess that's what I'm at risk.  I guess I'll go ahead and pay and then see what happens when flights are available.

[Peregrina651]

3 hours ago, ericosmith said:

Thanks for the info.  In my case there is no current brochure price since the cruise isn't in the brochure.  with the same embarkation and destination ports show a price $300 higher so I guess that's what I'm at risk.  I guess I'll go ahead and pay and then see what happens when flights are available.

 

Current pricing is available on the website. In the example image snipped from a random cruise on the website, the 'brochure price' is the fare that is struck out. They are currently offering a $200 discount on the cruise fare and a $300 reduction on the airfare for this particular itinerary

 

[jmfdr]

Thanks to everyone for replies to this OP's question.  We are in the same situation, trying to decide whether to cancel our Viking air before final payment.  I think we will go ahead and cancel with the hope that we later don't decide to add it back on at a much higher price. 

 

I really think we will much prefer to book our own airfare.  Reasonings--Because we would add both air plus and air deviation our price goes up $250.  Viking tells me we can only book economy or business/first class with them, neither of which we want.  And, yes, I know I could then go on to my airline website to up grade seating but since Viking won't book until 120 or 60 days out (a Viking agent told me this) the Econ + or premium seats we want might be filled.  I just don't like to wait that close to flight time to book international tickets.  I do know that we will lose transfers with the inbound travel but we have booked a post cruise extension with Viking and I was told that the transfer to the airport will be included even if we book our own flights.  

 

Thanks for listening to what is going on in my head about Viking air.  Is my reasoning valid?  Mostly, I guess I am just uncomfortable waiting so close to departure time to book our airfare.  

 

question for CNPOLAR---When you say you have already bought your air for the December and next March------do you mean with Viking or on your own?  And if purchased with Viking, how did you get them to book it so far before your travel date?

Jan

[Clay Clayton]

Since I don’t know where you are cruising I can’t know if our situation is similar to yours. We have chosen to go with Viking Air for our Hong Kong to Bangkok cruise in October 22 for two reasons. First it was “included”. 😂. Second, because at the moment our embarkation port of Hong Kong requires a quarantine period and since the ship will be there for a double overnight (our cruise is one of several segments on a Vancouver to Sydney cruise) I suspect if Viking is unable to have their continuing passengers leave the ship for three days that they may change the embarkation port.  We don’t want to be dealing with trying to buy last minute transpacific airfare to say Taiwan if Viking makes a change. 
 

So perhaps a change like this isn’t a concern for your cruise but thought I would share our thinking just in case it might be. Good Luck with your decision making.  

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, jmfdr said:

Thanks to everyone for replies to this OP's question.  We are in the same situation, trying to decide whether to cancel our Viking air before final payment.  I think we will go ahead and cancel with the hope that we later don't decide to add it back on at a much higher price. 

 

I really think we will much prefer to book our own airfare.  Reasonings--Because we would add both air plus and air deviation our price goes up $250.  Viking tells me we can only book economy or business/first class with them, neither of which we want.  And, yes, I know I could then go on to my airline website to up grade seating but since Viking won't book until 120 or 60 days out (a Viking agent told me this) the Econ + or premium seats we want might be filled.  I just don't like to wait that close to flight time to book international tickets.  I do know that we will lose transfers with the inbound travel but we have booked a post cruise extension with Viking and I was told that the transfer to the airport will be included even if we book our own flights.  

 

Thanks for listening to what is going on in my head about Viking air.  Is my reasoning valid?  Mostly, I guess I am just uncomfortable waiting so close to departure time to book our airfare.  

 

question for CNPOLAR---When you say you have already bought your air for the December and next March------do you mean with Viking or on your own?  And if purchased with Viking, how did you get them to book it so far before your travel date?

Jan

 

When making your decision, please also consider that when booking Viking Air, the fare class they purchase may not be eligible for upgrades with either cash or points/miles.

 

The fare class may not be known until you receive the e-tickets.

[jmfdr]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

When making your decision, please also consider that when booking Viking Air, the fare class they purchase may not be eligible for upgrades with either cash or points/miles.

 

The fare class may not be known until you receive the e-tickets.

Hmm, didn't know this.  Thanks.

[Peregrina651]

8 hours ago, jmfdr said:

And if purchased with Viking, how did you get them to book it so far before your travel date?

 

Pay the AirPlus fee and you can choose your flights as soon as airlines open them for booking BUT they are not ticketed until much closer to departure, unless you pay for early ticketing. BUT, early ticketing can have its downsides in today's market because of all the schedules changes that are still happening and because once ticketed, you cannot cancel the air portion of your booking with Viking. Lots of things to consider no matter which path you choose.

 

8 hours ago, jmfdr said:

I think we will go ahead and cancel with the hope that we later don't decide to add it back on at a much higher price. 

 

Unless it is a cash flow issue,  I don't understand the worry of having Viking sitting  on your cash while taking the time to gather the information needed to make the decision.

 

If it is $3000 for air, the amount that it would earn in 6 months if left sitting in a bank savings account at less than 1% per annum would be less than $15. Compare that to the $300pp or more that you would pay should you decide to cancel the air before final payment and then add it back in at a later date.

 

[ericosmith]

So one more question...these add on fees have me confused.  My cruise leaves from Bergen but I want to fly to Oslo and do the Nutshell on my own to Bergen.  So that means I'll want to fly early to a different city and also have a say in what flights I take.   Will Viking still book this at the discounted rate and what would the total add on cost for 2 people be.  

 

My thanks to all of you for being so patient and helpful with your advice.

 

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, ericosmith said:

 Will Viking still book this at the discounted rate and what would the total add on cost for 2 people be.  

 

You should not have a problem landing in Oslo instead of Bergen.

 

This first part is going to be a bit confusing: Because of their contracts with the airlines, Viking can only guarantee the base rate if you travel on Day1 and Day last of your package and if you fly one of the routes that they are offering at that price, which unless you pay the AirPlus fee, they will choose for you. Viking airfare is for the flights they are offering at that price, not for any flight plan you want.

 

That said, lots of people deviate their arrival/departure day without incurring a change of air fare, just the added fees. (It may mean sacrificing the optimal routing for something slightly less than perfect) Deviating also means that you lose access to Viking transfers on the legs which are deviated.

 

 

The Fees:

 

The AirPlus fee is paid when you want to choose your flights yourself. Viking doesn't talk to guests who haven't paid the fee, which means that you can't ask questions about what they are offering until you have paid the fee. If you are planning on upgrading your ticket with points, then you should pay the fee and work with Viking, who will explain the ins, outs and $$$ of getting a ticket that can be upgraded.

 

A deviation fee if you want to arrive ahead of time or linger after or if you want to arrive or depart from a different airport

 

A stopover fee if you want to stop en route for a few days.

 

A fee if you want to have your flights ticketed early.

 

Some airlines will also charge a fee to choose seats. (I have run in to this a number of times).

 

As to what the fees will be, you should contact Viking. I don't want to give the wrong information.

[SempreMare]

How long before the cruise could I have viking air refunded with no penalty?

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, SempreMare said:

How long before the cruise could I have viking air refunded with no penalty?

 

We have received refunds for flights, with no penalty, provided the flights were not yet ticketed. 

[keokukjoe]

4 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

We have received refunds for flights, with no penalty, provided the flights were not yet ticketed. 

I am reading here that Viking imposes a fee for early ticketing. Is that true and if so, what is the fee/ Viking Air didn't mention anything about that. Also, if our air is "free" , how does that play into refunds should we cancel if we are already ticketed? Thanks.

Edited June 20, 2022 by keokukjoe

[Heidi13]

4 minutes ago, keokukjoe said:

I am reading here that Viking imposes a fee for early ticketing. Is that true and if so, what is the fee/ Viking Air didn't mention anything about that. Also, if our air is "free" , how does that play into refunds should we cancel if we are already ticketed? Thanks.

 

Can't comment of the early ticketing fee, best to check with Viking directly.

 

If flights are included in the base cruise fare and you elect to cancel the Viking flights, to book your own flights, Viking does not provide any refund for the unused flights.

 

If you cancel an entire cruise that is paid in full and had ticketed flights, you have the option of using the Risk-Free Guarantee, which provides a FCV for all monies paid to Viking. If you use the cancellation policy terms, you will receive a refund based on the number of days prior to sailing, as outlined in the T&C and Pax Statement.

 

I am aware of some pax that cancelled with ticketed flights being charged a flight cancellation fee, but again best check with Viking directly, as it may depend on the airline.

[CDR2001]

I received early ticketing this May, and I paid no fee other than our previously paid Air Plus. 

[keokukjoe]

1 hour ago, CDR2001 said:

I received early ticketing this May, and I paid no fee other than our previously paid Air Plus. 

Once you are ticketed, who takes care of  rescheduling of flights if the airlines cancel or change the flights? I assume it is the airlines responsibility or is it Viking's? With all the airlines' problems  and with with our experience last year with another line (6 flight cancellations AND a total change with the disembarkation port), the cruise line took care of everything even though they had already ticketed us. 

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, keokukjoe said:

Once you are ticketed, who takes care of  rescheduling of flights if the airlines cancel or change the flights? I assume it is the airlines responsibility or is it Viking's? With all the airlines' problems  and with with our experience last year with another line (6 flight cancellations AND a total change with the disembarkation port), the cruise line took care of everything even though they had already ticketed us. 

 

If you have booked with Viking Air, they will work with the airlines on any changes.

[FetaCheese]

2 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

If you have booked with Viking Air, they will work with the airlines on any changes.

Agree. Happened to us 3 times on Dec. 2021 cruise.  Had A+  -- V rescheduled flights with airlines.

[keokukjoe]

On 6/20/2022 at 10:43 AM, CDR2001 said:

I received early ticketing this May, and I paid no fee other than our previously paid Air Plus. 

How long before your cruise were you able to obtain the "early e-ticketing"? Thanks. I've gotten 3 different answers when calling Viking Air.  We are about 160 days out and I've been told: 1) within 24hours of final payment, 2) 90 days out, 3) 65 days out.

They said that having Air Plus makes no difference (understandable).

[FetaCheese]

Joe,  I called V with questions re: adding extension

 

-- Type of room at hotel (many avail. on website) -- they don't know.

-- Air deviation fee?  No.

-- Transfers included? Yes.

-- Refund if cancelled?  Only if cancelled before air is ticketed.

-- When is air ticketed?  65 days out.

 

  Considering going early and paying $100 pp air deviation fee, and booking own hotel. Would have to pay transfers, but would still be less than V cost of $1200 for 2 pax, 2 nights, and would get to stay where we want.  Most Euro hotels always include breakfast.  Motorcoach tour is on way to transfer to ship.  Researching hotels in BCN that have been posted on V board: Hotels in Madrid and BCN

[keokukjoe]

50 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

Joe,  I called V with questions re: adding extension

 

-- Type of room at hotel (many avail. on website) -- they don't know.

-- Air deviation fee?  No.

-- Transfers included? Yes.

-- Refund if cancelled?  Only if cancelled before air is ticketed.

-- When is air ticketed?  65 days out.

 

  Considering going early and paying $100 pp air deviation fee, and booking own hotel. Would have to pay transfers, but would still be less than V cost of $1200 for 2 pax, 2 nights, and would get to stay where we want.  Most Euro hotels always include breakfast.  Motorcoach tour is on way to transfer to ship.  Researching hotels in BCN that have been posted on V board: Hotels in Madrid and BCN

 

Been to both Barcelona and Madrid many moons ago. No appeal for us. 

Routine air ticketing is 65 days out but we were trying to pin them down by what they meant with "early" e-ticketing. 

Karen & Joe