O Life Air Travel Question

[ORV]

Has cruising started back in Japan, SE Asia etc yet? 

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Yes, and that is where we differ. Oceania charges $175 per person to change and I'd rather use the $350 my wife and I would save on something else. You are correct, YMMV.

For  us  it was worth the  fee to fly in a day or more early   pick the route   ..non stop when possible

I no longer can do 14 + hr in coach  so we do  our own air

 

When you do find out the route  it may not be to your liking 

Just  an option

 

Enjoy the cruise

 

[LHT28]

 

48 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

It can still be a risk these days to DIY your airfare. Just understand that if someone decides to DIY their airfare, they are taking a risk.
So it might make sense to think about the embarkation and disembarkation cities.

True

Hopefully by spring  things will be better

People can still use O air  & be protected  if the port changes  but I would still fly in early  for  an overseas embarkation

YMMV

[PhD-iva]

6 hours ago, ORV said:

Has cruising started back in Japan, SE Asia etc yet? 

DCGuy64 said he’s booked on Nautica to Japan next April.

[lawyertx]

Posted this unflattering comment elsewhere, too.

We paid the premium for business class airfare Dallas to Dubai and got an itinerary from Oceania that provided 26 hours travel time, including 9.5 hour layover at airport in Toronto.  Trip should be 16-18 total hours top.  Offered to pay another reasonable upcharge for better (many available) arrangements.

Best offer from Oceania was better air schedule for another $10,000-plus additional fee.  90 minutes on phone with Oceania customer service was like trying to have a conversation with a box of rocks.  We are extremely unhappy, but now stuck.  I would suggest caution using Olife air arrangements.  

[pinotlover]

9 minutes ago, lawyertx said:

Posted this unflattering comment elsewhere, too.

We paid the premium for business class airfare Dallas to Dubai and got an itinerary from Oceania that provided 26 hours travel time, including 9.5 hour layover at airport in Toronto.  Trip should be 16-18 total hours top.  Offered to pay another reasonable upcharge for better (many available) arrangements.

Best offer from Oceania was better air schedule for another $10,000-plus additional fee.  90 minutes on phone with Oceania customer service was like trying to have a conversation with a box of rocks.  We are extremely unhappy, but now stuck.  I would suggest caution using Olife air arrangements.  

Went round trip to Europe twice this year. Every plane packed 100% full. One of the international flights was overbooked and looking for volunteers to not fly. Airports are reportedly back to pre Covid record levels.

 

What are people expecting from “ free” airfare, especially since it isn’t booked until 45 or so days pre flight. If you think of Oceania Air as some insurance policy, then fine. Insurance policies have a cost, and that cost might well be some really crappy routings. 
 

I have a cruise ( hopefully) booked on the Vista for next summer. Most of the direct flights are already nearly sold out. Things aren’t going to get better. What type of connections does one realistically expect to get if they wait until April or May to book that June or July flight????  I don’t think my old body could handle that “ free” flight! 🥴

 

Most all of we experienced Oceania cruisers don’t fly in the day of Embarkment, and we book our own air. We don’t do so because we’re rich but because we’re experienced Oceania cruisers with an emphasis on experienced.
 

 

[LHT28]

52 minutes ago, lawyertx said:

Posted this unflattering comment elsewhere, too.

We paid the premium for business class airfare Dallas to Dubai and got an itinerary from Oceania that provided 26 hours travel time, including 9.5 hour layover at airport in Toronto.  Trip should be 16-18 total hours top.  Offered to pay another reasonable upcharge for better (many available) arrangements.

Best offer from Oceania was better air schedule for another $10,000-plus additional fee.  90 minutes on phone with Oceania customer service was like trying to have a conversation with a box of rocks.  We are extremely unhappy, but now stuck.  I would suggest caution using Olife air arrangements.  

Airfare  has nothing to do with O Life  perks

 

1) never book BIZ class  with O

2) if you want specific flights/routings  ask for the deviation & tell them the flights you want & see if there is any upcharge  before committing to the deviation fee

3) never book BIZ with O

 

JMO

[lawyertx]

PINOTLOVER -

   Either I misunderstand your post or you misunderstand mine.

   We booked this Oceania Cruise 9 months out.  In addition to the cruise fare, we paid Ocenaia $5,300 per person to upgrade to business class air.  We assumed, reasonably I believe, that Oceania would have a bulk arrangement with one or more airlines that would secure reasonable travel arrangements.

Oceania has had our money -- every dime of it -- since July.  We received the air itinerary only last week --  three weeks before the cruise.  As soon as we saw this schedule, we set about trying to improve it and were given the choice to spend an additional $10,000.  There are at least a half dozen better schedules Dallas to Dubai.  And we are flying in 3 days in advance of the cruise for one of the Oceania land programs.   Thus our attempts to have conversation with Oceania representatives to avoid 26-30 hours airport to airport.  

    We have no brand loyalty.  We try to decide where we want to go and when we want to go and choose a cruise that lines up with our wants.  We have cruised with RCL, Carnival, Viking, HAL, Regent and a couple of lines that have gone belly up.  We are not inexperienced.  But, we have never had issues like this one.  

 

[pinotlover]

Lawyertx;

 

As a lawyer, I’m surprised you paid someone in advance for a service and then just assume months later it would be done to your satisfaction!!

 

As Lyn has pointed out, the correct procedure with O Air ( it’s actually all NCL. air now) is to first agree upon air arrangements, then pay, then ensure Oceania actually books the flights you paid for. 
 

Your assumptions about O Air got you in trouble. 

[lawyertx]

We have used both Viking and Regent air programs with absolutely no issues.  We could not have done better.  Obviously, Oceania plays a different tune.  Regent and Oceania both owned by NCLH.  I guess we've discovered one unfortunate example of the difference in these two cruise lines.  Never too old to learn something and hopefully not too old to remember the lesson learned.  😒🧐😏 

[AveSaloon]

54 minutes ago, lawyertx said:

There are at least a half dozen better schedules Dallas to Dubai. 

 

Nope.  There are half a dozen schedules available for the general public to buy on the open market.  There are NOT a half dozen schedules available under the air contracts that O have.

 

The additional $10k is what they want to charge you for buying a ticket on the open, spot market apart from their contracted flights.  And flights to Dubai are quite pricey, especially closer in.

 

In addition, you could have bought your own tickets for two from DFW to Abu Dhabi for less in total than that $5300 up-charge.  Business class, one-stop in Doha, and flying Q-Suites.  With easy ground transport to Dubai (70 miles up the road).

[lawyertx]

Live and Learn.  Viking and Regent accommodations made me lazy.  As a matter of fact, a convenient Regent booking to Singapore included a plane change in Doha.  If I have to spend 9+ hours in an airport, I would choose the airport in Doha. Super nice.  (With the World Cup in progress, I'm not so sure about now.)

 

[pinotlover]

Even flying out of BNA, I would adjust my schedule to fly Singapore Airlines out of Houston, non stop to Singapore. Plenty enough to do there so to fly the days available. Could even fly through LAX. United is a Star Alliance partner and flights to Houston or LAX are easy.

[ORV]

6 hours ago, lawyertx said:

Posted this unflattering comment elsewhere, too.

We paid the premium for business class airfare Dallas to Dubai and got an itinerary from Oceania that provided 26 hours travel time, including 9.5 hour layover at airport in Toronto.  Trip should be 16-18 total hours top.  Offered to pay another reasonable upcharge for better (many available) arrangements.

Best offer from Oceania was better air schedule for another $10,000-plus additional fee.  90 minutes on phone with Oceania customer service was like trying to have a conversation with a box of rocks.  We are extremely unhappy, but now stuck.  I would suggest caution using Olife air arrangements.  

Man, I hate to tell you, but you should have come here first, got insight from Oceania regulars then gone forward with the booking with more information. As you say, lesson learned. Unfortunately, it's an expensive lesson. Good luck with putting the rest of it together. 

 

As many of us often say, find an experienced Oceania Travel Agent and have them guide you through the ins and outs of their process. Enjoy your cruise. 

Edited November 25, 2022 by ORV

[Croooser]

OK. Help me understand. We have a Vista cruise booked in 2024. In order to avoid what lawyertx is experiencing...

 

Can I work with O several months out and, if we find something agreeable, can I pay for the flights in full - even before final payment - and have them ticketed at that time?

 

Or do I still have to wait for O to ticket until a few weeks in advance no matter when I pay for the flights?

 

Trying to lock in current pricing as a hedge against flight price increases in the next year and a half.

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, Croooser said:

OK. Help me understand. We have a Vista cruise booked in 2024. In order to avoid what lawyertx is experiencing...

 

Can I work with O several months out and, if we find something agreeable, can I pay for the flights in full - even before final payment - and have them ticketed at that time?

 

Or do I still have to wait for O to ticket until a few weeks in advance no matter when I pay for the flights?

 

Trying to lock in current pricing as a hedge against flight price increases in the next year and a half.

If you want to do a deviation  fly in early or stay after the cruise  yes you can work with O 270 days out  to find flights that work for you

or if you just want to choose flights & routings

After you both agree on the flights you will pay a non refundable  deviation fee  currently $175 pp

 I believe  you can ask to have them ticketed after final payment

 

Or you can just take the air credit   then when flights open up   book your own air

especially if you want BIZ class

 

Did I mention before  NEVER BOOK BIZ CLASS  WITH O

JMO