Oceania Air Experiences? ✈️

[Astro Flyer]

We’re first time Oceania cruisers after primarily cruising on Princess for decades & using their EZair program has worked well for us to select our preferred flights & airfare including the ability to cancel and/or rebook.

 

I’ve read the Oceania Air FAQs which shows there are more limitations such as not learning about flight assignments until 75 days in advance. Also to get preferred flights requires a $175 fee per person per request (one-way or roundtrip?) to customize flights in addition to any cost for a higher airfare no earlier than 270 days in advance. We usually arrive a day or more in advance but since they state flights will arrive on embarkation day then arriving earlier isn’t an option without paying the $175 fee plus any higher airfare.

 

I’ve only read dissatisfaction about Oceania flight assignments on this board but think that some people must have had good experiences. Although not knowing the flights until 75 days in advance we’d be hesitant to gamble on getting reasonable flights. While having included transportation to/from the ship is a nice benefit it might not be worthwhile if getting undesirable flights.

 

When using Princess EZair they state if missing the ship they’ll get you to the next port. I see nothing in the Oceania Air FAQs that states what happens if missing the ship due to a delayed flight booked by Oceania…does anyone know what happens?

 

I decided to first ask for passengers’ input before contacting Oceania & hoping to receive accurate answers. Any experiences would be greatly appreciated as we continue to research whether the Oceania Air option or paying/using miles to book independently would be our best option…thanks. 😊

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Astro Flyer

[PhD-iva]

Hmm, i’ll say that I have booked one business class flight on Oceania last year during Covid chaos and I was reasonably satisfied, especially when compared to my experience on Emerald river cruises, both of which were booked in the same year. In 2022 I would say that most of the problems with air travel were caused by the airlines and not by the cruise lines. 
By paying the $175 deviation fee which is per person and per direction (not per segment), you are able to choose your flights prior to the 75 day flight assignment. It is true that an extra cost may apply, however you are always able to decide in advance prior to paying the deviation fee. 
I think you will get a lot of advice from experienced cruisers to respond to your question. I hope you will enjoy your cruise! Oceania is a lovely cruiseline and I think you will enjoy it a lot, I know I have!

[Astro Flyer]

10 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

I hope you will enjoy your cruise! Oceania is a lovely cruiseline and I think you will enjoy it a lot, I know I have!

Thanks…we’re excited to cruise with Oceania! 😁

 

In over 50 cruises we’ve never had a bad cruise & just some that were better than other cruises.

[LHT28]

We have taken O air   but  pay the deviation ($175 PP to deviate pre & post cruise ) one time fee  unless you change your mind after you paid the fee

 

We ask for the flights we want on the days we want  then see if Oceania can get them within their contracts  with the airline

Once they wanted an upcharge  we declined & looked for other flights

 

You only pay the non refundable fee once you & Oceania have come to an agreement on the flights

If you do not live near their gateway cities then there may be  a charge  from your local airport to  a gateway

We live near a gateway city YYZ so no problem for us

 

Option 2  which we do more often is to take  the cruise only fare  & book our own air  especially when we do BIZ class

 

[WESTEAST]

We have taken Oceania Air a few times and did pay the $175 per person to leave on the day, airline and flight time we wanted. If we want to depart from an airport that is not on the Oceania's gateway list, there is an additional charge (recall was $125.00). For seat selection, our TA always takes care of that on our behalf. We like to fly Business outbound and Premium Economy inbound for UK/Europe destinations. We always compare airline costs from what our TA can provide to what Oceania provides and take the cheapest; of interest, for our cruise this year, the Business rate offered by Oceania back in the fall of 2021 when we booked was cheaper than what our TA could or can get. You can add O air on your booking and remove once you have done a price comparison (these days airfares are costly) and as stated, Oceania gives you 48 hours to review the air routing and decide. Enjoy your cruise.

[Flatbush Flyer]

we always take the air credit and DIY.

Too many downsides to O air (even though we get free deviation).

 

Bizclass quotes are on top of your “with air” fare. So, in essence you’re paying for two tix per person since the coach fare is not credited toward the bizclass tix. Someone here said they got a credit. But, hard to believe since no else one ever agreed.

In any case, their contract options are limited. So, if you want non-stop on your preferred carrier, you may find the price higher than DIY. Plus many contract fare codes do not accrue FF miles.

Learn to use ITA Matrix for flight search and always contact airlines for best price options. 
 

[shank63]

We have used Oceania air with mixed results.  Given the fact that flying into the port on the same day of embarking not thinkable, the nonrefundable deviation fee of $375 is required and payable when the flights are selected.  So airlines can and often change schedules, sometimes resulting in tight connections.  That $375 deviation fee is lost if you need to make any change to the original flight plan.  In addition, if a connection is missed for any reason, Oceania air will do little or nothing to reschedule your flight.  EZair is much easier and infinitely more flexible booking than Oceania air.  Otherwise, if all goes well Oceania air can be a great value for economy class seats.

[Astro Flyer]

28 minutes ago, shank63 said:

We have used Oceania air with mixed results.  Given the fact that flying into the port on the same day of embarking not thinkable, the nonrefundable deviation fee of $375 is required and payable when the flights are selected.  So airlines can and often change schedules, sometimes resulting in tight connections.  That $375 deviation fee is lost if you need to make any change to the original flight plan.  In addition, if a connection is missed for any reason, Oceania air will do little or nothing to reschedule your flight.  EZair is much easier and infinitely more flexible booking than Oceania air.  Otherwise, if all goes well Oceania air can be a great value for economy class seats.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.
 

Their Air FAQs show a $175 customization fee…why was yours $375?
 

[shank63]

2 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

Thanks for sharing your experiences.
 

Their Air FAQs show a $175 customization fee…why was yours $375?
 

My mistake, it actually is $350 for a couple or $175 for a single traveler.

[mnocket]

On 1/19/2023 at 8:19 PM, LHT28 said:

Option 2  which we do more often is to take  the cruise only fare  & book our own air  especially when we do BIZ class

 

This is somewhat of a surprise to me.  My experience with other cruise lines is that their air booking service is primarily beneficial when booking Business Class - especially when one-way.  It seems your experience with O is just the opposite.  Kind of a bummer because cruise line air bookings are the only way I've been able to get great deals on Business Class (50% off airline prices).

[Flatbush Flyer]

38 minutes ago, mnocket said:

This is somewhat of a surprise to me.  My experience with other cruise lines is that their air booking service is primarily beneficial when booking Business Class - especially when one-way.  It seems your experience with O is just the opposite.  Kind of a bummer because cruise line air bookings are the only way I've been able to get great deals on Business Class (50% off airline prices).

see my post #6 above. 

[LHT28]

8 hours ago, mnocket said:

This is somewhat of a surprise to me.  My experience with other cruise lines is that their air booking service is primarily beneficial when booking Business Class - especially when one-way.  It seems your experience with O is just the opposite.  Kind of a bummer because cruise line air bookings are the only way I've been able to get great deals on Business Class (50% off airline prices).

Well if  I was able to get 50% of  BIZ class  that would be great but Oceania  does not have good  fares for BIZ in my experience

You can always ask   then do the math see if it works for you

[mnocket]

 

10 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

see my post #6 above. 

 

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Well if  I was able to get 50% of  BIZ class  that would be great but Oceania  does not have good  fares for BIZ in my experience

You can always ask   then do the math see if it works for you

I don't doubt you, I'm just disappointed because it has saved me so much money on airline fares for past cruises with other lines.  I can no longer tolerate flying international distances unless it's Business Class (my legs become so uncomfortable it's like torture). This can be a real problem since Business Class airline fares can approach the cost of the cruise fare itself (Celebrity, Princess).   

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, mnocket said:

 

 

…. it has saved me so much money on airline fares for past cruises with other lines….. 

It may have saved you “money” but at what “cost?”

Were all those flights non-stop (I.e., doable w/o a connection) on your preferred airline (including earned FF miles) and preferred routing/dates/times? 
AND, we’re your DIY searches truly comprehensive and followed by verifying calls to the selected airline?

 

Finally, would all those other cruise lines have given you a fare credit if you chose to DIY the air?

 

Edited January 22, 2023 by Flatbush Flyer

[taoscowboy]

Has anyone had experience with Oceania utilizing Emirates Air from Dubai to fly back to US as they appear to be the only airline with nonstop flights to US?

[Sthrngary]

This is a very interesting topic.  My wife and I are cruising on Oceania in Nov 2023.  The cruise leaves from Athens, Greece and ends in Barcelona, Spain.  We are going with friends.  My wife and my ticket are DIY, using Delta Airline Miles/Points for Business Class (Delta One) international and First Class domestic. Our friends are taking the Oceania Coach Flights. 

 

Both Couples are doing the "Pre-Cruise Hotel" in Athens, Greece through Oceania.  I WANT to book our friends direct with Delta however they are afraid to do so if the Cruise Gets Canceled or they have to cancel before full payment.  The competitive fares are non-cancelable or changeable.  That is my situation. 

 

My questions is when you book the Pre-Cruise Hotel and Airfare with Oceania, can I assume logically they flight comes in coordinated with the Hotel Stay?  Second question is, has anyone else done this and the flight came in so late that the hotel stay was somewhat of a waste?

 

Any assistance would be appreciated.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

47 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

This is a very interesting topic.  My wife and I are cruising on Oceania in Nov 2023.  The cruise leaves from Athens, Greece and ends in Barcelona, Spain.  We are going with friends.  My wife and my ticket are DIY, using Delta Airline Miles/Points for Business Class (Delta One) international and First Class domestic. Our friends are taking the Oceania Coach Flights. 

 

Both Couples are doing the "Pre-Cruise Hotel" in Athens, Greece through Oceania.  I WANT to book our friends direct with Delta however they are afraid to do so if the Cruise Gets Canceled or they have to cancel before full payment.  The competitive fares are non-cancelable or changeable.  That is my situation. 

 

My questions is when you book the Pre-Cruise Hotel and Airfare with Oceania, can I assume logically they flight comes in coordinated with the Hotel Stay?  Second question is, has anyone else done this and the flight came in so late that the hotel stay was somewhat of a waste?

 

Any assistance would be appreciated.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

Fly United with Star Alliance connections on Lufthansa. Though their best fares may be non-cancelable, if you book correctly, you could get at least one free schedule change and, if the cruise goes belly-up, opt for a Future Flight Credit (fly again within a year).

[AMHuntFerry]

28 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Fly United with Star Alliance connections on Lufthansa. Though their best fares may be non-cancelable, if you book correctly, you could get at least one free schedule change and, if the cruise goes belly-up, opt for a Future Flight Credit (fly again within a year).

...and put it on a credit card with travel insurance (if you don't already have travel insurance). My insurance will cover the flight if the flight credit is not used (but check your policy).

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

This is a very interesting topic.  My wife and I are cruising on Oceania in Nov 2023.  The cruise leaves from Athens, Greece and ends in Barcelona, Spain.  We are going with friends.  My wife and my ticket are DIY, using Delta Airline Miles/Points for Business Class (Delta One) international and First Class domestic. Our friends are taking the Oceania Coach Flights. 

 

Both Couples are doing the "Pre-Cruise Hotel" in Athens, Greece through Oceania.  I WANT to book our friends direct with Delta however they are afraid to do so if the Cruise Gets Canceled or they have to cancel before full payment.  The competitive fares are non-cancelable or changeable.  That is my situation. 

 

My questions is when you book the Pre-Cruise Hotel and Airfare with Oceania, can I assume logically they flight comes in coordinated with the Hotel Stay?  Second question is, has anyone else done this and the flight came in so late that the hotel stay was somewhat of a waste?

 

Any assistance would be appreciated.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

I am just guessing  but I think most of the  flights to Europe will be late evening so you are arriving in the morning 

then you will be taken to the hotel that is part of the package deal

if there is  a glitch in the airlines  & you do not arrive  in time to use the hotel  hopefully you can get a refund

We have only used the package once way back in 2004 ..all went  well back then

After that we book our own hotels  & fly in a day or more early

YMMV

[1985rz1]

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Fly United with Star Alliance connections on Lufthansa. Though their best fares may be non-cancelable, if you book correctly, you could get at least one free schedule change and, if the cruise goes belly-up, opt for a Future Flight Credit (fly again within a year).

The problem we find with AA is that the "year" for an FFC is from purchase date, not departure date.  So if you book early, you're screwed. 

[1985rz1]

1 hour ago, AMHuntFerry said:

...and put it on a credit card with travel insurance (if you don't already have travel insurance). My insurance will cover the flight if the flight credit is not used (but check your policy).

But how (or when) does the insurance company (CC or other wise) determine the FFC is not used?

Edited January 23, 2023 by 1985rz1

[AMHuntFerry]

25 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

But how (or when) does the insurance company (CC or other wise) determine the FFC is not used?

You document it in a claim, but policies and claim methods vary. The insurance company will tell you what is required if it is covered.

[welshfamily]

Another thing to consider is Control when things go wrong.

Last summer we took Oceania flights for the first time. Happily paid $175 each ( 4 of us) 

as no credit offered for cruise only, We tried 4 different online TA’s but not Oceania as because of COVID thought package was the way to go. Previously ie before Covid no issue getting cruise only price and choosing own flights as Tailor made cruise ….these are treated as package holidays in the UK.

Once things started to go wrong had to just take flights and times decided by Oceania. This resulted in long waits in airports , the longest  being nearly 8 hrs in Rome. This was very last minute so no time to make other arrangements and certainly no help from Oceania. This was not down to TA as she was ringing us almost hourly. 
Yes, Oceania’s got us there and back and it was their responsibility to do so however we had no choice on flights,times etc. Original flights were ticketed therefore we could upgrade however last minute flights were not and only Economy without seats were provided.

This was not ideal.

However please remember European flights, airports etc were in turmoil last year. 

[FlyerTalker]

8 hours ago, 1985rz1 said:

The problem we find with AA is that the "year" for an FFC is from purchase date, not departure date.  So if you book early, you're screwed. 

 

I am finding that AA is allowing FFC to be effective for purchase within one year, but that the flights can be after that date.  Whether this is official policy or not, it's been the case for me.

[FlyerTalker]

11 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

This is a very interesting topic.  My wife and I are cruising on Oceania in Nov 2023.  The cruise leaves from Athens, Greece and ends in Barcelona, Spain.  We are going with friends.  My wife and my ticket are DIY, using Delta Airline Miles/Points for Business Class (Delta One) international and First Class domestic.

 

How'd you like those redemption rates for SkyPesos?  Unless you are wanting the Medallion waver by credit card spend, SkyPesos are a lousy "currency" to be collecting.  And even then, best strategy is to earn the least necessary.