Credit for “Included Airfare”?

[janetcbl]

One of the “perks” for an upcoming cruise is an “air discount” of $499.  We prefer to make our own flight arrangements…(more convenient flights, upgrade, arrival a day early). Can we get a credit to our Viking account for the amount of the discount if we choose not to use it? 

[CDR2001]

Sorry, no. It’s just like the times when Viking has a promo for free Silver Spirits package, and we don’t drink. No credit given if we don’t want a promotion applied to a cruise. 

Edited February 9, 2023 by CDR2001

[Peregrina651]

Here's why.   "Cruise" and "air" are priced and sold separately.  If we choose not to buy our air through Viking, that is our choice but that decision has no effect on the price of the cruise.  

[CCWineLover]

8 hours ago, CDR2001 said:

Sorry, no. It’s just like the times when Viking has a promo for free Silver Spirits package, and we don’t drink. No credit given if we don’t want a promotion applied to a cruise. 

And no credit given if we don't use the spa, or if we don't go to a specialty restaurant, or don't drink the free booze at lunch and dinner.  I personally think that's fine - it starts to get a bit ridiculous.  If Viking did that, they'd be just like the others and have to do a lower price and have everything a la carte.  We prefer the one price and if we don't use some thing, so be it.

[Tom F.]

I agree with janetcbl.  Viking obviously pays an airline so they can provide free airfare.  So when I see "free airfare" which I don't use, I feel like I'm paying more for the cruise than everyone else.  It makes me look for alternate cruise lines like the one we're taking this summer.  But we'll be back with Viking in 2024 because we're going to Scandinavia.  I don't feel like it's the same as booze or the spa.

[Squawkman]

1 hour ago, Tom F. said:

I agree with janetcbl.  Viking obviously pays an airline so they can provide free airfare.  So when I see "free airfare" which I don't use, I feel like I'm paying more for the cruise than everyone else.  It makes me look for alternate cruise lines like the one we're taking this summer.  But we'll be back with Viking in 2024 because we're going to Scandinavia.  I don't feel like it's the same as booze or the spa.

Why isn’t it the same as free booze? A lot of folks don’t drink, so if free booze is included, aren’t we “paying more than everyone else”?

[FlyerTalker]

Free or discounted air is a marketing tool.  Rather than discount the cruises themselves, Viking will do these kinds of promotions as a way to incentivize bookings for those sailings.

 

Why do it this way?  Because it helps to ensure the price integrity of the primary product - the cruise.  Effectively, they are giving a discount on the total expenditure - but in this way, the cruise price itself doesn't get into discounting and price adjustments for the cruise.  They can easily limit the promotions to bookings in a certain window and not have to worry about hundreds of cruisers who would want their cruise price reduced if the actual cabins were put on sale.

[CCWineLover]

On 2/10/2023 at 2:20 PM, FlyerTalker said:

Free or discounted air is a marketing tool.  Rather than discount the cruises themselves, Viking will do these kinds of promotions as a way to incentivize bookings for those sailings.

 

Why do it this way?  Because it helps to ensure the price integrity of the primary product - the cruise.  Effectively, they are giving a discount on the total expenditure - but in this way, the cruise price itself doesn't get into discounting and price adjustments for the cruise.  They can easily limit the promotions to bookings in a certain window and not have to worry about hundreds of cruisers who would want their cruise price reduced if the actual cabins were put on sale.

Another way of saying . . .

There's no free lunch!

[FlyerTalker]

13 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Another way of saying . . .

There's no free lunch!

 

When I see Regent touting "Free Air" and "Free Excursions", and other cruiselines touting other "Free Stuff", I always think of how my wife says "They really mean 'Included', but "Free" is such a powerful marketing pitch".

 

In the ad biz, the four most powerful words have been, for years: Free, New, Improved and Sale (in that order).

[Vineyard View]

Back in the day, Viking Oceans did offer a discount if you did not use their air. We benefitted from that personally as we used miles. Not that this changes a thing now, but it was really a benefit that made a difference.