Different classes of economy tickets and Regent Air

[welshfamily]

We in the Uk only get Economy seats. Different  classes of Economy tickets is becoming the norm on a lot of flights. These different classes are usually without hold bags, with hold bags ( light weight) and hold bags ( better weight)

Our TA has been trying to get Regent to buy us the Economy seats with better weight hold bags . Cost on airline site £18 per person difference from the tickets Regent are offering. 

We would happily pay.

Regent will not do this. 
This seems very short sighted as we are paying a not inconsiderable sum for a 17 day cruise and two cabins. 
The flight ( even though it is economy ) is direct and at lunch time which makes it highly desirable. 
Business class on this flight is at an additional cost of £599. £2,400 for our family. 
We can fly on other flights Business for  £199 ….These flights go late and have changes. 

 

We can pay for an extra suitcase. We can buy one in Barcelona. It just seems to us that Regent are not or will not understand that airlines are changing.

 

Which is the best way for us to bring this matter to Regent’s attention.
 

 

 

 

[Jchisley]

Sounds ridiculous ! We did our first ever cruise in Feb ( on Grandeur) and we organised our own flights to Miami from LHR. So we could choose  when to travel. Also had an unexpected advantage of not having to be herded onto a bus to get to/ from the port . We just got an Uber . It was particularly nice on disembarking day as we sat quietly having a coffee while everyone else got called to leave the ship and we didn’t leave until about 9.10am -in  the last group to leave .

Hope you get this resolved to your satisfaction. We had 3 big suitcases ! 

[Pcardad]

2 hours ago, welshfamily said:

We in the Uk only get Economy seats. Different  classes of Economy tickets is becoming the norm on a lot of flights. These different classes are usually without hold bags, with hold bags ( light weight) and hold bags ( better weight)

Our TA has been trying to get Regent to buy us the Economy seats with better weight hold bags . Cost on airline site £18 per person difference from the tickets Regent are offering. 

We would happily pay.

Regent will not do this. 
This seems very short sighted as we are paying a not inconsiderable sum for a 17 day cruise and two cabins. 
The flight ( even though it is economy ) is direct and at lunch time which makes it highly desirable. 
Business class on this flight is at an additional cost of £599. £2,400 for our family. 
We can fly on other flights Business for  £199 ….These flights go late and have changes. 

 

We can pay for an extra suitcase. We can buy one in Barcelona. It just seems to us that Regent are not or will not understand that airlines are changing.

 

Which is the best way for us to bring this matter to Regent’s attention.
 

 

 

 

My advice is never fly economy to a cruise. What is the point is spending all that money for the cruise only to arrive tired and annoyed? Also, you can move up a class in ticket by arranging it through Regent Air for a fee - what did your TA quote you for this? If that doesn't work, your TA can call their Regent Account Manager and ask for help.

[welshfamily]

Pcardad.

We are flying out business with deviation. 

Only a short direct European flight  returning home with Turkish air departing at lunch time.

No other business class flights available other than BA  on a A321 neo which has only a 30 seat pitch. Does not leave Istanbul till 5.45 pm. Long long layover in Heathrow to catch last shuttle up to Manchester. Whole journey takes over 9hrs. 
TA has spent two days ringing Regent Uk on multiple occasions looking for alternative flights. 
No to everything except the two airlines. Regent want £599 which is $760 per person to upgrade to business class on Turkish air. Not good valve for money and I was brought up not to waste money.

Turkish air has 3 classes of Economy. Regent will not let us upgrade. Regent Uk say they only have a contract for the middle class. 
TA has raised a concern. 
I posted to see if anyone had any other ideas, people to contact etc.

 

 

[Pcardad]

31 minutes ago, welshfamily said:

Pcardad.

We are flying out business with deviation. 

Only a short direct European flight  returning home with Turkish air departing at lunch time.

No other business class flights available other than BA  on a A321 neo which has only a 30 seat pitch. Does not leave Istanbul till 5.45 pm. Long long layover in Heathrow to catch last shuttle up to Manchester. Whole journey takes over 9hrs. 
TA has spent two days ringing Regent Uk on multiple occasions looking for alternative flights. 
No to everything except the two airlines. Regent want £599 which is $760 per person to upgrade to business class on Turkish air. Not good valve for money and I was brought up not to waste money.

Turkish air has 3 classes of Economy. Regent will not let us upgrade. Regent Uk say they only have a contract for the middle class. 
TA has raised a concern. 
I posted to see if anyone had any other ideas, people to contact etc.

 

 

When I have had this issue, I 've been able to upgrade the class with Regent Air for a fee...but Regent UK might be different. It might also be worthwhile to look at Luggage Free to ship a bag home to alleviate the concern. Or you could cancel that leg of the flight with Regent, take the credit from Regent and book it yourself.

[Chateaunole-du-pape]

Using Turkish as an example:

 

The "middle" economy bucket has a 23 kg baggage allowance. The "top" economy bucket has a 30 kg baggage allowance.

 

The difference between the two classes is 7 kgs. Turkish has a calculator on their website that allows you to calculate the cost of excess baggage. It only works in increments of 3 kg, so the closest would be 6 kg, which costs 612 Turkish lira or around $19 U.S. Every 3 kg additional appears to cost about 306 lira, no matter which version of economy your ticket is booked in.

 

If I were you, I'd just stick with the middle bucket, pay the overage and stop worrying about this, particularly considering the relatively small amount of money involved.

Edited March 4 by Chateaunole-du-pape

[welshfamily]

Thank you,

My TA spent the afternoon on the phone to Turkish airlines trying to get them to give her just that information. 
They have kept insisting we need to book a second bag to increase the weight allowance. I too have rung Turkish airlines for just that information.

Could I bother you for a screen shot as both she and I cannot find it on the Uk website.

if not I will follow Pcardad’s advice and either book our own flights or look into shipping luggage.

[Chateaunole-du-pape]

3 minutes ago, welshfamily said:

Thank you,

My TA spent the afternoon on the phone to Turkish airlines trying to get them to give her just that information. 
They have kept insisting we need to book a second bag to increase the weight allowance. I too have rung Turkish airlines for just that information.

Could I bother you for a screen shot as both she and I cannot find it on the Uk website.

if not I will follow Pcardad’s advice and either book our own flights or look into shipping luggage.

Happy to help! Here's the page with the calculator. It doesn't actually say how many bags you can check; I wonder if they will allow you two (or more) checked bags if the maximum combined dimensions of all of them don't exceed the 158 cm they cite. As an airline employee myself, I have to say that I've never seen that approach before, but it's not crazy.

 

https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-us/any-questions/free-baggage/baggage-calculator/

[Chateaunole-du-pape]

4 minutes ago, Chateaunole-du-pape said:

Happy to help! Here's the page with the calculator. It doesn't actually say how many bags you can check; I wonder if they will allow you two (or more) checked bags if the maximum combined dimensions of all of them don't exceed the 158 cm they cite. As an airline employee myself, I have to say that I've never seen that approach before, but it's not crazy.

 

https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-us/any-questions/free-baggage/baggage-calculator/

For posterity, here's a screenshot of the calculator, based on an IST-LHR itinerary in May.

 

 

[welshfamily]

Thank you.

 

[wcsdkqh]

Exactly the reason I want nothing to do with Turkish Airlines or LATAM Airlines whether you deviate or not.

[PhD-iva]

20 hours ago, wcsdkqh said:

Exactly the reason I want nothing to do with Turkish Airlines or LATAM Airlines whether you deviate or not.

Agree with you on the LATAM!

[Kane]

Interesting mention of LATAM.  I'm headed "down there" later this week and got warned by LATAM that we have to pay for checked bags ... click the link to pre-pay at a discount.

 

1. The kicker: Non-Brazilians CANNOT pay with credit card unless you have a government tax ID number.  It is possible to get such number but you must fill out forms and apply at your closest Brazilian consulate.  (Insert "bird" emoji here)

[jeb_bud]

22 hours ago, Kane said:

Interesting mention of LATAM.  I'm headed "down there" later this week and got warned by LATAM that we have to pay for checked bags ... click the link to pre-pay at a discount.

 

1. The kicker: Non-Brazilians CANNOT pay with credit card unless you have a government tax ID number.  It is possible to get such number but you must fill out forms and apply at your closest Brazilian consulate.  (Insert "bird" emoji here)

How do they want you to prepay if they don’t take credit cards?

[Kane]

I guess this needs some clarification:  You need the tax ID if you are paying by credit card ONLINE, which is at a discounted price.

 

I assume we can pay full rate baggage fee in person by credit card (without tax ID) or, I guess, cash.