Air deviation

[love vacations]

When you pay extra for the air deviation, does Oceania let you pick your flights, or just what day you will be flying on?

[jhillm]

I did this 90 days out. I told them the flights I wanted. I had several choices prepared. I was not able to get the first choice, but was able to get flights I was happy with. I suppose the earlier you do it, the better your chances are. Also, I believe that I did not have to pay the deviation fee if I was not happy with the devation choices. (But I was and I did)

[love vacations]

jhillm,

Did you have to give all the flight information to them as soon as you booked the cruise or just wait until several months before? We are looking at a cruise that is one year away. I don't know what flights will be available that far off.

[jhillm]

I booked in Oct for a June cruise. Early March (sort of in conjuction with final payment) they told me what flights I had when the travel agent asked. The original schedule was not bad. I was afraid that the last night stay over on the ship would end at 2:00am to get a 5:00am flight out. That was not the case. We decided to go one day early so as to see Rome. We leave here at Noonish and arrive Rome 10:30. No bad lay over. No crack of dawn flight. And to Rome early enough to do some sight seeing. Seems good to me.

[Andee]

One time, we wanted to fly in two days early and out two days late, so we had to use the deviation--could pick the exact flights we wanted.

 

The other time, we waited until about three months in advance, found out what flights we had been booked on by Ocenaia, didn't like one of them, so did the air deviation.

[charmary]

How much does Oceania charge for the Deviation? And do you also have to pay the difference between what they were going to pay and the flight you choose?

 

Do you think it would be better to take the credit for the Air portion and just book your own flights?

 

We want to go into London 2 days early.

 

Our trip is 13 months away so we can't check flights yet. But we have found out the British Air Ways is on the Strike list and our Travel Guard insurance has a clause that they won't cover the air if the airling in on this list.

So if Oceania puts us on British Air or another carrier that is under Bankrupancy or on the Strike list they won't cover it. This is our concern in taking their air. We will be leaving and returning from Chicago (ORD).

[LHT28]

How much does Oceania charge for the Deviation? And do you also have to pay the difference between what they were going to pay and the flight you choose?

 

Do you think it would be better to take the credit for the Air portion and just book your own flights?

 

.

I think the deviation fee is now $75. pp maybe Jancruz can confirm this

Yes you pay the extra..

I would take the cruise credit and book your own flights

[mike35]

I think the deviation fee is now $75. pp maybe Jancruz can confirm this

Yes you pay the extra..

I would take the cruise credit and book your own flights

 

I agree. We have always done that, since we like to spend a few days pre- and post-cruise, and there are some great fares out there if you take a bit of time to research them on the various travel sites (Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, etc).

 

Mike

[nparmelee]

And if you want to use FF miles to upgrade, book your own flights as well.

[Bruin Steve]

You can call your own flights...or just the days...

The key is that it's not just the Deviation fee...

If the flights you get with the Deviation cost more than the flights they otherwise give you, they charge you the differential as well...

So, for us, we are paying a $50 Deviation Fee (it has gone up since) plus $150 differential each...

 

We actually just called the days, not the exact flights (flying in two days earlier, flying out two days later)...We figured the flight choices LA to Istanbul and Venice to LA were not exactly large in number...and, with us paying the differentuial, they really have no incentive to put us on bad flights...plus, we had the option not to take them...

 

We originally booked the cruise on August 3, 2005...but didn't decide to pursue the deviation until September 29...no problem...

 

They got right back to us on the Deviation, we approved the flights and we've been set ever since...

 

BTW, I also made three or four attempts via Expedia, Travelocity et al to see if I could beat the fare (and deviation fees) by taking the credit and buying my own...I couldn't...

 

I could only come CLOSE to the fare with one set of flights which would have had two plane changes and about a 12 hour layover in Paris--from late night until the next morning...not exactly prime sightseeing time and would have required the extra cost of a Paris hotel for the night!!...and the return would have routed through London--but with the flight in to Gatwiock and the flight out through Heathrow!!! We did much better with the flights Iceania found us...

[Andee]

I searched every site I could think of, but I couldn't find airfare for less than the Oceania air/air tax credit.

 

One time, there was no charge beyond the deviation fee; the other time we paid an extra $50pp.

 

I really liked being able to select my own flights, so I could pick layover cities/times.

[Sharicruz]

You are correct. The air deviation fee is now $75.00pp.