rssc air program

[JunaluskaLady]

We're ready to book a Regent cruise with "free" air. Of course we get a reduction if we don't take it, so it really isn't free. At any rate, I'd like to hear comments from those of you who have used the air program. Did you have to travel at odd or inconvenient hours, have long layovers, fly in cramped seats near the toilet? I'm being a bit silly here, but I'd sincerely like to hear your experiences because I'm somewhat reluctant to give up control to this "program" even though I think we'd save money.

[joannapvb]

I have always had good luck - interested in any negative comments???

[paulmichael]

I have always had good luck - interested in any negative comments???

 

I also have always had good luck. when I had a time I did not care for, my TA called and it was changed

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We've never had a problem with Regent Air.

[jhp]

I always do the research to see if I can get flights with my airline of choice for less out of my local airport, as I have to drive 3 hrs. to get to Regent's gateways, which is a pain. I also don't use them if I want to upgrade with points, as it doesn't work with Regent to do that. If you want to deviate from what they give you (i.e. coming in a day early or leaving post cruise) there will be an extra charge. You can pay a deviation charge and have control over your flights. One good thing about Regent air is that if they can't get you there in time for your cruise the day of embarkation, they will pay for your hotel the night before. I hardly ever use them, because I want to get the frequent flyer points! Sometimes I pay more, sometimes I pay less than what Regent is offering either as a free flight or a credit. You just have to do the searching to know what is best for you.

[sundial]

I have used Regent air several times because there has generally been a free air promotion that has allowed me to upgrade to Business Class for a lower fare than I could find on my own. We have always had very good air travel arrangements from them.

[Fogmalkin]

I have taken the 'free' Regent air a number of times flying out of SFO to Europe when I don't want to use FF mileage or can't get flights using FF mileage. I generally cannot buy air tickets for what the credit would be. They have always put me on the most direct flights. Another perk is you get the transfers to the ship and back to the airport upon disembarkation. And, if 'ship' happens, they take care of you...

[dougburns]

We always use Regent air and have not had a problem in 13 cruises. One of the beauties of using them is that it's their responsibility to get you to the ship on time regardless. Many folks who do their own air often get stuck due to weather, equipment problems and such. For 2008 it will be standard that you can get free economy air or $1000 off your cruise fare per person. To me it's a no brainer for most cruises. We're in Phoenix and there's no way we can get a cheaper deal doing our own air, considering where we go. For instance, we're doing Navigator in Nov '08 from Mumbai-Cape Town and Voyager from Dover-Copenhagen in Jun '08. We've always gotten pretty darn good connections. When we join the ship in FLL they bring us in a day early and put us up at a hotel as part of the deal. Plus, you never have a hassle at the airport. They're always waiting for you with transport. Same debarking and going to the airport. To me, the folks in Omaha do a fantastic job of scheduling and you can always change your routing and/or departure for a small charge.

[Jim B]

Used Regent air two of the five times we have cruised on Regent.

Using the air package has some advantages.

1. If you can not fly to the ship the same day Regent will fly you in the night before and include your hotel. (usually nice ones).

2. Transfers from the airport to hotel are included. (If needed)

3. Transfers to the ship are included.

4. When finished with your cruise and you have the same problem and can't get home the same day Regent will furnish a hotel room again.

5. It is a package and if you have problems Regent will fix them.

[DreamBoatAnnie]

Thank you for this information. We're using Regent Air for our Alaska cruise this summer (Vancouver to Seward/Anchorage). Our TA told us that if they need to fly us out the following day from Anchorage, we would be responsible for the hotel. That didn't seem right to me. I'll probably check with Regent. Has anyone had to fly out the next day and did Regent take care of your hotel?

[poss]

We're on Sept 12, Dover-Monte Carlo. Since we want to go a day early and stay several days after, it'd cost us an extra $100 per person to do the change. Plus, by doing British Airways directly, the cost is $785 per person instead of the $1000 (plus $100) that it'd cost if we booked with Regent. Thus for us we're $600 to the good if we do not use Regent air. As another poster said, it all depends on what works best in each individual case. (I'd much rather get transfers with Regent, but since we don't think it's a good idea to fly over the same day we embark, we'd miss out on the Dover transfer anyway. But what we're saving by not having Regent book the air will cover the private car transfer from Heathrow to Canterbury/Dover.)

 

Bon Voyage!

[JunaluskaLady]

Great information. Thanks to everyone.

 

If you intend to go early, as we prefer, does that mean we no longer get the transfer from airport city to the ship if we choose Regent air?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We have often deviated (and thus paid the $100pp fee), but have mostly stuck with Regent air because of the sense that nothing bad will happen. But we booked our own to Florida last December, mostly because we wanted to go the day before, and the deviation fee made the fare offered higher than what we could book ourselves on Air Canada.

 

Going to FP, using their air means you get the "forced overnight", and a hotel in LA (unless you deviate and make your own pre-cruise plans, but if you book a hotel thru them in PPT, you still get the LA overnight paid.)

 

In 2006 doing the M-C to Dover trip, we got the special deal on Business class, which was wonderful. We couldn't choose our carrier, so had to fly thru Frankfurt both ways, but got the Star Alliance points, which was great.

[jhp]

DreamBoatAnnie; I don't think you will have a forced overnight in Anchorage, as most of the flights leave at night, at least for the east coast, in which case Regent will have a hospitality room at the Hilton for the use of their air/sea guests. I have used them on the opposite itinerary, and we had a forced overnight in Anchorage before dembarkation, for which Regent picked up the tab.

[poss]

JunaluskaLady,

 

Correct: If you deviate, e.g. go a day ahead, you do not get transfer included. I'm still going back and forth about what to do about air. (In my next life, I'm going to be able to afford business class-- that'll cut down on some of the problems! :-)

[ChatKat in Ca.]

If you deviate, you have to find your own transfers. This is not so terrible.

 

Twice I transferred from the Waldorf Astoria to the Port. Everyone had to check out of their rooms and were waiting around in the lobby for the 2:00 buses. I checked my baggage with the bellman. We walked around Manhattan, came back to the hotel and grabbed a cab. I was onboard by 2:00 and there was no line to check in. My bags appeared right away. By 2:30 there was a line for check in. Cabfare was $10.00 - for two of us. I'd rather pay the $10.00 and not wait around a lobby (even if it is beautiful!).

 

We select our hotels for the day before based on proximity to the port. We always deviate and go in early. We get to pick flights this way. We avoid the lines - we board early - and we don't take the bus. Cab fare is usually minimal. Bellmen put the luggage in the cab so there is no shlepping. And there is usually a stevedore to help when you get to the port.

[Travelcat2]

First I should say that we could not compete with one-way airfares offered by Regent (i.e. embarkation from one location and debarkation from another). However, we booked with Regent from the West Coast to Ft. Lauderdale with an "included" overnight in Ft. Lauderdale. Our cruise (departing Ft. Lauderdale March 28th), did not offer airfare. The airlines do not offer "Business Class" across the country.

 

The cost was quite high and required flying on two different airlines (Delta & American). I checked round-trip First Class on Continental Airlines and overnight at Embassy Suites (same hotel used by Regent) and was able to save approximately $2,000. This was a no brainer -- we booked the airfare and hotel ourselves -- the taxi from the airport to the hotel is $15-20. Transfer from the hotel to the ship is complimentary. Regent was wonderful in terms of refunding our money. It does pay to compare prices!;)

[Dreps]

I have used Regent air several times because there has generally been a free air promotion that has allowed me to upgrade to Business Class for a lower fare than I could find on my own. We have always had very good air travel arrangements from them.

 

I am curious as to what you mean by upgrading to Business Class? I assume you mean through Regent. I thought it was virtually impossible to upgrade on your own using Regent air. We have only used Regent air for flights to Tahiti because except from the West Coast or NYC, I think it is hard to beat their fares. (Also, I have read on these boards that Regent now sometimes flies passengers straight through to Tahiti w/o an overnight in LA. We are in the minority who actually prefer to bite the bullet and get there and overnight before the cruise in FP.) Other than to Tahiti, we have used FF miles before our cruises, usually to obtain Business Class seats on long hauls. One can often purchase coach seats for less than Regent air (or the air credit), though you have to allow plenty of time since you are obviously responsible if something happens to delay your arrival at embarkation. Also, open-jaws can be tricky and more expensive.

[sundial]

Dreps was I meant was that we used Regent's business class air which has been less than what I have been able to get on my own and then discounted it further with the savings from the free air promotion.

[poss]

I'll never understand the phrase "free air." It costs $1000 per person to have Regent do air. Even going to London and returning from Nice (Brisish Air both ways), I found that it costs $300 less person to book oneself. (Again: I'd of course much rather have the $$$ to be able just to let Regent book business class for us. No question abt the fact that there's genuine saving between Regent business fares and direct airline business pricing. Next life!)

[paulmichael]

I am curious as to what you mean by upgrading to Business Class? I assume you mean through Regent. I thought it was virtually impossible to upgrade on your own using Regent air. We have only used Regent air for flights to Tahiti because except from the West Coast or NYC, I think it is hard to beat their fares. (Also, I have read on these boards that Regent now sometimes flies passengers straight through to Tahiti w/o an overnight in LA. We are in the minority who actually prefer to bite the bullet and get there and overnight before the cruise in FP.) Other than to Tahiti, we have used FF miles before our cruises, usually to obtain Business Class seats on long hauls. One can often purchase coach seats for less than Regent air (or the air credit), though you have to allow plenty of time since you are obviously responsible if something happens to delay your arrival at embarkation. Also, open-jaws can be tricky and more expensive.

 

 

We just changed, last week, using REGENT AIR SEA, one way, first class, it was a lot $$$ less, to Tahiti. When we end up in Fiji, we are staying on for 6 days, then going on to Honolulu to contiune our vacation, we needed to book the air on our own. Regent was very helpfull and flying first class and business, Air Pacific only has business, was easy and at no addition cost. Regent also got us a roon in Fiji that is not on there contract list at a lower cost, plus due to the fact that planes do not fly each day out of Fiji, helped a lot. I looked at the cost of doing all this on our own, it they saved us a lot of money.

 

see you all on board May 19th..

 

Mike and Uriah

[HomeLover]

I will not rpeat what has already been said, but I have done it both ways. My last trip I booked Regent Air, and i was glad.

My flight from my home APO was cancelled at the last minute and USAir could not find a flight to meet the cruise (in Copenhagen). My TA called Regent and they hade me rerouted with only 1 connection (which was normal), and had me there 4 hours before sailing. It took them only 30 minutes to do what the airlines themselves couldn't do.

Just an experience that might help in your decision.

[SPKR]

Last June we took Regent air on our Western Europe cruise Monte Carlo to Copenhagen. We upgraded to business class and paid $1500 each (plus did not get the $1000 off per person). Thus, we calculated that air fare was $2500 each.

 

The flight was early am via United Air from Houston to Chicago, then from Chicago to Frankfort to Nice. First class really did not exist from Frankfort to Nice; albeit we had lots of room on the plane. We were absolutely exhausted after all that switching planes and nervous we would never see our luggage. We had the right to use airport lounges because of our first class tickets, but also could have done that via our platinum AMEX. Flight home from Copenhagen was to Chicago and then to Houston. Not so bad.

 

We are now going Dover to Copenhagen on Voyager this coming June, and I opted to purchase my own Continental air direct from Houston to London and have no worries about loss of luggage. Cost for the first class tickets = $2500 each. I made the air reservations last October 2006 ! We are going early to London and will pay for transfers. I'm told I can purchase transfers from Regent and may leave some luggage at the airport while I visit London and then go back to get the luggage and take the transfer. Haven't finalized those plans.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'm confused. Are you talking first class, or business class?

 

Good idea to store luggage at Heathrow--we did this last year after our cruise. As for transfers, we almost always deviate, so don't get the transfers. We used a private driver Dover to Heathrow, and were very satisfied with the arrangement.

[SPKR]

Sorry, I did mean business class, not first class. On Continental, it's really the same thing, most flights I've been on. Wendy the Wanderer, can you tell me the private transfer you used from Heathrow to Dover? I'll be going from Gatwick, but would love to compare prices since I haven't formalized those plans yet.