Review of Viking Cruises, Lignan...Viking - Worth it?
We booked a cruise ship.We bought the air fare from Viking.For $50, we can upgrade to custom air to have more control over our flights.I think it's worth $50.They could add an "add collect" surcharge with the custom air as well as the $50.If they can't negotiate the flights you want, they will charge you the difference.The "add collect" charge is usually only done for $50.I don't understand.I don't want to pay an extra $500 for a flight from the U.S. to Europe because it is worth $50 but not $500.Does anyone have experience with this?We can add air plus later, but I booked without it at the moment.We can't book flights now because we are more than a year out.
The Air Plus has been used 3 times by us.I never had to pay more than $50.It was worth the cost.They have always been able to give me my first choice, but you can look at the available flights on something like orbitz and pick out what would work best for you.
I don't know where you will be flying, but most airlines will work.I think the additional charge comes into play when you insist on flying only Air New Zealand.
Pick what would work best for you and tell your TA before they call Viking, that's what I think the key is.You can get on the airlines website and pick your seats before all the good ones are gone if you ask them to go ahead and ticket your flights.!
I had to pay an additional supplement for the flight home when I used Air Plus.I had researched the flights I wanted, knew what Viking was charging, and even with the Air Plus charge and the supplemental charge to get the non-stop flight home, it was still a better deal to go with Viking than doing it on our own.
He's our experience with Viking Air, we usually book our own air with air miles in business class, but this time we are flying to Amsterdam and back, because we booked a Suite the tickets cost us $1995 round trip.All transfers are included in the Viking fare.
Our experience was completely different and I don't want to be the one negative.Our only request was for her to have an aisle seat.To sit together.The fee didn't do anything.My wife is not an aisle seat for our flights and they had us sitting at opposite ends of the plane on our transcontinental leg.As we picked flights and seats, our TA sat with us.Out of 5 legs, not one seat assignment was honored.
It worked well for us.I told my supervisor what flights I preferred.She said that one leg would cost an extra $200 because it was not within their budget.We went with our second choice, which was fine.They will tell you before you book if it doesn't fit their budget.I was able to pick seats online and we did not have any problems with those being honored.I think that some may have trouble because of the airline.
Even if you book your own flights, the actual seat assignments can change on the day of departure, so it's always worth checking to make sure nothing has changed before you leave.
It is not uncommon for updates on the carrier to not be reflected in the seat assignments of the ticketing carrier, so make sure to check the actual carriers website, not just the one who tickets you.
We bought tickets using AA miles for flights on British Airways and Royal Jordanian.The seat assignments shown on AA are different to those on the site.The change to my wife's seat didn't make it back up the chain to the AA site.We would have had a surprise at the airport if we were just checking AA.
It was not the fault of the Vikings.They chose the airline.The entire cruise was booked through Viking and Viking air.I never received a "locator" number to check on my seat assignments.
Flight numbers and seat assignments were included in my printed documents.Two days prior to departure, those seat assignments were good.The seats were printed out when we checked in at the airport.It wasn't until we arrived in JFK that things went wrong.On our return flight, I mentioned to the ticket agent that we should sit in an aisle seat and he took back the boarding passes and entered them into the system.There never was an "equipment change" in our opinion because the plane was the same as before.I can tell you that we will never fly that airline again.
As soon as the airline mentioned for air is mentioned, we immediately request alternate arrangements.We have gone to other destinations when they can't provide an alternate.
Are we to blame Viking?Absolutely not.We made our own air arrangements because we have another Viking cruise booked.
Don't always count on the air arrangements Viking air will make for you, that's my only point.
I called the airlines and talked to them.They couldn't explain why seats had changed.They would change them back and forth.I talked with Viking and they couldn't explain the changes.It was only the leg from Philadelphia to Hungary that added to the mystery.The times for the flight had not been changed.
We haven't had any problems with using Viking Air x3.The seats change when booking international with or without Viking.
I thought I would add more flight information for our upcoming cruise from Amsterdam to Basel.
The Viking air was included in our package.We paid for Air Plus.It costs another $150 to select our flights.
Viking offered the airline from ORD to AMS on a plane.Air France brought us back to Paris on the A330.
Economy Comfort was upgraded on KLM for $86 pp.Business class has a 3-2 seating configuration.We chose the 2 seat side because of the extra leg room.
On Air France CDG to ORD, we paid $54pp to select seats in the economy section.We decided on the 2 seat side.
We bought Air Plus because we wanted to flex our flights.Our rep told us there was no problem.There are additional fees.An early arrival fee of $150 was less than the $300 fee for a stopover in Iceland.We would lose Viking's transfer service.
A couple of years ago, my son and I went on a trip with my daughter and he was able to book on the same flight to Athens, Greece.The seats my daughter and I were sitting in had been changed so we were not sitting next to each other.I said yes when I asked why she asked if we were all family.She said that families can sit together.She puffed and changed things so we were together.She didn't get upset with us.If it ever happened again, she told us to always say we are family.Good to know!
Not happy with the service.After flight changes and waiting on our seats to be purchased, we ended up in non-upgradable economy seats instead of the main cabin we were promised.
You can get a credit card with travel interruption for less than their travel insurance, as well as a sign-up bonus and airline lounge perks.Take a look at the card.The card will be used to pay for the trip.
You can get a credit card with travel interruption for less than their travel insurance, as well as a sign-up bonus and airline lounge perks.Take a look at the card.The card will be used to pay for the trip.
There are limits on the credit card insurance.In Canadian dollars, mine has a limit of $1,500 per person and $5,000 per family, which isn't enough for a trip of this type.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card has a limit of $10,000 for up to 20 people.The limit for each trip is $20,000.The trip can be canceled for a sick non- family companion, but extended family members get the refund.
Both have trip cancellation insurance as well.I am not sure if the CSR card is still not paying for air fare home if a trip is interrupted.Air fare home is standard for trip interruption insurance.
I misstated the limits when I re-read the requirements.CSR $10k.Might want to look at more than one card.
Not happy with the service.After flight changes and waiting on our seats to be purchased, we ended up in non-upgradable economy seats instead of the main cabin we were promised.
You can get a credit card with travel interruption for less than their travel insurance, as well as a sign-up bonus and airline lounge perks.Take a look at the card.The card will be used to pay for the trip.
If you ask, the trips with Viking will usually cost you less than 75 days before the departure.When we upgrade to economy, we usually have to pay for the trip.If you call Viking Air, you will get a ticket early so you can do your thing with the airline.
It's not true based on my experiences.I was told that I would have to wait about 80 days for a call.I paid for Viking Plus and there was a suggestion that this could be done for an additional fee.I was told tickets would be issued in 90 days.The Main Cabin was where I was told all the seats were.The seats in my party's seats are non-upgradeable after tickets were issued.We had tried to get a basic upgrade for months with no clear answer except to wait and it was not possible after the tickets were issued.
If Viking wants anyone to know what the procedure is, then so be it.They have to post the information.
The Main Cabin was where I was told all the seats were.The seats in my party's seats are non-upgradeable after tickets were issued.We had tried to get a basic upgrade for months with no clear answer except to wait and it was not possible after the tickets were issued.
If Viking wants anyone to know what the procedure is, then so be it.They have to post the information.
The main cabin is an economy one.You wouldn't have seats assigned until you check in if you were thinking of Basic Economy, which is located in the Main Cabin but is more restrictive.Some Main Cabin Economy tickets are not upgradeable.
You are correct.Even though the seats are open, I can't upgrade with points or cash.
We had good luck with both Air and the Rhine.Since I had never been to Paris before, my husband and I decided to go a few days early so we could see the sights and visit some of our friends in Spain.I booked the flights from Paris to the beginning of the cruise and from Amsterdam to Madrid on my own.They could not have been nicer when I called them to work on our itinerary.We flew into Paris just before Christmas and then flew out of Madrid after new Years for just the Air plus fee.They didn't charge us anything.We did everything ourselves through Viking.This was all economy, but had very little fuss.We went on a cruise on the Rhine.