The Washington Post - USA (2022-05-08)

F2 EZ EE THE WASHINGTON POST.SUNDAY, MAY 8 , 2022

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TRAVEL

competition. “It’s also important when you’re flying for a long period of time and want to arrive at your destination well-fed and rested,” he says. Flag carriers can afford to compete on service because their governments often subsidize them. But the benefit is to the customer. “They get posh cabins, luxurious lounges, reliability, friendliness of the staff and outstanding in-flight service,” says Drew Sharma, co- founder of TravelInsurance.com. The benefits don’t stop when things go wrong. “Many foreign carriers have better reimbursement policies in the event of serious delays or cancellations,” says Kimberly Davis, chief executive of Trouvaille Travel International, a travel consultancy. Some are dictated by consumer protection regulations, such as Europe’s EC 261. But others are a matter of airline policy, Davis says. If you decide to change your mind about flying, you could get a generous credit or even a full refund, Davis says. For example, both Emirates and Qatar Airways have flexible refund policies that give customers two years from the date of the booking to use their credit. And Virgin Atlantic allows customers to make travel- voucher bookings for someone else if they decide not to fly. Of course, there are also downsides to flying on a foreign airline. One of them is frequency. Some international carriers only serve destinations a few times a week. So if you miss a flight, you might have to settle for one with more connections, or wait a few days for the next nonstop flight. Foreign carriers often charge more for their tickets than U.S. airlines do. They also offer fewer options for collecting frequent- flier miles — if you’re into that kind of thing. These considerations don’t deter customers such as Choi. “Many passengers, including myself, are willing to pay a couple hundred dollars more to an airline which they believe can guarantee higher satisfaction,” he says. There’s a shortcut for U.S. air travelers who want to experience an international carrier without giving up the connections (or the frequent- flier miles) from a U.S. airline. Thanks to airline alliances such as Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam, you can book a ticket on an American carrier but fly on a foreign one. When you book the flight online, pay attention to the “operated by” designation next to the flight; it’s often noted in a small font size, so you may have to look for it. That’s the airline on which you’ll actually fly. In some cases, this may be an international airline. Although you buy your ticket through the U.S. carrier, you’ll fly on the international airline and retain the loyalty benefits of the American one. The “operated by” trick could save you from a long, unpleasant flight this summer, but it shouldn’t have to. As the gap between U.S. and international airlines widens, there’s a growing realization among air travelers — if not also among airlines — that American carriers have to do better when it comes to service.

Elliott is a consumer advocate, journalist and co-founder of the advocacy group Travelers United. Email him at [email protected].

For Youngsoo Choi, booking a ticket on an international airline is an easy choice. Choi, who lives in Lewiston, N.Y., and regularly flies to Seoul, strongly prefers Korean Air over American carriers. “I’ve received quality hospitality from the flight crew,” Choi says. “I’ve also enjoyed flying a new, technologically advanced aircraft that reduces the stress from a 13-to-14-hour flight.” Choi’s preference for foreign carriers is more than personal. As an associate professor and program coordinator at Niagara University’s College of Hospitality, Sport, and Tourism Management, Choi has an academic interest in the subject and has observed a growing interest in foreign airlines. It’s no coincidence that international airlines consistently rank higher than their U.S. counterparts, experts say. The latest Skytrax ratings named Qatar Airways the world’s best airline, followed by Singapore Airlines and ANA. The top-performing U.S. carrier, Delta, ranked 30th. “Many travelers find that foreign airlines offer a better quality of service,” says Rob DelliBovi, founder of RDB Hospitality, a hospitality consultancy. “There is often a feeling that flying with a foreign airline offers a better overall experience.” By “better,” DelliBovi doesn’t just mean that you get attentive service and comfortable seats, although you do in many cases. It’s also that, when you fly on a foreign carrier, you start to experience that country the moment you board the plane. It’s the perfect wine pairing with lunch on your Air France flight or the slippers that flight attendants hand you on Japan Airlines. Demand for international flights is strong. Revenue passenger kilometers (a broad industry measure of airline activity) for international flights rose nearly 257 percent in February compared with last year, according to the International Air Transport Association, an airline trade group. Hopper, the airfare app, forecasts that international airfare will match 2019 prices through this month before rising toward $940 round-trip in June. That’s a 15 percent increase from March. These suggest a busy summer for international air travel, though perhaps not as busy as 2019. International airlines also can offer more options. For example, carriers such as TAP Air Portugal and Turkish Airlines have programs that allow travelers to stop over at no additional charge or a reduced rate on extended layovers. Airlines designed these programs to introduce visitors to a destination instead of simply using the airline’s hub as a brief stopover. Some international airlines doubled down on service when others were cutting back, adding new amenities that are practically unheard of in the United States. For example, Turkish Airlines has a “flying chef” in business class who makes meals to order. Ahmet Olmustur, the airline’s chief marketing and sales officer, says it’s a way to stand out from the

For some travelers, foreign

airlines are the way to go

The Navigator CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT

CONNIE SHUN

This sign was spotted in Johannesburg by Connie Shun of Sterling, Va. Have you seen an amusing sign in your travels? We want to feature your photo in this space! Here’s what to do: Email your high-resolution JPEG images to [email protected] with “Sign Language” in the subject line. Please include your name, place of residence, sign location and contact information. Selected entries will appear in Travel’s Sunday print section. Photos become property of The Washington Post, which may edit, publish, distribute or republish them in any form. No purchase necessary.

SIGN LANGUAGE

Viking, the company’s one expedition vessel has sold out faster than the ships in its regular fleet. And although expedition cruisers appear willing to pay for the increased prices, they shouldn’t expect those fees to cover the same amenities as on standard cruise ships. You won’t find mini-golf courses, surf pools, slides, con- certs, casinos, branded restau- rants or Broadway-style enter- tainment, said Monika Sundem, chief executive of Adventure Life, a travel company in Missou- la, Mont. Instead, in addition to the submarines and other tiny boats such as kayaks designed for further exploration, many of the expedition ships have heli- copters, larger observation decks and educators. Seabourn’s first purpose-built expedition ship, Seabourn Ven- ture, is off for its inaugural adventure in July. In its initial year, it’s planning on taking guests to the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, South America, Antarc- tica and the Amazon. Guests will

be accompanied by a 26-person expedition team of scientists, historians, naturalists and wildlife experts, and they will have the opportunity to explore ship- wrecks via two custom-built submarines and 24 Zodiacs. Al- though scuba divers regularly dive down to about 120 feet, anything beyond this is relatively unexplored. But the submarines can dive up to 1,000 feet below, West said. “The idea is, it’s like being in a science-fiction spaceship,” West said, although Seabourn’s science-fiction spaceship is equipped with leather seating, air conditioning and a sound system. “It’s an incredible experience to descend down into a completely new world.” Viking launched its first expedition ship, Viking Octantis, in January. (Its sister ship, Viking Polaris, is scheduled to launch in November.) In addition to scientists — cruises can include biologists, geologists, glaciologists and ornithologists — the Octan- tis contains an array of scientific

equipment. It includes a 380- square-foot science lab equipped with wet and dry lab facilities; a fleet of Zodiac Milpros; two con- vertible Special Operations boats; and two submarines with revolving seats and 270-degree windows. Guests aboard the Octantis are seeking an experience they can’t find elsewhere, Marnell said. For example, in mid-April, more than 120 guests on the Octantis gathered in the rain at 7 a.m. to watch the release of a biodegradable weather balloon. “One of the scientists gave a live lecture of what data was going to be collected,” Marnell said. Travelers have many options for more intellectually rigorous cruise experiences. Chris Heck- mann, 37, a structural engineer in D.C., went on an Oceanwide Expeditions cruise to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island for his honey- moon. “We typically take nonrelaxing vacations where we want to see as much of the world as possible in the time we have,” Heckmann said. “This cruise fit right into our travel type, though the cost was far more than we usually pay.” Shruthi Baskaran, a global agricultural expert and food blogger in Seattle, took a polar expedition cruise with Quark Expeditions, selecting it for the level of expertise and access on offer. “We had incredible excursions led by Antarctica glaciologists and wildlife experts, and even had the opportunity to camp outside one night,” Baskaran said. “It was truly surreal to see how quiet and undisturbed the area was, and I left with memo- ries to last me a lifetime.”

Braff is a writer based in Chicago. Her website is daniellebraff.com. Find her on Twitter: @daniellebraff.

S EABOURN

An artist rendering of the Venture, Seabourn’s first purpose-built expedition ship, which is expected to set sail in July. Expedition cruises
are all about scientific discovery, but with amenities such as leather seating, air conditioning — and submarines.

BY DANIELLE BRAFF

Forget infinity pools, couples’
massages and karaoke lounges;
the newest luxury ships are all
about scientific discovery. Rath-
er than stopping at the usual
crowded European and Caribbe-
an ports, expedition ships are
taking guests — along with scien-
tists, historians and naturalists
— to places rarely visited by
tourists. Subtract the discom-
forts traditionally associated
with research vessels, and expe-
dition ships are attracting travel-
ers who may not have considered
cruising in the past.
“The expedition segment is
the fastest-growing segment of
the cruise industry right now,”
said Robin West, vice president
of expedition operations and
planning for Seabourn, a luxury
cruise line. Until 2018, few new
expedition ships were being
built, West said. But about 45 are
expected to be constructed be-
tween 2018 and 2023.
The reason for the uptick is a
regulatory change by the Inter-
national Maritime Organization,
the United Nations agency re-
sponsible for maritime safety.
Its Polar Code, which was imple-
mented beginning in January
2017, stipulates that certain
ships sailing in Arctic or Antarc-
tic waters must abide by en-
hanced safety regulations, such
as having a specific amount
of structural reinforcement to
help with operating through
thick ice. Many older expedition
ships do not meet the new re-
quirements.
“The expedition industry was
born out of very old tonnage, and
many were polar research ves-
sels, others were Baltic ferries,”
West said. “Very few were pur-
pose-built as expedition ships.
The change in the Polar Code
resulted in new ships being built
to comply with all the new
regulations.”
Expedition cruises, with
their adventure-focused, off-the-
beaten-path itineraries and em-
phasis on scientific inquiry, were
historically undertaken aboard
rugged ships without amenities
such as specialty dining ven-
ues, luxurious spas and plush
beds, said Colleen McDaniel, edi-
tor in chief of Cruise Critic.
Their main purpose was explor-
ing the destination, and guests
viewed the ships as a means to an
end.
“With the growth of expedi-
tion cruising, we’re starting to
see that change, with new luxury
ships joining the sector,” McDan-
iel said. With the luxury ships
can come a luxury price tag,
however. Packages tend to start
at a few thousand dollars, but
they can go up to $20,000 or
$30,000, depending on the
cruise’s length and destination,
McDaniel said.
So far, those prices don’t seem
to have deterred those craving
luxury adventure. West said 80
to 90 percent of Seabourn’s 2023
sailings are booked, and many
new cruisers are curious about
the expedition ships. According
to Richard Marnell, the executive
vice president of marketing for

A new wave of luxury cruises

VIKING

VIKING MIDDLE: Viking launched its first expedition ship, Octantis, in January. ABOVE: V iking’s expeditions include educators such as biologists, geologists and ornithologists, and Octantis contains scientific equipment to help with exploration.

The Washington Post - USA (2022-05-08)

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