Richard Kaban · Jan 7, 2026 · 12:13 AM
Outbound · 03:03 · Planner: Susan Bender · +19177713461
“I'll see within 48 hours. I'll have a flight from LAX going premium economy and if I don't like it, I just leave it alone. If I don't like it, I go into it and change the flight.”
Call Richard within 48–50 hours after the new air schedule posts to confirm he received it and ask whether he intends to make any flight changes via My Viking Journey, or alert him immediately if he reaches out first.
Full analysis
What happened
Richard called to discuss an upgrade to premium economy for a Viking River cruise, which Agent Susan Bender had already charged to his credit card for $300,198 total (a $1,599 per-person upgrade cost). Susan walked Richard through the new flight booking process: he will receive a revised air schedule from LAX within 48 hours. If he dislikes it, he can modify the flights himself in the My Viking Journey portal at no cost, unless he selects flights with an air differential. Susan clarified that if he requests specific flights through her, he'll be charged an air customization fee, but self-service changes avoid that fee. Richard accepted this plan and agreed to call Susan if he decides to make changes.
Emotional read
Richard is cooperative and pragmatic throughout the call. He asks clarifying questions to understand the process but does not express frustration or anxiety—just mild confusion about why the system isn't more transparent. He ends the call appreciative and agreeable.
Emotional arc through the call
Richard started slightly uncertain about the process but warmed and became cooperative after Susan clarified the 48-hour timeline and self-service flight change option.
How customer sees Pavlus
- neutral · accepted that the agent had already processed the upgrade charge without issue
- negative · frustrated that the cruise line's system doesn't communicate upfront that adjustments come with hidden fees if booked through an agent
Process friction
- charge was processed on credit card on file without explicit pre-approval verbal confirmation in this call
Value perception
Richard did not explicitly compare Pavlus's value to alternatives, but he seemed to accept the agent's guidance on how to navigate the flight-change process to minimize his own costs.
Customer behaviors
asking clarifying questions about the rebooking workflowaccepting terms of premium economy upgradedeferring final decision on flights pending receipt of new schedulecommitting to self-service flight adjustments to avoid additional fees
Topics & signals
| Topics | flight upgrade to premium economyseat selection and flight changesair differential pricingbooking system (My Viking Journey)air customization fees |
|---|---|
| Destinations | LAX |
| Cruise lines | VikingKLM |
| Buying signals | agreed to premium economy upgrade and paid $300,198 chargeaccepted the 48-hour timeline to receive new flight schedulecommitted to reviewing new flights and notifying agent of changes |
| Objections | confused why Viking doesn't warn customers about air differential fees upfrontskeptical about process for changing flights without incurring customization charges |
Analyzed 2026-05-27 02:34:34 by claude-haiku-4-5-20251001. Confidence 0.72.
Transcript (3,018 chars)
Customer: Hi. Agent (Susan Bender): Hi rich. Okay, here's the process, the new process we have to do this way. I've changed the gateway to L-A-X I paid with your, with your credit card on file. A total of $300,198 total for two to upgrade to premium economy. Customer: Hey. Customer: Mm-hmm. Customer: Right. Agent (Susan Bender): The difference between economy and premium economy was $1,599 per person. The now you had mentioned a higher amount and, and Viking said that might have been, because of the flight to chose the KLM flights, might be, might have an air differential. Now. What's gonna happen is you'll get a new air schedule within the next 48 hours, you'll get a new air schedule. If you do not like it you do the same thing you did before you go into your, my Viking journey and change it there because if I request specific flights they will charge you the air customization fee. But if you do it yourself in my Viking journey it doesn't cost you anything. Unless you're picking a flight that has an air differential, it's a, a higher cost. Yeah. Customer: Mm-hmm. Customer: Okay. Customer: Okay. Customer: Okay. Okay. So, if, I'll see within what did you say 24 to 48 hours, 48 hours. I'll have a flight from L-A-X going premium economy and if I don't like, if I like it fine, I just leave it alone. I accept it if I don't like it, I go into it the way I did it before. And change the, maybe, the flight to the, you know, the feats or whatever. Okay. Agent (Susan Bender): 48 hours, she said give it 48 hours. Mm-hmm. Agent (Susan Bender): Correct. Agent (Susan Bender): Correct. Agent (Susan Bender): Yes. Agent (Susan Bender): Or the airline or whatever. Yeah, you change it if you do it that way you don't have to pay the custom air fee. Customer: Okay. Customer: It, yeah, okay, alright, so that's what I'll do. Thank you so much. I don't understand. I got to ask it why would they put it out and then, may have this, you know, a high adjustments that you can make without saying to you be aware you cannot make the adjustments with, if you book through you know, a travel agent or somebody you know, or even book through them it wouldn't take it. I don't. Agent (Susan Bender): Okay. Agent (Susan Bender): Yeah. Agent (Susan Bender): I don't know, I've had other people do it and they didn't have any issues with it. I don't know what was going on with yours but I've had other people do it telling me that they did it on their own and they were successful. So, we'll see what happens this time. If you have, you know, if you decide you're gonna change it, let me know, okay? Customer: Okay. Okay, I'll need to. Okay, and I'll let you know before I if I say who I don't like it and I'll call you and tell you I'm going to be changing it. Let's see what happens. Alright, I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Agent (Susan Bender): Okay. Okay. Yeah, good deal. Good deal. Oh, it's my pleasure. Thank you, thank you and have a good night. Take care, uh-huh, bye-bye. Customer: Okay, you too. Bye-bye.