Finnair Plus - Upgrades and the mysterious row 7

I am very impatiently counting down the days to my first AY flight next week!

A couple of questions--do they ever offer paid upgrades at the airport?

And the mysterious row 7. I have heard reports of a few FTers getting upgraded to row 7 with biz seats and coach service. Has anyone ever gotten one of these successfully by asking?

I'm too new to the game to know if asking a GA for an upgrade is too cheeky or if it has the potential for success. I'm pretty much willing to do anything to get upgraded on an 11 hour flight. Should I mention that? ;)

I'm not a AY elite (obviously) but I'm a OW sapphire, if that counts for anything.

What happens in row 7 stays in row 7, eh?

I'm pretty much willing to do anything to get upgraded on an 11 hour flight. Should I mention that? ;)


Yep, that's why quality airlines offer J/F services for a fee ;)

Sometimes AY "upgrades" elites/Y/B/H etc fares to the mid cabin if J load is light and/or whY load is high...never hurts to ask but don't expect anything.

Yep, that's why quality airlines offer J/F services for a fee ;)

Anything but pay, obviously

Well friends, the desperation must have been apparent in my eyes. When I checked in at LHR I was assigned 6H. I spent my entire connection at HEL gleefully checking to make sure I was actually in the mystery rows and that they hadn't changed the aircraft or something. Then when I got to the gate the woman said, "oh, there's been a change." My heart sank, they were going to take my row 6 away from me. Which they did, but put me in 4D. I cannot believe how lucky I got!

Lucky you...so typical AY stuff...they upgrade someone who's flying them for the first time..makes me wonder what's the reason to stick with them as loyalty means s**t..

Lucky you...so typical AY stuff...they upgrade someone who's flying them for the first time..makes me wonder what's the reason to stick with them as loyalty means s**t..

Why can't upgrade person who is flying for first with AY? If all AY/OW elites were already upgraded to C and Y was full?

If Mr. Giblet was travelling alone, behaving like Genteleman why can't he be upgraded?

Why can't upgrade person who is flying for first with AY? If all AY/OW elites were already upgraded to C and Y was full?

If Mr. Giblet was travelling alone, behaving like Genteleman why can't he be upgraded?

If that is/was the case then no prob, I just have witnessed too many verified cases when this hasn't been the way things go.. and for the record, my point isn't this particular case as I know nothing about it but I cannot accept AY's general attitude regarding op ups.

Among others, I have seen this happening at the gate:
-2 travellers booked in whY with same fare class tickets
-other pax is AA Gold = OW Ruby, first ever AY flight
-other pax is AY Gold = OW Sapphire, countless AY flights during some 30+ years, dunno any exact numbers

Guess which one was upgraded? Yes, you got it right, the AA Gold.

I saw this in J as a paid pax and later asked for the loads from Purser, in J there was 6 empty seats + the whole mid cabin totally empty and whY wasn't even close being packed either..less than 170 pax in M11.

And they say loyalty is important?

Guess which one was upgraded? Yes, you got it right, the AA Gold.

I saw this in J as a paid pax and later asked for the loads from Purser, in J there was 6 empty seats + the whole mid cabin totally empty and whY wasn't even close being packed either..less than 170 pax in M11.


Could it have been related with a codeshare? I've witnessed a case, when the rear section had some seats available, but the AF quota was overbooked. AY did not hesitate to upgrade a couple of colleagues. Naturally in these cases the upgrade can be charged from AF.

Could it have been related with a codeshare? I've witnessed a case, when the rear section had some seats available, but the AF quota was overbooked. AY did not hesitate to upgrade a couple of colleagues. Naturally in these cases the upgrade can be charged from AF.

Nope, both were ticketed as AY, by AY.

And they say loyalty is important?

Haven´t you already noticed that Finnair short changes (or pisses to the eyes of) Finns all and everytime possible.

Buy a ticket from AY web in Finland and pay a service fee of 15 to 25 euros. For the British, the same fee is exactly 1 pound.

Buy a ticket for AY flight almost anywhere else on the earth but Finland and automatically receive 50 to 75% discount, especially if flying J.

Wouldn´t it be just the time for You also to change your FF card to a shinier one ;) ?

Haven´t you already noticed that Finnair short changes (or pisses to the eyes of) Finns all and everytime possible.

Buy a ticket from AY web in Finland and pay a service fee of 15 to 25 euros. For the British, the same fee is exactly 1 pound.


Yes, it's unbelievable.


Buy a ticket for AY flight almost anywhere else on the earth but Finland and automatically receive 50 to 75% discount, especially if flying J.


True but this is usually the case that all (traditional) airlines are more expensive "ex-home country".


Wouldn´t it be just the time for You also to change your FF card to a shinier one ;) ?


I already do 3 different programs within OW alone...my only problem is that as I fly a lot of direct flights ex-HEL I really value the upgrade vouchers on AY, especially for leisure/companion travel. LHR has gotten a bit nicer as far as transfers go but I still like to avoid it if I can and I cannot/don't want move all my travel to BA, at least not intra-Europe and most of Eastern long hauls where AY flies non-stop ex-HEL. BA long haul J is superior (especially the hard part) product compared to AY but the difference isn't big enough to justify LHR transit over AY nonstop.

I'll be flying AY for the first time in November CPH - HEL - PEK. I'm booked in business (J) on a RTW ticket and I'm AA EXP, One World Emerald. I will post something if I'm moved to First on the HEL -PEK. Who knows!

I will post something if I'm moved to First on the HEL -PEK. Who knows!

If you will be moved from J to F on a AY HEL-PEK flight you will sit in cockpit. :D

I will post something if I'm moved to First on the HEL -PEK.

Please do that. :D

I'm not a Mr. giblet I am a Miss giblet, but yes, I was very well behaved and I think that helped!

I can understand why people are frustrated. However, AY probably did what they were hoping to, they've now convinced someone to fly with them from LHR to their Asia routes. It's not necessarily an easy sell because I could fly direct with BA. Knowing I might get upgraded with AY more readily than BA will get my flying with them for sure. And I've already told my LHR-based friends about the upgrade so the power of good publicity...

Also, I think there were a few others upgraded as well before me. If that helps any.

Upgrading non-Finns and non-AY-statusholders is an efficient PR-trick from Finnair. And there is nothing wrong in that.

I have convinced myself a long ago, that the most secure way to ensure a seat in business class is to pay for a business ticket. I do not take anything from granted. I have also received a few op-ups from BA but never from AY.

In London you lucky folks have much to choose. Looking at it from, e.g., Manchester, Helsinki connection to Far-East may look somewhat more tempting.

I'm not a Mr. giblet I am a Miss gibletWould that be a possible explanation? :D
Seriously, correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't AY do op-ups more based on fare than based on status?

My fare class wasn't high, don't remember it offhand. But I did have a good ole laugh with the gate agent. They say that doesn't help, but maybe it did in combination with OW status?

If you will be moved from J to F on a AY HEL-PEK flight you will sit in cockpit. :D

Did not realize there was no first class. So much for the experiment :rolleyes:

Hi All!

My partner and I have a flight soon with Finnair HKG-HEL-MXP-HEL-NRT in Y and were also wondering - are there paid upgrades available?

Would it be worth it to call up Finnair and ask?

Thanks~