Finnair Plus - One way upgrade 99 € in Europe

In today's Helsingin Sanomat saying that you can upgrade your summer special prices for 99 €/one way. Unfortunately, you only get the AY Plus points for the original booking class. In this respect it seems to be an inferior offer compared with the upgrades offered by Swiss, British Airways and the recent offer from Blue1.
But, still an interesting novel approach.
I was unable to find any instructions in the www.finnair.com.

Update: I just read the ad more carefully. Upgrades are only available through the telephone service.

In today's Helsingin Sanomat saying that you can upgrade your summer special prices for 99 €/one way. Unfortunately, you only get the AY Plus points for the original booking class. In this respect it seems to be an inferior offer compared with the upgrades offered by Swiss, British Airways and the recent offer from Blue1.
But, still an interesting novel approach.

Novel approach, yes, but it just kills any interest it might have raised for me. Why pay 99€ for a mediocre lunch/dinner onboard? Wherever AY flies in Europe, you'll get gourmet dinner for that (or a nice dinner for two at many destinations). Even the seats are the same in European C and Y, so the food is the only thing you'll get for 99€.

OK, I admit that while lounge access is not an issue for me, it can be for the occasional traveller.

(How would such an upgrade credit to e.g. BA's or IB's FFP?? Can they make a distinction?)

In today's Helsingin Sanomat saying that you can upgrade your summer special prices for 99 €/one way. Unfortunately, you only get the AY Plus points for the original booking class. In this respect it seems to be an inferior offer compared with the upgrades offered by Swiss, British Airways and the recent offer from Blue1.
But, still an interesting novel approach.
I was unable to find any instructions in the www.finnair.com.

Update: I just read the ad more carefully. Upgrades are only available through the telephone service.

Thanks AY, but no thanks. Had AY given out tier points according to the upgraded class, I would have taken it for every upcoming flight.

(How would such an upgrade credit to e.g. BA's or IB's FFP?? Can they make a distinction?)

I'm quite sure they can, I'd guess AY uses the same way as they do when using vouchers/points.

99 euros for a meal on mostly empty flights where you have plenty of room most likely in eco too? No thanks.

For upscale leisure travel, especially for couples, it's a nice offer.

Say, on flights to the Mediterranean & Turkey or Britain, the 2 - 2 seating and rather nice catering do make some difference, plus of course lounge access and priority baggage.

For the AY Golds and Plats gathered here, things might look different than to the average leisure customer.

For upscale leisure travel, especially for couples, it's a nice offer.

Say, on flights to the Mediterranean & Turkey or Britain, the 2 - 2 seating and rather nice catering do make some difference, plus of course lounge access and priority baggage.

For the AY Golds and Plats gathered here, things might look different than to the average leisure customer.

My thoughts exactly. But for a couple it's still 400€, when in May you could get 1 week for 2 in the Med area with flights and a 4* hotel for 500€, so even they may think twice.

I agree with a previous opinion - full biz points and would have upgraded all AY segments to C. AY seems to be very "Finnish" in these offers - let's offer something, as other people (airlines) also do it, but still be careful not to offer anything that might be of actual value because then people may actually take up on the offer and have some "unjust" benefits. :td:

For the AY Golds and Plats gathered here, things might look different than to the average leisure customer.

You are right here - to me this is yet another sign of AY really not caring too much of it's existing elite tier members. Some years ago, AY quite frequently had special point campaigns at least for silvers ("vauhtietu"). Those have all disappeared, and just about every campaign I see is targeted for people who are NOT Finnair Plus elite members (gold status for one return flight meeting certain conditions for central European countries, now this paid upgrade campaign, and recently some point campaigns where the extra points are not elite status earning points). To add to the list of things, FC flights bought from their web shop not earning AY points anymore is yet another thing making the program less attractive.

In addition, my personal experience from one complaint last year and one special request this year is that they really do not seem to appreciate their loyal customers at all. For my complaint I received indeed a nice letter ("we are very sorry that we messed up") and a Delicard voucher, which was worth far less than even the additional telephone expenses I incurred when sorting out the mess created by AY.

With Lufthansa having the status match offer, I am seriously considering that as an option as my *G status with SK will most likely expire this year (no time to concentrate enough flights to SK before the end of the qualification year). As my current travel amount is enough to maintain elite status on one airline, this would mean switching essentially all my business from AY to *A (in fact, I would already have done that if *A did not have the 25% earnings in discounted economy).

To Finnair - loyality programs are about loyality, but that works both ways. If you want to hold on to my business, then get your act together now.

Go for the LH SEN - much easier to requalify than for AY Gold and very comparable benefits.

For upscale leisure travel, especially for couples, it's a nice offer.

Say, on flights to the Mediterranean & Turkey or Britain, the 2 - 2 seating and rather nice catering do make some difference, plus of course lounge access and priority baggage.

For the AY Golds and Plats gathered here, things might look different than to the average leisure customer.
I agree with this, although it seems that you can get into the HEL business lounges for 20€ with e.g. a Stockmann card. That leaves 79 € for business check in, 2+2 seating and free drinks + better food (I don't trust priority baggage). Totally worth it in my opinion.

In the unlikely event that the one without status brings an excessive amount of souvenirs, the 30 kg baggage allowance would be a benefit worth for the upgrade fee.

I don't trust priority baggage)

Does anyone? :td:

I agree with this, although it seems that you can get into the HEL business lounges for 20€ with e.g. a Stockmann card. That leaves 79 € for business check in, 2+2 seating and free drinks + better food (I don't trust priority baggage). Totally worth it in my opinion.

Well, yes, but entry to the lounge w/a a biz class ticket is not guaranteed if it gets full. And at the other end you might not be let in at all w/a ticket.

To save some cost, I'd probably purchase the upgrade for two or more people only on the return flight.

That is when the holiday feeling is slowly coming off and long days in the office might be on the horizon...Nothing better than a smooth journey, a few bites of nice food and some enjoyable sips of quality wine to sooth the pain. ;)

Of course most members of this board get the "elite" benefits anyway, myself included, so it's more about the cabin experience then.

To save some cost, I'd probably purchase the upgrade for two or more people only on the return flight.
Funny, I'd do it in the opposite direction if I had to choose. Nothing better than to start your holidays with a biz class flight. :cool:

This "upgrade" is also to Delhi 299€.

Now Blue1 is offering 25€/leg upgrades to their economy Extra class.

http://www.blue1.com/en/fi/Services/Offers/Upgrade-Economy-Extra/

And it doesn't seem to bee linked to just booking class. AY offer seems to only apply to booking class F. How about miles with this KF offer?

Contrary to some others, I think that this promotion is a good idea and most welcome during the summer months. :cool:

I just booked an upgrade for my wife and myself for a FCO-HEL leg and noticed that even the baggage allowance is that of J, meaning 30 kg (which might be interesting for those who are not tier members). The booking class is F.

Well done, AY! ^ ^ ^

AY offer seems to only apply to booking class F.

I am puzzled with my own quote. AY does not have a booking class F (at least as a booking class qualifying for points. What does this mean. This was mentioned on www.finnair.fi.

I am puzzled with my own quote. AY does not have a booking class F (at least as a booking class qualifying for points. What does this mean. This was mentioned on www.finnair.fi.

AY uses fare class F for voucher/MFU tickets. It's not a published fare class and it's not visible via EF, for example. For upgraded tickets you'll earn according to the original economy fare class of your ticket.

Thanks NoWindowSeat. Do you know if any Y booking class can be upgraded or is it just the summer specials? How about crediting the miles from an upgraded ticket to one of the patrners' FF account: is it non-qualifying F or the original one.

Thanks NoWindowSeat. Do you know if any Y booking class can be upgraded or is it just the summer specials? How about crediting the miles from an upgraded ticket to one of the patrners' FF account: is it non-qualifying F or the original one.

All published coach fare classes are upgradeable and you'll get points for the actual paid fare and you can credit to other programs as well, according to normal AA/BA/CX/xx/.. rules.

http://newsletter.finnair.com/publish/news/tiedotus/20090605/592/article_3614.html

According to this, if booking an upgrade to an existing or new ticket, I should call the "customer care center" in Helsinki. Anyone with information if this is the rip-off number that has an exta charge for each call plus likely a high basic rate if calling from Asia?

Just contemplating if using points for upgrading wouldn't be better value after all?

http://newsletter.finnair.com/publish/news/tiedotus/20090605/592/article_3614.html

According to this, if booking an upgrade to an existing or new ticket, I should call the "customer care center" in Helsinki. Anyone with information if this is the rip-off number that has an exta charge for each call plus likely a high basic rate if calling from Asia?

Just contemplating if using points for upgrading wouldn't be better value after all?

I'd call the AY+ customer service first

This offer seems to have picked up. The number of flip-floppers and children in front of the curtains seems to have grown lately. In best cases the Recaro-seats of the longer Airbuses are being used in lay flat -configuration. Just the armrests up and the smelly feet towards the isle :D.

Of course, it may just be burning of points for the leisure travel as well...

I´m a flip-flopper when on holidays and I believe many on FT are. There are many different kinds of travellers here, on the airlines and hotels as well. Whenever I go to a executive club or similar of a finer hotel and arrive with my lap child HelsinkiFlyer, I get the looks. But who cares, as long as I have a legitimate reason to be there? Not often that I bother paying extra points or money for upgrade on short haul flights, as I find the value rather poor.

I´m a flip-flopper when on holidays and I believe many on FT are. There are many different kinds of travellers here, on the airlines and hotels as well. Whenever I go to a executive club or similar of a finer hotel and arrive with my lap child HelsinkiFlyer, I get the looks. But who cares, as long as I have a legitimate reason to be there? Not often that I bother paying extra points or money for upgrade on short haul flights, as I find the value rather poor.

As long as they don't run around pouring soft drinks over others it's just fine. I took the jr Wilcos just about everywhere* so I very well understand you.

*it WILL be a hard landing for them when they start traveling on their own monies :D

Is this offer still valid?

Is this offer still valid?

According to the Finnair web pages it's valid until the end of August.

According to the Finnair web pages it's valid until the end of August.

I tried to locate this info, but don't see it - can you give me link to it?

Is this offer valid for travel only in August or will it also be valid for travel in September?

I tried to locate this info, but don't see it - can you give me link to it?

Arf, the Finnair web page isn't really set up for direct linking. But if you go to www.finnair.fi, select English from the drop down menu in the top of the page you should see a banner for "Comfort upgrade to Business Class" on the right hand side of the page, around half way down the page. Clicking this takes you to the correct page, then you can click on "Terms and Conditions" to see those.


Is this offer valid for travel only in August or will it also be valid for travel in September?

Only until the end of August.