Finnair Plus - Finnair getting rid some of the "leisure flight" Boeing 757s

More from Helsingin Sanomat (http://www.hs.fi/talous/artikkeli/Finnair+luopuu+osasta+lomalentojen+Boeing-koneista/1135249128548) in Finnish (sorry).

To me this sounds like some of the leisure flights next winter will be operated with normal Airbuses, complete with business class. Assuming the flights are already sold as one-class, I wonder who they are going to seat in the front on the plane?

More from Helsingin Sanomat (http://www.hs.fi/talous/artikkeli/Finnair+luopuu+osasta+lomalentojen+Boeing-koneista/1135249128548) in Finnish (sorry).

To me this sounds like some of the leisure flights next winter will be operated with normal Airbuses, complete with business class. Assuming the flights are already sold as one-class, I wonder who they are going to seat in the front on the plane?I suppose the Boeings will be replaced by A320's and A321's in which case there will be no actual business class as I am sure they will not have the middle seat blocked!

I'd think they'll have some extra A330s to play around with..long haul expansion is not going to happen as they planned so there must be more planes available than they need..

Regarding who they would seat in the front?...the non-AY status pax w/o Finnish passport, naturally. This time around I could care less personally as (AY) charters are not my cup of tea.

A friend booked a month or two ago a holiday trip to Thailand and for an extra fee he got a business seat on that AY A330 flight.

According to Helsingin Sanomat, the strongest candidate for the future AY leisure flights would be A321 with extra fuel tanks.

A321 with extra fuel tanks.

Hmm... drop tanks on wings like in fighter planes? :D

And maybe RATO packs to get the thing off the ground as well...

Hmm... drop tanks on wings like in fighter planes?

Extra fuel tanks not anything new. Other leisure operators already use similar 'fixed' Airbus aircraft, like Thomas Cook A321 from HEL to LPA in winter. The point is the get to the Canary Islands non stop.

So the 333 longhaul destinations would be Phuket and where else? Goa? Dubai? Miami/elsewhere in Florida?

OT: AY also begins leasing two E170:s to FC, which was not possible earlier. The pilots are to reduce their wages 10% and do 10% more flying.

The pilots are to reduce their wages 10% and do 10% more flying.Really? Have they agreed to that?

CEO Hienonen tries to drive that through. The Finnish government and AY board back him up.

CEO Hienonen tries to drive that through. The Finnish government and AY board back him up.Interesting... Do you think that the pilots will agree?

OT continues. The AY FAs are reducing their wages voluntarily by 5% to be saved from lay-offs. Win-win situation it was described...

I'd think they'll have some extra A330s to play around with..long haul expansion is not going to happen as they planned so there must be more planes available than they need..

Regarding who they would seat in the front?...the non-AY status pax w/o Finnish passport, naturally. This time around I could care less personally as (AY) charters are not my cup of tea.
They already sell preferred seat for the charters (exit seats bulkheads w/ extra legroom), so I see no reason why they wouldn't do that with the 333 J seats if operated in one class configuration. Or come up with a "premium economy" product for the charters.

On a long flight people a for sure ready to pay a little extra for the comfort, so it would be plain stupid to give the J seats away without an extra fee.