intuition

So you didn't even get the "Finnair Deli" concept?!?

So a Y pax can at least buy food from a "wide selection", and the J pax get a few leaves of lettuce included in the ticket price...
MAN, this really is bad....

Did you get any response from AY?

teme

I have been loyal to my national airline for years and most of the time chosen my itinerary to include Finnair flight even if the price has been higher or timetable worse than the alternative one.

I am just a seasoned traveller, but tend to do my trips in premium cabins. After all these "enhancements" already taken place and especially if this new "Manchester concept" spreads, I am ready to say "goodbye Finnair". I've already made my first move by booking my next trip to south-east Asia with Turkish Airlines instead of Finnair.

Of course, I am not the most valuable customer to Finnair, but I am sure there are several other people with similar thoughts. Finnair is surely about to lose great portion of its best paying customers. Very unfortunate.

Abducted Alien

Dirty price for J. LH takes you with 700€ in J.
Is it true that HKG route do not offer free hot meal/ dinner? Just that snack with tea/ coffee?

JnsV

No. Long-haul services, like HEL-HKG, have not yet been affected by the latest round of service enhancement. They are trying out a new service concept on the HEL-MAN (and v.v.) route, removing most of free catering in Y and seriously degrading J service. The sanck pack is for connecting pax in Y on HEL-MAN and MAN-HEL flights.

Abducted Alien

Thank you. I was worried as my colleaques are going to book LH flight for AY as I'm going to make it with TK premium class.
I remember reading local newpaper weeks ago, where Y pax feedback was so 'overwhelming' as they didn't had even free glass of water during MAN flight. AY promised to fix that problem

Week ago AY send me long email inquiry (I haven't flown with AY for years because of drop of levels). Questions were: what it makes for AY to do that I could use their services and leave Lufthansa and other competitors in both J and Y classes and intra Europe and LH flights? For every question I chose service, free hot meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks), wifi on board. There were also paid options for fast track, lounge! and meals, drinks. I don't think AY will do any improvments for their current product.

Did you get that questionnaire?

intuition

The basic idea, I think, was to offer a broader selection of food, but charge for it. (The "deli-concept"). Done right, this could be a good thing "Cheap ticket - no service, pay extra get quality snack food". That is why I was so surprised to see that they didn't seem to offer food from the deli-concept to mirfield. J seems to have gotten the "expensive ticket crappy food" concept.


I have also gotten such a questionnaire (on a web survey page, though). It was interesting, as it was not the standard "index" form every airline does. It was very clearly geared towards "what can we do to attract you", and asking my priorities around many things both hard and soft product (including "fully flat beds", "quality meals" , "family sections in lounge and onboard" et.c et.c )
A very serious take on things I think (even though at some point I felt "don't they have ANY basic idea what attracts people?!?")
Also some questions regarding loyalty, like "do I like to try different airlines and products". Overall interesting and to me a good sign that someone inside AY is trying to get a grip of the situation.

I don't know if they survey randomly or what. My last AY trip was in january, they can surely see that I did HKG on BA in march, but I am not sure that will trigger any "suspicion of disloyalty". (and they can surely not see that I have been having an affair with LH and QR, too :-)

WilcoRoger

I got the questionnaire too - so it seems that they actually know what they SHOULD be doing (otherwise wouldn't ask) and do exactly the opposite

As for the "deli concept" - on WAW-HEL I paid 6 € for a run of the mill turkey-cheese rye bread. At WAW I got a hot meal for that at the airport. My advice to AY - save on the fuel you need to transport all those "deli" items to and fro and say simply "eat at the airport before take-off"

NoWindowSeat

I got the questionnary too but I have taken part in so many AY online/offline researches etc. over the years that I've totally given up. They never ever listen to what people are saying and even if you specifically ask for comments/feedback they just do not give rats a** about anything.

To me this is just AY's marketing/PR doing stuff that sits in their bonus or whatever schemes but the management isn't committed to deliver/change anything based on the results. Extremely typical to large corporations in major trouble.

I simply won't bother anymore.

intuition

Very true. Some marketing schools are teaching "involvement equals loyalty" and that often turns into "let's do a survey so people feel like they are involved".
However, this one was a bit different IMO. Someone put some thought into it, and it looked like something that actually could be a part of a decision making. (Though, that's no guarantee it isn't going directly to the trash anyway...)

In comparison to the BA survey I recently got, which was the typical "quality index survey", where they clearly didn't care about suggestions given.

Laajo

I got questionare asking how would I rate AY FF program: one rating value and 2 questions.
After that I got an other questionaire which different start. The questionare clearly said if you dont and that you may continue again when ever you want. I did not get it done, actually only first question was answered. Tried to answer it again with respond you have already made it. Called to AY CS and asked them to resend the questionare. Got the wrong 2 times. I have given up.

I have flew now 3,5 m after my period renewed and have 120.000 tier points. This time I will not exceed 150.000 and give point to black hole (or 4 european upgrades that I got last time, was a joke). Will use my unused BA account for points exceeding 150k and then decide how to go on, next year march.

WilcoRoger

Any specific reasons to go for AY Plat? If you don't specifically need AY status (as opposed to OW status), you're much better of on BAEC from day (or TP) 1. I know I am.

WilcoRoger

Yes, it totally gave me the impression that "we have only so much money to put into product development, so where do you think it would bring the most benefit?" But I have a bad feeling, that it won't ever make past the originating department at a time when all PR spin is put on the "we give you less for more" concepts

SPBanker

I also received and completed the survey. Very detailed questions about the desirability of different features (true lie-flats on all LHs, for example) and amenities (PJs for night flights). There was an opportunity to rank different features etc. If nothing else, the survey was constructed much better and with more thought than any other airline survey I remember. However, there was no possibility to leave open comments.

In other news, third week of SPBankers' US vacation is starting. I am typing (well, tapping) this in Doubletree Times Square. Usually "upgrades" to higher floors are nothing, but this time my status lifted us to the top floor, and the views from the 43rd are great!

intuition

That was my take aswell.
It mustn't be bad though. Few companies today can do everything on the wish list, so finding what is "most bang for the buck" seems wise.

We may all have grown a bit cynical (I know I have) so no big hopes for the product development being new seats in J and stellar meal services, which was my answer for turning into an attractive airline.
I try to keep at least a half-positive view on things, otherwise I'm afraid I get so sad about the "enhancements" of the industry I might stop flying on the whole

intuition

Finally some good news
The big question is, do they offer en-suite sauna?