Mar 1, 2014, 8:31 am
Last edit by: hillrider
Finnair is replacing slanted lie-flat J class seats with horizontal lie-flat seats, the Zodiak UK Vantage, on its long-haul fleet.
For more information, see Finnair's website here.
Overall upgrade program status
As of 05DEC14 the following have the new horizontal seats in J:
Routes with horizontal full-flat business class seat
As of the dates below, all flights on listed routes will normally be performed by aircraft with horizontal full-flat seat in business class. Routes not listed will mainly be served by the older A340s or a mix of old & new, supply allowing.
2014-04-01 - NRT, JFK
2014-05-01 - PEK, ICN
2014-06-01 - PVG, KIX, NGO and HAN (seasonal)
2014 winter - HKG (seasonal) *)
*) Original press release stated HKG full-flat from 2014-06-01. Some flights are indeed scheduled with new J, but current info on AY website says HKG full flat only during winter season.
Please note that AY can and will swap aircrafts due to operational reasons, and there is no guarantee a certain route will be served by a certain aircraft. It is a very small fleet and any technical issue not resolved in a few hours will lead to equipment changes, which will have a domino effect throughout the fleet.
Individual upgrade status of each plane
As of 05DEC14 (click on RegNo for seatmap)
For more information, see Finnair's website here.
Overall upgrade program status
As of 05DEC14 the following have the new horizontal seats in J:
- 57% of the 343 fleet (4 of 7 aircraft)
- 100% of the 333 fleet (8 of 8 aircraft)
- equivalent to 80% of the long haul fleet (12 of 15 aircraft)
Routes with horizontal full-flat business class seat
As of the dates below, all flights on listed routes will normally be performed by aircraft with horizontal full-flat seat in business class. Routes not listed will mainly be served by the older A340s or a mix of old & new, supply allowing.
2014-04-01 - NRT, JFK
2014-05-01 - PEK, ICN
2014-06-01 - PVG, KIX, NGO and HAN (seasonal)
2014 winter - HKG (seasonal) *)
*) Original press release stated HKG full-flat from 2014-06-01. Some flights are indeed scheduled with new J, but current info on AY website says HKG full flat only during winter season.
Please note that AY can and will swap aircrafts due to operational reasons, and there is no guarantee a certain route will be served by a certain aircraft. It is a very small fleet and any technical issue not resolved in a few hours will lead to equipment changes, which will have a domino effect throughout the fleet.
Individual upgrade status of each plane
As of 05DEC14 (click on RegNo for seatmap)
Code:
Airbus A340 RegNo Full flat since ------ ------------ OH-LQA Old slanted seats OH-LQB 2014-03-27 OH-LQC 2014-05-29 OH-LQD 2014-04-21 OH-LQE 2014-05-16 OH-LQF Old slanted seats OH-LQG Old slanted seats Airbus A330 RegNo Full flat since ------ ------------ OH-LTM 2014-11-09 OH-LTN 2014-12-05 OH-LTO 2014-02-27 OH-LTP 2014-03-11 OH-LTR 2009-12-17 OH-LTS 2010-02-11 OH-LTT 2010-04-21 OH-LTU 2010-11-26
Reports on Hard product upgrades
Mar 2, 2014, 2:14 pm
#31
Moderator, Finnair
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,174
True. But if they do it to me one more time, I really need to walk out. I made a promise to myself to stop flying when I cannot sit in the front.
AY is too small a carrier to even have different configs. In the beginning I thought 'that's really smart' being able to fit a different sized aircraft to each route based on demand. But once I realised they always have to juggle the planes around due to op reasons, I came to the opposite conclusion.
If they had 10 of each, then probably OK, but AY will never be of a size that will allow equipment substitute to stay inside one config-family.
AY is too small a carrier to even have different configs. In the beginning I thought 'that's really smart' being able to fit a different sized aircraft to each route based on demand. But once I realised they always have to juggle the planes around due to op reasons, I came to the opposite conclusion.
If they had 10 of each, then probably OK, but AY will never be of a size that will allow equipment substitute to stay inside one config-family.
Mar 2, 2014, 2:20 pm
#32
Ambassador: Finnair
Join Date: May 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Lumo, BA Silver, HHonors Gold
Posts: 4,268
Valid points. Very sad to hear they have bumped their own Plat..which route was this..must have been some upgrade light route with very few Finnish pax in J..?
Mar 2, 2014, 2:36 pm
#33
Moderator, Finnair
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,174
NRT-HEL. I think it is a decent route for paid J pax.
OH-LTR was planned for the route and day, but had to go somewhere unplanned the day before and got delayed inbound to HEL.
OT-ish, the A350 will be 48J if AY stays with Airbus' suggested seat plan (or J42 if skipping the mini-cabin altogether)
OH-LTR was planned for the route and day, but had to go somewhere unplanned the day before and got delayed inbound to HEL.
OT-ish, the A350 will be 48J if AY stays with Airbus' suggested seat plan (or J42 if skipping the mini-cabin altogether)
Mar 2, 2014, 2:38 pm
#34
Ambassador: Finnair
Join Date: May 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Lumo, BA Silver, HHonors Gold
Posts: 4,268
NRT-HEL. I think it is a decent route for paid J pax.
OH-LTR was planned for the route and day, but had to go somewhere unplanned the day before and got delayed inbound to HEL.
OT-ish, the A350 will be 48J if AY stays with Airbus' suggested seat plan (or J42 if skipping the mini-cabin altogether)
OH-LTR was planned for the route and day, but had to go somewhere unplanned the day before and got delayed inbound to HEL.
OT-ish, the A350 will be 48J if AY stays with Airbus' suggested seat plan (or J42 if skipping the mini-cabin altogether)
Mar 4, 2014, 2:26 pm
#36
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Helsinki-Vantaa APT, Finland
Programs: AY LUMO
Posts: 6,059
Y seat is softer and I think its larger too. So 90's.
Mar 5, 2014, 6:01 am
#37
Moderator, Finnair
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,174
Mar 5, 2014, 12:34 pm
#38
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: AY Plat
Posts: 127
Mar 5, 2014, 4:38 pm
#39
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: QFF Gold, Flying Blue, Enrich
Posts: 5,366
To be honest the seats don't look that bad. I was initially horrified that my plane had been changed to one of the ex-AF A340s, but I think I can live with those seats. Just a shame it's my overnight flight that they're on...
Mar 7, 2014, 4:04 am
#41
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Helsinki-Vantaa APT, Finland
Programs: AY LUMO
Posts: 6,059
Effective April 1, Finnair will dedicate aircraft with full-flat seats in Business Class to flights to Tokyo and New York, and from May 1 to Beijing and Seoul. As of June 1 the full-flat allocation also extends to Hanoi, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka and Shanghai.
Mar 7, 2014, 5:07 am
#42
Moderator, Finnair
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,174
One really interesting aspect of this, if they really are committing 100% to this, is how that affects how operations can juggle airplanes.
I think it is a very wise decision since high load destinations like NRT and HKG are (finally) getting the high J capacity all the time. I am just worried that HKG will suffer even more than before. If OH-LQcrap, destined for BKK or what ever, is failing during the day they will replace it with the high capacity, full flat plane that was meant for HKG? Then not only delay HKG the normal 8 hours, but also bump some people to Y and give the rest angled flat seats, despite the grand words of the press release...
I think it is a very wise decision since high load destinations like NRT and HKG are (finally) getting the high J capacity all the time. I am just worried that HKG will suffer even more than before. If OH-LQcrap, destined for BKK or what ever, is failing during the day they will replace it with the high capacity, full flat plane that was meant for HKG? Then not only delay HKG the normal 8 hours, but also bump some people to Y and give the rest angled flat seats, despite the grand words of the press release...
Mar 7, 2014, 5:49 am
#43
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY Plat (OWE), Bonvoy Gold, ALL Silver
Posts: 3,038
I actually agree. Both my partner and myself had terrible headaches from the A340 seats coming from the headrest as it is not very upper back/neck friendly. More to follow in my TR later this weekend...
Mar 7, 2014, 6:32 am
#44
Moderator, Finnair
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,174
Originally Posted by Finnair press release
Due to maintenance or other technical reasons, designated full-flat routes may still be served by these other aircraft, which feature angled lie-flat seating in Business Class.
Mar 7, 2014, 10:56 am
#45
Ambassador: Finnair
Join Date: May 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Lumo, BA Silver, HHonors Gold
Posts: 4,268
