lkrt

Ah, sorry, read too hastily. I'm pretty sure it's too early and also pretty sure that there will be availability later on in the spring or summer.

Furry

Just to add a note if somebody else is in the same situation: I bought the ticket today and upgraded both legs via AY webpage. Availability check tool still didn't show the flight operated by NORRA, but the actual upgrade-function showed 8(!) available seats on that flight.

Campaign is still on until 26th of Jan, 5000pts for Nordic and 8000pts for Europe upgrade.

Karjaluokka

HEL-HAM route

no upgrade availability for any summer weekend, what's the case here?
The flight is operated by Norra, but that shouldn't be an issue.

trplthrt

Also puzzled about the same thing, still no availability.

Courmisch

I wouldn't upgrade HEL-HAM anyway as it is one of the shortest non-Nordic route. Norra/E1x0 plane is an aggravating factor: the exit row Y just better than J. And especially not the morning service.

Unless you have expiring vouchers with really nothing else to use them for.

Karjaluokka

I got an info via chat that there is a problem with the upgrade tool and actually there is plenty of award availability (in JUL 2016) even though website shows zero.

You should check the up-situation via chat.

Justinus

I recently booked FCO-HEL-XXX in J for April and was suprised that there was only one row of business.

As I seem to be the only pax in J, I tried to upgrade a business partner who is on the same flight, but he ended up on the waiting list.

FFlash

First time I was able to use the official plat perk of 50k return upgrade for 3 companions.
Plat line was even very nice this time to split the reservation for further people and in minutes she handled upgrades.

Good value for HEL-MIA long hours as I just booked the new U.S. cheapo-Y deals which are going for as low as <300€ ^

FFlash

I have soon Japan flight. Y tix and upgrade requested 2 times, but not clearing.

Not using expertflyer before, I signed up for it (so please allow dumb questions), and I looked how my flight availability is:

Finnair site does not sell Y anymore, 2 J on sale.
Expertflyer says C2J2, all economy zeroed out on AY code, and JL code (same AY flight) zeroes out all except G4.
Then the expertflyer seat map shows 4 J seats available, and 20+ seats available in eco (mostly the eco comfort)

I am not familiar with expertflyer so this seatmap vs booking class availability confuses me, are the economy cabin sold out or not???`
I would try to use that to argument calling AY to release my needed 2 upgrade seats for J if eco cabin is sold out. So far we are waitlisted and not cleared after 2 calls a couple of weeks ago.

Mind you it is Sakura time so load factor may become 100 until departure...

intuition

You can't judge much from the seat map - what you are seeing is that most flyers does not select seats in advance, so there can be seats available even if flight is sold out.

The C/2 J/2 is more reliable. It says AY currently is only willing to sell 2 more seats, both in business class. This doesn't say anything about number of unsold seats in business class, but it does say that Y is sold out.
I am unsure if the G/4 corresponds to any free seats available in Y cabin. It might be that Finnair already have sold them and are hoping JL won't sell the qouta of seats they were assigned in the codeshare agreement. If JL sells them, then AY has a overbooking situation and will start bumping people, either up to J or off of the flight.

I'm pretty sure your upgrade will not clear.

Courmisch

So you think they will sell J to capacity? or do you think Finnair is so deplorable that they would not clear an upgrade even though there is space for it (instead op-up-ing at random, or leaving free J seats)?

WilcoRoger

If the flight is really so sold out, they might want to wait until the last minute for revenue booking. I wouldn't give up, try until the day before departure or even on departure day - then they probably won't expect any revenue bookings and you can use your "why op-up someone when I'm ready to give point for it" argument - though you'll only talk to CS and they will talk to revenue management.

Aviating

To me this looks like the Y is actually already over sold. It is a good chance that they have a couple of seats in J and are planning to OP-up in case they can't sell the J. If they are able to sell J they can always bump from Y, which is more profitable.

Many times in this situations the upgrades have cleared at check-in or at the gate. According to my observations usually they clear first the pending upgrades, then premium customers and as a last resort upgrade just anyone. But I have seen as well that some one on STBY has been upgraded before premium customers. Regarding the upgrade order it seems that they do that first based on status and within status based on the order of the upgrade requests.

Some times Finnair has been overbooking J and asked for volunteers. I do not know if that has been intentional or if it has been due to equipment change. But I have seen that happen.

What you can do is to ask a few days before the flight about the upgrade status (not likely to be successful in this situation, this usually works when there is plenty of space and they just forgot to process your request). Then you should ask at the check-in and when you get to the gate make sure they are aware that you have an request pending (some times they do not at the gate any more follow even the list of upgrade requests).

Justinus

Once on a DUS-HEL flight I was on the waitlist for J with points. No upgrade for me. In the plane were lots of empty seats in J.

Y was completely full, but they upgraded some random pax, including a teenager, who was travelling with his mum (she stayed in Y).

Yes, this is deplorable. But at that time I was just a "lowly" Silver...

intuition

I don't think they will sell the last J seats, no.

As for clearing tier members upgrades and doing upgrades to solve oversold situation, I think we need to understand that it is not the same procedure and (to me) it seems not to be a very well though out procedure either.

Tier member upgrades are normally processed well in advance. The oversold situation is solved last minute. I am not sure who makes the decisions in op-up; I have experienced both when the gate says "we didn't do this, we have no control over it, you need to take this boarding pass and board now" and where the gate is doing all the decisions (actively looking for person to upgrade and processing it at the desk). If the latter, there is no benefit of being tier-member or on the waitlist. Gate will pick who ever they want to pick.

Advice given above is good. Ask 1-2 days ahead, and then again at the gate.

When they follow waitlist for upgrades, it is like Aviating says. Tier-status and date you went on waitlist are the deciding factors.