No upgrade available for AY+ points - a first
Dec 7, 2014, 3:10 am
#107
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: try to stay home
Programs: AY, M&M, BAEC ...and don t care of status anymore
Posts: 2,042
I try to find upgrades for flights to BKK - a few days ago I could find plenty of them - now they are zeroed out (any given day in March, April 2015).
Is this an error - or changes in the program?
OK they are back again - system error?
Is this an error - or changes in the program?
OK they are back again - system error?
Dec 7, 2014, 12:09 pm
#108
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AY Plat Lumo+LTG, FI Gold, DL Silver, BA, SK, AX Plat, Priority Pass, Marriott Ambassador & others
Posts: 634
J0 C0 D0 IC Y0 B0 H0 KC MC PC TC LC VC SC NC QC OC ZC RC G0 WC X0 E0
Also, seat map for Business shows all but 1 seat occupied.
Dec 7, 2014, 12:15 pm
#109
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AY Plat Lumo+LTG, FI Gold, DL Silver, BA, SK, AX Plat, Priority Pass, Marriott Ambassador & others
Posts: 634
One solution in the future would be to make the upgrades harder to reach. Elevate the point requirements and do away with the gold/plat upgrade vouchers. LH gives two one sector eVouchers for renewing the SEN status and only six one sector eVouchers for renewing the HON status. AY is very generous with their vouchers nowadays.
BTW - when you compare AY's upgrade practices to AA, AA upgrade as a standard practice elite members to J at the gate as long as there is availability.
Dec 7, 2014, 12:25 pm
#110
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: LAX
Posts: 177
Thank you for checking!
Dec 8, 2014, 4:33 am
#111
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,106
Also - these gate updates are domestic only (IIRC). There is no AY domestic C so nowhere to upgrade to.
Dec 8, 2014, 5:22 am
#112
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AY Plat Lumo+LTG, FI Gold, DL Silver, BA, SK, AX Plat, Priority Pass, Marriott Ambassador & others
Posts: 634
"Domestic" in the US means something a bit bigger than in Finland. I'd be happy if AY applied that for EU routes.
Dec 10, 2014, 5:45 pm
#113
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,786
Dec 11, 2014, 11:31 am
#114
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: LAX
Posts: 177
Just now one slot freed up and seat map shows two additional available seats in mini-cabin. Time to start hoping again?
Dec 31, 2014, 6:48 am
#115
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,111
Finnair started the traditional winter sale yesterday. Unfortunately, they don't offer discounted upgrades this winter.
Anyway, I upgraded our upcoming flight to JFK. The upgrade availability only showed two free seats, and I picked them up. On a return flight, availability showed even less: one seat. The same upgrade availability is almost every day in March. However, seat maps were almost empty when I made few dummy bookings.
I called to Finnair Plus and asked about it. They said straight they keep low availability for upgrades so that they have more to sell for paying customers and offered to add us on a wait list. Instead, I paid for the first row of economy comfort seats on the return flight.
Anyway, I upgraded our upcoming flight to JFK. The upgrade availability only showed two free seats, and I picked them up. On a return flight, availability showed even less: one seat. The same upgrade availability is almost every day in March. However, seat maps were almost empty when I made few dummy bookings.
I called to Finnair Plus and asked about it. They said straight they keep low availability for upgrades so that they have more to sell for paying customers and offered to add us on a wait list. Instead, I paid for the first row of economy comfort seats on the return flight.
Dec 31, 2014, 7:43 am
#116
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY, SK, TK
Posts: 7,601
Anyway, I upgraded our upcoming flight to JFK. The upgrade availability only showed two free seats, and I picked them up. On a return flight, availability showed even less: one seat. The same upgrade availability is almost every day in March. However, seat maps were almost empty when I made few dummy bookings.
.
.
I always call Plat line to do the upgrades and I have been waitlisted, but upgrades cleared the following day. This makes me think a following scenario: they open only couple of seats (at least for high interest routes), prefer to waitlist people, then a manager level person goes through the lists, and those on higher elite status get cleared faster.
Just a guess... but it seems that the availability of upgrades has not worsened, they seem only to lure people think so (a point which I don't understand though)
Dec 31, 2014, 9:11 am
#117
Ambassador: Finnair Plus
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+ Plat, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist, Priority Club Plat Amb, Miles and Smiles Elite
Posts: 5,294
I copy that, at least for JFK.
I always call Plat line to do the upgrades and I have been waitlisted, but upgrades cleared the following day. This makes me think a following scenario: they open only couple of seats (at least for high interest routes), prefer to waitlist people, then a manager level person goes through the lists, and those on higher elite status get cleared faster.
Just a guess... but it seems that the availability of upgrades has not worsened, they seem only to lure people think so (a point which I don't understand though)
I always call Plat line to do the upgrades and I have been waitlisted, but upgrades cleared the following day. This makes me think a following scenario: they open only couple of seats (at least for high interest routes), prefer to waitlist people, then a manager level person goes through the lists, and those on higher elite status get cleared faster.
Just a guess... but it seems that the availability of upgrades has not worsened, they seem only to lure people think so (a point which I don't understand though)
Jan 19, 2015, 11:20 am
#118
Join Date: May 2012
Location: GVA (HEL)
Programs: AY Plat (OWE)
Posts: 536
Just to add another data point: upgrade with points for HEL-ORD segment next September cleared today in two hours for me and Mrs. LE. Availability tool showed only one upgrade seat available.
Feb 2, 2015, 12:13 am
#119
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY, SK, TK
Posts: 7,601
This is a very silly question, but I am doing it since very bad online travel agent experiences I have become supercautious to book with them:
Is there going to be any issues to upgrade with AY points/voucher if I have booked through OTA an AY longhaul ticket on AY metal?
I always book through airline, but now it seems a constant difference of ~750€ AY vs. >500€ OTA which makes me tempted to buy through OTA after all.
Is there going to be any issues to upgrade with AY points/voucher if I have booked through OTA an AY longhaul ticket on AY metal?
I always book through airline, but now it seems a constant difference of ~750€ AY vs. >500€ OTA which makes me tempted to buy through OTA after all.
Feb 2, 2015, 12:28 am
#120
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,176
This is a very silly question, but I am doing it since very bad online travel agent experiences I have become supercautious to book with them:
Is there going to be any issues to upgrade with AY points/voucher if I have booked through OTA an AY longhaul ticket on AY metal?
I always book through airline, but now it seems a constant difference of ~750€ AY vs. >500€ OTA which makes me tempted to buy through OTA after all.
Is there going to be any issues to upgrade with AY points/voucher if I have booked through OTA an AY longhaul ticket on AY metal?
I always book through airline, but now it seems a constant difference of ~750€ AY vs. >500€ OTA which makes me tempted to buy through OTA after all.
Expedia is just a broker of AY tickets, so you actually buy the ticket from AY and pay a nominal fee to expedia for the transaction. Not sure if that has anything to do with anything, but having Finnair on the creditcard statement may make you feel better in case of trouble.
OTOH, these trips have all gone as planned, so I have no hands-on experience with OTA, AY and irrop.
*) No trouble other than the usual availability problems