BrixtonBiker

I have an upcoming trip to India and as the BA flights were so expensive, I instead asked our work TA to book me on Finnair via Helsinki.
I now have a confirmed reservation in discounted business, booked into R class.
Seat reservations?
I thought that as a BA bronze, I'd be able to select a seat seven days before departure, but that doesn't seem to be working. I found a page on the Finnair website saying that they no longer offer free seat selection unless you are on a fully flexible ticket! Does anyone know whether they still allow lowly plebs such as myself to request a seat?
Tier points / avios?
The slightly more concerning thing is that when I'm able to view my reservation in the BA MMB system, it says that "Rewards for this booking: 0 Avios | 0 Tier Points" ... although they also state elsewhere that bookings in R class should indeed accrue both avios and tier points. The latter are of particular interest, as this will take me back to Silver again.

Any ideas on either of these points?
Thank you!

corporate-wage-slave

For the second point, you should be guided by BA's Flight Calculator screens, and not MMB, which is often incorrect even with BA only sectors.

Modo

You will get better information on The Finnair Forum. You will likely find this airline has become a nightmare.

As Bronze you will likely get nothing. As Silver/Gold the Lite fares do permit a bag - unlike BA hand baggage only.

BUT even then expect them to impose an extremely strict carry on allowance- and will even check anything bought duty free in to the allowance at he gate!

Also because of no access to Russian airspace many of the flights to Asia have become lengthy.

I used them regularly ex MAN for several years. But this January they were a complete nightmare. On HEL SIN they moved to a SIN crew having controversially dropped Finnish crew. The crew were just plain insolent. And then they failed to connect baggage - delivering 22 hours late with 3 bags wrecked so badly it is hard to not believe it was deliberate. Still arguing with them nearly 6 months later. They reply after about 2 weeks insisting using a webform.

gms

Finnair doesn't offer their Finnair Plus Silver customers (Oneworld Ruby = BA Bronze) free seat reservations, so I don't think you will get this. They offer Finnair Plus Silver members a 50% discount on seat reservations. But not sure if that will work with other programs.

As others have said, Finnair's tickets have become so complex in the last couple of years, with some nice headline fares, but so many add-ons for luggage, lounges, seats, etc. it's become a nightmare trying to keep track of what you will or will not get, even as a top tier status holder.

BrixtonBiker

Ok - well, lesson learned!
I'm looking forward to trying out their new J seats. So long as I get my tier points, then I'll be happy.
Think I'll be trying to book with a different carrier next time though...
Thanks, as ever, for the prompt advice!

Modo

Please be very careful with baggage.

Having not offered let alone paid compensation for 3 bags wrecked outbound to SIN in Jan we decided to use our carry ons on for the return as hold baggage.

The Lite allowance for Gold is 1 X 32 and Siver 1 X23 = 55Kg. We turned up at HKG on return in late March (10 weeks later) with 51Kg in the one still - just about - serviceable case and 2 carry ons. The insisted on charging over £130 for the extra bag!! And slipped it through as card holder not present without advising the amount or requesting authorisation.

I won't be simply "trying" to book a differnt airline in future.

GUWonder

Finnair seems to be planning to make things even more complicated with some kind of sub-HBO/economy light fares. And as it already is even before AY goes further down the ticket/fare type complexity road, AY’s cabin baggage weigh allowance limit is a ridiculously little 8kg.

Group 1/2 boarding is still the order of the day for BA Silver/Gold and the other Oneworld elite equivalents.

I got free economy class seating selection for my TATL AY flights and international intra-Nordic AY flights as an AA elite last month on fares that came with no included checked baggage. And even at this very hour which is long before AY opens check-in online for my US-HEL flight with no free checked baggage as part of the fare, I’m still able to pick free seat assignments in the front of the economy class cabin without charge.

Howard Long

IMHO the new seats are a mixed bag. Very good for sleeping, with plenty of space, but quite uncomfortable for sitting in. You seem to have to sit ajar to slightly one side to watch the screen, so uniform back support is limited. It gave me a bad back for a couple of weeks after a HEL-BKK and HEL-LHR within a two days of each other. Personally, as a result I still prefer their previous incarnation, to such an extent that I would route accordingly (eg, choose NRT over HND when travelling to Tokyo). YMMV, of course!

Genius1

I found you need to creatively use the cushions to get comfortable sitting upright.

Grande Annee

The new seat is not ideal but an improvement on the previous incarnation

danielflyer

Finnair has been making drastic cuts lately as it struggles to stay afloat.

BAECAddict

I recently did LHR-HEL-TLL and back on a Business Light fare and had all OWE benefits granted: seat selection at time off booking, priority check in, fast track security and group 1 boarding, 1x checked bag and lounge access. Worked out very good value. I also thought the service was delightful both ways and the Platinum Wing was superb.

GUWonder

Isn’t this year so far it’s best or close to its best financial performance from operations since at least 2019?

TTmex

It's still down on where it was 5 years ago, I believe. A good friend works there and he's survived the different cuts etc, but he said he's very limited on ways up the company due to lack of opportunity. It's heavily propped up by the Gov, too. Until Russian airspace opens, it will struggle to be competitive. It's unique value add before was the ability to operate Asian routes daily with one frame, i.e. they could keep a 24 hour schedule using the same frame because it could get there and back on time, something the other European countries couldn't. Without that advantage they'll struggle to compete on important, profitable routes.

Grace B

I flew CPH-HEL-BKK on a QF reward ticket in J a few weeks ago, and found the overall experience to really good.

I enjoyed the premium lounge at HEL, with a decent glass of McLaren Vale Shiraz (and the contract lounge at CPH wasn't bad either). The seats were fine for me, no complaints whatever, and the Finnish cabin crew of mainly older ladies were wonderful. Chatty, light hearted and couldn't do enough for me. A great flight from HEL. Even the Luxembourgian sparkling wine from CPH was fine.

I was quite happy that the flight was longer than pre-COVID...