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
Apr 16, 2014, 12:42 am
#106
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It seems that I'm in the minority, but I gladly take the new solo AY seats over BA seats with the exception of the backwards facing seats in row 64 (and maybe 62) on the upper deck of 747's (64A and K are my favourite ones). I must have said this before, but I could not find my previous post at least in this thread.
Apr 16, 2014, 1:05 am
#107
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Apr 21, 2014, 8:49 am
#109
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Finally! That took a while! Maybe/hopfully they removed marimekko pattern too...
May 8, 2014, 1:49 pm
#113
Join Date: May 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, HH Gold
Posts: 102
Finnair might be confirming new business class will be on the YYZ flights this summer - "launch of our upgraded mainstream wide-body aircraft on this route."
But no clue how reliable this source is or if I'm reading too much into the wording, as the seatmap still hasn't changed for my June flight.
http://www.travelhotnews.com/reporta...uence_no=47683
But no clue how reliable this source is or if I'm reading too much into the wording, as the seatmap still hasn't changed for my June flight.
http://www.travelhotnews.com/reporta...uence_no=47683
May 8, 2014, 11:44 pm
#114
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Finnair might be confirming new business class will be on the YYZ flights this summer - "launch of our upgraded mainstream wide-body aircraft on this route."
But no clue how reliable this source is or if I'm reading too much into the wording, as the seatmap still hasn't changed for my June flight.
http://www.travelhotnews.com/reporta...uence_no=47683
But no clue how reliable this source is or if I'm reading too much into the wording, as the seatmap still hasn't changed for my June flight.
http://www.travelhotnews.com/reporta...uence_no=47683
May 9, 2014, 8:06 am
#115
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
Got an email from them earlier today: ... "They’ll be launched at the beginning of June on our routes to Tokyo, New York, Beijing, Seoul, Hanoi, Nagoya, Osaka and Shanghai, and in the winter 2014 season on flights to Hong Kong.
Umm, where did SIN disappear to?
Umm, where did SIN disappear to?
May 9, 2014, 1:05 pm
#116
Join Date: May 2012
Location: GVA (HEL)
Programs: AY Plat (OWE)
Posts: 536
AFAIK, SIN was never on that list... It will probably be a mix of old and new cabins on that route.
May 9, 2014, 1:44 pm
#117
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Helsinki-Vantaa APT, Finland
Programs: AY LUMO
Posts: 6,059
Let's take this again here:
There is a reason why SIN is not and was not listed as new C.
My guess is that is only rational fleet rotation.
They need A340 to HAN and Mo/Th/Sa when Hanoi AY97 is running they "borrow" A340 from NGO. NGO is Mo/Th/Sa A333 and all other days A340.
And about HKG:
7 A340's in fleet (4 with new seats, 3 with old) and they are on routes (from June):
BKK
PVG (new)
HAN/NGO (new)
SIN x2
HKG x2
so BKK, SIN + HKG will be mix of old and new.
They need A340 to HAN and Mo/Th/Sa when Hanoi AY97 is running they "borrow" A340 from NGO. NGO is Mo/Th/Sa A333 and all other days A340.
And about HKG:
7 A340's in fleet (4 with new seats, 3 with old) and they are on routes (from June):
BKK
PVG (new)
HAN/NGO (new)
SIN x2
HKG x2
so BKK, SIN + HKG will be mix of old and new.
May 10, 2014, 2:14 am
#118
Join Date: Dec 2009
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I take it the ex-AF queens will not have new C installed?
Looking forward to the introduction of the A350, which I take it will start replacing the A330/340s? Is AY set to be one of the first airlines to receive them, or are we in for quite a long wait?
Looking forward to the introduction of the A350, which I take it will start replacing the A330/340s? Is AY set to be one of the first airlines to receive them, or are we in for quite a long wait?
Last edited by aster; May 10, 2014 at 5:24 am
May 10, 2014, 4:58 am
#119
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True. No upgrades for LQA (ex-VS) or LQF/LQG (ex-AF).
It has been said these will be the first to leave the fleet when A350s arrive. Knowing how AY works, I'm not so sure they will get retired day 1. I think they will go the same way the 757s did - charter, scheduled leisure routes and possibly stand by for irrops and then a few years further down the line get phased out.
AY is the first European airline to fly A350s, but QR soon will (or has already) taken delivery of the first.
AY is scheduled for one or two machines in H2 2015 AFAIK. It has been delayed several times sofar.
And BTW Aster, welcome back, haven't seen you in a while on AY forum?
It has been said these will be the first to leave the fleet when A350s arrive. Knowing how AY works, I'm not so sure they will get retired day 1. I think they will go the same way the 757s did - charter, scheduled leisure routes and possibly stand by for irrops and then a few years further down the line get phased out.
AY is the first European airline to fly A350s, but QR soon will (or has already) taken delivery of the first.
AY is scheduled for one or two machines in H2 2015 AFAIK. It has been delayed several times sofar.
And BTW Aster, welcome back, haven't seen you in a while on AY forum?
Last edited by intuition; May 10, 2014 at 3:48 pm
May 10, 2014, 9:30 am
#120
Join Date: Jun 2013
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I think they will go the same way the 757s did - charter, scheduled leisure routes and possibly stand by for irrops and then a few years further down the line get phased out.
AY is the first European airline to fly A350s, but QR soon will (or has already) taken delivery of the first.
AY is scheduled for one or two machines in H2 2015 AFAIK. It has been delayed several times sofar.
AY is the first European airline to fly A350s, but QR soon will (or has already) taken delivery of the first.
AY is scheduled for one or two machines in H2 2015 AFAIK. It has been delayed several times sofar.
Airbus is now saying that "The A350 XWB’s certification testing is progressing well, and is on track for certification in Q3 2014, to be followed by entry into service with Qatar Airways in Q4." http://www.a350xwb.com/timeline/10481