Courmisch

I did not get to try the South Korean fondleslab for free in Y, even as AY+Plat and in one of the front-most rows pf economy .I did get it on voucher-upgraded J though.

As for newspapers, it seems AY does not carry the Helsinki Times in short-haul :-( It also fails to carry any non-business French language newspaper to/from CDG (only Les Échos), even though they do to/from BRU (I never tried GVA) .

FFlash

These are nice moves, and don't cost AY a penny ^ and you were AA member!

Last week, fully booked flight, boarding last, there was no cabin bag room whatsoever where to put by bag at exit row, the FA kindly asked me if I let her take my bag to the front cabin box. She did it in a manner that I think she had read the manifest I am AY Plat, waiting for me there ^. I like that. Even more so that I have been rudely taken by SK attendants not being any helpful with my bag when trying to stow it anywhere, let alone in the front cabin box.

FinOWE

I have flown 3 L/H round trips in the last 45 days. All of those booked in Y. I'm AY Platinum. Some positive and negative observations.

+ Purser came to say hello and asked if I wanted something from J (this happened on every flight in Y) --> always full glass of champagne for me and my wife - well done Finnair!
+ Op upgrade to J on one of my flights to BKK - I like to hear that beep at the gate and comment: "Sir, your seat number has changed..."
+ I got premium security lane priority pass right after landing to BKK
+ J upgrade cleared well in advance for all my family members. Purser asked our meal selection first in the J cabin.
+ J headsets offered to all my family members in Y
+ My family was entitled to enter to premium lounge at HEL despite IB tickets

- I didn't get my points upgrade through on one of the flights
- Points upgrade for other flight cleared very late

Lappe

On yesterday's AY69 I did not get my upgrade to clear so sat on 41 - the stewardess in charge of that station did not bat an eyelid during the flight, but her colleguages paid special attention to me: specifically asked for meal preferences after boardin ( because the papers at hand indicated my Plat status!), some mid-flight checks if I would want something (when awake) etc. Hardware and amenities were obviously not needed so in interest of the Finnish efficiency not offered. (To avoid insulting the customer)

Lappe

On yesterday's AY69 I did not get my upgrade to clear so sat on 41 - the stewardess in charge of that station did not bat an eyelid during the flight, but her colleguages paid special attention to me: specifically asked for meal preferences after boarding ( because the papers at hand indicated my Plat status!), some mid-flight checks if I would want something (when awake) etc. Hardware and amenities were obviously not needed so in interest of the Finnish efficiency not offered. (To avoid insulting the customer)

FFlash

How do you guys think about the following:

Recently had an embraer sh flight, which was fully-booked except one seat left. I, as AY Platinum, was seemingly granted the exit row seat with the only seat left as "soft blocked" for me (^). Then, after takeoff, a person behind me saw the roomier exit row seat free and jumped onto it. It left me a bit cramped at window seat.
For a moment I thought that I ask the person to move back to his original seat, but then did not want to do it. I just thought it would not be fair etiquette even in case it was not his assigned seat.
I just thought hey this is only a short hop and my seat is better than others anyway, I can do it a little bit more cramped and let the unknown guy enjoy a bit more legroom.
He, on the other hand did not say a word...

How would you go in a similar situation?

intuition

Like the typical nordic person it would annoy the xxx out of me, but I probably wouldn't act on the flight. I would make a formal complaint to AY later. (soft block isn't a perk, but selecting exit row is, and AY even charge people for this)

IME AY does not take such complaints seriously, but I guess they should if they want to keep on charging for seats. Especially when flying on China.

LoungeEnthusiast

I understand giving feedback is important, but in this case I think a formal complaint afterwards would not make any difference... I mean what would be the way in which AY could retrospectively make you feel better about what happened?

intuition

Probably nothing. Perhaps if they acknowledged the problem I would feel better. (Dream scenario would be a bit like korean style apology, where problem is acknowledged, apology offered together with an explanation of actions taken)

My point here is not that formal complaint later would be the most effective way of action. What I mean is that this way is how most nordic people would handle it (if they even bothered to file a complaint).

Also that AY really need to step up the game here and take action on these incidents.
They need to learn crowd control like CX or QR. If AY flies certain destinations with comfort seats unoccupied, people will just take them. Trying to tell some passengers that theses seats are not included in their ticket will just not work. If not handled properly, AY will soon be left with only two options: letting people sit anywhere they like despite they didn't pay or start to divert planes and charge people with air sabotage.

WilcoRoger

Lesson learnt - take the aisle seat, so no-one can just sneak in next to you.

kauppias

In a case like this perhaps mention it to the purser 😃 if I need the space or want it I am sure to say something to the seat swapper but then again on only half nordic 😏

esledo

I've had similar "incident" once on HEL-CKG. At check-in as AY Gold I had asked the seat next to me blocked (row 41 center bulkhead, I had an aisle 41D) for personal comfort. After boarding was complete a chinese couple came around and asked if they could sit there in the middle bulkhead. I politely tried to avoid DYKWIA and tell them that I understood this seat is blocked at check-in. As a response to this I got only "Please?" and so made they their way to 41EG.

I rouse this issue with one of the FAs and I asked is there any other seat I could have seat next to me free. She went through her PIL and noted that seat blockage is mentioned there so it should be honored. Also Y purser came around and told that they will deal with this after takeoff. And indeed then the Chinese FA at L3 bumbed the other one away leaving 41E free.

On a short flight I would have maybe stayed silent but on the other hand I think people should stick to their assigned seats as usually there is a reason why seats are assigned and why some seats are left free/blocked.

intuition

That is reassuring, then they have some readiness to handle it. ^

Some airlines do train their FAs to proactively look for "trespassers" and handle it before anyone can complain.

Courmisch

I have had a similar problem on a HEL->PEK flight First, a Chinese woman across the aisle wanted the blocked seat next to me. I explained that she should stick to her assigned seat unless instructed by the cabin staff. But then a rude Southern European man just came in from behind and just seat there noting "there is nobody in that seat". I did not dare make a fuss and call the staff. And there went my extra legroom for a red-eye flight

Unfortunately, taking an aisle seat only works if you know that the flight is not full and the window seat will not be assigned (I pretty much need a window seat in general due to motion sickness). Complaining to the staff only works as far as the staff knows about the blocked seat policy and dares to rebuff the "offending" passenger angry. I have not tried, but I can see how that would fail.

I have also had a more minor case of a Chinese couple on CDG->HEL who had separate seats and took the blocked seat because of that. Arguably, if it had not been for me and the blocked seat policy, they would have been assigned contiguous seats though.

FFlash

yes, this is what I do nowadays always on embraer even if I have my preferred window seat. If someone comes and tells me "I have that isle seat", I simply move to window and apologize "oh I am sorry".

All in all i think that I would only raise the issue onboard in case:
A) seat block is a published perk, and the seat is to-pay

I would not raise the issue onboard (maybe through AY afterwards) but I would be very annoyed if:
B) seat block is a published perk, even if the seat free-of-pay
C) seat block is an unpublished soft perk, but the seat is to-pay

I would not raise the issue at all but be left only little annoyed if:

D) seat block is an unpublished perk, but the seat is free-of-pay

We don't see often nowadays people trying to intrude from eco to business ("can I take that free seat?"), but I am sure this will happen on let's say LH eco to eco-comfort and there plays the FA role a bit in controlling pax.

Mostly it will be a question of pax not knowing about the ticket/service classes and thus they might feel you bery greedy and rude if you go and bump your fellow pax yourself.