Mar 12, 2015, 3:34 pm
Last edit by: Marschel
Background
From time to time, AY will make the Y traveller an offer to upgrade. This thread lists when, how and and how much the upgrade is.
Selection process is unknown, but it is likely that neither fare class on original ticket nor tier status of traveller is a selection criteria, at least not to travellers advantage. From the reports made so far, both travellers with and without FF# in the reservation have gotten offers.
Offers are likely made only when Y is oversold or nearly full. Some travellers have reported declining offer and being upgraded for free later ("op-up").
Offers are fixed price offers, either in € or in AY+points. The latter kind is only valid for members of AY+, while €-offers are directed to all kind of travellers.
Offers are made either in mail or via text message and recipient has 72 hours to repspond. Some reports says this time is now shortened to 48 hours. Text message offers typically arrive close to departure and may not state a last time to reply.
Offers in text message can be replied to and upgrade is instantly processed. Offers in mail has occasionally not cleared (said to be "sold out" when accepting offer too late).
If offer is accepted and upgrade clears, new ticket is issued in F, so a confirmed upgrade with all perks of business class included. Mileage earning is according to original fare class however.
Development
In august 2015 AY announced a trial to let travellers bid for upgrades, initially on AY89 and AY90. It is likely that bidding will affect the number of fixed price offers.
The trial has been made permanent, and the bidding for upgrade has been extended to more longhaul routes.
The program has also led to a consolidation of upgrade options to one webpage
https://www.finnair.com/int/gb/upgrade-options
where you can upgrade by bidding, by using AY+ points or by accepting last minute cash offers. The latter ("Last minute" offers) are the same as have been discussed in this thread.. Finnair still pushes those offers via e-mail and text-message, but now also shows them on this webpage.
Offers made
Here is a condensed list of offers made, processed including post #213.
Figures are in € unless otherwise stated. Each destination's offers are recorded in a single line in time order.
Longhaul
SIN-HEL 248, 348, 348
HEL-SIN 499, 499, 348, 349€
JFK-HEL 48k points, 348€, 348€, 499
HKG-HEL 248
HEL-HKG 348
BKK-HEL 298, 348, 348
HEL-BKK 48k points, 348€, 348€ (290€ on phone? Not yet confirmed)
HEL-HKT 348
NRT-HEL 498
HEL-KIX 348, 375 (12/19, 01/20)
KIX-HEL 391 (12/19, 01/20)
ICN-HEL 248, 318
HEL-PVG 298
PVG-HEL 448, 498
CKG-HEL 228
XIY-HEL 248
HEL-DEL 198
HEL-DEL 300 (4/19)
YYZ-HEL 225€, 225
Shorthaul
DXB-HEL 99
HEL-VNO 7k points
HEL-BUD 69€
BUD-HEL 69, 8k points, 69
HEL-PRG 69€
PRG-HEL ≈70€
CPH-HEL 7k points, 7k, 69€, 7k, 69€
HEL-CPH 69€, 69, 69
HEL-ARN 7,5k points, 41€
HEL-GOT 7k points
GOT-HEL 7k points
HEL-VIE 69€
HEL-CDG 69€, 69€, 69
CDG-HEL 89€
HEL-MXP 69
HEL-TXL 9k points, 9k
HEL-DUS 69
HEL-HAM 69,69
HAM-HEL 69
HEL-FRA 69€
FRA-HEL 69€, 89, 89€
BRU-HEL 69
GVA-HEL 69
HEL-GVA 69, 89
HEL-LHR 9k points
HEL-LHR 109€
HEL-MAD 89€, 9k points
HEL-SVO 69€
HEL-WAW 79€
WAW-HEL 79€
DUS-HEL 69€
HEL-OSL 42€
HEL-MUC 90 (01/20)
MUC-HEL 115€ (01/20)
From time to time, AY will make the Y traveller an offer to upgrade. This thread lists when, how and and how much the upgrade is.
Selection process is unknown, but it is likely that neither fare class on original ticket nor tier status of traveller is a selection criteria, at least not to travellers advantage. From the reports made so far, both travellers with and without FF# in the reservation have gotten offers.
Offers are likely made only when Y is oversold or nearly full. Some travellers have reported declining offer and being upgraded for free later ("op-up").
Offers are fixed price offers, either in € or in AY+points. The latter kind is only valid for members of AY+, while €-offers are directed to all kind of travellers.
Offers are made either in mail or via text message and recipient has 72 hours to repspond. Some reports says this time is now shortened to 48 hours. Text message offers typically arrive close to departure and may not state a last time to reply.
Offers in text message can be replied to and upgrade is instantly processed. Offers in mail has occasionally not cleared (said to be "sold out" when accepting offer too late).
If offer is accepted and upgrade clears, new ticket is issued in F, so a confirmed upgrade with all perks of business class included. Mileage earning is according to original fare class however.
Development
In august 2015 AY announced a trial to let travellers bid for upgrades, initially on AY89 and AY90. It is likely that bidding will affect the number of fixed price offers.
The trial has been made permanent, and the bidding for upgrade has been extended to more longhaul routes.
The program has also led to a consolidation of upgrade options to one webpage
https://www.finnair.com/int/gb/upgrade-options
where you can upgrade by bidding, by using AY+ points or by accepting last minute cash offers. The latter ("Last minute" offers) are the same as have been discussed in this thread.. Finnair still pushes those offers via e-mail and text-message, but now also shows them on this webpage.
Offers made
Here is a condensed list of offers made, processed including post #213.
Figures are in € unless otherwise stated. Each destination's offers are recorded in a single line in time order.
Longhaul
SIN-HEL 248, 348, 348
HEL-SIN 499, 499, 348, 349€
JFK-HEL 48k points, 348€, 348€, 499
HKG-HEL 248
HEL-HKG 348
BKK-HEL 298, 348, 348
HEL-BKK 48k points, 348€, 348€ (290€ on phone? Not yet confirmed)
HEL-HKT 348
NRT-HEL 498
HEL-KIX 348, 375 (12/19, 01/20)
KIX-HEL 391 (12/19, 01/20)
ICN-HEL 248, 318
HEL-PVG 298
PVG-HEL 448, 498
CKG-HEL 228
XIY-HEL 248
HEL-DEL 198
HEL-DEL 300 (4/19)
YYZ-HEL 225€, 225
Shorthaul
DXB-HEL 99
HEL-VNO 7k points
HEL-BUD 69€
BUD-HEL 69, 8k points, 69
HEL-PRG 69€
PRG-HEL ≈70€
CPH-HEL 7k points, 7k, 69€, 7k, 69€
HEL-CPH 69€, 69, 69
HEL-ARN 7,5k points, 41€
HEL-GOT 7k points
GOT-HEL 7k points
HEL-VIE 69€
HEL-CDG 69€, 69€, 69
CDG-HEL 89€
HEL-MXP 69
HEL-TXL 9k points, 9k
HEL-DUS 69
HEL-HAM 69,69
HAM-HEL 69
HEL-FRA 69€
FRA-HEL 69€, 89, 89€
BRU-HEL 69
GVA-HEL 69
HEL-GVA 69, 89
HEL-LHR 9k points
HEL-LHR 109€
HEL-MAD 89€, 9k points
HEL-SVO 69€
HEL-WAW 79€
WAW-HEL 79€
DUS-HEL 69€
HEL-OSL 42€
HEL-MUC 90 (01/20)
MUC-HEL 115€ (01/20)
Please post your upgrade offers
Mar 9, 2015, 9:37 am
#46
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY, SK, TK
Posts: 7,694
* City-pair: HEL-ARN
* Price offered: 7500 AY points
* Flight date: 23 Mar 2015
* FF tier on reservation: AY Plat
* Original ticket type: R
* When the offer was made: 14 days before departure
* How the offer was made: Finnair App, it seems to have a new function there, at least very simple ^
Anyone thinks I will snatch this offer?
* Price offered: 7500 AY points
* Flight date: 23 Mar 2015
* FF tier on reservation: AY Plat
* Original ticket type: R
* When the offer was made: 14 days before departure
* How the offer was made: Finnair App, it seems to have a new function there, at least very simple ^
Anyone thinks I will snatch this offer?
Mar 10, 2015, 1:39 am
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
Programs: AA-EP, TK-*G, HL-DM, HY-GLO, MR-LTP
Posts: 25,940
Offer made only if you book direct?
Can anyone confirm that the upgrades are only offered if booked directly with AY? Or also through TAs?
I didn't get an offer but when I tried asking at HK airport for an upgrade, I was told that my ticket didn't allow changes (Z).
How best to approach this if I continue buying tickets through OTA or TA?
I didn't get an offer but when I tried asking at HK airport for an upgrade, I was told that my ticket didn't allow changes (Z).
How best to approach this if I continue buying tickets through OTA or TA?
Mar 10, 2015, 2:55 am
#50
Join Date: May 2014
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+Plat, ALL Plat
Posts: 3,630
I have been able to upgrade eBookers and Expedia tickets. The OTA even sends an email to warn you that "the airline has changed the ticket". But those were points upgrades.
Indeed, I was kinda expecting a paid upgrade offer on an upcoming HEL-BKK(-SIN), with plenty of J upgrade availability, and it never came. I bought the ticket through Expedia, as the CX interline was cheaper that way.
Indeed, I was kinda expecting a paid upgrade offer on an upcoming HEL-BKK(-SIN), with plenty of J upgrade availability, and it never came. I bought the ticket through Expedia, as the CX interline was cheaper that way.
Mar 10, 2015, 3:44 am
#51
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,932
However, please bear in mind that AY is known to be somewhat arbitrary in cases like these so it should not come as a surprise if the outcome is different in your case.
Mar 10, 2015, 9:35 am
#52
Join Date: May 2014
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+Plat, ALL Plat
Posts: 3,630
* City-pair: HEL-BKK (AY95)
* Price offered: 48000 points
* Flight date: 11 Mar 2015
* FF tier on reservation: AY Gold at time of flying (Plat at time of booking)
* Original ticket type: RBA
* When the offer was made: 25 hours to departure
* How the offer was made: SMS
* Price offered: 48000 points
* Flight date: 11 Mar 2015
* FF tier on reservation: AY Gold at time of flying (Plat at time of booking)
* Original ticket type: RBA
* When the offer was made: 25 hours to departure
* How the offer was made: SMS
Mar 11, 2015, 4:39 pm
#57
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,932
Mar 12, 2015, 10:11 am
#59
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Plat, LH Sen
Posts: 977
We travelled with my girlfriend from Helsinki to Budapest on the 2nd of August 2013 and the flight was about 4 hours late. The plane they used was one that had suffered an engine failure in Barcelona several days earlier. It came directly from Barcelona for our flight. When I approached AY directly, they claimed that the cause of the delay was an unforeseeable technical failure and offered gift certificates of 100 euros per person as compensation. In my claim for the Consumer Disputes Board I claimed that the problem wasn't unforeseeable as it had taken place several days earlier and listed a number of ways Finnair would have had to work around the issue.
Mar 12, 2015, 3:25 pm
#60
Moderator, Finnair
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: EB Diamond, M&M SEN, QR Gold, AY+ Gold, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,314
Bringing the thread back on topic with a short summary. Will add a wiki on top when time allows.
Conclusions after 23 reports:
* Upgrade offers has little to do with fare class on original ticket or tier of FF card. Anyone can get them.
* Email-offers are usually sent 2 weeks before take off. LH offers range from 198€ to 499€ one way, with SIN and Japan in the upper end and DEL in the lower end.
* SH offers range from 69-99€ (very few reported). For SH, text offers dominate.
* Text-offers are usually sent 1 day before, they are normally only points offers (so only to AY+ members) and has none or a ever so slight discount.
On the first question - don't know, hasn't been reported so far. I'd guess OTA tickets will get offers too, as long as AY has the email-adress. But just guessing.
Second - Unless you held a "points and cash" ticket, I think that was not a correct answer. (Tickets paid with points+cash-offers not upgradeable). However, these offers are made when control of seating et.c. is under control of rev management. CI has probably no control over such upgrades. On rare occasions upgrades are performed locally and then reports here says they are randomly selected.
Conclusions after 23 reports:
* Upgrade offers has little to do with fare class on original ticket or tier of FF card. Anyone can get them.
* Email-offers are usually sent 2 weeks before take off. LH offers range from 198€ to 499€ one way, with SIN and Japan in the upper end and DEL in the lower end.
* SH offers range from 69-99€ (very few reported). For SH, text offers dominate.
* Text-offers are usually sent 1 day before, they are normally only points offers (so only to AY+ members) and has none or a ever so slight discount.
Can anyone confirm that the upgrades are only offered if booked directly with AY? Or also through TAs?
I didn't get an offer but when I tried asking at HK airport for an upgrade, I was told that my ticket didn't allow changes (Z).
How best to approach this if I continue buying tickets through OTA or TA?
I didn't get an offer but when I tried asking at HK airport for an upgrade, I was told that my ticket didn't allow changes (Z).
How best to approach this if I continue buying tickets through OTA or TA?
Second - Unless you held a "points and cash" ticket, I think that was not a correct answer. (Tickets paid with points+cash-offers not upgradeable). However, these offers are made when control of seating et.c. is under control of rev management. CI has probably no control over such upgrades. On rare occasions upgrades are performed locally and then reports here says they are randomly selected.