The Finnair höpö-höpö (nonsense) thread
#6436
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: * Alliance Gold, oneworld Emerald, Marriott Bonvoy LT TE, HHonors Diamond, WoH Globalist
Posts: 2,099
#6437
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY, SK, TK
Posts: 7,581
#6438
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,083
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/05...g?v=1621278676
#6440
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,668
This is not very recent, but they have checked my bags in a similar situation. Years ago, though.
#6441
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: MPC-DM, Enrich-Plat
Posts: 1,310
I'm in a sort of tricky situation here. The hotel in SIN is a lot cheaper if I book a nonrefundalbe rate. My flight is three weeks from now, 05APR. And AY has already amended the schedule, adding in extra flight time and thus a new arrival time at SIN. So I have all the reason to believe that they intend to operate the flight. But dare I book a nonrefundable hotel rate? I've stuck to refundable rates only during covid, but the saving is substantial...
Suppose, you estimate it to be a 10% chance. With 10 times this bet, you "know" one time, you will lose the money for the booking. If the difference between fully refundable and non-refundable for those 10 times is more than the missed bet of one non-refundable, you'de better always go for the non-refundable. This also scales back to just one occasion. If the refundable is double the price of a non-refundable, and you estimate the cancel chance to be (significantly, it still is just guessing) lower than 50%, go for the non-refundable.
Not to say, make an estimate, whether you expect rooms to be available at the latest moment. IF you do expect sufficient availability, just book (online of course), just a couple of hours before arrival, and you don't have the non-refundable issue and often can get excellent rates for better rooms/locations. It does require strong nerves to deal with the uncertainly and not something to do with older people, or kids. Hotel rooms are a perishable good, so hotels will do what ever needed to put somebody in the room.
Oh, never walk in a hotel to get a room, even when at the doorstep, book online, it'll be a huge price difference with the walk-in rate.
And, when you are prepared to call off a trip, when the last minute pricing is too high, you may even try this with tickets.
#6442
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,492
#6443
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,668
Well, I took the risk now. The price was good and (as opposed to yesterday!), breakfast was included. At least pre-covid, it was a very good breakfast. Fingers crossed!
#6444
Moderator, Finnair
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Platinum, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,132
#6446
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: C2
Posts: 649
I'm "enjoying" a 26h stay at HEL Hilton due to missed connection to VAA.
Not much seemed to be working at HEL yesterday. Transfer security a complete mess, even if we have landed on time we had needed +1,5h time to transfer to domestic flight. Two lines transfer security open, neither working properly, there was DXB and DEL transfers waiting. Avia guys claimed the scanning machines had some problems, AY transfer desk told it was due to corona so they didn't have staff for transfer security. A mess to find and take out luggage for the involuntary layover, AY staff blaming new ground handling company.
Not much seemed to be working at HEL yesterday. Transfer security a complete mess, even if we have landed on time we had needed +1,5h time to transfer to domestic flight. Two lines transfer security open, neither working properly, there was DXB and DEL transfers waiting. Avia guys claimed the scanning machines had some problems, AY transfer desk told it was due to corona so they didn't have staff for transfer security. A mess to find and take out luggage for the involuntary layover, AY staff blaming new ground handling company.
#6447
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,668
Sounds horrible. If transfer security was such a mess, you could have exited at HEL and re-entered via Priority security for your VAA flight. How much time did you actually have between landing and departure?
#6448
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: C2
Posts: 649
Transfer desk did not offer anything but Hotel and Alepa vouchers. They do not arrange ground transport such as Taxi or VR. I could have taken a Taxi myself, and later tried to claim the cost from AY I was told.
Well, let's see how the EC261 goes. The delay from DXB on app. 1h was caused by a puking child. They decided to deboard just after pushback, luggage unloading took a while. They might claim this is an extraordinary event. (But in this case only one factor of several to why we are sitting in HEL for +24hrs)
#6450
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,015
Well, let's see how the EC261 goes. The delay from DXB on app. 1h was caused by a puking child. They decided to deboard just after pushback, luggage unloading took a while. They might claim this is an extraordinary event. (But in this case only one factor of several to why we are sitting in HEL for +24hrs)