This is no way, AY - things to improve [feedback thread]
Mar 30, 2024, 5:12 pm
#2206
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,756
While I would agree with all three points here, my educated guess is that if this was indeed presented to someone at AY, the reply would be, "That's such a rare occurence, no need to invest time and money in making it work."
They don't even sell multicity tickets on their homepage for non-award AY itineraries... And in very few cases can you buy an overnight connection. They just don't care about anything but the simplest point-to-point routings.
They don't even sell multicity tickets on their homepage for non-award AY itineraries... And in very few cases can you buy an overnight connection. They just don't care about anything but the simplest point-to-point routings.
Mar 31, 2024, 12:46 am
#2207
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,178
Partner awards might be limited because there used to be a "one world award" that allowed Manny connections and many airlines in the same ticket.It had a simple cost structure, a distance based pricing in 5-6 different mileage bands.
This award type was removed a few years ago and the then current loyalty manager told us "no one used this award anyway". True or not, it upset a lot of members here anyway.
The development of Finnair plus program has since then not gone in a positive direction. Under current management the hope to see improvements or even just moving the program into par with others isn't high, IMO.
This award type was removed a few years ago and the then current loyalty manager told us "no one used this award anyway". True or not, it upset a lot of members here anyway.
The development of Finnair plus program has since then not gone in a positive direction. Under current management the hope to see improvements or even just moving the program into par with others isn't high, IMO.
Mar 31, 2024, 1:19 am
#2208
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,603
[QUOTE=intuition;36122127]
On the first segment, my original seat was unoccupied. As it was the last row on ATR, crew had decided to utiliese the seats for themselves.
[\QUOTE]
The seats in the left back row have been reserved to the cabin crew for many years now. The explanations I have heard are that there are not two jump-seats in the galley and that the galley may get very cold in the winters. The jump-seat in the front is not practical during the flight because it is so close to passengers.
On the first segment, my original seat was unoccupied. As it was the last row on ATR, crew had decided to utiliese the seats for themselves.
[\QUOTE]
The seats in the left back row have been reserved to the cabin crew for many years now. The explanations I have heard are that there are not two jump-seats in the galley and that the galley may get very cold in the winters. The jump-seat in the front is not practical during the flight because it is so close to passengers.
Apr 2, 2024, 1:15 pm
#2209
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: *G, used to be with TK but left due to their corruption and political ties
Posts: 4,407
So I've want to book award flights on American Airlines YYZ-DFW-FSD-ORD-LAX. Using BA website I found award seats on all flights (both searching YYZ-FSD + FSD-LAX as well as segment by segment). I confirmed that availability was there using QF website as well as on AA-website (saver). Awards on American Airlines is not possible to book on Finnair homepage so I called to book them. First agent says she can't find any award seats. HUACA second agent says he can't see any award seats. I try chat instead with same reply. I try again later the same day and then finally get an agent who knows what she is doing - she is able to see all the seats and books the flights for me! Only took 4 tries for that simple thing...
Now next problem occurs. She is not able to price the flights. I'm hoping to get this priced as a one-way award at 11k avios, but as it is a circumvented routing YYZ-LAX I understand if it would be priced as 11k + 11k (YYZ-FSD + FSD-LAX). However she is not in any way able to price it and needs to contact support. She promises to get back to me next day via mail and does so as well with an update that support was not able to price the flights. We agree to split the flights into two reservations (YYZ-FSD + FSD-LAX) to see if pricing then works but it doesn't help. The pricing-issue goes on to another department and 2 days after the initial booking I get an email saying the city-pairs are missing from pricing, they are still working on it. It is now 7 days since the initial booking and the flights still have not been priced so I still have no ticket, asking today they say they are still waiting for an answer from the ticketing department. I suspect (just my guess) that this has something to do with the shift to avios, that not all award fares have been updated.
Given that the issue is not having YYZ-FSD-LAX in one booking I today contact Finnar to add the FSD-ORD-LAX flights to the reservations containing YYZ-DFW-FSD. Getting the flights in the same booking would be important to me as all flights are on the same day so it would help in case of delays. I have again confirmed that award availability is there using the same 3 sources but the agent finds no availability. Furthermore, the agent tells me that multi-city award bookings are not allowed. This is news to me compared to many other programs where I can book multi-segment flights and the basically pay end-on-end price (i.e. 11k + 11k) but have them in the same ticket.
So to list where I think AY needs to improve:
Now next problem occurs. She is not able to price the flights. I'm hoping to get this priced as a one-way award at 11k avios, but as it is a circumvented routing YYZ-LAX I understand if it would be priced as 11k + 11k (YYZ-FSD + FSD-LAX). However she is not in any way able to price it and needs to contact support. She promises to get back to me next day via mail and does so as well with an update that support was not able to price the flights. We agree to split the flights into two reservations (YYZ-FSD + FSD-LAX) to see if pricing then works but it doesn't help. The pricing-issue goes on to another department and 2 days after the initial booking I get an email saying the city-pairs are missing from pricing, they are still working on it. It is now 7 days since the initial booking and the flights still have not been priced so I still have no ticket, asking today they say they are still waiting for an answer from the ticketing department. I suspect (just my guess) that this has something to do with the shift to avios, that not all award fares have been updated.
Given that the issue is not having YYZ-FSD-LAX in one booking I today contact Finnar to add the FSD-ORD-LAX flights to the reservations containing YYZ-DFW-FSD. Getting the flights in the same booking would be important to me as all flights are on the same day so it would help in case of delays. I have again confirmed that award availability is there using the same 3 sources but the agent finds no availability. Furthermore, the agent tells me that multi-city award bookings are not allowed. This is news to me compared to many other programs where I can book multi-segment flights and the basically pay end-on-end price (i.e. 11k + 11k) but have them in the same ticket.
So to list where I think AY needs to improve:
- Train agents how to find availability on AA (and make it possible to book online!)
- Pricing should not take more than 1 week (I'll update here once I get an answer)
- Allow awards to be multi-city