May 12, 2018, 2:05 am
Last edit by: intuition
Official policy as it was published in 2017. My bolding to direct readers to the most commonly asked part. Do note wording 'allow'.
THROUGH CHECK-IN POLICY
Finnair takes care of passenger’s through check-in in all cases where the passenger has an agreement of carriage with Finnair and the through check-in is technically possible and is according to local instructions. This agreement of carriage requires that the passenger holds a Passenger Ticket and Baggage Check, or an electronic ticket, as defined in the Conditions of Carriage and issued by Finnair or on its behalf.
Passenger’s flight reservation (PNR) and flight ticket (single agreement with specific airline) are not always the same thing. Each ticket with different ticket number is an independent agreement of carriage with the ticketed air carrier. It is not possible to through check either passenger or baggage between separate flight tickets even if they are in the same PNR. Check-in is possible only to the final destination on each individual agreement of carriage (= flight ticket).
It’s important to remember that MCT (Minimum Connection Time) at each airport is based on the assumption that flights are booked on the same ticket and this way passenger and baggage may be through checked to the final destination. In case flights are on separate tickets, passenger has to collect baggage and recheck on the connecting flight at the transfer station thus MCT is no longer valid. Passenger shall be informed already at the time of reservation that check-in can be done only as far as Finnair has a contract of carriage with the passenger.
FINNAIR THROUGH CHECK-IN POLICY
Passenger and baggage shall be through checked to the final destination as indicated by the flight ticket, provided it constitutes one single agreement of carriage with Finnair. Finnair will provide through check-in for a journey ticketed in a single PNR; this includes segments ticketed separately but booked in the same PNR (and/or referenced in a single PNR during the time of booking).
In addition to the basic rule Finnair will allow through check-in of customer and baggage with separate tickets on separate PNRs on AY–AY (including AY franchising flights operated by Norra) connections when the transfer is within the Minimum Connection Time (MCT). For AY–AY connection flights on the separate PNRs have to be both marketed and operated by Finnair or Norra and flights ticketed on the 105-stock. The agent shall always inform the customer of the destination where the customer and his or her baggage are checked-in to.
THROUGH CHECK-IN POLICY
Finnair takes care of passenger’s through check-in in all cases where the passenger has an agreement of carriage with Finnair and the through check-in is technically possible and is according to local instructions. This agreement of carriage requires that the passenger holds a Passenger Ticket and Baggage Check, or an electronic ticket, as defined in the Conditions of Carriage and issued by Finnair or on its behalf.
Passenger’s flight reservation (PNR) and flight ticket (single agreement with specific airline) are not always the same thing. Each ticket with different ticket number is an independent agreement of carriage with the ticketed air carrier. It is not possible to through check either passenger or baggage between separate flight tickets even if they are in the same PNR. Check-in is possible only to the final destination on each individual agreement of carriage (= flight ticket).
It’s important to remember that MCT (Minimum Connection Time) at each airport is based on the assumption that flights are booked on the same ticket and this way passenger and baggage may be through checked to the final destination. In case flights are on separate tickets, passenger has to collect baggage and recheck on the connecting flight at the transfer station thus MCT is no longer valid. Passenger shall be informed already at the time of reservation that check-in can be done only as far as Finnair has a contract of carriage with the passenger.
FINNAIR THROUGH CHECK-IN POLICY
Passenger and baggage shall be through checked to the final destination as indicated by the flight ticket, provided it constitutes one single agreement of carriage with Finnair. Finnair will provide through check-in for a journey ticketed in a single PNR; this includes segments ticketed separately but booked in the same PNR (and/or referenced in a single PNR during the time of booking).
In addition to the basic rule Finnair will allow through check-in of customer and baggage with separate tickets on separate PNRs on AY–AY (including AY franchising flights operated by Norra) connections when the transfer is within the Minimum Connection Time (MCT). For AY–AY connection flights on the separate PNRs have to be both marketed and operated by Finnair or Norra and flights ticketed on the 105-stock. The agent shall always inform the customer of the destination where the customer and his or her baggage are checked-in to.
Finnair baggage on separate tickets after June 1, 2016 OW decision!?
Mar 17, 2019, 10:33 am
#106
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Programs: Finnair (AY) Platinum, Air France Silver, Tallink Club One Silver :)
Posts: 1,655
If I anticipated an issue with checked luggage, I probably would have added a stopover in HEL on the returnz. Would it be a huge cost to change the ticket to add an overnight stopover in HEL (i.e., change HEL-FRA to the next day? I guess the other option is not to check luggage.
Mar 17, 2019, 12:11 pm
#107
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,753
FRA is a nice enough city for a short stopover. The train to the city takes some 20 min, there’s a pretty rebuilt old town and a pedestrian street with good shopping.
Mar 17, 2019, 3:08 pm
#109
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Programs: Finnair (AY) Platinum, Air France Silver, Tallink Club One Silver :)
Posts: 1,655
Mar 17, 2019, 6:18 pm
#111
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 517
They also said that HEL arrival service will be able to take the bag to the baggage claim when on an overnight connection even if it’s tagged to the final destination, which they did.
Mar 17, 2019, 7:42 pm
#112
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 938
This is an(other) area where AY policy - if there is one - and its implementation is totally inconsistent. I've never had a problem short-checking when departing from HKG and BKK, however JFK did not allow it a few months ago.
Jun 18, 2019, 8:55 am
#114
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Programs: Finnair (AY) Platinum, Air France Silver, Tallink Club One Silver :)
Posts: 1,655
I'm turning to you guys for help, as the good people of Kajaani were only confused, without any answer to my question...
I have an AY issued, AY operated ticket for the following route: FRA-HEL-SFO; LAX-HEL-FRA
I need to buy a HEL-FRA-HEL ticket to be able to actually fly it. For the first leg, it is not an issue, as based on info read here, I can ask the staff at HEL to check my suitcase straight to SFO, without the FRA detour, and even if not, for the morning flight there is ~2 hours in FRA between landing and take-off. However, I see issues with the return leg, as the turnaround time for the afternoon / evening flight to-from FRA is ~50 minutes, which would not be enough to collect the suitcase, check it in and pass through security again to catch the return flight.
I see two possibilities:
1, Short check suitcase in LAX to HEL, not bringing it to FRA and pick it up after returning from FRA the same evening
2, Ask the check-in agent at LAX to through-check my suitcase for LAX-HEL-FRA-HEL and hope that in FRA they don't get too confused about putting the suitcase back to the same flight they took it off from... Based on the published through-check policy of AY, this should be ok, as both tickets will be AY issued under 105 stock, AY marketed and AY operated.
Do you guys think that any of the above would work? Where can I find the MCT for FRA to see if the ~50 minutes would be enough or not?
I have an AY issued, AY operated ticket for the following route: FRA-HEL-SFO; LAX-HEL-FRA
I need to buy a HEL-FRA-HEL ticket to be able to actually fly it. For the first leg, it is not an issue, as based on info read here, I can ask the staff at HEL to check my suitcase straight to SFO, without the FRA detour, and even if not, for the morning flight there is ~2 hours in FRA between landing and take-off. However, I see issues with the return leg, as the turnaround time for the afternoon / evening flight to-from FRA is ~50 minutes, which would not be enough to collect the suitcase, check it in and pass through security again to catch the return flight.
I see two possibilities:
1, Short check suitcase in LAX to HEL, not bringing it to FRA and pick it up after returning from FRA the same evening
2, Ask the check-in agent at LAX to through-check my suitcase for LAX-HEL-FRA-HEL and hope that in FRA they don't get too confused about putting the suitcase back to the same flight they took it off from... Based on the published through-check policy of AY, this should be ok, as both tickets will be AY issued under 105 stock, AY marketed and AY operated.
Do you guys think that any of the above would work? Where can I find the MCT for FRA to see if the ~50 minutes would be enough or not?
Not sure if this is policy, or was just pure luck, but it worked out for us.
On board though the printed manifast still had us connecting to FRA, as both the FA taking care of my aisle in J and the purser was ensuring us that we'll make it to our flight to FRA despite our delay, as there are ~15 pax connecting there and they'll hold the HEL-FRA flight for 20 minutes.
Sep 30, 2021, 3:07 pm
#116
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: HK
Programs: Qantas (Lifetime Gold), PAL (Elite), British Airways (now sadly blue), Cathay MPO DM
Posts: 647
Nov 15, 2021, 8:21 pm
#117
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 274
Nov 15, 2021, 11:26 pm
#118
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,753
I believe you can check in your bags at HEL 24 hours before your flight, so in worst case they should accept your bags right away. Please let us know if LIS agreed to check the bags all the wat to HKG.
Nov 30, 2021, 7:20 pm
#119
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75k, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 132
Baggage allowance on separate tickets
I have a ticket with my companion (OWE+no status) flying AY inaugural DFW-HEL using AS miles in J (and then onward to LHR after a few days stopover). I'm going to meet with some friends at HEL, and planning to book a separate AY stocked, marketed, and operated economy light for 4 people from HEL-RVN a few hours after we land. I'm checking in 2 bags total, sounded like we can't thru-check our bags to RVN since the first leg is AS stock (but with inexperienced DFW staff, who know?), bummer but whatever.
1) At check in counter at HEL, do I get 1 bag (I'm OWE), 2 bags (we have a baggage receipt for 2 bags from DFW), 4 bags (OWE + 3 companion on economy light ticket), or 5 bags (coming from an international J ticket with a single OWE)? What's a good way to get some official response from AY so I can print it out and show the check in staff at HEL?
2) For my return flight RVN-HEL (my London onward flight happen a few more days after), do I get 1 (OWE), 4 (OWE + 3 companion), or 5 (showing international J ticket) bags?
3) I'm also assuming these above allowance would be 32kg, if I have to purchase extra, it'd be 23kg?
Kinda suck to gamble because there's such a large difference between online and airport baggage prices.
1) At check in counter at HEL, do I get 1 bag (I'm OWE), 2 bags (we have a baggage receipt for 2 bags from DFW), 4 bags (OWE + 3 companion on economy light ticket), or 5 bags (coming from an international J ticket with a single OWE)? What's a good way to get some official response from AY so I can print it out and show the check in staff at HEL?
2) For my return flight RVN-HEL (my London onward flight happen a few more days after), do I get 1 (OWE), 4 (OWE + 3 companion), or 5 (showing international J ticket) bags?
3) I'm also assuming these above allowance would be 32kg, if I have to purchase extra, it'd be 23kg?
Kinda suck to gamble because there's such a large difference between online and airport baggage prices.
Nov 30, 2021, 8:03 pm
#120
Join Date: May 2015
Location: ATL/MCO
Programs: Costco Executive, RaceTrac Sultan of Soda, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 5,662
I have a ticket with my companion (OWE+no status) flying AY inaugural DFW-HEL using AS miles in J (and then onward to LHR after a few days stopover). I'm going to meet with some friends at HEL, and planning to book a separate AY stocked, marketed, and operated economy light for 4 people from HEL-RVN a few hours after we land. I'm checking in 2 bags total, sounded like we can't thru-check our bags to RVN since the first leg is AS stock (but with inexperienced DFW staff, who know?), bummer but whatever.
1) At check in counter at HEL, do I get 1 bag (I'm OWE), 2 bags (we have a baggage receipt for 2 bags from DFW), 4 bags (OWE + 3 companion on economy light ticket), or 5 bags (coming from an international J ticket with a single OWE)? What's a good way to get some official response from AY so I can print it out and show the check in staff at HEL?
2) For my return flight RVN-HEL (my London onward flight happen a few more days after), do I get 1 (OWE), 4 (OWE + 3 companion), or 5 (showing international J ticket) bags?
3) I'm also assuming these above allowance would be 32kg, if I have to purchase extra, it'd be 23kg?
Kinda suck to gamble because there's such a large difference between online and airport baggage prices.
1) At check in counter at HEL, do I get 1 bag (I'm OWE), 2 bags (we have a baggage receipt for 2 bags from DFW), 4 bags (OWE + 3 companion on economy light ticket), or 5 bags (coming from an international J ticket with a single OWE)? What's a good way to get some official response from AY so I can print it out and show the check in staff at HEL?
2) For my return flight RVN-HEL (my London onward flight happen a few more days after), do I get 1 (OWE), 4 (OWE + 3 companion), or 5 (showing international J ticket) bags?
3) I'm also assuming these above allowance would be 32kg, if I have to purchase extra, it'd be 23kg?
Kinda suck to gamble because there's such a large difference between online and airport baggage prices.
2) Same as 1
3) You will get 32kg, I don't think your companions will get 32kgs per policy.
Of course, you can try and reason with the agent(s) given you checked two bags from DFW but don't count on it working.