Finnair newbie questions thread (flame-free)
Feb 6, 2019, 6:05 am
#1876
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Helsinki
Programs: AY+ Plat basic
Posts: 430
When buying a ticket, one can choose to pay the price partly with award points. This is is considered bad use for the points because of the bad value, but can someone give me an exact value for a points if one wants to use them this way? I would assume that the value is always the same in this procedure.
Feb 6, 2019, 8:53 am
#1877
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,756
When buying a ticket, one can choose to pay the price partly with award points. This is is considered bad use for the points because of the bad value, but can someone give me an exact value for a points if one wants to use them this way? I would assume that the value is always the same in this procedure.
Feb 6, 2019, 12:28 pm
#1880
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: BGO (Temporarily HEL)
Programs: AY+ Gold, SK EBG
Posts: 400
Feb 6, 2019, 3:07 pm
#1881
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
About the refund thing,
I vaguely remember having had the ”taxes” refunded straight off and the penalty only applied to the actual fare. Sure it was a refundable ticket, but if ”taxes” was a part of the sale, penalty ought to have been calculated on total sum.
It was years ago, policy can certainly have changed.
The reason why I think they need to repay ”taxes” is because they are forced t add them to the price, and are also forced to hand over exactly that sum to a third party (government, airport security and son on)
A cancelled ticket will not have a BP passi g through security and thus the airline wont be charged. Keeping those monies is not legal IMHO. YQ is one thing, but the mandatory taxes and fees cant be kept.
Just my 2 cents.
I vaguely remember having had the ”taxes” refunded straight off and the penalty only applied to the actual fare. Sure it was a refundable ticket, but if ”taxes” was a part of the sale, penalty ought to have been calculated on total sum.
It was years ago, policy can certainly have changed.
The reason why I think they need to repay ”taxes” is because they are forced t add them to the price, and are also forced to hand over exactly that sum to a third party (government, airport security and son on)
A cancelled ticket will not have a BP passi g through security and thus the airline wont be charged. Keeping those monies is not legal IMHO. YQ is one thing, but the mandatory taxes and fees cant be kept.
Just my 2 cents.
Feb 6, 2019, 3:13 pm
#1882
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,756
1. I buy FinnairShop vouchers online. €13,77 + 1000 points = €20 voucher for inflight sales. Monetary value is not the best but 1000 points is also very little. 1 point = 0.623 cents.
2. I upgrade longhaul flights. I value an upgrade at around €400, so 1 point = 0.8 cents
3. I buy European flights in Y when the cash price is over €300, depending on whether I need tier points or not. I've booked €600+ flights for 30k (1 point = 2 cents), but usually they're in the €350–€400 category
However, #3 does not work as a basis for mile value calculation for me because I would never buy that €600 cash ticket in reality. I travel for leisure and can decide when to go or whether to go at all. My average Euro Y ticket price that I pay is probably around €200, maybe even below that. Points do come in handy when I want to go somewhere last minute and there is availability (or they clear it for me), but in a case like that, to pay cash is not really an alternative.
Feb 7, 2019, 2:52 am
#1883
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Helsinki
Programs: AY+ Plat basic
Posts: 430
You (usually) get far better value when redeeming for AY flights or upgrades. I mostly use AY points for three things:
1. I buy FinnairShop vouchers online. €13,77 + 1000 points = €20 voucher for inflight sales. Monetary value is not the best but 1000 points is also very little. 1 point = 0.623 cents.
2. I upgrade longhaul flights. I value an upgrade at around €400, so 1 point = 0.8 cents
3. I buy European flights in Y when the cash price is over €300, depending on whether I need tier points or not. I've booked €600+ flights for 30k (1 point = 2 cents), but usually they're in the €350–€400 category
However, #3 does not work as a basis for mile value calculation for me because I would never buy that €600 cash ticket in reality. I travel for leisure and can decide when to go or whether to go at all. My average Euro Y ticket price that I pay is probably around €200, maybe even below that. Points do come in handy when I want to go somewhere last minute and there is availability (or they clear it for me), but in a case like that, to pay cash is not really an alternative.
1. I buy FinnairShop vouchers online. €13,77 + 1000 points = €20 voucher for inflight sales. Monetary value is not the best but 1000 points is also very little. 1 point = 0.623 cents.
2. I upgrade longhaul flights. I value an upgrade at around €400, so 1 point = 0.8 cents
3. I buy European flights in Y when the cash price is over €300, depending on whether I need tier points or not. I've booked €600+ flights for 30k (1 point = 2 cents), but usually they're in the €350–€400 category
However, #3 does not work as a basis for mile value calculation for me because I would never buy that €600 cash ticket in reality. I travel for leisure and can decide when to go or whether to go at all. My average Euro Y ticket price that I pay is probably around €200, maybe even below that. Points do come in handy when I want to go somewhere last minute and there is availability (or they clear it for me), but in a case like that, to pay cash is not really an alternative.
However, paying your flight ticket partly with points is the same money for everyone. That's why that price is interesting.
Feb 7, 2019, 12:37 pm
#1884
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: AY+, SK EB
Posts: 2,962
Also #1 is questionable, because in order to get the full percentage value for those points, the stuff that you buy would need to cost exactly 20/40/60€. AND the price of that stuff would have to be competitive in comparison to outside world. The stuff from Finnair shop is propably easy to find cheaper in sales.
Feb 7, 2019, 1:00 pm
#1885
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,107
There are some hidden gems in the Finnair shop - e.g 100€ voucher at Fabrik restaurant for 60€ + 1000p (0,04€/p!) (and many others, too) You can use more points, but the return on the more point sharply decreases (ie not linear)
Also the Finnair voucher is best value at 100€ face value - something like 74,5€ +3000p (0,0085€/point)
Also the Finnair voucher is best value at 100€ face value - something like 74,5€ +3000p (0,0085€/point)
Last edited by WilcoRoger; Feb 8, 2019 at 1:09 pm Reason: Corrected price of 100€ voucher
Feb 9, 2019, 4:39 am
#1886
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: SIN
Programs: AY Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 224
Read in the other thread on exchanging award for tier points that you can exchange up to half the number of tier points needed to advance to the next tier.
I am at 60k tier points now. Exchanging 20k tier points will get me to gold but anyone knows if it’s possible to exchange more than what is required to advance to the next tier?
For my case, I am thinking of exchanging 40k tier points.I am able to accumulate 50k tier points but just 3 weeks before my tracking period ends so I am thinking of exchanging what is needed to get to platinum now so that I will be bumped up when the last segment posts. Read also that officially you can only do one exchange per tracking period so think it makes sense to do it now so I can already start making use of the gold perks.
I am at 60k tier points now. Exchanging 20k tier points will get me to gold but anyone knows if it’s possible to exchange more than what is required to advance to the next tier?
For my case, I am thinking of exchanging 40k tier points.I am able to accumulate 50k tier points but just 3 weeks before my tracking period ends so I am thinking of exchanging what is needed to get to platinum now so that I will be bumped up when the last segment posts. Read also that officially you can only do one exchange per tracking period so think it makes sense to do it now so I can already start making use of the gold perks.
Feb 9, 2019, 8:58 am
#1888
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: SIN
Programs: AY Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 224
The extra 5% tier bonus will help too.Btw is there a definitive timeframe of qualifying for platinum and still getting the vouchers and OW sapphire giveaway for the current tracking period. My last qualifying flight is 4 weeks before end of my tracking period so I figure it should post latest 3 weeks before. Is that a good enough buffer?
Feb 9, 2019, 9:05 am
#1889
Join Date: May 2012
Location: GVA (HEL)
Programs: AY Plat (OWE)
Posts: 536
Great! That’s just enough for my needs
The extra 5% tier bonus will help too.Btw is there a definitive timeframe of qualifying for platinum and still getting the vouchers and OW sapphire giveaway for the current tracking period. My last qualifying flight is 4 weeks before end of my tracking period so I figure it should post latest 3 weeks before. Is that a good enough buffer?
Feb 11, 2019, 1:15 pm
#1890
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Helsinki
Programs: AY Platinum, IHG Gold, Diners
Posts: 1,276
Probably not the right thread, but I am too lazy to open a new thread or search. I’m booked on AY5936, LHR-ARN operated by BA. Can’t check-in online, the BA app doesn’t recognize the booking code from AY. Is my only option to use the (fabulous) BA First check-in at LHR T5 tomorrow?