Finnair Plus will get ”fantastic new improvements”
Aug 10, 2018, 4:09 am
#526
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+ Gold
Posts: 34
A recent experience on upgrading a HEL-LHR flight as AY+ Gold
- I made an update request on about T- 20 days and got waitlisted
- On T - 15 days I got an update on email that my request is still pending and that they'll check availability again on T - 5 days
- On T - 10 days I got a new upgraded ticket. Checking the seat map on finnair.com showed that about half of the A350's J seats were taken.
It seems to me that it is an automated process but the email has some misleading information.
- I made an update request on about T- 20 days and got waitlisted
- On T - 15 days I got an update on email that my request is still pending and that they'll check availability again on T - 5 days
- On T - 10 days I got a new upgraded ticket. Checking the seat map on finnair.com showed that about half of the A350's J seats were taken.
It seems to me that it is an automated process but the email has some misleading information.
-After booking ticket and upgrade tool shows 0, I emaild customer service (friday evening) and got replay back on monday morning saying something like:
”I have upgraded you to business class using your voucher and selected you seat XX have a nice flight -Janica CS”
and new ticket popped into email
My take on this is that regular CS reps can also make upgrades whitout asking higherups and never mentioned waitlist or anything. After all this J cabin on A359 was about half full.
Aug 10, 2018, 6:02 am
#527
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: C2
Posts: 651
I Think this is pretty much what AY already do, but the availability is not visible for anyone. I suspect CS have clear guidelines from Revenue in which inventory classes they are allowed to book awards for plats and other pushy people.
Aug 10, 2018, 6:04 am
#528
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
I don't know if this is because there was F availability all along but it was somehow hidden or if the algorithm actually releases new availability. But the time frame from "sorry, no seats available, I will waitlist you" to "the upgrade has cleared, I will send you new e-ticket" can be less than 30 seconds.
Aug 10, 2018, 6:32 am
#530
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: AY+, SK EB
Posts: 2,962
Aug 10, 2018, 6:33 am
#531
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Programs: Finnair (AY) Platinum, Air France Silver, Tallink Club One Silver :)
Posts: 1,655
Aug 10, 2018, 6:56 am
#532
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Finland
Programs: AY Platinum,Marriott Gold,HH Diamond,Sixt Platinum,Hertz PC,AMEX Platinum
Posts: 1,946
I can confirm this as well, exactly same experience and within the same phone call it followed the same logic (segment 1 waitlisted, proceeded to segment 2 and segment 1 cleared and before ending the call, the segment 2 also cleared).
Aug 10, 2018, 7:10 am
#533
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Helsinki-Vantaa APT, Finland
Programs: AY LUMO
Posts: 6,059
HAV is difficult because Aurinkomatkat selling businessclass seats for their customers starting from 300€ and it's 11hrs flight.
Aug 10, 2018, 8:58 am
#534
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY, SK, TK
Posts: 7,602
+1. I've booked several award tickets recently, with notices as short as two days. Nothing is ever available, but waitlist always clears in minutes.
The rationale of this system is completely beyond me, though. Why would you build an application to check the "availability" of award flights, if that "availability" has absolutely nothing to do with whether awards are actually available? Maybe an FTer with more insights into how airlines operate can explain?
The rationale of this system is completely beyond me, though. Why would you build an application to check the "availability" of award flights, if that "availability" has absolutely nothing to do with whether awards are actually available? Maybe an FTer with more insights into how airlines operate can explain?
My point is, for ease of sampling, I would like to have the tool show me real award chances. I know that I can request award as Plat and they often accomodate that but I hate to do that if I am only in exploring phase so that I would need to request 1000 waitlists and wait-and-see which one clears. No-no.
Aug 10, 2018, 9:53 am
#535
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Plat Lumo, SK Gold
Posts: 954
I've asked waitlisting for upgrades on the chat and they've cleared so quickly that the chat agent's reply was that it already cleared. Obviously there's a computer doing the decision so neither do I see the point why it couldn't be integrated with the upgrade tool.
BTW, it is also unsure what kind of role status plays in clearing the upgrade. Would be nice if someone with Basic status could try waitlisting and report here.
BTW, it is also unsure what kind of role status plays in clearing the upgrade. Would be nice if someone with Basic status could try waitlisting and report here.
Aug 10, 2018, 10:33 am
#536
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
+1000 on this too.
My point is, for ease of sampling, I would like to have the tool show me real award chances. I know that I can request award as Plat and they often accomodate that but I hate to do that if I am only in exploring phase so that I would need to request 1000 waitlists and wait-and-see which one clears. No-no.
If you see the true availability, then you feel confident enough to start making more fixed plans. You adjust your trip to the available dates and book the ticket and you request the upgrade. You book your hotels, cars, events, meetings and so on.
But with all dates zeroed in the tool, you have no clue.
It doesn't matter that waitlist "usually clears", it does not inspire confidence. What if departing tuesday, wednesday, thursday all show zero in the tool and tuesday and thursday have this "hidden" inventory. But wednesday is really full and rev. is not going to release another seat, even if you are super-duper plat. You could easily have choosen tuesday if you knew, but you had to take your chances and you choose wednesday.
Aug 10, 2018, 10:49 am
#537
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 231
Aug 10, 2018, 11:21 am
#538
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+ Plat and several other cards
Posts: 645
Aug 10, 2018, 11:29 am
#539
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: try to stay home
Programs: AY, M&M, BAEC ...and don t care of status anymore
Posts: 2,042
To be honest I never made a Y booking with AY in direction US since I never got Awards/Upgrades - if I have a 24hour grace period this will help. Upgrades/Awards to BKK always cleared on the phone before making the booking.
Aug 12, 2018, 3:16 am
#540
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: AY+, SK EB
Posts: 2,962
I experienced a weird abnormality for my HKG flight. There was suddenly on my outbound and upgrade availability which I noticed in the app and I instantly grabbed the opportunity. The online tool said that there were more than 5 upgrades available. What makes it weird is that when I checked out of curiosity after 2 weeks there was no availability anymore but the J cabin looked as empty as before, Ok that is just one flight and the seat map is not overly reliable, but same happened to the other flight to HKG that day. Huge availability suddenly in the online tool and soon everything is gone though I have no idea of the seat map changes there. I really wonder if availability was not supposed to be shown to public.