New Lumo in da house!
Sep 26, 2018, 11:48 am
#181
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AY Plat Lumo+LTG, FI Gold, DL Silver, BA, SK, AX Plat, Priority Pass, Marriott Ambassador & others
Posts: 634
Sep 26, 2018, 12:02 pm
#183
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+ Plat (OWE)
Posts: 493
Oct 3, 2018, 4:33 am
#185
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Vantaa, Finland
Programs: AY Lumo, FB Gold
Posts: 1,667
Hah, had a funny experience on HEL-OUL-HEL (same plane turnaround) this morning.
Bus boarding (for the 0730 A319 to OUL, come on Finavia & Finnair!!) but luckily the BMW service was waiting. Stopped outside the plane and the driver said he'll check with the crew if I can come onboard. Soon he came back and said that the purser is missing and they cannot board without her (?). Still, like 2 minutes later another FA came down the stairs and gave the OK to board... She said that the purser had "overslept a little" but was on her way. Indeed she soon showed up and we even managed to push back two minutes ahead of schedule.
During the drinks run I asked for a smoothie from the purser, with the following conversation:
- You're Platinum I assume?
- Errr actually a little more than that.
Her eyes lit up and the smile became a little more genuine.
- Lumo? I didn't have a chance to look at the passenger list.
- Yes, you missed my posh arrival with the BMW.
- Oh really? You're coming from somewhere far away I guess?
- Well, as far as Vantaa actually. That's home.
*Laughs*
Somewhat later she came back, touched my shoulder (was looking out of the window, my thoughts about 2000 miles away in Andalucia) and explained about her lateness - I said it's okay since we still departed ahead of the schedule.
On the way back (I told them I was coming back with them during deboarding at OUL) she asked whether I'd join them to TXL on their next flights too. I said no, have to work every once a while too...
A fun little morning.
Bus boarding (for the 0730 A319 to OUL, come on Finavia & Finnair!!) but luckily the BMW service was waiting. Stopped outside the plane and the driver said he'll check with the crew if I can come onboard. Soon he came back and said that the purser is missing and they cannot board without her (?). Still, like 2 minutes later another FA came down the stairs and gave the OK to board... She said that the purser had "overslept a little" but was on her way. Indeed she soon showed up and we even managed to push back two minutes ahead of schedule.
During the drinks run I asked for a smoothie from the purser, with the following conversation:
- You're Platinum I assume?
- Errr actually a little more than that.
Her eyes lit up and the smile became a little more genuine.
- Lumo? I didn't have a chance to look at the passenger list.
- Yes, you missed my posh arrival with the BMW.
- Oh really? You're coming from somewhere far away I guess?
- Well, as far as Vantaa actually. That's home.
*Laughs*
Somewhat later she came back, touched my shoulder (was looking out of the window, my thoughts about 2000 miles away in Andalucia) and explained about her lateness - I said it's okay since we still departed ahead of the schedule.
On the way back (I told them I was coming back with them during deboarding at OUL) she asked whether I'd join them to TXL on their next flights too. I said no, have to work every once a while too...
A fun little morning.
Oct 4, 2018, 2:19 pm
#188
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: C2
Programs: AY ex-Lumo, TK Elite, BT VIP, ITA Executive
Posts: 1,157
Very professional and a perfect example of great FA. From the other pole, one duo today was failing in basics and I was quite grateful for not having to see one of the disinterested faces on a regular basis in-flight in J.
Oct 9, 2018, 1:07 pm
#190
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Vantaa, Finland
Programs: AY Lumo, FB Gold
Posts: 1,667
Weird experiences today. Upon arriving at HEL and taking a look at my boarding pass I discovered that a) my HEL-OUL went from a 319 to a 321 b) my seat went from 1A to 1B and c) the gate went from 27 to 31E.
The seatmap was mostly blocked out for the first 15 rows or so, but the somewhat surly girl at the Lumo/Platinum desk at least was able to reinstate my 1A, she mumbled something about seats being blocked at the same time (so maybe 1A was blocked because I was at 1B... on the flight there was someone on 1C).
Well, at least the BMW service worked fine (and a previously unmet driver too!) and onboard I asked about the plane switcharoo thingy - turned out that this crew had actually been operating an earlier A319 HEL-OUL that experienced cabin pressurization issues after take off and had to turn back - so they combined two A319s worth of pax to a 321 which fortunately wasn't even chockers. We did have a rather circuitous route too, following the west coast of Finland and overflying KOK for example which added a good 10 minutes to our flight time - apparently the Air Force boys were giving their Hornets a bit of a spin over Central Finland (and there were four hornets at the MIL apron at OUL too).
Well, coming back 1,5 hours later got another equipment change, 321 -> 320. Kept my 2A and seat blocking worked fine so no biggie. A little fun with the purser who during the drinks run asked me "May I ask, how much do you actually fly?"
I still find that 1B issue kinda weird - do they do seat assignments manually on cases like this or is it all automated?
The seatmap was mostly blocked out for the first 15 rows or so, but the somewhat surly girl at the Lumo/Platinum desk at least was able to reinstate my 1A, she mumbled something about seats being blocked at the same time (so maybe 1A was blocked because I was at 1B... on the flight there was someone on 1C).
Well, at least the BMW service worked fine (and a previously unmet driver too!) and onboard I asked about the plane switcharoo thingy - turned out that this crew had actually been operating an earlier A319 HEL-OUL that experienced cabin pressurization issues after take off and had to turn back - so they combined two A319s worth of pax to a 321 which fortunately wasn't even chockers. We did have a rather circuitous route too, following the west coast of Finland and overflying KOK for example which added a good 10 minutes to our flight time - apparently the Air Force boys were giving their Hornets a bit of a spin over Central Finland (and there were four hornets at the MIL apron at OUL too).
Well, coming back 1,5 hours later got another equipment change, 321 -> 320. Kept my 2A and seat blocking worked fine so no biggie. A little fun with the purser who during the drinks run asked me "May I ask, how much do you actually fly?"
I still find that 1B issue kinda weird - do they do seat assignments manually on cases like this or is it all automated?
Oct 9, 2018, 1:11 pm
#191
Join Date: May 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Plat (OWE), SK EBG (*A Gold), KQ Plat (STE+), Accor Plat
Posts: 3,157
Oct 10, 2018, 4:59 am
#192
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY, SK, TK
Posts: 7,595
Angst. I could easily do 150 segments by year, but I cannot select AY always. Many times it comes to late booking under min day requirement and price for a domestic/EU flight goes up to 600€ and there is competition with 200€, how to justify that to my boss and care about companys money? Or you guys think choosing cheaper in that case is too much "fiman mies" and you would choose AY anyway?
Oct 10, 2018, 7:10 am
#193
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: AY+ Plat, A3*G
Posts: 672
Angst. I could easily do 150 segments by year, but I cannot select AY always. Many times it comes to late booking under min day requirement and price for a domestic/EU flight goes up to 600€ and there is competition with 200€, how to justify that to my boss and care about companys money? Or you guys think choosing cheaper in that case is too much "fiman mies" and you would choose AY anyway?
One recent example (booked 3 weeks before flight date)
Go to BRU, stay 1 night, AY price ~800€
Go to BRU, stay 1 night, SK price ~250€
Oct 11, 2018, 12:27 am
#194
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: HEL
Programs: Drawer of Cards
Posts: 423
Many times it comes to late booking under min day requirement and price for a domestic/EU flight goes up to 600€ and there is competition with 200€, how to justify that to my boss and care about companys money? Or you guys think choosing cheaper in that case is too much "fiman mies" and you would choose AY anyway?