Old Dec 24, 2018, 3:54 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: mpkz
The following AY short and middle haul flights are currently operated by widebodies:
AY1331/1332 HEL-LHR-HEL, A359, D
AY1337/1338 HEL-LHR-HEL, A333, D

AY1411/1412 HEL-FRA-HEL, A359, 6 (until 29OCT22)

AY1963/1964 HEL-DXB-HEL, A330, 135 (during winter 22-23)

As a rule, service will be the usual AY shorthaul concept both in Y and J, with the exception of IFE (available free of charge to all, with cheap in-ear headphones provided in J and Y) and internet (longhaul rules apply, ie Plats get free wifi for the duration of the flight, Golds and J get one hour). Y+ seats are sold as extra legroom seats with no special service, but cannot be chosen free of charge unless you're Plat or Lumo.

DXB is an exception, see https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/finn...dubai-dxb.html for details.


Print Wikipost

Widebodies on non-longhaul flights

Old Jul 24, 2019, 12:58 pm
  #46  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Programs: TK *G, BA Gold
Posts: 592
Originally Posted by Courmisch
removal of bags of customers not eligible for international transit through UK airports.
I did not understand that either. Do you mean that arriving in LHR with a domestic connection means your baggage cannot be transferred to the domestic flight without clearing customs (like in the USA) ? We have done HEL-LHR-ABZ a lot and the baggage never has to be collected but do they separate out EU originating luggage from other luggage?

or do you mean some passengers arrive without the right paperwork to transit through UK airports and their luggage has to be removed, slowing down the luggage of the other passengers (surely this doesn't happen that often?)
riku2 is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2019, 1:52 pm
  #47  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+Plat, ALL Plat, Scandic L2
Posts: 3,619
Originally Posted by florens
Not sure what you mean by the eligibility for international transit in UK airports.
The UK requires visa even for international-international air transit:
https://www.gov.uk/transit-visa/dire...e-transit-visa

As this discussion demonstrates, this is not well-known, and leads to occasional denied boardings at HEL. That and people who just did not get a visa to enter the UK or Ireland.
Courmisch is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2019, 2:04 pm
  #48  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Helsinki-Vantaa APT, Finland
Programs: AY LUMO
Posts: 6,043
Originally Posted by Courmisch
Between the removal of bags of customers not eligible for international transit through UK airports.
How their bags are loaded if they do not have visa to enter UK ?
OH-LGG is online now  
Old Jul 24, 2019, 2:10 pm
  #49  
Moderator, Finnair
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Platinum, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,132
Originally Posted by florens
...
Not sure what you mean by the eligibility for international transit in UK airports. [/left]
A LOT of people need transit visa if they stay airside .in UK airports. Perhaps this is what was meant.
intuition is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2019, 2:47 pm
  #50  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+Plat, ALL Plat, Scandic L2
Posts: 3,619
Originally Posted by OH-LGG
How their bags are loaded if they do not have visa to enter UK ?
I assume that the visa was checked at the gate only rather than the bag drop.

It's happened to me (to mainland China).
Courmisch is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2019, 3:32 pm
  #51  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
Originally Posted by Courmisch
The UK requires visa even for international-international air transit:
https://www.gov.uk/transit-visa/dire...e-transit-visa

As this discussion demonstrates, this is not well-known, and leads to occasional denied boardings at HEL. That and people who just did not get a visa to enter the UK or Ireland.
I would find it hard to believe that AY does not check visas at check-in if you're traveling with a passport that requires a visa. Often times, visas are checked at boarding, but that doesn't mean that's the only time visas are checked. Also, I don't think flights to LHR generally have a visa check (at least as far as I recall), so this issue should be caught at check-in in any event.
flyingeph12 is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2019, 11:33 pm
  #52  
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Plat Lumo, SK Gold
Posts: 948
Originally Posted by flyingeph12
I would find it hard to believe that AY does not check visas at check-in if you're traveling with a passport that requires a visa.
If you do self-service check-in, nobody will check your visa before the gate. Even bags can be left without a visa check at the self-service bag drop.

TSA is stringent here and self-service bag drop is not available for flights to the US.
r2d2 is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2019, 12:04 am
  #53  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
Originally Posted by r2d2
If you do self-service check-in, nobody will check your visa before the gate. Even bags can be left without a visa check at the self-service bag drop.

TSA is stringent here and self-service bag drop is not available for flights to the US.
Can you do self-service check in when traveling to a country and with a passport that requires a visa? I haven't gone to Mainland China with AY, but with AA I can't check in online when going to China on a US passport.

Also, what would prompt a gate agent to check for a visa on a HEL-LHR flight—and whatever that alert is, why doesn't it come up when the passenger tries to check in, even if online? I would guess that the majority, if not most, passengers on a regular HEL-LHR flight do not require a visa to get on the plane. Any passengers connecting from a country that would require a visa should have had their visas checked at their point of origin, no? And how many people originating in HEL need a visa to enter or transit the UK?
flyingeph12 is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2019, 12:50 am
  #54  
Moderator, Finnair
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Platinum, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,132
Originally Posted by flyingeph12
I would find it hard to believe that AY does not check visas at check-in if you're traveling with a passport that requires a visa. Often times, visas are checked at boarding, but that doesn't mean that's the only time visas are checked. Also, I don't think flights to LHR generally have a visa check (at least as far as I recall), so this issue should be caught at check-in in any event.
I agree it should be checked at the origin and am curious to why there would be bags in the system.

One thing I can think of is that European residents do not need either passport or visa for a Schengen trip. ID cards are rarely checked for such trips. If this trips has airside transit in e.g. LHR, and the resident does not hold a Schengen passport, then suddenly there is a visa problem.
intuition is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2019, 1:15 am
  #55  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Plat (OWE), SK EBG (*A Gold), KQ Plat (STE+), Accor Plat, Hilton Honors Gold
Posts: 3,154
Originally Posted by intuition
One thing I can think of is that European residents do not need either passport or visa for a Schengen trip. ID cards are rarely checked for such trips. If this trips has airside transit in e.g. LHR, and the resident does not hold a Schengen passport, then suddenly there is a visa problem.
I'm not sure I understood right, but all LHR flights require ID card / passport control for immigration purposes and also airlines require it. So how would you fly into LHR then?
lkrt is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2019, 1:57 am
  #56  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum (oneworld Emerald), Bonvoy/Radisson/Hilton Gold
Posts: 146
Originally Posted by OH-LGG
AY1331 HEL-LHR 27OCT19-28MAR20 retimed to 07:50-09.10
And its an A330 on a few Fridays, at least on Nov 1st and Dec 20th. Something else planned for the A350?
UpperDeck87K is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2019, 2:00 am
  #57  
Moderator, Finnair
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Platinum, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,132
Originally Posted by lkrt
I'm not sure I understood right, but all LHR flights require ID card / passport control for immigration purposes and also airlines require it. So how would you fly into LHR then?

This is rather far-fetched, but I am thinking perhaps you are able to fly e.g. OUL-HEL-LHR-MAD and you might be able to drop bags on the first flight, having them checked to final? If so, bags would be cleared but passenger is trapped in immigrations at HEL.

For a OUL-HEL-MAD flight there is no need for a visa, or even a passport, so I could see this beeing overlooked at bag-drop for the first itinerary.

(I am only trying to find a scenario where the issue talked about may occur. I agree with Courmisch the transit visa is not well known, but struggling to find actual cases where this will mean bag en-masse is being offloaded at HEL)
intuition is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2019, 2:27 am
  #58  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
Originally Posted by intuition
This is rather far-fetched, but I am thinking perhaps you are able to fly e.g. OUL-HEL-LHR-MAD and you might be able to drop bags on the first flight, having them checked to final? If so, bags would be cleared but passenger is trapped in immigrations at HEL.

For a OUL-HEL-MAD flight there is no need for a visa, or even a passport, so I could see this beeing overlooked at bag-drop for the first itinerary.

(I am only trying to find a scenario where the issue talked about may occur. I agree with Courmisch the transit visa is not well known, but struggling to find actual cases where this will mean bag en-masse is being offloaded at HEL)
And of course, it also needs to be the case that the person originating in OUL needs a visa to transit LHR. A person with an EU passport wouldn't need a visa.
flyingeph12 is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2019, 2:32 am
  #59  
Moderator, Finnair
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Platinum, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,132
Originally Posted by flyingeph12
And of course, it also needs to be the case that the person originating in OUL needs a visa to transit LHR. A person with an EU passport wouldn't need a visa.
Hence the first comment that this visa requirement is relatively unknown as people assumes everyone with permanent residency in Europe also holds a European passport...
intuition is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2019, 3:00 am
  #60  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
Originally Posted by intuition
Hence the first comment that this visa requirement is relatively unknown as people assumes everyone with permanent residency in Europe also holds a European passport...
Anyways, I think the additional 10 minutes is probably a buffer for deicing and weather issues, since the dates seem to align with the winter season.
flyingeph12 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.