Iberia wetlease MAD-HEL-MAD
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+ Plat (OWE)
Posts: 493
Iberia wetlease MAD-HEL-MAD
IBERIA OPERATES MADRID FLIGHTS APR 1, 2019 – MAR 30, 2020
Mar 7 2019We have leased an Airbus A321 aircraft from our oneworld partner Iberia for our Madrid route from Apr 1, 2019 to Mar 30, 2020. The Iberia aircraft covers a temporary shortage of aircraft as our operations continue to grow.With the leased aircraft, the flight deck crew comes from Iberia, while the cabin crew is Finnair’s. However, during the first operating month of the lease, the flights will be operated with Iberia’s cabin crew, and there will be one Finnair crew member on board to support the delivery of Finnair's customer service concept. The crew serves customers in English and in Spanish. Finnair’s service concept is followed on the flights.When buying tickets through finnair.com, the operating airline is shown on the ‘Select Flights’ page. If you already have a booking for our Madrid flights between Apr 1, 2019 and Mar 30, 2020, we’ll inform you about the changed aircraft via SMS and/or e-mail. Please go to Manage booking on our website or Finnair App and check that we have your current contact information. If you wish to change or cancel your flight due to the change in the operating carrier, we ask you kindly to contact Finnair Customer Service. We are also at your service via chat on finnair.com, on Twitter @FinnAirHelps and in our Facebook opens in a new window pages.
https://www.finnair.com/fi/gb/flightinfo
#2
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: BA Gold, OZ Diamond, LH Silver
Posts: 549
Interesting news! I have always wondered that the MAD route must be a very poor route from aircraft utilization perspective. Even if they don't currently use the same aircraft every day the route still ties an A321 for almost 24 hours of which the aircraft is in the air for only about 8 hours. So makes sense to use IB aircraft as IB can still use the aircraft on other routes in MAD in the morning before MAD-HEL and in the evening after HEL-MAD. But apparently Finnair still wants to sell it as an AY flight and not ask Iberia to fully operate and just put AY codeshare on it. And doesn't MAD and BCN flights already operate with Spanish cabin crew so basically all that is left is AY catering onboard?
Also seems like AY is really getting short of aircraft (or expanding much more rapidly than earlier planned) with so many leased aircraft operating for the summer. E190 from Wideroe, A320 from GetJet and now A321 from Iberia. Anything else I missed? Edit: And of course some leased ATRs for Norra!
Also seems like AY is really getting short of aircraft (or expanding much more rapidly than earlier planned) with so many leased aircraft operating for the summer. E190 from Wideroe, A320 from GetJet and now A321 from Iberia. Anything else I missed? Edit: And of course some leased ATRs for Norra!
#3
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,668
This is something I would have expected to happen years ago, for reasons Haapalainen already mentioned. Actually, I would have expected AY and IB to reach an agreement where the route is handed over to IB, with AY buying a quota of seats, thus ensuring profitability for IB.
The Asian strategy with its efficient plane utilization creates awfully bad plane utilization on these longer Euro routes. LIS is another example.
The only downside: IB's seat pitch is absolutely terrible. Make sure you book exit seats!
Edit: My experience is from A319. If seatguru is anything to rely on, IB A321 looks better, at least for the first few rows.
The Asian strategy with its efficient plane utilization creates awfully bad plane utilization on these longer Euro routes. LIS is another example.
The only downside: IB's seat pitch is absolutely terrible. Make sure you book exit seats!
Edit: My experience is from A319. If seatguru is anything to rely on, IB A321 looks better, at least for the first few rows.
#4
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: try to stay home
Programs: AY, M&M, BAEC ...and don t care of status anymore
Posts: 2,022
Seat pitch is terrible and the service attitude of IB crews is just not existing. I avoid IB whenever I can.
#5
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,668
I'm not so sure about crew attitudes, although my experiences are limited. When IB operated the HEL-MIA route, I had a wonderful FA taking care of me in J. We spoke Spanish, which probably helped even if my Spanish is terrible.
I've flown MAD-ORN and MAD-PRG recently, but don't have any recollection of CC attitudes, negative or positive. Probably there was no interaction between me and the crew as they don't have any catering in Y (apart from paid items).
I've flown MAD-ORN and MAD-PRG recently, but don't have any recollection of CC attitudes, negative or positive. Probably there was no interaction between me and the crew as they don't have any catering in Y (apart from paid items).
#6
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,772
I've had pretty bad attitude on several sh J and Y last summer. I also had attricious service on JFK-MAD in Y.
Years ago I very much enjoyed HAV-MAD-FRA in J. These are but golden memories.
Years ago I very much enjoyed HAV-MAD-FRA in J. These are but golden memories.
#7
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
There will only be IB Cabin crew during april anyway. After that, only Finnair crew (as well HEL based as Spain based Finnair employees, as the Spain based crew soon will become AY employees)
#8
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,015
Also seems like AY is really getting short of aircraft (or expanding much more rapidly than earlier planned) with so many leased aircraft operating for the summer. E190 from Wideroe, A320 from GetJet and now A321 from Iberia. Anything else I missed? Edit: And of course some leased ATRs for Norra!
#9
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY, SK, TK
Posts: 7,581
At best I got in style ”todo lo que quiera” as answer for drink availability while other times awfully grumpy and indifferent attitude which I don’t understand how can they be spanish really.
”ei jatkoon” - lo siento.
#10
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Helsinki-Vantaa APT, Finland
Programs: AY LUMO
Posts: 6,043
Also seems like AY is really getting short of aircraft (or expanding much more rapidly than earlier planned) with so many leased aircraft operating for the summer. E190 from Wideroe, A320 from GetJet and now A321 from Iberia. Anything else I missed? Edit: And of course some leased ATRs for Norra!
#11
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: BGO (Temporarily HEL)
Programs: AY+ Gold, SK EBG
Posts: 400
Only flown IB on FRA-MAD and OSL-MAD (quite a while ago, also operated by I2 I think), and can confirm very mediocre experience in Y. Easily prefer AY/SK/LH/DY(considering the price)
#14
Ambassador: Finnair
Join Date: May 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Lumo, BA Silver, HHonors Gold
Posts: 4,258
Indeed, the only time I remember being happy to fly IB, 340 J from GIG during the ash chaos in 2010...extremely happy to get across to Europe as most of the flights were cancelled to Europe..luckily the ash never really reached Spain..
#15
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Vantaa, Finland
Programs: AY Lumo, FB Gold
Posts: 1,667
Then again I did fly HEL-MIA in J when IB operated the route for AY and that was a super nice flight with excellent service.