youthagainsttt

Hi All,
So nice to be part of this forum and posting my first thread. After a turbulent 6 months or so at work, I've decided to treat myself by booking Business Class flights back to London (from Hong Kong) at Easter, in I class. However, when I use this calculator it actually works it out as "0" miles accrued, you can try it yourself: (cannot post the URL)

So I've had to work it out manually, it says on another website that HKG-HEL-LHR is 6,000 miles, and I also googled that I class earns 125% thus = 7,500 x 2 =15,000? Is this correct

Also, I read that 15k miles on Finnair Plus can be redeemed for a business upgrade but being based in Hong Kong, how would I go about this and should I credit the miles to Avios or AM instead?

ffay005

Are you flying on Finnair, with a Finnair flight number, and will collect to FinnairPlus, and have no status with Finnair?

If yes to all of the above, you will earn 16 000 / longhaul segment and 4 000 / European segment, thus 20 000 one way.

youthagainsttt

Yes, that's right and thanks for the info as well.

I just glanced at the upgrade charts - obviously dependent on availability - thus with this return flight I can upgrade 4 ROE (Rest of Europe) flights to business class, is it really so straightforward? As its 10,000 points to upgrade, and 7,500 points to upgrade northern Europe flight 1-way

Jainzar

Given availability, yes. Though you can also waitlist for upgrades nowadays.

youthagainsttt

I see what you mean, I have just checked the Finnair site for upgrade availability, around 10 destinations & choosing randoms dates for the next 6 months, ALL need to be waitlisted, is there so few availability?

Cupart

I have noticed, that lately, the AY miles calculator has a life/mind of its own.

Doing a multi segment miles calc, will give 4'000 miles for e.g. ZRH-HEL in AY J but zero miles for the return flight (also AY J).
Did another few checks on upcoming flights, with MH (booking class Z) and CX (as AY Code share so using Business option) and here as well, hit or miss giving miles one way but not so much the other...

oliver2002

Wheretocredit's calculator is pretty useful to compare: https://www.wheretocredit.com/calcul...I/HEL-HKG-AY-I

intuition

This is the new strategy from AY - they release very few upgrades to the public. Almost all goes through waitlist, where they can apply a logic the frequent travellers does not see.

For instance see this thread (or the general upgrade thread)
(not) cleared Upgrades

youthagainsttt

I'm trying to get my head around this system, searching for random flights in 2,4, even in 6 or 10 months time. What I have noticed:
- 90% wailisted
- Some availability in a 2-3 weeks time
- Little availability for most flights over 3 months time
- Thus it seems they may release these slots only quite late and not in advance

duvin

It's only european business class though; blocked middle seat, crappy pitch, modest food. It won't change your travel experience.

Jainzar

Dump your status and highly likely you will value it more.

tulokas

For a Finn like me, The best part of European J is that I don’t have to sit right next to someone

intuition

You seem to have come to the same conclusion as a few others here. Instead of the steady release of seats when flights become bookaable (≈11 months ahead of travel) Finnair plus used to have, it has now trickled down a few seats on a few flights a few weeks out. Everything else needs to be waitlisted and you'll won't get answer until 37 hours before take-off in worst case.

Some here love the new system as they feel "waitlist always clears" while others hate it as it is non-predicatble and non-plannable.

So if you are new to the program you must ask yorself if it is worth it to you. If you travel a lot in Y and don't really care what fligh gets upgraded then all is fine. Just go ahead and waitlist all your flights. If you on the other hand wants to be sure what flight will get upgraded before you book, then this program (in its current reincarniation) is not for you.

youthagainsttt

Well it seems some of them are like that but a glance at my book it seems my HEL-LHR is on 1-2-1 config, so I guess got lucky with this cominbation of flights. But I see the one an hour later is indeed the one with the middle swag blocked out on Business class.

Cupart

Bdsm Can you please elaborate?