Change to second daily HKG-HEL flights
Mar 8, 2020, 7:38 am
#16
Join Date: May 2017
Location: SIN
Programs: AS MVPG75k, AA Plat
Posts: 741
Even the wording of EC261 itself provides that compensation is not due if "the cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken." There is certainly an argument to be made that AY, which boasts that its EUR 1 billion cash reserve is more than sufficient to carry it through the epidemic, could have avoided cancelling flights because they were near-empty.
The nexus of cause is much easier to defend for AY because a whole lot of airlines are cancelling flights, many more to extents more drastic than AY.
Nonetheless if AY has lousy legal counsel perhaps a few compensation claims will get past.
Mar 8, 2020, 7:38 am
#17
Ambassador: Finnair
Join Date: May 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Lumo, BA Silver, HHonors Gold
Posts: 4,268
Definitely that’s their plan, unofficial word from inside AY (cabin crew friend) is that we can expect to see much more flights added to the next update, which is no surprise to anyone I’m sure.
Mar 10, 2020, 2:35 am
#18
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: 14,174
BLQ-HEL seems to already be zeroed out in inventory at least for april, but technically flights are not cancelled until they move that 2-week window one notch forward.
Last edited by intuition; Mar 10, 2020 at 2:47 am
Mar 10, 2020, 10:15 am
#19
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Great Falls, VA USA
Programs: UA-1K 3MM, AA Executive Platinum, Marriott Titanium Life Elite, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 59
This morning I received an email from Finnair stating that my April 8th and 29th BLQ-HEL-BLQ have been canceled and that I could rebook or get a complete refund.
Mar 13, 2020, 1:05 am
#20
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY Plat (OWE), Bonvoy Gold, ALL Silver
Posts: 3,038
I'm scheduled to fly on AY100 in a few Friday's time, connecting from BKK with CX (AY 5098). Just received a mail from CX that the flight has been cancelled.
I booked through AY and have not heard a word from AY as of yet (the cancellation mail came yesterday afternoon from CX) and the booking is still showing up on all my devices as normal (and same on EF). When checking CX, the flight is in deed no longer there (the 16:00 departure from BKK) but a 12:25 departure.
When clicking "change flights" the 16:00 BKK-HKG is still showing as an option but the new potential connection from HEL-ZRH only shows the afternoon flight, and I don't want to spend 10 hours in the HEL Schengen lounge at any cost... The 07:55 departure is still available...
Short of the long: If I change to the 12:25 BKK-HKG flight, my HEL-ZRH flight will change from comfortable 07:55 to 16:30 even though there is no schedule change for AY100... This is a mess!
I booked through AY and have not heard a word from AY as of yet (the cancellation mail came yesterday afternoon from CX) and the booking is still showing up on all my devices as normal (and same on EF). When checking CX, the flight is in deed no longer there (the 16:00 departure from BKK) but a 12:25 departure.
When clicking "change flights" the 16:00 BKK-HKG is still showing as an option but the new potential connection from HEL-ZRH only shows the afternoon flight, and I don't want to spend 10 hours in the HEL Schengen lounge at any cost... The 07:55 departure is still available...
Short of the long: If I change to the 12:25 BKK-HKG flight, my HEL-ZRH flight will change from comfortable 07:55 to 16:30 even though there is no schedule change for AY100... This is a mess!
Last edited by Cupart; Mar 13, 2020 at 1:14 am
Mar 13, 2020, 6:25 am
#21
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 938
If these HK Government plans are confirmed the remaining AY service to HKG will probably also get the axe very soon:
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ve-coronavirus
Hong Kong will dramatically expand quarantine requirements to cover nearly all arrivals from Europe, except Britain and Ireland, the Post learned on Friday, as the number of coronavirus infections continued to rise in Italy and neighbouring countries.
A source familiar with the city government’s thinking said travellers from countries under the Schengen region, a zone of visa-free travel that encompasses 26 states, including Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland, would be placed under a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine.
A source familiar with the city government’s thinking said travellers from countries under the Schengen region, a zone of visa-free travel that encompasses 26 states, including Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland, would be placed under a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine.
Mar 13, 2020, 6:27 am
#22
Ambassador: Finnair
Join Date: May 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Lumo, BA Silver, HHonors Gold
Posts: 4,268
If these HK Government plans are confirmed the remaining AY service to HKG will probably also get the axe very soon:
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ve-coronavirus
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ve-coronavirus
Mar 13, 2020, 9:59 am
#23
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: try to stay home
Programs: AY, M&M, BAEC ...and don t care of status anymore
Posts: 2,042
No one really knows the numbers - if you don t test a lot like the US or Japan your numbers are low, if you do a lot of tests your numbers are high like South Korea - this whole thing just leaves too much for speculations.
Mar 13, 2020, 11:20 am
#24
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, LH, Accor, IHG, Scandic, Tallink
Posts: 162
If these HK Government plans are confirmed the remaining AY service to HKG will probably also get the axe very soon:
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ve-coronavirus
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ve-coronavirus
https://www.news.gov.hk/eng/2020/03/...22422_610.html
and with a passport issued by an already barred country 
Mar 13, 2020, 4:17 pm
#26
Ambassador: Finnair
Join Date: May 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Lumo, BA Silver, HHonors Gold
Posts: 4,268
True, but it’s still a fact at the moment that Europe is more of a hotspot than SE Asia. HKG has been dealing with this longer time and still managed to keep things under some control, unlike most of Europe. In this light it makes sense that us Europeans are now the ones who are soon, or already, banned everywhere
Mar 14, 2020, 3:51 am
#28
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,961
Mar 14, 2020, 8:00 am
#29
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Programs: Finnair (AY) Platinum, Air France Silver, Tallink Club One Silver :)
Posts: 1,655
I couldn't figure out if transiting through HKIA is still allowed, or would they put you in quarantine? Have flights booked to SIN with CX for Easter, but starting to lose hope that I can actually make it there and back. At this point in time, looks like it would be safer in Asia from the virus pow than staying in Europe...
Mar 14, 2020, 9:00 am
#30
Join Date: May 2014
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+Plat, ALL Plat, Scandic L2
Posts: 3,620
It's still 4 weeks until Easter. Even if you could find definite answers what the current HKSAR transit policy is, that wouldn't exactly help. Plus, I expect SG ICA to ban Finnish residents anytime soon as they have French, German and Spanish yesterday. No point transiting in HKG to be denied entry in SIN.
As the French saying goes, it's urgent to wait.
As the French saying goes, it's urgent to wait.