AY COVID-19 - new cancellations in Europe
Mar 20, 2020, 5:10 pm
#301
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,749
I'm not a doctor, but I'm wondering whether it's old people who are so relieved to finally be on a plane back home that the rapidly decreasing stress levels cause a heart attack. Would this make any sense?
Mar 20, 2020, 5:15 pm
#302
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,749
What I don't get is the number of intra-European flights still being operated in that reduced schedule. Do they expect there's enough connecting passengers on those to operate HND? As per the most recent update by the Ministry of the Interior, there's basically no business to conduct outside the borders, unless it's absolutely essential or you're e.g. doing maintenance in Kilpilahti or Hästholmen. 
Thankfully my LHR-HEL flight will be cancelled, but my outbound HEL-LHR is still operated, although with a smaller plane.
Thankfully my LHR-HEL flight will be cancelled, but my outbound HEL-LHR is still operated, although with a smaller plane.
Mar 21, 2020, 4:53 am
#303
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Gold
Posts: 77
Cargo contracts and mail contracts could warrant for a scheduled flight. Having a scheduled flight does not mean that they will actually fly the flights, though, as individual flights can still be canceled later on.
Mar 21, 2020, 4:54 am
#304
Ambassador: Finnair Plus
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+ Plat, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist, Priority Club Plat Amb, Miles and Smiles Elite
Posts: 5,294
Well, the foreign ministry of Finland has specifically stated that the Finnish Constitution prevents the state from prohibiting any Finn from leaving the country, or re-entering. They can (and do) recommend Finns not to travel, but there will always be people who don't follow the recommendations. There will be family visits, travels between homes, work-related travel etc.
Mar 21, 2020, 5:04 am
#305
Join Date: Aug 2019
Programs: AY+ Lumo, HH Diamond
Posts: 503
Finnair sent a cancellation decision on 16Mar20, before any government restrictions, regarding a TKU-HEL flight scheduled for 23Mar20.
When refusing the compensation as stipulated in EC.261, Finnair argued for `extraordinary circumstances' and the `health and safety of their staff due to the coronavirus'. They were unable to detail and specify which `extraordinary circumstances' were at play, and how Finnair had done everything in their power to prevent the cancellation. No bus or re-routing was offered.
Why haven't they cancelled all flights then if health and safety of their personnel is the primary priority here? Many longer domestic routes are still operating. How can you make a case for `extraordinary circumstances' when you cancel a flight before any government restrictions, don't organise even a 2-hour bus replacement, just because the coronavirus has lowered demand?
Seems to me this case should be escalated to the Consumer Disputes Board of Finland (Kuluttajariitalautakunta).
When refusing the compensation as stipulated in EC.261, Finnair argued for `extraordinary circumstances' and the `health and safety of their staff due to the coronavirus'. They were unable to detail and specify which `extraordinary circumstances' were at play, and how Finnair had done everything in their power to prevent the cancellation. No bus or re-routing was offered.
Why haven't they cancelled all flights then if health and safety of their personnel is the primary priority here? Many longer domestic routes are still operating. How can you make a case for `extraordinary circumstances' when you cancel a flight before any government restrictions, don't organise even a 2-hour bus replacement, just because the coronavirus has lowered demand?
Seems to me this case should be escalated to the Consumer Disputes Board of Finland (Kuluttajariitalautakunta).
Mar 21, 2020, 5:23 am
#306
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,749
The European Commission has stated that cancellations due to measures by public authorities intended to contain the pandemic, to protect the health of crew or even for the reason that flights would otherwise depart empty all fall under the “extraordinary circumstances” definition.
Mar 21, 2020, 5:29 am
#307
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Helsinki-Vantaa APT, Finland
Programs: AY LUMO
Posts: 6,056
Now Japan has informed that visa freedom from Schengen is cancelled.
And passengers arriving in Japan are forced to 14 days quarantine
https://www.japan.travel/en/coronavirus/
And passengers arriving in Japan are forced to 14 days quarantine
https://www.japan.travel/en/coronavirus/
Mar 21, 2020, 5:29 am
#308
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,530
Mar 21, 2020, 5:32 am
#309
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Helsinki-Vantaa APT, Finland
Programs: AY LUMO
Posts: 6,056
Mar 21, 2020, 5:34 am
#310
Join Date: Aug 2019
Programs: AY+ Lumo, HH Diamond
Posts: 503
The European Commission has stated that cancellations due to measures by public authorities intended to contain the pandemic, to protect the health of crew or even for the reason that flights would otherwise depart empty all fall under the “extraordinary circumstances” definition.
But in this case there were no restrictions by authorities on any sort of domestic travel at the time of cancellation. I have already been kind to Finnair earlier this year on account of a non-extraordinary 6h 10 min delay. I don't want to let go of compensation that is due if the argumentation simply says "extraordinary circumstances" without enough details. That just feels like a "fu" type of a reply.
Mar 21, 2020, 5:50 am
#311
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,749
But in this case there were no restrictions by authorities on any sort of domestic travel at the time of cancellation. I have already been kind to Finnair earlier this year on account of a non-extraordinary 6h 10 min delay. I don't want to let go of compensation that is due if the argumentation simply says "extraordinary circumstances" without enough details. That just feels like a "fu" type of a reply.
Mar 21, 2020, 6:04 am
#313
Join Date: Aug 2019
Programs: AY+ Lumo, HH Diamond
Posts: 503
The European Commission has stated that cancellations due to measures by public authorities intended to contain the pandemic, to protect the health of crew or even for the reason that flights would otherwise depart empty all fall under the “extraordinary circumstances” definition.
Mar 21, 2020, 6:43 am
#314
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,749
Most probably simply because they’re concentrating all their resources on rebooking people right now. I believe this situation is as extraordinary as possible, no reason to pursue your claim further.
Mar 21, 2020, 6:51 am
#315
Ambassador: Finnair
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Lumo, BA Silver, HHonors Gold
Posts: 4,267
The world is quite disconnected now, us who are old enough to remember times before internet can perhaps try to think how it would have been just 25-30 years ago..news feed and communication, entertainment options etc. are endless...huge change in just one generation