mpkz

I had a "plat hello" but no seat block on exit row on an almost empty flight (37Y+2J on a E90) either. Ridiculous that they do not do this during COVID and instead place someone next to you (the guy barely spoke English and didn't speak Finnish so they should have moved him from the exit row anyway)

ffay005

Some points of comparison, what to expect when you fly AY and TK right now from HEL:

AY Plat experience
- force-visit to check-in desk, priority available
- no priority security
- no lounge
- no priority boarding
- no meal in Y
- no wifi, unless you’re on one of the very few Airbus flights, in which case you get 30 min free if it works
- exit and bulkhead seats free

TK Elite (one step lower than AY Plat) experience
- usually no force-visit to check-in desk
- no priority security
- nice lounge available, with à la carte orders
- no priority boarding
- hot meal & non-alcoholic drinks in Y
- free wifi thoughout the flight
- exit and bulkhead seats not available free of charge (available at check-in, though)

And returning to HEL:

AY Plat experience
- force-visit to check-in desk, priority not always available, I have experienced awful 30+ minute waiting times
- flu certificate required to board
- priority security varies
- lounge access varies

TK Elite (one step lower than AY Plat) experience
- force-visit to check-in desk often required, priority available
- no flu certificate required
- priority security varies
- lounge access varies

Courmisch

The visit to the CI desk is a consequence of the certificate requirement. I can see the benefit for the customer but I would rather my taxes go somewhere else than testing arriving passengers, so that's a big minus for TK to me.

Also, the TK approach of relying on arrival checks won't scale up to increased passenger traffic.

miamiflyer8

Could you not allow pax to OLCI and show docs and höpö-certs at the gate?

Courmisch

I suppose that it depends. Checking at the gate could be slower than checking at the desk depending on the relative number of desks and gate queues?

ffay005

TK follows the law. AY doesn't. If there's something wrong with the law, then we've got a Parliament whose job it is to work on that.

Courmisch

No. AY follows THL's recommendations - in addition to the law. In this particular case, it seems very sensible, as opposed to what TK does.

In fact, I presume that AY still brings a lot more passengers to HEL than TK does. So it probably simply wouldn't work if AY did as TK does: it would overflow the testing capacity. Basically, all that this would achieve is pressure the parliament and government to implement THL's recommendations into law or decree.

Tuvv

Had my first flight since january this morning on a proper longhaul from TLL to HEL.
3 check in desks were open, one for priority and two for others, priority security was open but with one other passenger at security at the time it didn't make any diffrence.
The lounge at TLL opens at 04.30am so i had time for some coffee and a snack. Boarding started at 05.40 for 06.00 departure, with a little bit over 20 passengers boarding was completed by 05.50 and we were in the air by 05.55. As usual on TLL-HEL 20 minutes in the air, no service was provided even though the man sitting in front of me asked for water and got it promptly. No Plat recongnistion what so ever, but tbh I don't remember having even gotten a "Hello" or "welcome back" ever on TLL route.
Arrival to gate 26 and two buses transported us to the 30 something bus gates, being the only international arrival at that time of the morning I was through THL control and passport control in a few minutes, being a finnish citizen ofcourse speeds this process not having to explain why I'm coming to Finland.
overall a pleasent experience when not considering the 03.45 am wake up call...

florens

For TLL 0600 departure my wakeup call usually is at 0430 (at Hilton). Still plenty of time.

Tuvv

Sadly I don't live that close to the airport, but I do admit I gave myself 15 minutes extra at the airport just in case there would be a line at the check in desks, not knowing how many desks would be open. But I must say that 3 open desks for 20+ pax us good enough.

ffay005

AY destinations TLL, AMS, VIE do not require a flu certificate. Would anyone know if OLCI to these destinations is available ex-HEL?

Courmisch

FWIW, CDG requires PCR test certificate and sworn statement, yet you can do OLCI at HEL... Of course, they do ask for the docs at the gate.

mpkz

AMS requires a health declaration (never checked) so no OLCI

WilcoRoger

Happy to report that Norra is back to normal. Flew them to BUD and I was completely ignored, just in pre-covid days. They did mention something about "our Finnair plus members" over the PA, I couldn't make out what. Probably "...will be ignored"

Upgraded the return leg, so at least I got my bubbly, salmon and meatballs (I think I preordered seafood, but after all pork is a sort of fish, isn't it?)

OH-LGG

LHR T3 is still very quiet.