mpkz

I think the calculus at the AY offices is that DY will not have a significant presence in HEL for a long time (which may well be a mistake because I think DY can scale up quite quickly if the market recovers and shorthaul from HEL wasn't a hugely unprofitable business) so therefore the competition on European routes is 1 connection away.. but I also do not see much of a reason to choose AY over KL right now in Y (being AMS based means that KL's 3-4 flights are very attractive vs. AY's 1, but even someone based in HEL flying somewhere other than AMS is likely to find KL's scheduling more convenient than AY's 1 daily to most destinations)

jann3

Taking slightly over 2h European AY flight in J on Sep 2nd. Returning two days later. Very curious to see how the new concept is executed.

nordic

BA used to carry quite a few leisure travellers in C (both Finns and Britons) btw HEL-LHR. But of course their pricing was a lot less than what AY is offering now. So the leisure C market is there when the price is right and the service is of a hood quality.

ffay005

I think we can all agree on the hood quality service part here

miamiflyer8

And I see no liquor on this menu either, I guess now it's Viinaa ei mene ollenkaan 😂

esledo

Yes, and also new l/h J catering and beverage selection is a big mystery so far.

Imagine that those HEL-MIA and the likes will be a lot quieter and dryer this winter than what they were pre-COVID.

miamiflyer8

I am surprised if HEL-MIA ends up operating at all, given that the Kamala admin isn't looking to lift the Schengen travel ban any time soon.

Not only the beverage selection, the meal service is downright depressing on HEL-JFK

Now:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33523024-post1481.html

Pre-pandemic:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31194760-post356.html

sakari1707

All very depressing.
Was going to move from BA (now OWE) to catch AY Plat (now Gold), but maybe not.....
Probably best to just burn all the points and forget status.....

Btw I was wrong saying no soft drinks on the onboard menu, there is coke zero (but that's it...)

Courmisch

Obviously I don't like the changes. For me it's more of an indirect devaluation of upgrade vouchers and points though, as I only once was ticketed in AY J on a purely S/H ticket (summer 2020 sale). I mean, why bother applying for a business upgrades if it gives me just a sandwich? I could just as well buy for a few €'s at the Aleppa in HEL 2B arrivals at normal prices, or if I somehow forgot to do so, at whatever extortionate prices from an air-side vendor.

With that said, Finnair never intended to cater to hobby fliers (especially not the kind that optimises fares). I believe that most (pre-pandemic) frequent fliers were either people who were forced and/or liked to fly a lot for professional, familial or other reasons - not people flying (mostly) for its own sake and/or reaching Finnair Plus tiers.

Furthermore, nothing is permanent. Finnair was in an absolutely bad (as all airlines), yet relatively good (financially), position at the beginning of the pandemic. Now it is in a particularly bad position because of its uniquely high dependency on Europe-Asia traffic. Cutting every possible corners is understandable, and (as a Finnish taxpayer) even expectable. In all likelihood, there will be further changes sooner rather than later, in one direction or the other. To paraphrase a French proverb, it is urgent to wait-and-see.

Again, I understand that everybody (incl. myself) is pissed with the last announcements. But I also feel that negative feedback is pointless and vain at this time.

cistavoda

Somewhere to spend our €€€ and get something in return.

kauppias

Scary team offers that 😄👍

But in all seriousness I thought I was safe from the dreaded Fish J meals and then looked at my next 6 AF J trips booked there are 3 AY operated flights there so I have to work on changing those to the AF or KLM operated flights, luckily changes are easier at AF/KLM....

Without a meal and full bar service AY "J" just does not appeal!

EuroFlash

What a disgrace, and the way they present it…. as if this is the customers having asked for these changes.

Absolutely awful. Come on, what is this crap? Really hoping FinnairPlus_Ela could pass on our feedback to the right department, but not having any hopes they’ll be listening.

They’ll continue listening to their fairytale customers asking for more and more “enhancements”, and that’s what we’ll be getting.

QR it is for long haul for me. Will burn my points on award flights probably, not worth the SH upgrades

Steve_Hun

Not my own picture (from a Facebook group), but for comparison, here is what QR is providing for the short bounce between DOH and DXB... I know that we shouldn't compare, but still the difference is so striking.

oliver2002

'How can we best present three mini bites? Lets use the largest plate in the selection!'

loimu

All this is very disappointing. But I guess in the end, this will turn things like Y coffee and tea from being a cost to a tiny source of income. And I think it fits the general pattern where the service is focussed on the occasional traveller who flies AY once a year, whose expectations are low anyway and he (she) won't remember what the service was like when he flew last time. And he gets to admire the design paper cup and napkin while sipping on his complimentary juice and - who knows - might even feel satisfied with what he gets.

I also hate the idea how the "illaksi kotiin" concept will now work in J: Home-bound after a day in Europe, you'll get the lettuce, cracker and peanut based snack in an outstation lounge like always, then another delicious and high-quality snack onboard and arrive home hungry.