Cambo

For my AY flights, SIN-HEL-SIN in Aug/Sep, the J seat map shows roughly a 25% filling. Despite that, pricing is roughly double what I paid in November 2021, and that's only 2 months out. So, AY does seem to expect quite a lot of last-minute bookers.

lkrt

Seat map does not reflect loads or availability in any way when seat selection is chargeable and does not take place automatically.

(On a separate note, I also tried booking BKK/SIN for August but the flights were exorbitantly priced - today they are significantly cheaper)

Cambo

Yes, of course. However it gives an indication. What I did not report is that the J seat allocation didn't increase noticeable either, in the past months.
Before posting earlier today, I checked the pricing for the same trip on Matrix and these were roughly double the price I paid. Rechecking gave the same results. HEL-BKK in Aug/Sep in J is over EUR 4200 according Matrix.

intuition

Woke up to a slew of price-monitor alerts with Finnair pricing around 1000€ lower than yesterday. Now they undercut the Firat class options!

intuition

... just to bounce back up 500-1000€ today.

intuition

So here is a follow up. I've monitored prices from ARN for 2 different destinations in Australia, on two sets of dates (very close to oneanother)
I wanted to share as there has been some claims that demand is driving prices.

There is a pattern of cyckling prices ±2 000€. Do note that the lowest prices in AY's pricecycle is on par with where the competition is most of the time.

Prices in SEK, so roughly divide by 10 to get €

On dest 1, dates 2 the cycle is very clear, returning to almost on the cent the same price. (A few SEK up or down is likely that Finnair internal €<->SEK rate is moving)





Also, do note that clicking through on Google flights, and use the "Book with finnair" link, that deep links into Finnair.com does not produce neither the flights nor the prices google shows. So there is also a case of "screw with all third parties and put garbage into the GDS".
But then again, searching&booking directly on finnair.com can't replicate the prices they show in their own 7x7 day matrix either.

One final interesting observation is that one some days OTAs offer ARN-MEL via HEL and then SIN or BKK (or DEL too, I think). Finnair.com does not, the only route offered is via LAX on such days.

Jainzar

Are the prices taken now from the AY site?

intuition

No, from Google flights, from their flight price monitor alerts.

It is very difficult to get prices from AY.com as you can't filter on anything and you can't know the price until you combined all possible routings (lowest outbound prices is not the same as lowest total price).

nordic

For European flights it seems that you should book two months in advance. In the next 2 months the oneway price for Stockholm is 340 €, afterwards it’s 170 €. In May it was possible to book the 170 € less than one week in advance. Either the flights are really full or they have lost their mind. The same two month limit seem to affect most destinations.

ffay005

A normal return price for ARN is about 100 EUR. Campaign, 90 EUR. And 130 EUR is already a lot. In normal times.

remymartin

nordic is quoting J prices.

Jorma

Just out of curiosity, have you been checking other like QR or TK for the same dates? Just for comparison.

intuition

QR is interesting, and they also returned first cabin on the SYD-route. But they are rather pricey at the moment. Also, I am pretty cross with them for diluting the program. They opened for Avios and the BAEC crowd with millions of avios lying around vacuumed the award system.

I usually fly this route on OW carriers and it adds a bulk of points to my accounts. Going Star Alliance on this trip would likely mean no renewal of status on AY and QR. OTOH, I am not paying 5000+ € for mediocre AY/JQ flights.

ffay005

Okay! On that case the difference between Y and J is very small this summer.

Jainzar

Doing the treadmill on the crappy dark side, I ended up with ARN flights to the US thanks to AY.

I don‘t fully get the AY pricing, but luckily I didn‘t need to bother.

To me it looks like there is no SAT/SUN rule on AY for J. If you stay a week the price is only 4000SEK higher than the competition, but you get a Light ticket in that case.