Quite funny: I just OLCI'ed for a tomorrow's LO WAW-ORD flight. Allowance: 4 x 32kg (3 x 32kg is a standard allowance and 1 x 32kg is an extra Star Gold piece). Even more funny: I fly with hand baggage only (allowance: 12kg plus 1 personal item)...

But AY has quasi-monopoly in HEL so I guess they will not be heavily affected by their best customers leaving. People will not vote with their feet, if they have nowhere to go to...

Data point: I flew with SK ORD-ARN-WAW like 3 weeks ago (Business to ARN, Plus to WAW) - my hand baggage was heavier than their max allowable 8 kg - nobody said a word...

My sentiments exactly. I almost always fly with a carry on, but knowing that you don't have to worry was important...

The devaluation of the redemptions/upgrades is serious - 30%-50% IIRC. Just reinforces the old truth - don't hoard any loyalty award points/miles, burn them as you earn them.

The several luggage related enhancements are pitiful, FR style - probably will raise the morale of AY employees charged with enforcement as well.

The enhancing of status perks is a further devaluation of status, making it that much less aspirational. For me the end of waiving the overweight fee is what hurts most - rarely used, but then very useful (as Ed Size mentioned, travelling in J could mean 128 kg (4*32)/pax - very useful when moving the young ones abroad or oneself leaving on a 6 months assignment)

The devaluation of the J product is also an incredible move.

The 450 status points/month with the Visa card means at best the saving of 16.200 reward points per year (that much would need to be converted to reach status threshold) to the member and zilch/nada to the overwhelming majority, who either reaches status anyway or wouldn't reach status anyway.

"Finnair 100" indeed.

You might as well change your flights to AA while you're at it :D

Dear AY,

I have to tell you that I was already dating other carriers and had one foot out the door. Now this seals the deal with my new flame. Sorry AY, I am now going steady with my new carrier and will not be renewing Lumo status. You have changed so much that I don’t recognize you or know who you are anymore. t’s no longer working out between us and it’s definitely you and not me. It was fun while it lasted. Thank you for my lifetime OWE status and maybe I will run into you rarely when I am out of other options or just need a reminder. But it will just be as an old friend passing by. Thanks for the memories AY and good luck to you in the future.

sincerely,

Your former loyal customer

I am officially done with Finnair. It's not that there is a plethora of alternatives -- but buying points every year, and even choosing destinations based on where Finnair had award space, will not be happening any more. I've flown to places I would not have otherwise. Time to look elsewhere.

One thing I noticed today - I flew to Cancun last year HEL-DFW-CUN return, connecting onto AA in DFW.
The DFWCUN is no longer an AY code-share flight, and that routing is not available on the Finnair website!
The same routing with same airlines is available from Iberia for 775 eur return HELCUN. This is the same price I paid on AY last year, and was able to upgrade the LH segments.
I don't know what this can mean, but is Finnair getting rid of code-shares, also?

I was collecting QR points for many years - until they devalued their points scheme. Did the same then, used all my points for some first class flights for myself and a friend between DOH and BKK. Out of the OneWorld options, what would be the best one at this time? Are BA/IB and even QR now using Avios?

Here's another way to look at things. The value of AY points has actually increased!

Here's how:

Pre/during/post-covid HEL-BUD-HEL used to be in the 140-200€ range OR 30k points. 0,4-0,66 ¢/point.

Nowadays the same trip to Orbánistan is 5-600€ (nothing fancy, Mon-Fri off-season) OR 40k points, 1,25-1,5 ¢/point

Remember - you read it here first! :D

Spot on.

Perhaps once a year, I fly Ryanair or Wizz with a dirt cheap ticket. I take it as a challenge. If I pay 16 EUR for return flights to Poland, I will be careful not to break any rules to keep the cost at that level. It takes a lot of work to read up on the rules and I need to be careful measuring my bag and leaving that cheap bottle of booze on the shelf at the airport duty free etc (by the way, Wizzair always accepts one duty free bag on top of your allowance, AY won't!).

All other times when I fly, I don't want challenges and I don't want to be challenged. I want to travel HBO so the airline won't get the opportunity lose or break my bag. I don't want to wait for it for 40 minutes after my flight nor do I want to queue to check it in. If my bag fits in the overhead, I don't want anyone to meausre or weigh it, and I don't want added stress about the possibility that they might do it and cause me problems.

In October, I will be going to BEY. SK had a good schedule and a reasonable price, but I chose TK because it gives me peace of mind even if the price was higher and the schedule worse. But I don't have to worry about my bags.

Is AY going to change my piece of mind into a mind in pieces? Remains to be seen how strict enforcement will be for Lumos.

And as always, there are so many questions. If my carry-on is 500 grams overweight and the dragon insists on checking it at the gate, do I need to pay? Even if I have a free, unused baggage allowance?

Wow, the same people who switched to "burn mode" after low upgrade availability, crowded Schengen lounge, removal of champagne from short haul are shifting to burn mode for the nth time.

TK with the same 8kg allowance as AY gives you peace of mind? Sure, I guess TK is well-known for how well agents at outstations enforce / don't enforce their rules... :rolleyes:

And why would you need to pay to gatecheck a bag if you have free unused allowance?

The little I can do.. Looking at some pictures in the Finnair Shorthaul Business Class Food thread, I also decided to cancel by paid tickets for the summer I had bought during a campaign last year. Luckily due to schedule changes I was able to cancel with full refund.

This because of all the downgrades in inflight service, including the food; the platinum lounge always closed, and the Finnair Plus changes announced today.

Shame what AY has come to. Going back 15 years our biggest concern was sparkling wine being cut in SH Y. Now an OWE can’t even take an ounce over 23kg…

The difference here is that in the past, TK and AY did not enforce it. Now TK still does not enforce it, but AY apparently will start to do so. I hope you realise the difference.

Because that's what LCCs do. We don't know if AY will go this way, too. Hope not but I don't like the uncertainty. The LCC logic is that you had the chance to check it in at the desk, if you did not take that chance, you will need to pay.

Bernard-Massard btw

In 2008 AY flew longhaul flights on MD-11s with recliners and angled lie-flat seats in J, no personal entertainment system in either class, no WiFi on flights, long-haul J class had 2 meal options, crappy lounges in HEL (were they still charging for WiFi then?) and some stuff I do not recall so well: lower earnings for most flights, no upgrade vouchers (?? could be wrong).

But you could bring more than 23kg of checked in baggage without paying extra for it, glorious times..

I think it`s NOT a special AY thing. Actually all airlines try to squeze out their passangers whereever them can.
Prices ( in cash & miles/points ) rising up. In the same time quality and perks/benefits are going down.
The 3 years ago all including ticket for 600 Euro, them now selling you as a special offer for 900+ Euro and
on the top you have to pay extra for seats, luggage, food and drinks. As already mentioned , soon them will find
some more ways for charging ( printing a BP, checkin @ gate , may be even for using a toilet....
FFP`s are not anymore a real value, as long time ago. The best customers can do, is compare value for $ and
choose by your wallet....

There are more reports online of TK enforcing hand baggage weights (in fact a quick search on FlyerTalk brings up a thread saying enforcement does happen and is unpredictable) than there are of AY, but I guess complaining is fun too.