Finnair long-haul business class promotion
 

Link on the front page of Finnair's website.

In a nutshell: Long-haul J prices between 1990e and 2500e for travel from now until end of August, minimum stay 4 days, no changes permitted.

In a nutshell - ex-HEL campaign prices at the normal ex-anywhere-but-HEL prices. :td:

Sad but true. Austrian had the 999 ex-VIE c-class campaign a while ago. That was a sweet deal. If only Finnair would offer something as good for it´s home market too.

Better hop over to ARN:

Businessklassflygningar från Stockholm, all-in:

Delhi 19 160 SEK
Peking 19 060 SEK
Shanghai 21 860 SEK
Hong Kong 20 110 SEK
Bangkok 18 120 SEK
Seoul 23 730 SEK
Tokyo 22 810 SEK
Osaka 24 460 SEK
Nagoya 25 450 SEK
New York 14 880 SEK

What's new here? All traditional airlines are cheaper if you're originating outside their own hubs/home market? To me it sometimes seems that this AY forum has big difficulties in understanding this old fact of the airline industry...?

These offers are better than normal restricted J prices ex-HEL, period. Are they attractive to someone flying with his/her own buck? ..Well that needs to be judged individually.

In theory, I understand that there is a price difference between a direct flight and one that requires a transfer. However, there is a limit on what the "avoidance of hassle" is worth.

For example, an economy ticket with AY HEL-BKK-HEL on Aug 7-14 lists as 991 euros currently (booking class N). An AY ticket TLL-BKK-TLL via HEL for the same dates lists as EEK 16590 (booking classes L, S). The pricing on this seems to make sense to me. In addition, I spotted competing offers for 544 euros with Turkish Airlines, or 909 euros with SAS. The big difference with the prices is that AY flies direct (less than 10 hours travel time), whereas Turkish Airlines travel time is nearly 20 hours with a long layover. Is the 10 hours or so each way worth to me 447 euros or not? Maybe, but in any case the price difference here is clearly "on the edge".

In business class, however, AY with HEL-BKK-HEL for the same dates lists as 3511 euros (fare basis IFLEXFI). With TLL-BKK-TLL for the same dates, AY lists as 2140 euros, travel time around 12 hours each way. To take a day trip to Estonia each way would therefore save me 1371 euros. Would I do it? Well, as they say, "been there, done that". Also collected incremental Finnair Plus points for the additional legs.

The competition exists also for the business class trips. Lufthansa is offering an ex-HEL ticket to BKK with the same dates for 2152 euros. Travel time around 15-16 hours. Would the savings of 1359 euros be worth it for me to spend 5-6 hours more each way? Again, "been there, done that".

As it is today, I believe Finnair is clearly overestimating the incremental value of direct travel. These "special offers" ex-HEL also come with severe restrictions, so they are in no case comparable to the regular business class tickets. It's also interesting to note that Finnair assumes no incremental value for a direct economy class ticket, as illustrated by my example.

LH has had complete rip off prices in biz from Germany, to take an example. Nothing new under the sun.

Btw, an Air Berlin or SAS flight HEL - DUS/TXL - HEL need not be that expensive...8000 extra Plus points for the DUS/TXL - HEL - DUS/TXL biz sectors when combined with a longhaul.

As it is, you can turn around in TLL, with OLCI done beforehand (landside the c/i is already closed by the time you make it from the gate.

In my experience, the price ex-HEL in Y is the same as ex-TLL in C (to NRT at least) Throw in 60 euros for the one-way HEL-TLL and you are done. You get some 35k points as opposed to max 16k (rather 8k) ex-HEL. And you get to sit in the front of the bus, which is a BIG difference on AY longhaul.

It's also hard to understand why pax ex-TLL (80 km from HEL) get so much preferred treatment from AY compared to pax ex-TKU (160 km) or anywhere else.

Well, I vote with my wallet and fly either with AY ex-TLL or with SK ex-HEL via CPH/ARN - depending where I need more points to upkeep status :D

......

Enjoy. Actually, if you fly back in Aug you might get lucky and get to sample the excellent crayfish menu/starters AY has ex-HEL to JFK in J in August. Or at least they have had...who knows will they do it during the recession..

Actually, there are even sweeter prices ex-LED ;)

Some of the LED prices are amazing indeed. For £1k in C to HKG. Not bad.

But you have to go first to LED... 100e for visa, x00 for tix... But very cheap, nevertheless