BruceCarson

Lurker comming out from the shadows here...

I suppose this is why some people actually pay for the flexible tickets. I started feeling off yesterday, went to bed early and felt much worse, today. I think it might be viral but I'm not sure, won't get into that here.

My flight to Helsinki officially leaves in an hour/NOW. I've been on the phone with Finnair since comming back from the doc but they say I can't re-book within 24 hours. (I might be able to rebook for monday(!?) they say they will call me back but I think this is a longshot)..

are the old tickets a total wash? I'm no tthinking very straight right now but can I get any value from them for rebooking through Finnair again? I origionally posted this in the American Airlines forum, but I actually booked throug Finnair so it probably should be here.

FlyingFinn

If I understood correctly you have non-flexible, el cheapo tickets? Then yes, the value of those tickets is lost if you fail to show for you flight, you cannot use them as travel credit for future purchases like some of the American carriers allow. You used to be able to get the taxes and fees back, but some time ago AY announced that they are not doing this any more - which might be borderline illegal so you can always try.

For this kind of situation a good travel insurance policy is the key.

Ivan Grozny

Or, if you miss very few, just put it down to experience.
I miss only a very small percentage of flights (though it is partly luck - nearly missed one due to a delayed train in Oslo, but BA let me in (after check-in had officially closed) just before the plane doors closed, and I had to run the entire length of the airport! - thanks BA^)
(I generally get to the airport pretty early!!)
So the cost of all the saved insurance can far outweigh the cost of the occasional re-booking
Naturally, insurance prices are calculated on charging more than the average risk.
It is just a matter of comparing the average to the particular.

to the OP:
Hope you get better soon.

What does the ticket/e-ticket say on them about changes?
I often get the "use it or lose it" tickets myself, and they say things like no travel before e.g. 30th July, and no travel after e.g. 30th July -that's on Finnair - with other companies saying things like no changes, no re-routings etc.

Sometimes the cheapest tickets I can get are semi-restricted with an e.g. $80 (50 pounds sterling) fee for any changes.
So it is worth reading the small print.


Actual example - Mrs G flew earlier today on AY, and the e-ticket blurb says "30JUL AY 0840 LHR HEL /NOT VALID BEFORE 30JUL /NOT VALID AFTER 30JUL /FARE BASIS: ZTOURCH" - which means, apart from the obvious, that in Mrs G's case, don't even bother wasting money on the call about rebooking!

Hope this helps

mosburger

Ladies and gents, always pay for a fare you can change for a fee at least. I have been cursing quite a few times when everything but the flight date has changed for various reasons.

Ivan Grozny

Fair comment.
Treat the difference in price between the ticket you buy, and the cheaper ticket you could have bought, and consider it as insurance.

To be honest, some people's lives are much more predictable than others, and some parts of the world are similarly so.
Also factor in replacement ticket cost, and consequential losses from an extended delay while sourcing a cheap replacement ticket (some routes have more carriers/choices than others, and some routes are only served infrequently!)
It is just a matter of comparing the average to the particular.
So choose appropriately!

see also this link:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/newss...-airlines.html

Koikkari

Maybe so but maybe not!
I am flying intra-Europe mostly on the cheapest tickets which cost usually 200€-300€. Premium for better fare class (where you can do changes for fee) must be 50+€ (plus the fee itself another 50+€). I can miss every 6th flight for break-even. In reality I have missed only 2 of my last 100 flights.
The cheapest tickets may not be available when you missed your flight. But on those 2 occasions I got reasonable priced tickets.

BruceCarson

Ok, that's what I figured. Good tip about the taxes and fees, that might be worth a try.

This is the first flight I've missed in my entire life (except for weather related stuff which the airline pays for, and after 9/11), having flown well over one hundred fifty flights. So I don't feel too bad about it when looking at it from that perspective. Funny thing is, I always check into health insurance abroad and pay extra so my policy covers me on vacation, but never thought about buying travel insurance. Seems like the cost of travel insurance might be boosted a bit by people requesting payouts for many sort of non-emergency situations - either that or it would be very hard to get a payout.

Starting to feel a bit better. I slept almost the whole day and just woke up at 5pm. I think I might just stay this schedule and then have a long day when I get to Europe.

onobond

You're right, 150+ flights on a flexible fare to avoid present hassle would have dug a deeper hole in your wallet. If this is first missed flight that will be on your own expense, you've been more lucky than most of us.

Hope you get better soon, and hope you have a safe travel!

Ivan Grozny

Glad we could help
A problem shared is a problem halved.

another_shot

I had a few occasions in my company when people had to cancel the flights (cheapo fare) due to illness. However in most cases if we call local Finnair before departure to say "he will not make it due to illness" and faxing or emailing scanned paperwork from doctor (the stuff you get from your doc for employer stating your illness) later on, Finnair has either refunded or transferred free of charge.
Not sure if it is official rule or depends from local AY staff, but try it. What I think is important you should deal with AY office in the country where the doc issued you with a statement.

mkgrip

So the idea is to save some pocket change by not taking insurance, and then use thousands a year to fly on more expensive fares, still not getting the same protection an actual travelers insurance would get you (you don't wanna pay say... medical evacuation to you home country our of your own pocket)? Doesn't make much sense if you ask from me.

WilcoRoger

My 2 cents - flying the cheapest rates can be OK, because in the rare situation that you miss the flight or need rebooking, you can get another cheap ticket for even less than the difference between the cheapest and flexible fare. Even if it's not the case, the actual percentage of missed flights are usually quite low, so the risk vs costs tends towards taking the risk. That said, on longhaul it may be more tricky (flights not every day, only very expensive tix on short notice, etc) - but on long haul we all fly in C don't we

kjsaw

I've been in this situation before; I always pay for my tickets with a MC that includes cancellation insurance that will refund you (up to a limit) if you are too sick to travel. Used it once and they just required a doctors note.