If the cancellation is known prior to leaving PDX, easiest could just be PDX-LHR-HEL-BER? Wonder if they would even do PDX-LHR-BER.

As the booking is on AS, she may chose the northern option, LAX-ANC-KEF-BER

I've got a HEL-KIX flight coming up that I'm somewhat concerned about as it's not a daily flight. Any preferred alternative for this routing that AY would be amenable to? I'm booked in PE (pending an upgrade). I'd think that the HND flight if not already full would only be able to accommodate a few customers.

Are you suggesting a change of destination now, when there is no info about any cancellation? That is hardly going to work.

Once the flight is cancelled, AY might be more keen on listening and if you're content with flying to HND and continuing on your own from there, I am sure they would agree.

To change the destination sort of proactively is also kind of a lottery – you could very well end up with HND cancelled on your day of travel.

Oh no, not at all. I really hope my flight isn't canceled at all! Just want to be prepared in case it is so I have some alternatives ready to present. If I was rerouted through HND that'd be fine, but I'd expect them to get me all the way to KIX. Ideally, if there's enough time to depart on the same scheduled day so I don't lose a day in Japan. Since it's PM departure getting out of HEL earlier to connect somewhere in Europe would be ideal if they can't rebook on the same day's HND flight.

Unfortunately the BA flight doesn't operate daily and isn't running on the 27th, which is why I went with the AY option.

LAX-HEL was canceled for us on February 11. Scheduled departure was 6:50pm and we received the text that it was canceled around 8:30am day of departure. Had I known the night before I could have taken an early flight to DFW and caught the DFW-HEL on AY (I prefer their biz cabin). When they texted they had automatically rebooked LAX-LHR-HEL arriving in HEL at 8pm. We were supposed to attend a hockey game in Helsinki which started at 6:30pm so we were trying to get in a little earlier. On top of that we live in the SF Bay Area and had purchased separate positioning flights from SJC. Was trying to get a hold of them with some other options but the chat and phone queues were long so ended up skipping our flight to LA. Ultimately we got rebooked SFO-DFW-LHR-HEL and landed just after 6pm. Were it not for the hockey game (which we ended up not making anyway) I would have stuck with their original re-routing. The LAX-LHR was 777 which I think has the upgraded cabins. The DFW-LHR leg was on the 380 which was HORRIBLE.

Summary: They will rebook you automatically and will use whatever route makes the most sense getting you to your destination.

PS: Our return flights were messed up too after BCN-HEL arrived too late for us to make our connection (even though we made it to the gate 10 minutes prior to departure!) and the hotel was filled with people that had been on 2 Asia flights that were canceled. I sure hope AY solves their labor situation soon.

Question on rebooking if cancelled, as I see HEL-HKG-HEL rotation got cancelled more frequent recently:
If I hold a BA Avios ticket (125-), since the flight only gets cancelled on the day of departure, should I call AY directly or BA to get my ticket rebooked? I will try my best to get reroute confirmed before heading to the airport as it seems like the ground agents at HKG will just push pax to CX as standby (from anecdote evidence). Also BA seems to have a policy rebooking any OW flights when non-BA flight got cancelled on the day of departure.

Probably AY -- and they will have a proposed route for you. My recently canceled flight was on AY but booked with Iberia. Never had any conversations at all with Iberia, only with AY and BA (AY rebooked me on BA flights)

When the flight is taken over by airport control, which happens at least 24 hours in advance, the operating carrier is responsible. Make sure your email is in your booking, and you should automatically receive a reroute from AY.

Thanks for the confirmation on that. I noticed some disucssion on HK local forum on this very matter and it seems the ground agent handling was somewhat messy sending passengers in all directions (but on standby basis), hence asking this with hope to beat the system as soon as the cancellation kicks in.

in irrops its allways best to be prepared. I usually have a few suggested routes with space allready looked up for the agents

That's exactly what I plan to do. I'm flying this Friday and will keep Finnair number on hand in case I have to give them a call.

The good thing with an ex-Asia flight is that you can monitor the incoming plane and thus you will know about the cancellation more than half a day before STD.

It is my understanding that AY will automatically rebook you on another flight (e.g. BA for ex-HKG) and if you are satisfied with that, I don't understand why you would have to be at the airport on standby basis?