Am I crazy ? ( declined offer for more direct route)

[kelvedon]

I'm wondering about the sensibility of a decision I've just made. Arrived at LHR for a Finnair flight to HEL and on to BKK, connecting to a EK flight to SYD.
At LHR they offered me to move me to QF 2 as AY HEL to BKK is overbooked. I declined and will take the original longer AY routing simply because I've never been to HEL. It's not even a SC issue as it's a reward flight in J. Am I mad?

 

[Hvr]

Am I mad?

Not to AFF members. Same amount of stops and presumably the times suits you so why move?

If there was the opportunity to do a new route/airline etc then I'd have stayed on the original flight as well.

 

[LadyC]

I'm with Hvr. Pretty standard in the AFF neck of the woods and I also find it interesting transiting new places (more so if I can explore).

 

[Denali]

As long as its J and above and as you have never been to Helsinki, I say not crazy.

Hope you have some great flights.

 

[Pushka]

Are you staying in Helsinki or just touching? Loved it on our recent cruise. Very charming.

 

[RooFlyer]

Go via Helsinki Vs go via Dubai? I'd do it every time if I had the choice ( Not anti Dubai, just Pro Helsinki ).

If you have a few hours you could hire a car and dash down to charming Porvoo on the water. Did it once with some friends - had dinner there and then returned to airport. Think we had 6 hours or so, though.

 

[drron]

Anyone who calls you crazy is crazy.

 

[kelvedon]

Currently somewhere over Russia. I’m glad I went via HEL. Never been a plane that was de iced before. Felt I had to watch them to make sure they didn’t miss any!!
HEL is a nice small airport that this time of year is coated like a Christmas cake.
Whilst in the lounge I was called to the front desk. ( felt like a naughty boy being summoned to the headmaster) and again offered AY via HKG and either CX or QF to SYD. Again declined as I have chauffeur booked with original EK flight. Felt a bit selfish but....
AY A330 a bit scruffey, not quite EKor CX but at least it’s not 2x2 that QF A 380 has... and I’ve eaten Rudolph!!

 

[VPS]

You're on AFF you're not crazy

 

[lathiat]

I feel like this change is more explainable even to the average person (new airport who dis?)

Explaining it on account of SC or to get the first LHR-PER 787 flight is another story... Although it's usually received by people a little better than when I talk to them about waiting in line for an iPhone!

 

[gaz0303]

Did you find time for a sauna?

 

[kelvedon]

Did you find time for a sauna?

No time for a sauna at HEL, (I’ll get a natural one in BKK!). And given the short transfer time I wonder if my bags would have accompanied me if I had taken the HEL-HKG offer?

 

[JohnK]

You're not crazy. I'd have done same thing in economy.

 

[kelvedon]

You're not crazy. I'd have done same thing in economy.

Hey JohnK, as a regular BKK visitor, do you have any suggestions to pass the next 4 hours other than staying in the EK lounge?

 

[JohnK]

Hey JohnK, as a regular BKK visitor, do you have any suggestions to pass the next 4 hours other than staying in the EK lounge?

Do you want to leave the airport? Probably not enough time to do anything meaningful.

Thursday afternoon/evening they have the local markets at LadKrabang night market. Not far with a taxi.

There's a 24 hour food court after immigration on level one where you can get a noodle soup or curry.

Not sure about transiting in the airport itself. Not much to do other than walking around.

 

[Virgin Bart]

I've secretly declined this offer from VA (unbeknown to my then girlfriend).

 

[kelvedon]

I've secretly declined this offer from VA (unbeknown to my then girlfriend).

Someone has to show leadership, right?

 

[TripleB]

Are you mad - no! I declined a direct ORD-ABQ in favour of the original ORD-MCI-DFW-ABQ once.

The only thing I will say is that in your circumstances I might have moved because there is half a chance that AY books you into a revenue class on QF and you wind up with points and SCs.

 

[timster]

Do you want to leave the airport? Probably not enough time to do anything meaningful.

Thursday afternoon/evening they have the local markets at LadKrabang night market. Not far with a taxi.

There's a 24 hour food court after immigration on level one where you can get a noodle soup or curry.

Not sure about transiting in the airport itself. Not much to do other than walking around.

I'm with the OP on the first choice via HEL. But I would have chosen HKG over BKK. Partly it's because I've been through BKK so many times, but it's one of my least favourite airports. Unless maybe if you're flying F on TG, when there are perks.

There's not much to do airside. It's the antithesis of SIN. Also getting out/back in to the airport is a lottery - could be quick or could be long waits both ways. And then there's not much landside anyway. BKK is in the boondocks. The small outdoor Paseo shopping mall is 10-15 minutes away by cab in Lat Krabang and vaguely interesting. If the OP had a few more hours there's Seacon Square or Mega Bangna further afield - both big shopping malls but with some 'Thai-ness'.

Anyway hopefully the EK lounge in BKK was OK.

 

[kelvedon]

Anyway hopefully the EK lounge in BKK was OK.

In the end I didn't leave the airport. I walked around a bit, exploring the extremities of the terminal, to those far distant gates populated only by airport workers untilising their remote location to covertly check their mobile phones or look at the back of their eyelids.

Otherwise spent a few hours in the EK lounge, which though pleasant enough seems completely devoid of any local influences and a mirror of all the other EK lounges I've been to. Just a bit too much of a uniform corporate image ?