FINNAIR Schedule change 2022/2023 - impact on Rewards Bookings

[AndyC1970]

If , like me , you have a trip to Europe booked via Tokyo and Helsinki next year note below. Particularly worrying given QFs seeming inability to re-ticket reward seats in a timely manner. Note change to Haneda. If flying into Narita - unable to transfer to Haneda based on current restrictions. I'm hoping they offer me via Singapore instead.

Changes in our traffic plan for winter 2022-2023​

Finnair has updated its traffic plan for winter 2022-2023. See the instructions here if your travel plans are affected due to changes.
Published 19.04.2022Updated 29.08.2022
Finnair has adjusted its traffic plan for winter 2022–2023, as our operating environment has changed drastically during this year with the war in Ukraine and the subsequent closure of Russian airspace. Our aim is to operate a traffic plan that is as economically viable as possible. The traffic plan update includes flight cancellations and schedule changes. We are sorry about the harm and inconvenience the changes may cause to your travel plans.
We cancel all our flights to Krabi and Chicago for the upcoming winter season, and discontinue the direct flights from Stockholm Arlanda to New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Bangkok and coughet. In addition, on some routes we reduce weekly frequencies. In Japan, instead of Tokyo Narita, we fly daily to Tokyo Haneda, which offers excellent connections to our partner’s Japan Airlines network out of Haneda.

 

[jeza]

They have also entered into a strategic partnership with QR.

News | Finnair

company.finnair.com

I have a BKK-CDG flight booked for May 2023 with AY on a OWA so like you I'll be watching closely.

 

[Chrizztofa]

Terrible news. My partner and I are booked on BKK-ARN-LHR in February on separate tickets (one cash, one points). Hoping we now won't be separated.

So far I've been re-routed to BKK-HEL...but the ARN-LHR hasn't changed yet so I have 25 minutes to get from HEL to ARN!

 

[offshore171]

I’m not surprised. Finnair must be really hurting at the moment, given that so many of their long haul routes used to transit Russian airspace.

They would appear to be one of the most impacted by the Russian stupidity, through no fault of their own.

You’d have to put them down as a high risk of itinerary disruption at present.

 

[jpp42]

How does moving from NRT to HND improve things regarding Russian airspace? Or is it just they can charge a higher fare for HND and improve revenue?

Hopefully they move over award bookings, though the usual issues with Qantas re-ticketing would apply I presume.

 

[odysseus]

How does moving from NRT to HND improve things regarding Russian airspace? Or is it just they can charge a higher fare for HND and improve revenue?

Given the issue with Japanese visitor visa restrictions and entry, with no sign of ending, operating from two terminals is no-go for connections. They are changing terminals so that they can offer more connecting flights with partners, hence improving revenue.

 

[craven morehead]

Following

 

[offshore171]

How does moving from NRT to HND improve things regarding Russian airspace?

Makes no difference. The comment about russian airspace is more around Finnair reducing frequencies, changing their routes, timetables and generally having a high likelihood of disruptions. Few international airlines would be as badly affected as Finnair. You only have to look at a great circle map of their key routes between Helsinki and Asia.

Or is it just they can charge a higher fare for HND and improve revenue?

Not sure that makes much difference either. HND probably works better with their partner airline transfers, since most customers are not allowed to change airports.

 

[algae]

I have a HEL > KIX (Osaka) rewards flight booked for May 2023. I'm still pretty nervous their osaka seasonal flight might get canned at some point, but i remain hopeful..... for now...

 

[ShrinkWrapped]

I had a schedule change last night with an AY U class booking. Got the email direct from AY since I made sure my details were on the AY website. Then went onto QF website, clicked accept changes (5 min change lol), new e-ticket in my inbox within an hour. It works well usually if it's done online

 

[PlutekPlutek]

About a month ago I had made a reward booking from WAW to BKK. It was with Finnair, and the only available route was WAW-HEL-ARL-BKK as the direct HEL-BKK was not available for redemption. The timing was in November.

Yesterday I got an email from Qantas and Finnair saying that the ARL-BKK has been cancelled and that they accommodated me on the HEL-BKK flight instead. Bonus! This was the flight that did not have any J rewards available originally

My bookings now shows WAW-HEL-ARL as well as HEL-BKK. I would like to remove the redundant HEL-ARL leg and get the miles refunded. Called the Qantas line and got through to someone with a South African accent, explained my request but they sounded completely clueless. They were asking if I want to remove the inbound or the outbound flight. It isa one way booking only so the question seemed completely irrelevant. I didn’t feel brave enough to continue based on the reports of the whole bookings being screwed up. Any suggestions for how best to deal with this?

 

[AndyC1970]

Can I ask the travel date of these these bookings ? I imagine they are working through them - mine is late January 2023. I want to get on the front foot with QF, but don't want to risk being #joyced by the undertrained call centre staff. Hopefully though, AY will offer a solution I can just agree with and wait for the ticketing lottery!

 

[PlutekPlutek]

November 2

Can I ask the travel date of these these bookings ? I imagine they are working through them - mine is late January 2023. I want to get on the front foot with QF, but don't want to risk being #joyced by the undertrained call centre staff. Hopefully though, AY will offer a solution I can just agree with and wait for the ticketing lottery!

Mine are late November 2022. I spoke with a south african call center operator last night, he said it was a change he had to get some other support team to do, and wasn't able to reach them. He advised me to call back in the morning. I got through to Suva, and hang up. Not game enough to risk them screwing up the booking. I'll keep trying.

 

[BD1959]

About a month ago I had made a reward booking from WAW to BKK. It was with Finnair, and the only available route was WAW-HEL-ARL-BKK as the direct HEL-BKK was not available for redemption. The timing was in November.

Yesterday I got an email from Qantas and Finnair saying that the ARL-BKK has been cancelled and that they accommodated me on the HEL-BKK flight instead. Bonus! This was the flight that did not have any J rewards available originally

My bookings now shows WAW-HEL-ARL as well as HEL-BKK. I would like to remove the redundant HEL-ARL leg and get the miles refunded. Called the Qantas line and got through to someone with a South African accent, explained my request but they sounded completely clueless. They were asking if I want to remove the inbound or the outbound flight. It isa one way booking only so the question seemed completely irrelevant. I didn’t feel brave enough to continue based on the reports of the whole bookings being screwed up. Any suggestions for how best to deal with this?

If it was me I think I'd wait until after the the flights had completed - I wouldn't want anyone in a call centre playing around with my bookings, especially award on partners, prior to flying. If you're also a PC member you could put in a consolidated claim for points and ORC.

Regards,

BD

 

[algae]

If it was me I think I'd wait until after the the flights had completed - I wouldn't want anyone in a call centre playing around with my bookings, especially award on partners, prior to flying. If you're also a PC member you could put in a consolidated claim for points and ORC.

Regards,

BD

Their baggage might get checked on to ARL. Or when they fail to board that last flight, it might cancel the next leg. I'd leave it for a bit and hope the system sorts itself out. But I'd still reccomend getting it sorted.

 

[BD1959]

Their baggage might get checked on to ARL. Or when they fail to board that last flight, it might cancel the next leg. I'd leave it for a bit and hope the system sorts itself out. But I'd still reccomend getting it sorted.

It's not unusual for rogue segments to remain in one's FF bookings, the e-ticket should have the revised routing and that is what will drive the tagging of the bags. That said I once had the following on my bag tags: MEL-SYD-SIN-FRA-BHE and the bag correctly arrived in the UK (BHX) and not NZ !!

Regards,

BD

 

[theice]

I had booked from BNE - CNS - NAR - HEL in December but now the NAR - HEL has been changed to HAN - HEL, which doesn't work at the moment. Customer service assures me there are no classic rewards seats to Haneda from anywhere in Australia so they can only offer me a refund at the moment.
Any suggestions?

 

[jpp42]

I had booked from BNE - CNS - NRT- HEL in December but now the NRT- HEL has been changed to HND - HEL, which doesn't work at the moment. Customer service assures me there are no classic rewards seats to Haneda from anywhere in Australia so they can only offer me a refund at the moment.
Any suggestions?

Corrected the airport codes for you. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in the other thread, a lot of people are in your position and I don't know there's anything that can be done right now except sit tight and hope that Japan starts allowing independent tourism before December, or at least comes up with a solution for NRT-HND transfers. The call centre is almost certainly correct on the award availability, it would be unlikely that anything in the Australian summer/Japanese ski season would be available. This is not really a problem that Qantas can take ownership/responsibility of, as long as there is enough time between the flights they are still a valid connection as far as airline systems are concerned - they don't know your visa status, as you could do this fine if you are a Japanese resident.

The following thread is tracking the Japan situation, and I'd suggest you "watch" it so you can get updates if/when more details are announced: Japan Tourism for independent travellers.

 

[theice]

Corrected the airport codes for you. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in the other thread, a lot of people are in your position and I don't know there's anything that can be done right now except sit tight and hope that Japan starts allowing independent tourism before December, or at least comes up with a solution for NRT-HND transfers. The call centre is almost certainly correct on the award availability, it would be unlikely that anything in the Australian summer/Japanese ski season would be available. This is not really a problem that Qantas can take ownership/responsibility of, as long as there is enough time between the flights they are still a valid connection as far as airline systems are concerned - they don't know your visa status, as you could do this fine if you are a Japanese resident.

The following thread is tracking the Japan situation, and I'd suggest you "watch" it so you can get updates if/when more details are announced: Japan Tourism for independent travellers.

Thanks, I've managed to find availability a few hours later from BKK, which should be easier to get to so at least I have a backup.

 

[BD1959]

I had booked from BNE - CNS - NAR - HEL in December but now the NAR - HEL has been changed to HAN - HEL, which doesn't work at the moment. Customer service assures me there are no classic rewards seats to Haneda from anywhere in Australia so they can only offer me a refund at the moment.
Any suggestions?

I see BNE-HND available in Y classic awards up until Dec-2. Various Classic awards out of SIN via a number of interim ports (KUL, MNL) up until the 14th, nothing much to SIN though ... or anywhere in South East Asia/NZ that I can see out of Oz at that time.

Regards,

BD