Finnair to launch Melbourne-Helsinki flights

[tdimdad]

A slightly different question: I wonder how will this impact AY's A350 operations in Europe? Currently they use one aircraft for the HEL-LHR run and have recently started also AMS runs. Would these be scaled back to A320's?

One great side benefit was the ability to snatch a PE seat on a Y ticket and it'll be a loss is this goes away.

 

[Oubline]

It was mentioned earlier in the thread by am0985, but according to Finnair’s website they say they’ll release Avios seats from 23 December. I reckon midnight GMT that day will be the next milestone, until then (or later) I’m not thinking we’ll see any Qantas availability.

From past (anecdotal) experience, I’m guessing we’ll only see whatever seats Finnair releases above and beyond their minimum seat guarantee which Avios programs get first access to.

Use Avios on Finnair award flights

Use Avios to pay for award flights or reduce the flight price by combining Avios with money. Put the miles flown and Avios collected to good use.

www.finnair.com

23 December has come and gone, now Finnair’s website just says: “Award flights to/from Melbourne are currently not available for booking on our website or app. We are sorry for the inconvenience.” I wonder if they’re having technical issues with this route on award (leading to the original ‘mistake’ pricing of awards), are holding off due to demand, or something else.

 

[justinbrett]

My recollection may be faulty, but pretty sure non-schengen arrivals didn’t just enter the departures area. We were funnelled along corridors to either arrivals or transfers (which involved re-screening). I doubt security would let you into non-schengen without a non-schengen flight.

I think it is possible. I was only watching a YouTube video the other day where he flew LHR-HEL-KTT and used the non Schengen lounge before going through passport control.

 

[PrezRegan]

Yeah when I did a trip last year I accidentally ended up in the non-Schengen lounge before going to the Schengen one when flying to LHR from HEL.

 

[justinbrett]

Yeah when I did a trip last year I accidentally ended up in the non-Schengen lounge before going to the Schengen one when flying to LHR from HEL.

LHR departs from the non Schengen gates - do you have it the other way around?

 

[PrezRegan]

LHR departs from the non Schengen gates - do you have it the other way around?

No…

 

[justinbrett]

No…

Then I don’t know what you mean. You should be in the non Schengen lounge for LHR departures.

 

[PrezRegan]

Then I don’t know what you mean. You should be in the non Schengen lounge for LHR departures.

From memory you can go through the non-Schengen area to get to the Schengen one, so you can use the other lounge first.

 

[PERLHR]

From memory you can go through the non-Schengen area to get to the Schengen one, so you can use the other lounge first.

That is correct. All pax after passing security enter within the Schengen area....with shops etc, food and bars. The AY Schengen lounge is there (upstairs) and they allow access unless overly busy where they tell you to proceed to the non Schengen lounge if you are flying as such. . So in theory, you can indeed visit the Schengen lounge, then walk for quite a wee bit to the sterile passport control and onwards on to the non Schengen area where you go to the larger, and better AY lounges. I have also used both outbound after being in HEL.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Then I don’t know what you mean. You should be in the non Schengen lounge for LHR departures.

Must mean flying from LHR to HEL.

If flying from HEL to LHR the OP would be in the schengen area to start with.

 

[SYD]

That is correct. All pax after passing security enter within the Schengen area....with shops etc, food and bars. The AY Schengen lounge is there (upstairs) and they allow access unless overly busy where they tell you to proceed to the non Schengen lounge if you are flying as such. . So in theory, you can indeed visit the Schengen lounge, then walk for quite a wee bit to the sterile passport control and onwards on to the non Schengen area where you go to the larger, and better AY lounges. I have also used both outbound after being in HEL.

That’s how departing most Euro Schengen airports work. A common zone and the a non-Schengen area beyond PP control. But you can’t get beyond PP control unless you have a BP for a suitable flight. Unfortunately, some have nothing besides the departure gates in that area. HEL is fortunately different.

But the main speculation was going to other way when transiting non-Schengen to Schengen and ducking into the better lounge first.

 

[justinbrett]

From memory you can go through the non-Schengen area to get to the Schengen one, so you can use the other lounge first.

But the point is the LHR departures leave from the non Schengen area.

If you arrived from - say - SIN, you’d be in the non Schengen area and have access to that lounge. You could clear passport control and enter Schengen, and then you would have access to that lounge. But then you’d have to go through passport control again to fly to LHR.

The non Schengen lounge is significantly better so there’s no motivation to go into the Schengen area if connecting to LHR.

Must mean flying from LHR to HEL.

If flying from HEL to LHR the OP would be in the schengen area to start with.

Yes, but there’s no Schengen area in LHR so the post makes no sense.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes, but there’s no Schengen area in LHR so the post makes no sense.

I think the OP means they flew from LHR to HEL, arriving in the non-schengen area. They stayed. Used the lounge. Then went to the schengen side for an onward flight.

That’s the only way the OP’s narrative fits the discussion.

 

[justinbrett]

I think the OP means they flew from LHR to HEL, arriving in the non-schengen area. They stayed. Used the lounge. Then went to the schengen side for an onward flight.

That’s the only way the OP’s narrative fits the discussion.

Well yes but having been invited to correct their post multiple times, and failing to do so, it’s all very confusing.

I posted above confirmation that you can visit the non Schengen lounge if arriving from a non Schengen location, prior to going through passport control and accessing the Schengen lounge.